The best $120.00 kayak spinning reel- Shimano, Diawa or Penn Battle DX?

[ronaultmtd]

The headline is misleading...the $120 price point on spinning reels is what I would call the $200 Price-point of two years ago. The quality has been market driven and the robotic manufacturing process has driven costs down. Penn has really upped its game over the introduction of the "Battle" line of reels. The latest DX is a huge improvement over the Battle 3...and puts this reel in the conversation with the most popular spinning reel on the market- the Shimano Stradic FL...Last year I bought a Diawa Exeler LT 1000 to replace my Pfluegar UL reel that bit the dust...very happy with my Diawa..$60 price point reel I use exclusively in fresh water that performs flawlessly. I have four Stradic reels that see hard use every season. My wife bought me the FL last spring for my birthday so I have the latest version. That said, I am intrigued by the improvements in the Penn lineup that feature carbon fiber drags, supported by a ball bearing, CNC machined brass main gear supported by ball bearings and the ease of maintenance of the battle series reels. I rebuilt my Stradic CI-4(+) FA reel over the winter with all new Shimano factory Ball bearings...and you need special tools (EBay is your friend) to completely disassemble this reel. The $45 costs for me to rebuild a $230 reel (this is not a hobby level skill) was a factor in my decision not to throw away the reel and spend $120 to buy a DX or a Shimano SW Inshore...the Diawa reels comparable in features and quality are priced roughly $10 more than the Shimano and $15-20 more than the Penn. I would throw the Fuego LT in as an alternative at this price point. As a long-term, loyal Shimano Owner/user you would expect me to endorse it...but if I was Just starting out and did not have a workshop full of rods and reels...it would be impossible for me to pass on the Penn Battle DX...it is a heavier reel than either the Stradic or the Fuego LT, but only by a few ounces- will that be game stopper? Depends...if you want the best of the best, the lightest reel possible for finesse fishing, maybe the Penn isn't your reel...what I can say is the quality of the "big" three reel manufacturers has improved to the point it is hard to make a bad choice at the $120 price point.

[bignose]

I used to love my Stradics (and Stellas) until Shimano stop servicing them.
Two years ago I switched over to Diawa BGs and while they are not as refined, or smooth, and light as the Shimanos are, they are sturdy and provide a good "bang for the buck."
It's a tad heavier than the Stradics at 1/4 the price.

I found the Penns a little "clunkier."

[Mark]

The quality of fishing gear has improved greatly over my lifetime without corresponding increases in prices to keep up with inflation. That applies to rods as well as reels. Mechanization, computer-aided design and probably most important, (and controversial) offshore production to lower labor costs are some of the reasons.

There are many makers producing excellent rods and reels at prices for the masses. Even the big-names of high-end products have joined the market. Hence, Orvis makes its Clearwater line of rods, reels and lines. St. Croix makes Triumph rods. A relative newcomer, Temple Fork Outfitters (TFO), has found a market niche offering excellent quality at reasonable prices up and down its product line. The result has opened our hobby to more people which is a good thing. And almost all makers offer solid guarantees now.

I think the lesson for us, and to agree with Ron, is to look around. There is a lot of good fishing tackle in our marketplace. Brand loyalty can give you comfort when you make your purchase decisions. But don’t let it become habitual to the point that you overlook the excellent products from competing companies at prices that may surprise you. After all, it's that competition among makers that leads to more selection in the marketplace for us as consumers. Don't let that opportunity go to waste.

[Hemingway]

Ron, everything you have pointed out is right on target. I just checked over my inventory, and I have 8 Shimanos (ranging from a couple of cheap AX’s for the young grandkids, to a Sustain and 4 Stradics). I also have 5 Penns (ranging from Conflict to the drag monster 7500 Slammer III). In the price range you are discussing, there are great reels to choose from, and it does come down to personal preference. I just bought two new Stradics and I will share why. Penns are easier to do maintenance on, and several of the mid to top models are very well sealed, which is an important feature in the kayak fishing environment. The reason I am gradually moving away Penn spinning reels is the personal fit and feel of the Shimanos in my hand on a long day of casting is more natural and less fatiguing. The Penns feel a little too big. That being said, the Penns are tough, and I continue to catch a lot of fish with them on the troll and live lining. However, I have experienced one real short coming of the Penns in the price range being discussed. When casting if you don’t have the bail at top dead center because you are rushing or tired, the bail will flip back down on the forward cast causing the lure to come flying back into the side of your boat or even break off.

[J.A. Veil]

I want to comment on Ron's choice of terms in the title of his post "best $120.00 kayak spinning reel". In particular, I am uncomfortable with the term "best", which is used often on social media sites when discussing fishing and kayaking equipment. As others have pointed out, there are plenty of good spinning reels on the market today at different price points. What is best for one angler (whether reels, rods, plastic tails, kayaks, paddles, etc.) is not universally the best product across the board. For example, Ron and I are avid supporters of our own choices in jigheads and paddletails. Both brands are good quality, and we each have confidence in our own selection. That does not mean that the other guy's choice is bad (just different). The same goes for reels. Some are strong proponents of Penn, others of Daiwa. Still others buy the least expensive reel they can find realizing that they will need to replace it within 3 years.

Going back to the spinning reels, there are many things to consider when choosing a reel:

- weight (lighter reels are desirable for repeated casting over a long day) and how they feel in your hand
- smoothness
- anti-backlash capability
- quality of metal alloys (resistance to corrosion)
- salinity of the waters where you plan to use the reels most often
- number of bearings
- line capacity
- retrieve ratio (how fast the lure moves for each turn of the handle - my new book includes a table of 8 models of spinning reels that have ratios ranging from 5-to-1 to 6.4-to-1)
- cost (we might all like to fish with $250 reels, but for many that is not in the budget)
- ease of working on them for basic maintenance
- availability of parts
- do I want to use the same brands as my fishing buddy
- will the reels be used only by me or will kids or other inexperienced anglers use them too
- do you want to keep the reel for many years or do you plan to discard it in a few years and replace it with a new reel.

In my earlier years of fishing, I owned a variety of brands and models of reels. Many were adequate, but I found that I liked Shimano Stradics best. They are not inexpensive, but they work well for me and hold up well. For the past decade I have purchased only Stradics. But I rarely pay full price. I look for opportunities to buy at a discount. Sometimes anglers may receive a new reel as a gift and not want it. They offer a brand new reel for sale at a discounted price. When I see this opportunity, I often buy, even if I don't need the reel immediately -- I usually have a spare reel or two in my tackle inventory.

Just as auto makers introduce new versions of their car models every few years, Shimano releases new versions of the Stradic designated by different letter combinations. Normally Shimano requires dealers to sell their higher-priced reels only at full retail price. However, after a new generation of Stradic is introduced, dealers often mark down the previous generation considerably. Those reels are still brand new and first quality. By watching for these big markdowns, I can keep new reels on all my rods at a favorable cost.

So rather than talking about the "best $120 reel", I think it is more appropriate to talk about reels in different price ranges that offer good performance and value for the money. There are products by Shimano, Daiwa, Penn, and other major manufacturers that work well.

[Mark]

I believe where you fish most often and what you catch are the biggest determinants of how much you should invest in a reel. Of course your budget plays a role too. But more expensive tackle alone is not going to put more fish into your kayak.

I have been using Pflueger Presidents for 10 years. I have never had to replace one and each is as smooth as the day I put it into service. I did replace the spool on one because the drag failed. That's a pretty good performance record, in my opinion.

They're lightweight, yet sturdy and exceedingly smooth. Plus their spools have rubber inserts making them ready for braid.

Now the caveats:

I fish most often in the mid-Bay region where the salinity is not high. I don't test a reel's ability to withstand corrosion.

I don't fish as frequently as many on this forum.

I don't target especially large fish. Yet, I have caught stripers between 24 and 29 inches on the Pfluegers as well as numerous pickerels and channel cats over 20 inches. The reels have never failed me.

I have 8 spinning rods with Pfluegers and I rotate their use. Some I use for freshwater bass and tidal perch, others for stripers. No individual reel gets excessive use.

I rinse them with freshwater often and lubricate them often.

They are stored inside out of the elements.

I fly fish a lot and sometimes I do not touch my spinning rods on outings. They merely go along for the ride.

I haven't bought one for a while but I believe President reels retail for about $80. Mind you I paid that much for other brands of spinning reels 25 years ago. Reels that are long gone or sitting unused in a cabinet in my garage. That is why I say that fishing gear has (thankfully) not kept pace with inflation. New materials and production methods and offshore manufacturing have provided anglers with quality products for less money than we use to pay.

I have used higher priced reels during outings with guides. They're all good -- the Daiwas, Shimanos and Penns. Especially when I compare them to the heavy Mitchell 300s I used in my youth. But when I assess my preferred style of kayak fishing, I don't need to invest the extra $40 to $100 in a spinning reel. It's just not going to matter to my success. And I guarantee that the fish I catch feel no shame for being subdued by a Pflueger President instead of a Shimano Stradic.

[Slobber Bob]

That said, I am intrigued by the improvements in the Penn lineup .... CNC machined brass main gear ... .

That is a huge improvement for Penn. I've owned some of the lower priced point Penn reels in the past (Fierce and Battle I) and they almost always ended up on the work bench because of main gear teeth stripping out. I got tired of replacing gears and switched to Diawa saying I was done with Penn for good. I'm happy to see they've realized they have to upgrade the components to compete in this price range.