New spinning reel

[ECIRandy]

Originally Posted by Mark R

As far as price I have a lot of Cabels bucks banked so two or three hundred not out of the question

Mark R you will get a lot of opinions on this and often it comes down to brand preference. In the $ 150-250.00 price range there are many options. I've been primarily a Shimano guy for the last 25 years. Most of my spinning reels are 2500 Stradic Ci4+. I also have a few "regular" Stradic's. Last year based on many positive reviews I bought a Daiwa BG, Tatula LT, Ballistic LT, and Revros LT. I liked the BG and the much less expensive Revros but returned the Tatula and Ballistic. To me their frames felt very cheap and I was having line lay issues on the Ballistic which is a problem Daiwa's having (look it up on the 'net). It's true Daiwa does supply washers for you to fix the problem but to me spending that much money I shouldn't have to fix a problem they are aware of (just my opinion). My experience may have been a fluke because so many guys rave about the Tatula and Ballistic. Daiwa makes very good reels so I was unlucky. Also Shimano no longer has the reverse switch on their reels. I never used it so that wasn't an issue, however, if you like to backreel then a Daiwa would be a better choice for you. I have a few buddies that have been pleased with their older Pflueger's but not too impressed with the new ones. If I were you I'd go to Cabela's, take your rod if you can, try several different reels on your rod and see what feels best to you. Good luck and let us know what you decide.

Originally Posted by Mark R

Looking at pairing with an eye con 6’8” rod for snap jogging

I really love my Daiwa BGs (especially for the money), however, I have a St Croix Avid 6'8" mxf which I have paired with a Stradic ci4+ and it is maybe my favorite combo.....to me balance is very important when choosing a reel for any rod that I am pairing it with....as others have stated, the President is decent for the money as well. Also, how you hold your rod (I mostly hold mine with my reel between my middle and ring fingers) but not everyone does, so that could make a difference...I always suggest trying out any pairing of a rod and reel as a combo for that reason...not to beat a dead fish, but unbalanced is uncomfortable for me!

[TomP.]

I may catch grief for this but when it comes to jigging the spinning reel is just a line holder, as I back reel on bigger fish the drag is not that important to me and that is where the upper $ reels have the advantage. I am along with the upper post as I would rather have a mid priced reel that balances my rod then a high end reel that does not. That being said all my Walleye StCroix Legend Extremes setups have Shimano Sedona`s on them. To me when it comes to Walleye fishing I would rather spend the money on a high end rod then the reel.

[Mtfish]

I like regular Stradics. I have Eyecons and really like them for trolling. For jigging though, I would step up to an Avid.

[Mark R]

Thanks for the input

[walleyecheek]

Nobody's mentioned shimano sustain ?

[Pooch]

There are few "bad" reels on the market today. Some are just smoother and have a longer life expectancy. You absolutely get what you pay for. Just stay away from those that are bubble wrapped and hanging on a peg. Or rod/reel combinations.

I've have one President that was a gift and while it is a nice reel it pales in comparison to my two Shimano Ci4s. One 2500 and one 1000 frame size. They are silk smooth and after many hundreds of hours on the water appear bullet proof. I've never had one problem with the Shimano reels and I have a whole bunch of them. I've never worn out one of them, but reels seem to be improving each year. and I'm a "reel hoarder". Kind of like the guys with hundreds (thousands) of cranks that will never see the water, but just more expensive.

A two hundred dollar reel isn't twice as good as a one hundred dollar reel, but the more expensive reel will last longer and be a pleasure to own and fish with. Reels are much like rods. Buy the best you can afford and take care of it.

My dad told me a long time ago "To buy good tools the first time and have the pleasure of using them your entire life. If you buy cheap tools over and over you will still have cheap tools, but will have spent more than a good tool would have cost you to begin with Then one day you'll die without having the pleasure of owning and using a good tool".

Pooch

[Gary Korsgaden]

https://www.cabelas.com/catalog/prod...ref=prd2967618

2500 Live bait rigging

3000 Casting

A lightweight reel 5.8 to 6.30 ounces very smooth

$189.00 Retail