Reel question for you all...

[2000subaru]

I am in the market (putting on my christmas list) for some bass fishing gear this holiday season. I am a modest man, but have champagne taste on a beer budget. Some might say that I am always in the market for a great deal. In my shopping I have ran across a great old standby reel (Shimano 2500FB) and a new reel from a company that produces some great reels (Quantam InCyte). Am am posing a question to the great collaborative mind of WL.com to help me make my decision. I figure that either way I am not going to make a horrible decision, but would like to be sure. I can find tons of info about the Shimano reel, but the InCyte is new and have not been able to get much feedback on it's quality and performance. What are your thoughts...

Chris

[zen leecher aka Bill W]

I had a chance to inspect one back in September at a "fish in". I donated it as a prize and wish I had caught the fish that won it. Last I checked Auburn Sports sold them but they were out of stock.

[littleriver]

Come on Subaru. Beer is much more tasty than champagne.... the bubbly is much to sweet.. highly overrated.


It's just unbeleivable how expensive these stupid little baitcasting reels are getting. It boggles my mind.


I go through the catalogs and they throw out numbers like $300, $400, $500 like that's what the darned things should cost.


I bought a shimano curado a few years back at the totally exhorbitant price of $120..... I liked it and checked on buying another a few months back and they are now well over $200...

The shimanos are supurb... don't get me wrong... but Okuma is coming along with some nice reels and so is Pflueger. Check out the bass fishing versions of these companies and I think you will be able to find something that's reasonably priced and of really high quality...

[littleriver]

[A9]

Plueger or Shimano are great deals. Stay away from Okumas....Daiwas are ok, the Abu Garcia Revo looks and feels great for the price, but you can't go wrong with Shimano. I posted a thread with info about these rebate coupons that Shimano's offering right now, I'd peek at those three they are offering rebates for...

[gpc]

I am not familiar with either reel you are referring too, but shimanos are my go to brand. Dont get me wrong, I like Quantums as well but think shimanos are way better. I had a shimano AR 2000 for over 10 years, never even greased it just a little oil from time to time and that reel still only goes for $10.

[kzoo]

I also prefer Shimanos. The stradic spinning reels just came out with the propulsion design, eliminating line twisting by line management. Suckered me into buying one. Shimano seems to be leading the way in reel technology.

[Bigbass Dez]

I just purchased a Daiwa Exceler baitcaster from sportsman the other day , it's new so not many good a bad reviews just yet it's a 9 BB low profile 6.3:1 ratio for $70.. now i just have to find a good rod to match it up with ...now that there is a store in this state that sales a favorite rods "ALL STAR" i might have to make a trip to cabelas .....:bounce:

[danielt]

a spinning reel correct?

Any of the shimanos will be fine. They are all the same with small changes as the price elevates. Quantum is the same way but simply since you are looking at lower - medium end rang gear Id stick with a shimano. Don't be fooled by number of bearings. Most people think 500 bearings is better than 6 but that's not always the case. Its a real by real situation.

[cavdad45]

I am a big fan of Shimano Citicas and Quantum 1310MG's and the newer 1440's.

[Toni]

I have had Shimanos for more than 20 years. The last one I bought was a Senora (I think that was the name) fell apart. It just broke. I think it was all the salmon I was catching that did it. :compress: It has never had a work out like that.
I replaced it with a Pflueger President. First time out I caught a steelhead. That may be why I like it. Besides it has worked good.

[FishingFool]

I just got this yesterday.


Shimano Stradic 2500FI


My other reel is a Shimano Stradic 2500FH. :batman:

[islandbass]

I just got this yesterday.


Shimano Stradic 2500FI


My other reel is a Shimano Stradic 2500FH. :batman:

I handled it at sportsmans the other day and it feels very sweet. A bit out of my price range though. However, the Saros, which took the old Stradic's price point feels just as good. I have a symetre and that is a sweet reel, but both the stradic and saros make my symetre feel like a slade.

Back to the subject, I too would back the Shimano recommendation. No knock on Quantum, but based on the time I have used shimano spinning reels, I really can't find a need to find supposedly greener grass. Shimano reels rock from the get go from the symetre on up.

[A9]

The Sedona, Sonora, or Sahara's are will do just as well on a tight budget as anything can...I don't like the Symetre's at all (feel like a heavier Sahara) and the Stradic is pretty pricey...

I've been looking at some Pluegers and those are decent in the $40-$60 price range..

Shimano's dont go bad...and now their rods are SWEET for the price...No need to go the Loomis or Lami road...

For bassing, stick with the 2500 series...The 1500 might be too small if your sticking some 8lb or higher test on it, and the 4000 is what I use on my salmon spinning setup...

I got a Sahara 4000 on a Lami medium light 9'6" for my salmon spinning combo, I got a new Sonora 1500 on a trout rod and a Sedona 2500 for a 6'6" rod....

Just waiting for my Abu Garcia reels I bought last and the year before to crap out so I have a legit excuse to buy a few new Shimanos and Pluegers...

[Toni]

The Sedona, Sonora, or Sahara's are will do just as well on a tight budget as anything can...I don't like the Symetre's at all (feel like a heavier Sahara) and the Stradic is pretty pricey...

Shimano's dont go bad...

Mine went bad. The bottom of the reel broke, the bottom of the cup where the line goes. Split in 2. I also have another that has problems unscrewing the handle as I use it. But it has had this problem almost from the beginning.
You are fortunate to have none that have had problems.

[2000subaru]

You folks have been great to me in everything that I have needed help on. The situation is now out of my hands as my wife has purchased the gifts already. Don't think that this info has not been help though. On another plus side, she has been in constant contact with Dilbert who has basically held her hand through the holidays. So her dicisions have ALL came with insight and research. Yea me!!! Hopefully if all goes well I will now finally have a few good reels to go with my boat and I can yank out some fabulous bass soon.

Chris
P.S.- Look for my posts in the spring. I think that the lakes index has provided me with a honey hole that may produce a giant!

[A9]

Toni,
Try and return it or see if Shimano will get you a new one...

[Toni]

Toni,
Try and return it or see if Shimano will get you a new one...

The one that broke was about 3 years old. The oldest one that quit was about 30 years old, I think, (justifiable) and the one I use as a back up that comes unscrewed is about 18 years old. I should have done something with it right after I got it...oh well. I have used Shimano's for years as you can see.
I just felt it was time to get away from them and I really like the Pflueger President I got. So far. I'll have to see what it is doing in the next 3-30 years. It will always have good memories because the first time I used it I caught a steelhead.

[cavdad45]

I haven't done well with Shimano's spinning reels (they are the ones whose name starts with "s"; sedona, etc), but I love the casting reels. I agree with Toni about those Pfluegers, they are alot of reel at a moderate price and sweet smooth. They even look classy.

[Toni]

[quote="cavdad45"]I haven't done well with Shimano's spinning reels (they are the ones whose name starts with "s"]
The only thing I found was on the Pflueger - the paint scratches easy.