I'm wanting a good reel for bluegill wants some Ideals
thanks
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I'm wanting a good reel for bluegill wants some Ideals
thanks
Shimano. Far and away better reels than any other brand in my opinion. I'd rather use a $30 Shimano than a $100 reel by any other manufacturer. I own five of their spinning reels and one baitcaster.
I have been very pleased with the Pflueger President reels. Got 3 of them and love to use them. I have the 2 of the 6925s and 1 6930. Shimano makes a good reel too. I have a couple of their bait casters that are over 30 years old and still good.
Really like the looks and feel of the Presidents. Best thing to do is go to a store like BPS where they have them all out side by side and see which one suits you best.
I do know a lot of people who like the Pfluegers. However, I would suggest caution as far as judging a reel at BPS. In my experience, lots of reels feel smooth there in the store; but many of those same reels suddenly become coffee-grinders after a day of fishing. I bought a Pflueger Trion once in an emergency where I couldn't find any Shimanos; it has seven ball bearings, and is not remotely as smooth, or in any way as good of a reel, as a Shimano AX I own that lasted nearly thirty years, and has no ball bearings. But, I've never owned one of the top-of-the-line Pfluegers. I did once own a Shimano Stradic until it got lost in a cross-country move, and it was easily the best reel I've ever owned; now I have two Saharas, one Sedona and one Symetre.
Gander Mtn GSX
Abu-garcia cardinal 101 , okuma rod 6' 0" ultra -lite . About 50 .00 set up .
For myself nothing but Shimano.
Will flipping and pitching with a spinning reel cause line twist?
You have asked a key question as far as separating the mediocre reels from the stellar ones. Just normal cast-and-retrieve fishing with a poorly-designed reel often causes line twist; for example, I did some live-bait fishing about a month ago at a local pond, and since I was only fishing to catch small bass to move from one pond to another and not for enjoyment, for some reason I took my store-bought rod (as opposed to one of the ones I made myself that I normally fish with) and Trion reel. After an hour of fishing with the same rig I've used countless times with my Shimano with nary a twist, my line was twisted so badly I had to pull off a bunch from the spool and put on new line.
Superior reels are engineered to wind the line onto the reel more evenly than a lesser reel.
Quote:
Originally Posted by no luck
IMHO ... generally speaking, not so much.
More often than not, line twist is caused by improperly spooling the line on the reel (but that will show up as soon as you start using the reel) ... wrist snap overhead casting (which can cause the bait to spin in the air on its way to the water's surface) ... or fouled bait hook in the line or on a disconnected piece of trash (like a leaf or twig) causing the bait to roll upon retrieval.
The use of TRUE "flipping" & "pitching" techniques should not cause the line to twist, as they are controlled line/lure methods. But, I will temper that statement by saying that ANY method "can" cause line twist ... to a degree ... from the simple mechanics of the act.
... cp :kewl
Agree completely. I don't know how many threads I've seen on this site asking "what line won't twist" or "how do I spool the line so it won't twist". It's not the line. It's the reel. EVERY line will twist on a cheap reel.Quote:
Originally Posted by tnpondmanager
Preach it! One of the many reasons I would rather not fish than use cheap gear.
one of the very first things i was taught when using a spinning reel is to manually close the bail, this reduces line twist but i fish with alot of different people in the club im in and ive been surprised how many people crank the reel to close it. it also weakens the bail spring too.
Thanks for the help
not if you open/close bail with your hands .Quote:
Originally Posted by no luck
Another vote for the Cardinal 101. And I think they even make a 100 model, which might be slightly lighter. I have two 101's and they have great drags and have been quite dependable, this being my 3rd. season of heavy use with them.
That is the reel I've been using and ready dunk it in the lake
I have always been a huge fan of shimano. Been using this particular model for the past few years and have been more than pleased. Academy - Shimano Sienna Spinning Reel Convertible
I have the 1000 series on a 6' light falcon rod for bream. I felt the ultra light was a little to light. I commonly catch 2 lb catfish while bream fishing. And I use the 2500 series on 7' med action rods for trout/redfish/flounder/catfish.
If I am having trouble with line twist on a spinning reel I replace the line. Take my time loading using the standard spool refill directions we all have seen on the packaging or on line makers websites. Sometimes I get the line started poorly and try to load it anyway. Not a good plan. Most times I have had real line twist issues it has been on spincat reels. But when I do on a spinning reel it is usually due to old line that has been around a couple years or I load poorly. To eliminate it being reel mechanics go to BPS, Cabelas or your local bait and tackle dealer and have the spool refilled professionally with recommended quality line. IF it still has excessive line twist you may have a problem with the reel.
I put the line on like everybody said to it makes no difference. I use stren and treline xl line it will be ok for a hour or so then it starts I open and close the bail by hand. I thought I was putting too much line on took a bunch off it was ok for a while then it starts again. If I don't close the bail before the bait hits the water line will just keep coming off the reel and it is a twisted mess I have cleaned and oiled the line roller
You need a better reel. As DeathB4 Disco noted, inferior reels will twist any line. Also, if line is continuing to unfurl off the spool after a cast, you're putting too much line on the spool when you fill it - you should only be filling to 1/8" below the lip of the spool.
What size line are you using?Quote:
Originally Posted by no luck
I like close to a quarter of a inch to the lip of the reel. I have tried 6 lb and 8 lb test
I'm not familiar with the reel you're using, but its spool might be too small for 6 and 8# line. That's the problem with a lot of UL reels: the tiny spools are not good for line management. Try it with 4# to see if it's any better. If that doesn't work, try a new reel.Quote:
Originally Posted by no luck
Thanks for the help everybody
I have a Shimano IX 200R and its a bit bulky for my liking but i do like it for Multi-Species fishing. I also have a little Shakespeare reel that i like. it isnt that great but itll haul in smooth. As for rods go, i use ultralight and fly rods.
I use Okuma Avenger series spinning reels. My UL is a 20a, and the one on my medium rod is a 30a. I have never had any trouble at all from them. Nice and smooth, good drags, instant anti-reverse. No complaints at all.
Howdy-
I'm a newbie on this forum and I thought I'd weigh in on this.
I spend a lot of time fishing for larger species on both the Great Lakes and in Canada, so for me the best feature of a reel is it's durability.
Most of the spinning reels I use for panfish also double as reels for trout fishing, so they probably get a little bit more of a workout than the average UL reel.
In general I have found that paying a little extra is often worth it. After 15 or so fly in trips over the last few years, I can honestly say that there is nothing more frustrating than malfunctioning gear. I really don't have much brand loyalty- so most of my opinions are based solely on experience, not on sales pitches found in magazines.
Since this thread is regarding spinning reels, I'll keep the comments I have on their other models brief.
I have come to the following conclusions regarding the different reel brands (in no particular order)-
Shimano - In general, I have had terrible luck with most Shimano reels. I have a larger 45 size Sienna that has served me well the past few years for casting heavy baits off of beaches and breakwaters, but most of the rest of the tackle has failed me at some point. While I never had catastrophic failure with a Shimano, after a few months of hard use there has been in a noticeable decline in performance on most of them (1 low profile baitcaster, 2x Sedona spinning reels, 2x Solstice spinning reels, 1 Stradic spinning reel)
Daiwa- Most Daiwa reels I have had seem less impressive out of the box than a comparable Shimano, but hold up a lot better to hard use. The Regal series of spinning reels (decent reels at a low price point) have been plenty reliable for me, but are often lacking is smooth operation. The higher end spinning models I have owned (Tierra) were much better (but not great) in regards to smooth operation. The Sealine trolling reels have served me well on Lake Michigan for salmon, and I have had little issues with the Millionaire baitcasters.
Okuma- Good overall reels. I have had quite a few (Epixor, 2x Avengers, Fina, Metalloid, and assorted baitcasters) and all the spinning reels worked well for me. External finish if often cheap compared to other brands, but they are reliable and all I have owned continue to function. Their trolling reels have been fine for me as well - not overwhelming, but not terrible. Stick away from their baitcasters- I have had multiple issues with the round reels gears locking up, and the low profile's drags tend to fade over time.
Abu Garcia - I pretty much avoid these entirely. I have had multiple failures with both the Cardinal spinning reels (drag systems especially) and the carriage screws on the Ambassadeur reels always seem to fail me at the worst possible time.
Pinnacle - I have only used these reels once or twice, and performance was underwhelming (poor line distribution, stacking at the corners of the spool)
Shakespeare - Cheap reels, but the Catera spinning reels I have had have performed adequately.
Mitchell - I am not a fan of the 300/308 line. They are fine enough reels, I just think that they are slightly overpriced for what you get. I have an Avocet Gold UL that I used trout fishing for a few years that have served me well though- it now gets a lot of use on a 5' UL for bluegills.
Quantum - I have mixed opinions on Quantums. I have had a few failures with their lower end stuff (Array, Snapshot) but have had nothing but exceptional performance with reels from the PT line. I have multiple baitcasters (Energy PT, Accurist PT, Kinetic PT) and spinning reels (2x Catalyst PT, Energy PT, 3x Response Ti) that have seen lots of hard use without skipping a beat. They are built to withstand hard use and have lots of features that prevent failure (titanium bails, magnets instead of bail springs, etc). Furthermore, the only real issue I have ever had on a PT reel (the original Response Ti, before they used the PT name) came with a factory defect. When I contacted Quantum regarding the issue, they sent me a brand new Catalyst PT (which at the time cost about 20% more than the Response Ti). Most of the reels I use now on fly-ins are Quantum PTs.
Sorry for the long winded answer. I guess to sum it up, the spinning reels I would buy would be a Daiwa or Okuma if I am looking to spend less than $100, and for a purchase over $100 it would be a Quantum PT of some sort.
Cheers!
. . I THROW 1/32 JIGS FOR BREAM BUT CATCH SOME NICE BASS .THIS IS MY FOURTH YR. WITH THIS ULTRA-LITE SET UP . ALSO THROW A TINY POP-R FOR BASS WITH IT AND HAVE HAD NO PROBLEMS . 6LB. STREN IS ALL I USE .WISH I COULD SEE THE REEL . WHEN I BASS FISH CALCUTTAS ARE ALL I USE AND CATFISH WITH ABU GARCIA 6000'S .:twocentsQuote:
Originally Posted by no luck
shimano symetres and saharas and quantum kinetics and catalysts have always been kind to my abusive nature.
Pflueger President reels is a really SOLID choice IMO. I actually prefer the smallest one they make in the President series and it's ten dollars cheaper than the other models. The Trions are just as good IMO, I have several of them too. I have some old Shakespheares that are cheap reels but somehow won't quit and they're effective. My go to reel is the President and you would be impressed by it too IMO.
ive got kinda a mixed hodge podge of spinning reels i like my okuma avenger ive used it heavily for the last three years. i have a pflueger trion and a president and the president is a little smoother. the oldest reel im still using is a BPS pro qualifier and ive used the devil out of it. one thing ive learned is its not always the number of bearings a reel has buts its the quality of the bearings that is especially true with baitcasting reels. the other thing i do is i clean and lube my reels thoroughly after each use and i replac the line quite often depending on how hard ive used it each time. i also take the time to wipe down my rods and i take a q tip and clean the line guides. the last thing i forget to mention is especially in my baitcasting reels i have nothing but aluminum frame reels. i got away from graphite reels years ago.
Shakespeare underspin 6 ($14.95) @ BPS. Has dual pick-up pins and handles like a +$50.00 reel. Great for Bluegill & Crappie
shimano 30 yrs and still working
Pair up a Shimano with a B-n-M Ultra Lite pole and go nail the 'Gills.
which B-n-m ultra lite do you like?
well maybe I like the classic's, but my Mitchell 300 does just fine for me....