Spinning reel for Crappie suggestions?

I realized I have worn out all my panfish reels and I have lots of bare rods, and only one good rod/reel combo ready to fish.

I'm looking for ultra smooth reels to reel very slowly for crappie. I have found that many reels are ok to start, but get a 2 months to a year in and they start having rough places in the retrieve - which makes my rod tip shake and imitates a light bite - very irritating.

I have a Pflueger (don't remember which one - about 50$) for panfish that works ok but it's near the end of it's life.

Two years ago I bought Lews G2 speed spin (size 300) for a bass rod, really liked it and bought a size 200 for a crappie rod. Both of these seem to be holding up quite well. They are weighted nice and seem to be well built. Before I go buy some more of these....

Has anyone used the Wally Marshal Signature series spinning reels? Were they smooth? Did they hold up?

What other reel would you recommend?

Pflueger supreme

Daiwa and Shimano make great reels.

I don't think you can go wrong with the new daiwas... They are so smooth and have a really good drag along with nice line lay. I bought a daiwa exceler last year that I trout fish with and just recently added a daiwa legalis to my reel collection (both 1500 series). Both reels are a dream to fish with and I prefer them over pfluegers and shimanos (stradics, saros, presidents, and supreme xts). I do enjoy all the reels I listed just prefer the daiwas.

Daiwa 1500's.....best reel for the buck in my opinion. I think the have surpassed shimano

My favorite are shimano sedonas. I have presidents and tica cetus which are also real nice. No need to spend more than 50 bucks. Got my sedonas on sale when new model came out. Darn good reel.

While most will not spend this much for a reel you will not wear either one of these out...and you want smooth.....it doesn't get much smoother than these. I own both the Daiwa and the Shimano. My upgrade in reels has taken many years to get to these...but after using them I won't use anything else. One certainly doesn't need these to catch fish...just another option.

DIGITAKA! - Japan Fishing Tackle Store
DIGITAKA! - Japan Fishing Tackle Store

Regards

Wow.....how many hours of use are you putting on those reels? I fish at least 2 or 3 times a week most seasons and have yet to see a reel "at the end of it's life". Proper reel maintenance and care with modern reels these days will extend the life expectancy to unlimited use. I still have reels from many, many years ago and have never had a problem with them.

Right now my favorite is the Pflueger President #6920. I have one with two full seasons of use and one with a single season and another brand new one for this season as well. No problems.....no worries! These are 8 BB bearing reels and even those reels that don't have that many bearings, maintained properly, are just as smooth as when first purchased them.

Pflueger President

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Originally Posted by Crestliner08

Wow.....how many hours of use are you putting on those reels? I fish at least 2 or 3 times a week most seasons and have yet to see a reel "at the end of it's life". Proper reel maintenance and care with modern reels these days will extend the life expectancy to unlimited use. I still have reels from many, many years ago and have never had a problem with them.

Right now my favorite is the Pflueger President #6920. I have one with two full seasons of use and one with a single season and another brand new one for this season as well. No problems.....no worries! These are 8 BB bearing reels and even those reels that don't have that many bearings, maintained properly, are just as smooth as when first purchased them.

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I fish a lot.....5-6 days a week except for lightning, and hate fishing the cold when the wind is blowing. If it is sunny and yet 30 degrees I will fish if there is no wind in that kind of cold. I have one Daiwa Luvias out of Japan that has two years worth of constant fishing. I am an avid UL angler and I use the same reels for Gills...Smallies....trout...white bass. I have fished all the Pflueger...Shimano....Daiwa 1000-2000 reels sized reels on the US market. The only reels I ever had fail on me were the Pflueger Supreme XT's. They became very wobbly...screws constantly working loose. I never wore out any of the Shimano or Daiwa reels. Due to not so good eyes....hands not as agile as they once were, I had to start sending reels off for maintenance. Just wasn't worth it to send off a $59 Sedona 3 times a year at 25 bucks a pop for service...and Shimano informed me that as much as I fish I needed to service reels 3-4 times a year. So I kept moving up to better reels. I fished a Stradic constantly for four years. The only thing that was wrong with it was a very weak bail spring and it looked like crap from rock rash as at that time I fished from the bank and laying the reel down so much really scratched it up. I eventually had all my US market reels serviced and gave them away to youth who could not afford fishing gear. Very few folks will ever wear out any of the $59 reels and higher on the US market. I however do not like plastic bushings used in those reels. The Sahara by Shimano that was produced a few years back had a bushing in it that when it got wet it would swell....that earned that reel the nick name of "Shibindo". Shimano since revamped that reel. I realize I am not the norm in buying the JDM reels. Now bass guys buy them like candy...LOL. You are spot on about servicing the reels...any of them...cheap or expensive. If one doesn't maintain them one day they all will fail.

Regards

I have a Pfleuger President, it costs $60, and I think it is a great reel. I recently bought a Shimano Stradic (I bass fish mostly) that cost me $170, almost triple the cost. I haven't used the Stradic much yet, but honestly, so far, I can't tell the difference, lol.

I really question spending as much as I have for some of my bass-fishing rigs. I get wrapped up in the bass fishing forums and guys touting this and that, and I really don't know if it's worth it. I mean, I have $500 (per rod and reel) on a couple of rigs and just recently I bought a BPS pro qualifier model rod/reel for $100 during the annual spring sale (they put this reel on sale each year) and I am blown away with how much I like it. Everybody kept telling me how good a bargain it is.

Then again... I do admit I have a $300 Daiwa reel that I often notice how wonderfully smooth it is to reel. There is something special about it. So, if one can afford it, maybe it's okay, lol. But, does it catch more fish? Probably not. Maybe it gives a little bit less fatigue after a long fishing session.

I am also curious about obtaining a really good crappie rig but I am thinking a rod might be even more important than a reel.

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Originally Posted by livemusic

I have a Pfleuger President, it costs $60, and I think it is a great reel. I recently bought a Shimano Stradic (I bass fish mostly) that cost me $170, almost triple the cost. I haven't used the Stradic much yet, but honestly, so far, I can't tell the difference, lol.

I really question spending as much as I have for some of my bass-fishing rigs. I get wrapped up in the bass fishing forums and guys touting this and that, and I really don't know if it's worth it. I mean, I have $500 (per rod and reel) on a couple of rigs and just recently I bought a BPS pro qualifier model rod/reel for $100 during the annual spring sale (they put this reel on sale each year) and I am blown away with how much I like it. Everybody kept telling me how good a bargain it is.

Then again... I do admit I have a $300 Daiwa reel that I often notice how wonderfully smooth it is to reel. There is something special about it. So, if one can afford it, maybe it's okay, lol. But, does it catch more fish? Probably not. Maybe it gives a little bit less fatigue after a long fishing session.

I am also curious about obtaining a really good crappie rig but I am thinking a rod might be even more important than a reel.

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I agree with you 100 percent. Being and enthusiast I just like having that fine piece of machinery in my hands to fish with. I am not going to catch anymore fish with a JDM reel.....but using a great JDM UL rod...that is a whole other story. If you ever use one of those you will never want any other rod in your hands.

Regards

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Originally Posted by Alphahawk

I agree with you 100 percent. Being and enthusiast I just like having that fine piece of machinery in my hands to fish with. I am not going to catch anymore fish with a JDM reel.....but using a great JDM UL rod...that is a whole other story. If you ever use one of those you will never want any other rod in your hands.

Regards

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one thing about high end equipment is even if you're not catching it still makes you look like you know what you're doing.

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Originally Posted by wannabe fisherman

one thing about high end equipment is even if you're not catching it still makes you look like you know what you're doing.

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You should tell that to that old gent I saw yesterday who had a jon boat bottom full of crappie, fishing with a cane pole and I had one crappie in the boat fishing a Stradic reel and St. Croix rod.

Mitchell 300

Shimano for me - have them from the 80's to present and never a problem with any of them

Hmmm, I fish a lot for crappie, used to be 2-3 times, 7 hours of reeling a time - rarely do I use live bait about 97% artificial. I go through my reels at the start of every season to clean and relube them. I have worn so many reels out it is embarrassing. Maybe it's time I try out a $100 reel and see if I can wear it out.

The wear comes from parts working loose so that the reel 'bumps'/thumps when moved. Some just get more difficult to turn over time, or develop something of a squeak/squeal or rough spots on the retrieve. I had one that would 'catch' during the retrieve about every 3-5 turns of the handle - crazy - I finally just pulled it and threw it away. I don't know why they get this way. They stay dry except for rain - but they don't get dunked and only stay in the boat or garage. Maybe I just fish harder? ;)

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Originally Posted by livemusic

You should tell that to that old gent I saw yesterday who had a jon boat bottom full of crappie, fishing with a cane pole and I had one crappie in the boat fishing a Stradic reel and St. Croix rod.

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Looking at the equipment I use out of Japan...the outfit I used today. To look at it most would not give it a second look. The rod is all black...the reel looks like any other reel...as I said most won't put anymore fish in the boat than with a cane pole. Same as those with $30,000 crappie boats....the jon boat will do just fine...but we are all different....what makes the world go around.

Regards

The daiwa's with the digi-gear and abs spool have won me over. They are the slickest operating reels I have owned. Have a Tierra,some Capricorns,and Excelers. Lot of good reels out there....I have some other reels...but every time I fish them I notice the Daiwas just get a point or two higher rating on my chart. Course now I have not tried every reel. But quite a few. Some people that have fished with me have switched after they tried one of mine.

If you don't ....try closing the bail by hand after the cast. I think it helps them last longer....and it is the craziest thing but you will get so you do not even realize your doing it.

I close the bail by hand on all my reels... It's just force of habit now

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Originally Posted by jusanothajoe

Pflueger supreme

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AMEN!!!
I have two Supremes i fished 250 days a yr., for the last 4 yrs., and they still work great.
I'll never buy anything else.

Pflueger President

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Originally Posted by VaCrappieMan

I close the bail by hand on all my reels... It's just force of habit now

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Same here. Worn out so many reels that I do it by hand regardless now without thinking about it.

I got on bass pro today and they have a Browning reel, that Iv had my eye on for some time but wouldn't pay 99 dollars for. Anyway they are on clearance for 49. Got 2 on the way

I have several Lews Wally Marshall reels,Built tough smooth and a great reel for the money.

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Originally Posted by barrelslime

I got on bass pro today and they have a Browning reel, that Iv had my eye on for some time but wouldn't pay 99 dollars for. Anyway they are on clearance for 49. Got 2 on the way

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good score!

Zebco 202

President 6930

I've got a bunch of Pfleuger Presidents as well- for bass and crappie. I just like the Pflueger spinning reels, plus the if I get a lot of them, parts will be interchangable when I need to cannibalize. Most of my spinning reels will have a part break or loosen so that bail doesn't stay closed- I had a BPS Enticer reel that had that happen to-I think a small piece from the frame casting broke due to being dropped on the boat deck-it fell out when I was breaking it down for repair. I have even had baitcasters (Shimano Citica D) develop a spot on the turn that gets stiff the way you describe though as well. No matter how I clean and lube it, it doesn't go away- might be the frame flexing and binding.