# $500 Plus Spinning Reel...



## frenchriver1 (Jul 5, 2005)

How many anglers are ready and willing to pay over $500 for a spinning reel?


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## Big Skip (Sep 1, 2010)

Not me. Can get all the quality I need in a $40-$60 model

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## sureshot006 (Sep 8, 2010)

Met a guy in a traverse city hotel elevator that was holding 3 spinning rods/reels. I asked if he had been fishing lately and he said "yeah, a little, but I want to test out my new reels. This is $3000 in my hands". Was kinda off putting really.


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## knu2xs (Mar 29, 2014)

Not me, but even if I did it would probably stay in one of my reel
case's and I would continue to use my Pflueger Arbors & Presidents.


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## wyandot (Dec 5, 2013)

If it weren't for China and Malaysia we'd probably be paying that for the el-cheapo reels.


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## Mr Burgundy (Nov 19, 2009)

Sure would and already do. I have 5 or 6 shimano stellas. Is there a specific brand u are looking at? If so send me a PM and I could share my opinion with you on a few I have tried.

Burgundy


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## mjh4 (Feb 2, 2018)

I can break a $500 real just as fast as I can break a $50 real. Although I wouldn't trade my old Cardinal reals for anything they where inexpensive but very reliable.


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## ESOX (Nov 20, 2000)

A $500.00 spinning reel twists line just as effectively as a $150.00 reel. But I might consider spending that on a good baitcaster, heck most of my favorites are in the $300.00 range any more.


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## Mr Burgundy (Nov 19, 2009)

The new sustain isn't a bad reel at 300.00


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## Scout 2 (Dec 31, 2004)

Not me. I have a Berkley combo in the basement I use once in a while that I bought when I was 15 years old. I think at the time it was around 10.00 and still does the same as my more expensive ones do


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## Big Skip (Sep 1, 2010)

There is always someone out there thats gonna buy expensive stuff just because they can. Unfortunately I cant live that life lol. I saw yeti dog bowls at franks yesterday, only $50 a piece lmao

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## sfw1960 (Apr 7, 2002)

:mischeif: Ummmm.... FTS !!! 

I'll take 5 carbon fiber Okuma reels for one $500 vaporware special please....

:lol:


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## wyandot (Dec 5, 2013)

Some of the $60-$100 reels on the market nowadays are awful damn good. I really believe anything above and beyond that is overkill, the "Point of diminishing returns" if you will.


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## sureshot006 (Sep 8, 2010)

I try to stay under $100 for spinning reels. Baitcasters, especially for musky, are another story. Love my revo Toro NaCl's.


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## sfw1960 (Apr 7, 2002)

sureshot006 said:


> I try to stay under $100 for spinning reels. Baitcasters, especially for musky, are another story. Love my revo Toro NaCl's.


Made in the land of cH!m!nE$E! just like my $99 Carbon Fiber Okumas....


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## Ranger Ray (Mar 2, 2003)

I have and use some pretty cheap reels, but there is no comparing them to a $250+ reel. The two aren't even in the same category. The drag is the most important thing to me on a reel, and there are some nice ones at value price. Now when it comes to rods and sensitivity, it usually comes at a price.


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## sureshot006 (Sep 8, 2010)

sfw1960 said:


> Made in the land of cH!m!nE$E! just like my $99 Carbon Fiber Okumas....


Dont care where they're made. The NaCls are nice.

I do like Okuma for pretty much every other reel for price/performance under $100


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## PunyTrout (Mar 23, 2007)

frenchriver1 said:


> How many anglers are ready and willing to pay over $500 for a spinning reel?


No thanks. $100 is my cap for a spinning reel. I'm quite happy with my Penn reels and $40 Shakesperes.

I do own several Tibor and Hardy fly reels though too. Although I bought them for 1/3 of the retail price 20+ years ago.


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## sureshot006 (Sep 8, 2010)

sfw1960 said:


> Made in the land of cH!m!nE$E! just like my $99 Carbon Fiber Okumas....


Actually... my NaCls were made in Korea


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## Magnet (Mar 2, 2001)

Expensive fishing gear....... At least you'll look like you know how to fish. Other than that, it ain't putting much more food on the table.


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## Shoeman (Aug 26, 2000)

Magnet said:


> Expensive fishing gear....... At least you'll look like you know how to fish. Other than that, it ain't putting much more food on the table.



well ya gotta look good, especially when ya got a skunk on your back!

I fish the salt for 5 weeks a year. And in a kayak they get exposed. Tried the cheaper ones and got a season or 2. That's it.

My Stellas bought 15 years ago finally started to bind up. Checked the reviews and ended up with a pair of Stradics. They seem solid, but do not compare to the smoothness of the old Stellas.


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## piketroller (Oct 24, 2016)

Magnet said:


> Expensive fishing gear....... At least you'll look like you know how to fish. Other than that, it ain't putting much more food on the table.


Looking like you know how to fish may still be questionable. I’m sure there are some of those guys in the rich crowd that hold the spinning reel upside down and crank backwards just like they saw on (non-fishing) commercials and TV shows.


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

I can't afford the "good stuff", but I do like to get into a price range where, barring something stupid, and proper care, I will never have to replace them.

Having said that, I have fished with the "good stuff", spinning and otherwise, and there is a huge difference when it comes to drag, "smoothness" etc.

I fished with a guide in Florida, back water, 20# spinning gear, that used Van Staal reels. I can tell you this for sure, IF I hit that big lottery, and I go to buy gear in that range, I will buy the Van Staals. He had custom built rods to go with them. His is a class operation.

https://www.vanstaal.com/


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## Shoeman (Aug 26, 2000)

DecoySlayer said:


> I can't afford the "good stuff", but I do like to get into a price range where, barring something stupid, and proper care, I will never have to replace them.
> 
> Having said that, I have fished with the "good stuff", spinning and otherwise, and there is a huge difference when it comes to drag, "smoothness" etc.
> 
> ...



I tried to buy the VR 50 back in February, but they were not available (yet) I couldn't wait!


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

I believe that the ones I used were the VSB series, but I am not sure. They were very smooth and the drags were amazing.


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## Ranger Ray (Mar 2, 2003)

Them Stellas are some of the nicest reels I have ever fished with. When they went from $300+ to $600+, they lost a lot of customers.


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

Try a Van Staal one day. I wish I made enough money to own one.


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## Shoeman (Aug 26, 2000)

DecoySlayer said:


> I believe that the ones I used were the VSB series, but I am not sure. They were very smooth and the drags were amazing.



Those are great, but heavy. That's why I wanted the new VR 50. 1/2 the weight


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## Mr Burgundy (Nov 19, 2009)

DecoySlayer said:


> Try a Van Staal one day. I wish I made enough money to own one.


Bought 1, like me Stella's a lot better


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## Mr Burgundy (Nov 19, 2009)

Ranger Ray said:


> Them Stellas are some of the nicest reels I have ever fished with. When they went from $300+ to $600+, they lost a lot of customers.


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## kzoofisher (Mar 6, 2011)

If I fished salt I would spend the long dollar on reels designed for that. Almost all of my spin fishing is bass and walleye so mid to low reels treat me fine. A $100 shimano let me down after one day on Traverse Bay, it was a very good day, and I stick with Pflueger now. Got the kid a Daiwa and that has been good, too. 

Bigger money goes for rods. Balance has to be right though or sensitivity goes out the window. Getting a reel that is a touch light and adding weight to the butt is the way to go.


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## DecoySlayer (Mar 12, 2016)

Shoeman said:


> Those are great, but heavy. That's why I wanted the new VR 50. 1/2 the weight


I was fishing salt water for fish that could run a couple of hundred yards, easy.


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## Mr Burgundy (Nov 19, 2009)

No diawa for this guy, had to many problems with the 2 steeze I used to have.


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## kzoofisher (Mar 6, 2011)

Mr Burgundy said:


> No diawa for this guy, had to many problems with the 2 steeze I used to have.


Guessing that there are clunkers in every makers line up and good lines that are great bargains. Presidents have been very good to me, hold up for many years and who knows how many fish. The Daiwa Fuego is one season in and doing fine. It has yet to hit a great day of several dozen Great Lakes smallmouth and that will be the test.

I fish braid with an 8# mono leader most of the time. Need sturdy gears to take hook sets with no stretch line. Walleye and smallmouth don't have the burning runs that make drag critical.


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## Northernfisher (Jul 29, 2010)

kzoofisher said:


> If I fished salt I would spend the long dollar on reels designed for that. Almost all of my spin fishing is bass and walleye so mid to low reels treat me fine. A $100 shimano let me down after one day on Traverse Bay, it was a very good day, and I stick with Pflueger now. Got the kid a Daiwa and that has been good, too.
> 
> Bigger money goes for rods. Balance has to be right though or sensitivity goes out the window. Getting a reel that is a touch light and adding weight to the butt is the way to go.


I have to agree, for my money I will put the extra money into a better rod. For my money the Shimano Symetre was a good price point at about $60 - $70. I fished mine in salt for years and they held up with a good rinse after using. The drag would hold anything that the rods would take.

I have used some higher end reels and if you have the money they are better. If you are going to fish tarpon spend $300 plus.

Again, spend any extra money on the rod, JMHO.


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## Fishndude (Feb 22, 2003)

I can buy 4 beautiful Zebco Cardinal 3 reels for $500 on Ebay. Spinning reels don't really have much better drags than those old reels. I've got some, and they just keep working with a little maintenance.


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## 50incher (Aug 23, 2011)

I just spent the most for any reel I have ever bought, $300 for a Shimano spinning for Musky....have always had great luck with Shimano....on back order & now even more "back" which scares me, because I always get the feeling that "that" product is in transition from being made one place and now another or even some parts....

I ordered a Mustang float coat several years ago & same thing, backorder ?....well they were always made in Canada which is a big part as to why I bought it....6 weeks later, it comes in and, I didn't check till home but, YEAP made in China....I won't ever buy a Mustang product again, it's just that simple for me & I e-mailed them too !!!....

A few years ago I got a Garcia baitcaster @ $150 and it broke in under a month, they replaced it, woohoo, I needed it for time off work, oh well....that's when I e-mailed a 1/2 doz. manufacturers and asked where their reels were made....

I asked where made and if not China, did they use Chinese made parts.….only Shimano said no to both, but I think that may be different today ??….

The one thing I am adamant about is NO China !!!!….can't always take the time or get the real truth/research about something but if it has one Chinese made part ?....flush it right down the toilet in my book.….and no apologies there, lol !!….the day I spend $500 ?....stick a fork in me, lol....cheers....


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## piketroller (Oct 24, 2016)

50incher said:


> I just spent the most for any reel I have ever bought, $300 for a Shimano spinning for Musky....have always had great luck with Shimano....on back order & now even more "back" which scares me, because I always get the feeling that "that" product is in transition from being made one place and now another or even some parts....
> 
> I ordered a Mustang float coat several years ago & same thing, backorder ?....well they were always made in Canada which is a big part as to why I bought it....6 weeks later, it comes in and, I didn't check till home but, YEAP made in China....I won't ever buy a Mustang product again, it's just that simple for me & I e-mailed them too !!!....
> 
> ...


Most of the new Abu reels (and the rest of the Pure Fishing reels) are not just made in China, but designed there too. Their headquarters in SC puts together a list of specifications they want a new reel to meet and then turn the guys in China loose to design it however they see fit.


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## 50incher (Aug 23, 2011)

piketroller said:


> Most of the new Abu reels (and the rest of the Pure Fishing reels) are not just made in China, but designed there too. Their headquarters in SC puts together a list of specifications they want a new reel to meet and then turn the guys in China loose to design it however they see fit.


Abu got a few e-mails from me after that reel fail, they lost a LIFE LONG customer sad to say....I got a 5500 LC for Christmas this year, 1st time out the drag acted up on a fish....reel say's "made in Sweden" once again as they used to, not buying it....very disappointing stuff....

Talking with the owner of Andy's tackle store a few years ago, he said that Shakespeare rods went to China, for some uglysticks anyway & that they were having so many quality problems they were in the midst of pulling back out !!!....

Going to shut up now, lol....as I have seen what goes on right here in the U.S. from non union southern manufacturing plants compared to union plants....I don't even want to imagine what goes on in China or Mexico or anywhere else....

When choices become limited ?....I'll take anything from anywhere outside China !!!!....….cheers....


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## Troutstkr (Oct 6, 2018)

If I ran a charter, I can see having nice reels for the guests. It's an experience for them and durability is critical for the captain. Hand someone a reel that fails, especially if it fails while fighting a fish, whew, not good.

But I don't own a charter biz. 

I don't get much over $60-$70 for a reel and I expect it to last many seasons. Ones I have now have at least 8 years on them and no problems, less than $60 each. Got one that's close to 25 years old. It's seen better days but still hauls in pike and other fish caught on the riverbank. 

Tried a friends $150 reel and it was nice and smooth, but I just couldn't drop that kind of money, I got it, just can't see myself doing it.


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## Stand By (Jan 23, 2015)

All my spinning reels are cheaper daiwa or zebco quantum. Don't know how many times ive been chucking into a brooky honey-hole under a culvert or under some alders, to have the line catch on the bail and ruin the cast. Or deep into a cedar swamp with a broken bail spring. You might be able to get $500 out of me for a better reel, then.

Fly reels and trolling reels get a few extra dollars spent, though.


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