Best 100 dollar spinning reel

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PatrickKnight

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Jan 24, 2012
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Thinking about a Symetre 3000 but I want to make sure I don't over look a better option. Also it should be noted I will use this reel in saltwater from time to time.
 
If you can swing a bit more extra $$, Stradic ci4+ would be my vote. Sometimes you can find them on a certain auction site for decent prices. Rated for salt/brackish - light, smooth and strong. I have two of them (and a sustain) and fish freshwater & brackish for largemouth/smallmouth.
 
I am a huge shimano baitcast fan but I don't see a need to pay top dollar for their spinning reel. Pflueger makes a great reel in the president and the old president xt. The president isn't the best looking reel but performs the xt was better all around. I just picked up a pflueger president limited edition and am wowed by what I got for 80 bucks fit and finished wise. I haven't fished it yet. But it has the sealed drag that the president xt of old had it should be just as good in the salt. It is definitely on par with the shimano you mentioned and the pflueger supreme xt.

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Carbon fiber handle shaft, can't tell in pic but paint is black with blue flake.
 
I like my Penn Battle II. Where I fish I might be on a bed of bass or a 80lb gar. And in salt go from a school of specks to hook a 35" bull red. It handles large and small equally. So far no complaints.
 
For fresh water I don't see the need to spend $100 on a spinner... I am have always put the cash in the baitcasters

I like Shimano and used the Sahara model for years and never had an issue. Truthfully if you are not dunking your reel in saltwater you can also use the Sahara there too... All I do each time after fishing salt is run the reel under the faucet to wash the salt off. Don't blast it with the hose because it forces salt/grit into the reel. Sometimes I will prop my reels on the rod in the shower and let it run over them. They have lasted years doing this.

Now if you are surf or wade fishing and the reels are getting dunked, then spend the extra money and get one that is sealed. I'm currently using one of the new Penn Spinfishers and it does great. I'm also a big fan of Daiwa for the salt.
 
MCS said:
I am a huge shimano baitcast fan but I don't see a need to pay top dollar for their spinning reel. Pflueger makes a great reel in the president and the old president xt. The president isn't the best looking reel but performs the xt was better all around. I just picked up a pflueger president limited edition and am wowed by what I got for 80 bucks fit and finished wise. I haven't fished it yet. But it has the sealed drag that the president xt of old had it should be just as good in the salt. It is definitely on par with the shimano you mentioned and the pflueger supreme xt.

5ebeff9a550b7cb2ee9fd8f929a073c2.jpg


1fe6050b86e3db1a2f08fff5b41efe62.jpg


Carbon fiber handle shaft, can't tell in pic but paint is black with blue flake.
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I looked at that model. They are really cool looking in person, but they don't color coordinate with my new rod lol :D The wife and I both got new Lamiglas rods last week, and wanted new reels. She ended up with the pinkish colored Lady President ($59), and I ended up with a Pflueger Purist at $79... The Purist went on sale at Sportsmans Warehouse for $54.99 a couple days after I got mine.

I did research on the Purist after I bought it, and the reviews aren't as favorable as the President, so I'm going to get a couple Presidents I think...
It is very smooth, but comparing the two, I think the President is even smoother.

These reels are very well made, and very smooth. I grabbed a Pfleuger Trion ( $34) for my Ugly Stick, and it is just as smooth as the others. It is an amazing feeling reel for the price.
Comparing the President to reels costing 50-110 bucks more, I just couldn't see or feel any difference. IMHO Pfleuger is the best buy there is on spinning reels.
 
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Are you throwing lures or soaking bait? If you're soaking bait the daiwa BG series are bullet proof and will last a lifetime. If your throwing lures I'd go with a Garcia baitcaster.
 
I'm pretty impressed with the Cabelas Tournament ZX series for a cost effective reel. They are made by Diawa.

Generally speaking, I have been an avid user of the Shimano Stradics since they came out. But they aren't $100 reels.
 
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( not my pic)

I like my LLbean 6500 saltwater reel. There's also a smaller one,the light salt 4000. The 6500 is great for shore or pier fishing little bigger for smaller rivers or streams I believe its rated for 14lb to 20lb line. If you don't like it its from LLbean return it for any reason. Satisfaction garuntee. I have few LLbean reels a 1000, 6500 and a couple of their spinning reel combos. Happy with everything so far. I would like to try a Penn sometime, maybe before bass season.

The 6500 is 79 the light salt 4000 is 59, both 10 ball bearingsand under budget with a great warranty.
 
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Been doing a little research the Penn Spinfisher V reels look like a great option also.
 
So I decided since fishing is one of my favorite things to do I would drop a bit more. So last night I got a Stradic FK 3000 and man this thing is NICE!

 
PatrickKnight said:
So I decided since fishing is one of my favorite things to do I would drop a bit more. So last night I got a Stradic FK 3000 and man this thing is NICE!

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That's a nice box, but I'd really like to see a picture of the reel :D
 
It's a great reel. I still haven't bought one of their Carbon fiber Stradics. Been happy with the regulars and they are light enough for me.

I don't know if anything has changed engineering wise with them, but the older ones don't do well submerged in water. I had a 1000 lock up on me. Messed around with it and bought another. Set it aside for a couple years..... about three months ago I oiled it (some more) based on a recommendation by a Cabelas store guy that seemed to know what he was talking about... Worked like a charm after sitting a bit.... I'll have to find the bottle and let you know the name of the stuff... some sort of gear oil that the guy said was the best.
 
22-rimfire said:
It's a great reel. I still haven't bought one of their Carbon fiber Stradics. Been happy with the regulars and they are light enough for me.

I don't know if anything has changed engineering wise with them, but the older ones don't do well submerged in water. I had a 1000 lock up on me. Messed around with it and bought another. Set it aside for a couple years..... about three months ago I oiled it (some more) based on a recommendation by a Cabelas store guy that seemed to know what he was talking about... Worked like a charm after sitting a bit.... I'll have to find the bottle and let you know the name of the stuff... some sort of gear oil that the guy said was the best.
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When I took this one apart one of the first things I noticed was Shimano put a rubber seal right at the anti reverse bearing which is where my Stradic FGs had their issues. They also removed the anti reverse switch as well. According to Shimano the FK is rated to be used in saltwater, however I don't make a habit of submerging them (I would never use one for surf fishing) but I do wade with them. I can safely say this is the best Stradic I have used to date, it is also my first one not made in Japan.

I messed around with the CI4+ before going with this one and if I had to do it all over again I would go with the FK again. The gentleman who was helping me at the Dayton area Field and Stream took both 3000s out and let me mount them on a bunch of different rods. The thing I didn't like about the CI4+ was it was light it was really hard to get a rod to balance correctly. I am sure some of the super high end Megabass and Phenix rods are light enough to properly balance one but for me the 1.5 ozs of additional weight helps the FK and doesn't hurt it. I will take a balanced set up over a super light weight unbalanced set up any day.
 
I fish streams mostly and occasionally you do slip and fall in. Sometimes the reel gets dunked and the same occurs sometimes when I am changing lures or removing some line that is nicked up. My largest Stradic is the 2500 size. I'm mostly a light-ultra light kind of guy.
 
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