Best UL Reel For $150-200?

[CrappiePappy]

I could write pages on why the best...but I’m not going to. Might as well lock this post down right now.....here come the haters. The man asked a specific question.....he didn’t ask for folks to chime in as to why one wants to spend that kind of money. No one tells you how to spend your money don’t be trying to tell others how to spend theirs.

Regards.


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Ain't no "haters" coming ... it's a legitimate question/remark. It's all a matter of taste and affordability.

[deathb4disco]

Why does everyone want the best reel, rod or whatever? A Pflueger President reel is good enough for anyone, in my book.

First of all, if you think a $200 reel is expensive, I advise you to never walk into a fly shop.

Second, as Alphahawk said, people are free to spend money however they see fit.

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[R Shackelford]

I have an older Ci4 and love it. No problems at all with it. Last month I bought the new Stradic FL for 199.99. This new model has the same gear system as the Stella. the Stradic FL is by far the lightest reel i now own. Smooth is not the word for it. I am very happy with it.

I looked into the FL model however I am putting this on a 5' ultralight and the FL weighs nearly a full ounce more than the CI4+. I have not got to try the FL model but I may have to try to find one to handle before I make my choice, I would like to know if the smaller more refined gearing is worth the extra weight. One final feature the FL has that I don't need is the tall spool and the larger line capacity.

[jawjatek]

I have a Stradic Ci4+, but dislike that it does not have an anti-reverse switch. I did upgrade the bearings and drag. I do not use it for crappie - it is on my spybait/finesse bass rod. I went with the Daiwa Luvias (2) and Tatula LT for my ultralight/panfish rods. The Luvias are the best spinning reels I've ever had.

[BluegillHunter]

I've been fly fishing over 50-years and have fly reels that cost over $200 (but i won't waste my $$$ on any more), but then this thread is not about fly reels.

My point is that a Pflueger is all i need to spend to have a great spinning reel.

[R Shackelford]

I've been fly fishing over 50-years and have fly reels that cost over $200 (but i won't waste my $$$ on any more), but then this thread is not about fly reels.

My point is that a Pflueger is all i need to spend to have a great spinning reel.

Why not be that way about everything? why not only drive economy cars and eat bland food? People generally spend more because they want more. Is the Pflueger president a bad reel? of course not, I have 2 and they did what they're supposed to; Perhaps just not as well or for as long as a more expensive reel. I like fishing more than any other hobby so spending $200 on a piece of equipment for it does not seem like a big deal, people spend far more on rifles and bows they they will only use a few times per year. In my opinion a spinning reel needs to perform smoothly and be more precise than just about any fly reel except maybe in the drag. The gearing in conventional reels requires precision and attention to detail if it is to work smoothly and for any amount of time and precision and attention to detail are expensive; fly reels by comparison are... Simple and priced to match the expensive fly fishing hobby and not the quality of the machining to an equally priced conventional rod. I am not bashing fly fishing in any way, I enjoy it myself and hope to only get better and better despite things being expensive

[deathb4disco]

... but then this thread is not about fly reels.

My point is that a Pflueger is all i need to spend to have a great spinning reel.

Fair enough, but this thread is also not about what YOU need to spend. The guy asked a specific question.

[micorps]

I am one who spends good money on reels and have been criticized for it, until those fish with and use my equipment. With that said, and with the price range, i would recommend the pflueger patriarch or shimano stradic ci4+ and not ci4. There is a noticable difference as i have both. You will enjoy either or. The only reel i dont have personal experience with is the stella.

[R Shackelford]

I am one who spends good money on reels and have been criticized for it, until those fish with and use my equipment. With that said, and with the price range, i would recommend the pflueger patriarch or shimano stradic ci4+ and not ci4. There is a noticable difference as i have both. You will enjoy either or. The only reel i dont have personal experience with is the stella.

Thank you, my choice will either be a CI4+ or a Stradic FL, I'm going to go and check them both out before I buy if I can. The FL features a lot of substantial upgrades over the previous FK model and even the CI4+ to an extent with X-Protect, Micromodule II, and Silentdrive; all of which are features of considerably higher priced models and are new to FL. The FL is also slightly lighter than the FK model but is still .9oz heavier than the CI4+.

[micorps]

Thank you, my choice will either be a CI4+ or a Stradic FL, I'm going to go and check them both out before I buy if I can. The FL features a lot of substantial upgrades over the previous FK model and even the CI4+ to an extent with X-Protect, Micromodule II, and Silentdrive; all of which are features of considerably higher priced models and are new to FL. The FL is also slightly lighter than the FK model but is still .9oz heavier than the CI4+.

i will have to check those out. I bought all my reels when newer models or redisgns were coming out with the exception of my shimano sustains. I save on average 40-50% off retail doing this. Which is huge savings on reels like the steez and exist. That said, ive had my reels for 4-5 years now so i dont have current upgraded models.