Thread: Advantages of high end reels

Originally Posted by Bricks

... spinning reels are more of what I call line holders ...

I don't think any of the guys on the board using high-end JDM reels think of them only as "line holders".

IMO, the high-end spinning reels do everything better.

Or come on down here and finesse a big snook or redfish without a quality drag and see hor far ya get.

Originally Posted by huntinslabs

Or come on down here and finesse a big snook or redfish without a quality drag and see hor far ya get.

Or mess with a musky, a 30" pike, a 20#+ carp or a 20"+ largemouth on 4# line. I tangle with some of each of these oversize fish nearly every year during my crappie fishing, which is 4# on 5' UL tackle, and I land many of those oversized fish with out even a net. It is the drag, live on it or you die by it. Not all cheap reels have bad drags either. When I look at my checkbook there aint no way I put out even a hundred bucks on a fishing reel, generally not even over 30, and some of my cheapies are half a dozen years old and still go fishing with me as many as three or four times a week in open water season. BTW the line I use exclusively is GAMMA from Black Knight, and I have no financial interest in them either. That has some stretch which augments the drag when fighting a large fish. IMO most line twist comes from either not manually closing the bail on a cast, reeling against an outgoing drag run, or improperly rigged baits and lures. And some lines just plain naturally twist no matter what you do.

I have never been convinced high end reel's are really worth the money. Highest end reel I've ever had is an ABU 6500, it was well under $100. Of course I don't get to fish near as much as most n here seem to fish. Recently got a new Kastking Rover 40, little over $40. If it last five years that means, assuming prices don't change $120 at $40 every 5 years is 15 years of life. Even if a high end reel last's 15yrs, you still gonna be using it? The urge to get new equipment is much to strong in most of us. Anybody still using a $200+ reel they got 15 years ago? This is almost like the fisherman that has only one rod and reel. Really one is all you need! But we have not several but a bunch! Shoot, I've got 18 rod's and reels and some haven't been used in years! I know because I just went and counted them!

Like others here have said there is no right or wrong. If you like it it is the right reel for you.

Originally Posted by deathb4disco

Both are correct. I’ve been a member since 2006 and have read about 1,000 “line twist” posts. People always assume the line is causing the problem. IMO, the reel has far more to do with it than the line. Cheap reels = lotsa line twist.

When I was a kid we'd fish quite a bit and when we put new line om a reel we were normally out in a boat. Ran the end of the line through the eyelet's and threw the spool overboard. Then drug the line through the water a bit and reeled it in. I'd pretty much forgot about that till yesterday. Got reel that I haven't used much that had line on it for years, and then a few more. So decided to change it. Stuff just wouldn't lay down on the reel right and I though about putting it on after running it in the water but, boat is in the barn and nearest lake to run it in is about 40 mi off. So I had this mess on the reel and held it under a water faucet. Then reeled it in and cast out as far as I could and did it again. Then walked away from the faucet a way and did it again. Surprisingly the line then laid down pretty well. If I can remember and ever get it out in the boat I'm gonna snap on a bobber and let all the line out and do it again. Take's the kink's right out of the line.

Originally Posted by huntinslabs

Or come on down here and finesse a big snook or redfish without a quality drag and see hor far ya get.

We are on a Crappie forum not salt water, I would not take my Crappie rod and reel with 4lb mono and go fish for Snook or Redfish. There is a slight difference.

Originally Posted by deathb4disco

I don't think any of the guys on the board using high-end JDM reels think of them only as "line holders".

IMO, the high-end spinning reels do everything better.

Basically that is what they are now if you want to talk about baitcasters then we are in a different world as I have several higher end baitcasters, one of the biggest reasons for high end is lighter weight. When using baitcaster and lobbing larger baits all day long that extra weight makes a huge difference at the end of the day.