High-dollar spinning reels?

[GaryO]

Well, years ago I bought a couple of entry-level spinning reels for my daughters. They are now in their late 30's and we still fish the Mammoth and June Lake every spring. This year we got into some larger stocked trout and I could readily see that the drags on these reels were struggling with the task. Now, I am considering some better grade reels and am shocked at the price one can pay for a trout reel these days. Are these reels worth the money in pure performance or are they just a status symbol for the better heeled among us? At what level should I now consider moving to? What say you? Thanks...

[jsoob]

I use the trion reel made by Pflueger. They run from 29.99 to 39.99 depending on what size you get. They are a very good reel for the price and also come with 6 ball bearings. If you want something a little more expensive you can get the president reel that runs from 49.99 to 59.99. Hope that helps.

[DANNY SMOKIN JIGZ]

hey Gary O,
i recommend the Shimano sienna 1000fd, they are smooth and great all around reels. You can pick them up at Turners for around $25 to $30. I have caught many DD trout on these reels and they can take a beating. Good Luck.
Danny.

[Fish Cop]

You don't need a high dollar reel to catch trout. It's all about drag and the quality of your bearings and unless you are off-shore fishing a Stella for blue fin, it's a non-issue. Don't buy into the hype.

[GaryO]

I use the trion reel made by Pflueger. They run from 29.99 to 39.99 depending on what size you get. They are a very good reel for the price and also come with 6 ball bearings. If you want something a little more expensive you can get the president reel that runs from 49.99 to 59.99. Hope that helps.

I should mention that I prefer metal body & rotor reels over graphite...

[LGHT]

I own several offshore spinning setups for jigging and popping and as previously posted you don't need a reel with 50+ lbs of drag for trout lol. I use pfleuger also and they work fine. It would be counter productive to put 2-4lb floro on a reel that has more than 4lb of drag as the line would break before you reached the drag limit. Plus it's more fun to finesse a big trout in instead of powering it in like tuna!

Tight lines!

[skatino]

I use the trion reel made by Pflueger. They run from 29.99 to 39.99 depending on what size you get. They are a very good reel for the price and also come with 6 ball bearings. If you want something a little more expensive you can get the president reel that runs from 49.99 to 59.99. Hope that helps.

+1 on the Trion. I have caught alot of BIG trout on them! 4165241655

[phishin phool]

It all depends on the type of trout fishing you are doing. If you are just chucking Power bait out there for 10-12" dfw trout than any reel will do. Heck you can go to Wal Mart and buy a 10' surf rod/reel combo and do fine. But if you are chasing the bigger models like they stock during trout season in So Cal with 2lb test, jigs, or other plastics then you want a top notch reel that has a quality drag and one desinged to give you better casting distance. This argument can go on forever but if your serious about fishing go with the best reel you can afford. I would recommend Shimano reels without a doubt. A really good mid range reel is a Shimano Symetre at about $99. Or even the the less expensive models like the Sedona ($60)are great reels.

[vanillagurilla]

Sahara is a good choice, but I wouldn't trade my ci4 for anything!

[reservoir dog]

You don't need to spend an arm and a leg for a spinning reel that you won't use as often. If you're just playing the bait and wait game then any reel should do. I would recommend a low end Shimano like a Sienna or a Solstace. And for a couple more bucks get a Sedona or Sahara.

[billy b]

[QUOTE=phishin phool;681662]It all depends on the type of trout fishing you are doing. If you are just chucking Power bait out there for 10-12" dfw trout than any reel will do.
Don't understand this ... maybe I'm slow ... are you saying any reel should work if small fish are on the line?

This does make sense to me ...
But if you are chasing the bigger models like they stock during trout season in So Cal with 2lb test, jigs, or other plastics then you want a top notch reel that has a quality drag and one desinged to give you better casting distance.

This argument can go on forever but if your serious about fishing go with the best reel you can afford. I would recommend Shimano reels without a doubt.
I'm with you ... I have about 8 or so Stella 1000s ... a Sustain 1000 ... and a Symetre 750
A really good mid range reel is a Shimano Symetre at about $99.
The Symetre 750 that has served me very well

[seal]

The higher end you go the smaller difference between performance, in another words spending several hundred dollars for high end spinning reel vs. Symetre for $100 to me is not worth the difference if your target species is a trout.

[DC5fishR]

I would recommend a shimano symetre. I've used my older one for trout about 15 years now and it still does the job. My newer one which is about 4 years old gets a lot of use and is still working like new. Also, keep in mind that I never do any cleaning or maintenance on them (I know it's bad...) and also the symmetry model and up seem to handle getting wet a lot better (fishing from wader or float tube). Some of my lower model shimanos didn't do so well under my care.

I have a shimano Stradic ci4, and it's my "go to" with slightly better performance, but honestly i think it's a little overkill for trout. I like my Daiwa excelers, which aren't to expensive, they handle big fish well and have a good drag, just don't know if they're as duable as a shimano.

[Bob_B]

Shimano Stradic 1000Fj. Awesome reel and it would double nicely as a great perch/corbina/spotfin reel in the surf.

[dkinla]

The new Symetre FL would be great since it has some great upgrades like the X-ship gearing/drag that was only available on the Stradic FJ before. The new Saharas don't really add too much compared to the old Sahara FD.

So the Symetre FL 1000 around $99-109 would be great.

Otherwise.. Can't go wrong with the workhorse Sedona 1000.

[cutbait]

Its friggin trout!

Beer can and thread will land even the DD's


You trout guys over think crap

[dk4885]

Totally agree cutbait it's trout. If u can catch a 10-15# fish on 2# test any reel will do.

[bassjedi]

Its friggin trout!

Beer can and thread will land even the DD's


You trout guys over think crap

Agree; stocked trout don't really test tackle to the limit or anything. Saltwater fishing is another story.

[phishin phool]

its friggin trout!

Beer can and thread will land even the dd's


you trout guys over think crap


totally agree cutbait it's trout. If u can catch a 10-15# fish on 2# test any reel will do.


agree; stocked trout don't really test tackle to the limit or anything. Saltwater fishing is another story.
You guys are funny. :ROFL:

[phishin phool]

What I am saying is yes you can land a 1/2-3/4lb stocked DFW trout with any spinning reel.

[QUOTE=phishin phool;681662]It all depends on the type of trout fishing you are doing. If you are just chucking Power bait out there for 10-12" dfw trout than any reel will do.
Don't understand this ... maybe I'm slow ... are you saying any reel should work if small fish are on the line?

This does make sense to me ...
But if you are chasing the bigger models like they stock during trout season in So Cal with 2lb test, jigs, or other plastics then you want a top notch reel that has a quality drag and one desinged to give you better casting distance.

This argument can go on forever but if your serious about fishing go with the best reel you can afford. I would recommend Shimano reels without a doubt.
I'm with you ... I have about 8 or so Stella 1000s ... a Sustain 1000 ... and a Symetre 750
A really good mid range reel is a Shimano Symetre at about $99.
The Symetre 750 that has served me very well

[bman90278]

Some good comments so far. I'd like to add that you should buy the best you can afford! If you want to spend Stradic money, then do it! You won't be disappointed and you will find you can you that reel for other applications.

-brian
(Original Bman)

[basskeeter]

Sahara is a good choice, but I wouldn't trade my ci4 for anything!

X2. Good suggestion!

[GaryO]

I think that the Pfluger reels are a best buy. Last Saturday we took rainbows in the 5-7lb. range in the Carson River around Tahoe. What a hoot...

[Hoot951]

I think that the Pfluger reels are a best buy. Last Saturday we took rainbows in the 5-7lb. range in the Carson River around Tahoe. What a hoot...

Since you said my name i'll chime in. I totally agree with the Pflueger. This year I used a President 6920 on my Phenix Mirage. Really smooth reel.

[Frankenfish]

It all depends on your budget and what you consider " high dollar". Some consider $50-100 a lot for a reel while others consider $400-800 daiwa's and shimano stellas "high dollar". I agree that you whould just get the best you can for your budget...but also add that if you think a piece of equipment is out of your budget, there are always sales.

[GaryO]

I finally settled on a Pflueger President 6925 along with a very nice rod in a combo deal for $75 at Sportsman's Warehouse in Rocklin...thanks for all your counsel.

[Stormcrow]

Shimano Sienna 1000 FD

FTW!!!!!!

Best Value Around. Oooops.. I just saw I was too late.

[gogreeenz4]

seina 2500 is the business! used those for awhile before I started using Ci4's

[DocSpotty]

I've used most of the Shimanos from Symetre and up for as long as they've existed. I used one Symetre 2000 in Alaska one summer and caught over 100 coho salmon on it....they drag was burned but that was way over its tolerance limits. Have had a couple of Sustains and I found they had internal problems quickly if stressed heavily or got dirty....won't use them anymore. May favorite have been Stradics of which I have nearly all of them. Recently got a couple of Cl4's (1000 and 2500). One 3 day fishing trip with them for bass in Texas with nearly 150 bass caught and released to 8 lbs.......I am in love with these reels. But the Sedona's and Symetres work just fine for most practical purposes.

Brian

[Hotbite909]

Pfluger. Good drag, sturdy frame and good price for bass and trout.

[Jgzee]

The Shimano Stradic 1000faml ci4+ for trout or any type of ultralight fishing is the best way to go in my opinion, it maybe a little pricey for some people but it's the best on the market without paying too much (Avg $225). The drag system is designed for fishing Microlight line such as pline series but the best of all is the weight of the reel it only weighs 5.8oz verses all others on the market weighing over 6.5oz. What we look for as trout anglers is an ultralight set up we can fish with all day without tiring the arms as we cast mini-jigs all day looking for the color the trout will hit. shimano stradic ci4+ with any of the Phenix rods in a 1x power is the way to go for trout. Iron Feather, Mirage, Elixir or the travel series Redeye for trout is the way to go, once again depending on your budget.

[Peestick]

I started buying higher end gear when I started losing big fish due to lousy drags on cheap reels. since then I rarely lose big fish and it's like driving a luxury car when I fight fish on the higher end gear. You can't go wrong with any reel over the $100 mark. if you are catching 5-7lb trout then you will appreciate a nice reel with a strong smooth drag.