Which spinner for me

[biggiesmalls]

Looking to get a set of spinning reels, four to be specific. I want two for surf fishing, and two for fishing the docks inshore. Preferably 4000-5000 for surf and 2000-3000 for inshore. I don't want something too expensive because these will probably be dunked at some point, and they'll probably take some abuse most times they go out.

I'm just looking for something I can find four identical of (two in each size), that'll work well and last for a long while. I don't care if they're used or anything. Preferably under $100 - I'd go with Stradics but I can't afford $800 worth of reels right now!

Any suggestions?
Thanks,
Drew

[handi2]

I would stay with Shimano. Maybe the Sahara or similar. They work great and are very smooth.

Also look at the Daiwa BG series. They look nice inside and out.

[MarkT]

The BG's seem to be the sweet spot at that price.

[philaroman]

a bit more info...

when you say X000-size, do you mean Shimano?  "per 1000" Daiwas are bigger & Penn, bigger still...

braid or mono?  for braid/Surf I'd really want worm-gear oscillation -- better line-lay

aluminum (more rigid, for gear alignment @ high drag) or graphite (better for abuse/corrosion)?

[biggiesmalls]

Looks like the newer Daiwa BG series can be bought for around $75 used on eBay. Saharas can be bought for $60 or so used.

As far as size - I only said 4000-5000 (meaning Shimano size) because I had planned to use mono. I think I would rather use something around a Penn 2500 size for surf fishing, so Shimano 3000 or Daiwa 2500. I can spool with 15 lb braid and be fine.
Inshore reels I'll probably go with either 12 lb copolymer or 15 lb braid. These will be used for dock fishing mostly, one will be used by a beginning angler so I was leaning towards copolymer but I might just give her the braid and see how it works out.

So basically, I need four Penn/Daiwa 2500 or Shimano 3000 reels, or something that's an equivalent. Spooling two for sure with 15 lb braid, and the other two either with 15 lb braid or 12 lb copolymer.
How do used Penn Battles sound?

Drew

[RowdyW]

Drew, Penn Battles should work out for you and they come with CF drags. Parts availability is good & I see a lot of them around. The Penn Fierce is even cheaper but comes with felt drags that can have Battle drags installed if more drag is needed. Buy reels that will have parts availability & interchangability.                     Rudy                                                                                 ps Maybe Daiwa Sweepfires, when they break down either save them for parts or throw them away. $15-$20 each on ebay. I've got one set up with 50# braid on a 10 ft. surf rod & switch it between a 7 ft. inshore rod.

[biggiesmalls]

Thanks for the reply, Rudy.

That's given plenty of interesting ideas. I have a Battle 3000 and 4000 right now, I find them heavy but still usable.

You have given me an idea, perhaps to only get two of these reels and use them interchangeably between rods. I'll be getting a pair of 9' surf rods and a pair of 7' inshore rods to use these reels on. Maybe just get two to start, then add more as I go and find good deals - but prioritize getting two of them.

I also like the idea of a Penn Fierce with CF drags instead of the stock felt. Alan Hawk believes (as of 2015) that the newer Conflicts and Battles are not worth the extra cost, so either get them used or just go with a Fierce. For $40 I can get a good used Fierce, and bump it up to about $50 and I can have one with CF washers instead of felt - not too bad of a reel.

Looking at Alan Hawk's "what reel" page for 2017, his recommendation in the budget category is hands-down the Daiwa BG. He rates this reel as basically the same as the Shimano Biomaster, a $200+ reel. Below the BG (if, for whatever reason, a high gear ratio isn't going to work) he puts the Shimano Socorro. And WAY below those two reels at this price point he puts the Fin-Nor Lethal, the Okuma Azores, and the Penn Battle II.

I like the idea of a mini-army of Penn Fierces, but it really sounds like the Daiwa BG series is worth a few extra dollars for each reel. They'll be lighter and smoother than the Fierce (and the Battle II, for that matter) and they'll have a higher max drag than either of the Penn offerings.

Drew

[biggiesmalls]

Now though, I have another decision to make. On top of these four reels, I want one lighter reel that I can use for freshwater and inshore fishing. I've been scaling down my tackle over and over again, and after inshore fishing with a true ultralight setup I can say it's just about all I want to do anymore.

I want to get a quality reel in the 1000 size and pair it with a 6'6" light action rod, and spool it with some 6 lb braid. This'll be used for everything from freshwater panfish and bass, up to inshore fishing for redfish and trout and the like. I don't think there are many, if any, fish in the marshes and creeks around here that this setup couldn't handle - so why go any heavier?

I was looking at a Stradic FK, which would run me $200. Alan Hawk recommends it as his #2 spinning reel, but that's under the freshwater category. I was thinking of just going with another Daiwa BG (go with the 1500, slightly bigger than the Stradic in terms of line capacity), but it weighs an advertised 8.5 ounces. The Stradic comes in at 6.9 ounces. I am worried this setup is going to be a little bit too heavy.
Somebody commented on JandH's video review of the reel asking if they could use it for tossing inline spinners to panfish and trout, they were recommended not to do so, and instead to get a Shimano NASCI at that same price point, or at a higher price point go with a Stradic.

Would the BG1500 paired with a 6'6" light (2-8 lb) rod be a nice light-tackle setup?
Thanks
Drew

[FatTuna]

I'm going to second the battle. Good reel for the money. I had 6 or 7 of them in different sizes. They were my go to kayaking reels. I bought them all used online for around $40-$50 each plus shipping. I fished them for years. I had to do a few gear replacements and anti-reverse swaps. However, the bearings all held up. The drag is nice and smooth.

If you can push up your budget just a little you can get the Penn Clash. Just over $100 for the reels 4000 and under. If you go used, you might be able to get them for under $100. I've been fishing two of them since I got down to FL. It's basically a battle with some upgrades. Nicer handle arm. Lighter weight. Lays braid beautifully. Machined gears. I only have a few complaints about the Clash. One is that it uses an idler gear to slow down the oscillation. It makes turn the handle harder which is kind of annoying. The other is I don't like the EVA foam knob on the 4000 size. It's too big and it's not comfortable. On the schematic they show another knob, I'm going to see about swapping it. Other than that, it's a good reel.

[RowdyW]

Drew, I think you need a little weight training if a 6.9 oz. reel is a little heavy. Give your arms & back muscles a steady workout routine & the reels sure will feel a heck of a lot lighter. It will also help when you land that shark you are looking for. 

[biggiesmalls]

Drew, I think you need a little weight training if a 6.9 oz. reel is a little heavy. Give your arms & back muscles a steady workout routine & the reels sure will feel a heck of a lot lighter. It will also help when you land that shark you are looking for. 

Sorry - 6.9 ounces doesn't sound heavy at all. My wording was a bit confusing, I was saying that 6.9 ounces sounds pretty light (that's the Stradic I was originally planning on buying) compared to the BG's 8.5 ounces. Overall, neither are heavy - but I'm putting together a light/ultralight setup and I'm looking for something very lightweight.

Noted about the Battles and Clashes - not sure I can afford to step up to the Clash, but the Battle isn't out of the question.

Drew

[philaroman]

don't understand your desire for tiny Surf reels -- eventually, you'll hook some size & regret it

some considerations you may have missed:

• 12 lb. mono/co will coil HORRIBLY on a small-diameter spool -- to the point where fishing is not enjoyable for a youngster, or even an adult
• 15 lb. braid will slice young tender flesh to the bone w/ very little effort -- kids don't have leather on their hands, like we do

just treat yourself to a premium UL & get two 4000 Stradics (or 3500 Daiwa / 3000 Penn) for everything else...  then, begin an extended bargain-hunting campaign for more of the same for extra spools & replacement parts & eventually, you'll have enough to make more complete reels w/ a parts library to keep 'em going for decades

[steelfish]

dang a 1000 sized spinning reel for surf fishing?  

are you after a world record or something?
I know it could be fun and all you want to add but if you are catch and release guy those fishes caught on that setup will have hard time to recover after a long and "fun" battle with that tiny reel. (Im talking saltwater only).

the smaller I have gone on surf fishing is a shimano sonora 2500 with 10# braid on one spool and 6# mono on another paired with a 10ft surf rod for 1/4oz - 3/4oz lure I can cast 3/4oz kastmaster spoons to the moon, I caught a 2# curvina (seabass trout ) on it and caught 3# croacker on a same model rod but 13ft lenght 1/4oz to 3/4oz using a 4000 sonora with 10# mono line.
after trying both setups, now my goto combo for UL surf fishing is a 4000 sonora reel and that 10ft rod with 15# braid or 10# mono, although it can be done with 10# braid line its a pain to work with that tiny "almost invisible" line so i opted to use 15# braid the lighter.

here is a pic with the sonora 4000 reel and 13ft light rod (I will empty the spool of any 1000 sized reel on that rod and 1/2oz lure)

[biggiesmalls]

don't understand your desire for tiny Surf reels -- eventually, you'll hook some size & regret it

just treat yourself to a premium UL & get two 4000 Stradics (or 3500 Daiwa / 3000 Penn) for everything else...  then, begin an extended bargain-hunting campaign for more of the same for extra spools & replacement parts & eventually, you'll have enough to make more complete reels w/ a parts library to keep 'em going for decades

Only reason I want the 2500's for surf fishing is because I fish pompano rigs and light metals. I don't fish anything heavier, hardest-fighting thing I can expect to hook is probably a 5-6 lb bluefish or spanish mackerel - and 200 yards of line isn't too bad for those fish. I'd rather suit my tackle to be fun for the majority of fish (whiting and pomps under 2 or 3 pounds) than to have it be heavy and suited to the largest fish I might catch - if that makes any sense.

I'll probably get Penn Fierces and replace the felt washers with carbon fiber. Get six of these, two on surf rods, two on custom rods (for girlfriend and I), and two on cheap rods to give as loaners (for bass/inshore duties). Spool all of them with 15 lb braid. Probably going to get four 2000 reels for the inshore setups and two 4000 reels for the surf reels. 15 lb braid on 2000, 20 lb on 4000.

[biggiesmalls]

dang a 1000 sized spinning reel for surf fishing? 

are you after a world record or something?
I know it could be fun and all you want to add but if you are catch and release guy those fishes caught on that setup will have hard time to recover after a long and "fun" battle with that tiny reel. (Im talking saltwater only).

the smaller I have gone on surf fishing is a shimano sonora 2500 with 10# braid on one spool and 6# mono on another paired with a 10ft surf rod for 1/4oz - 3/4oz lure I can cast 3/4oz kastmaster spoons to the moon, I caught a 2# curvina (seabass trout ) on it and caught 3# croacker on a same model rod but 13ft lenght 1/4oz to 3/4oz using a 4000 sonora with 10# mono line.
after trying both setups, now my goto combo for UL surf fishing is a 4000 sonora reel and that 10ft rod with 15# braid or 10# mono, although it can be done with 10# braid line its a pain to work with that tiny "almost invisible" line so i opted to use 15# braid the lighter.

here is a pic with the sonora 4000 reel and 13ft light rod (I will empty the spool of any 1000 sized reel on that rod and 1/2oz lure)

The 1000 is going to be all of my freshwater fishing and most of my saltwater, anything in the marshes and creeks at least. Surf, well I don't think it will ever see the surf but if it does it will be used for throwing small pompano jigs in close - so not for catching anything huge.

For my surf fishing, I'll be using two-hook bottom rigs and stingsilvers, glass minnows, etc. The majority of the fish on these rods will be 5 pounds or less, and certainly nothing much bigger than 15 pounds. We're talking about targeting puppy red/black drum, trout, whiting, bluefish, flounder, pompano, and spanish mackerel.

My surf setups will be 9' rods rated for around 1-4 ounces of weight. 4000 Penns and around 250 yards of 20 lb braid. Should be able to handle anything that'll pick up a sand flea or a 2 ounce spoon.

Drew