What's your all time favorite reel ?

[Bryan Young]

A couple of reels come to mind.   Pfleuger Capital was my first surfcasting reel.  I really wanted a Templar, but it was probably too big for me.  Then my trusty Penn Long Beach 259.  After that, my Penn 113HLW.  Now, my Pro Gear CS551 and CS501 reels with spectra.

[surecatchbilly]

 abu Garcia 6500C4.Easy to maintain

[Ellis Feibush]

Abu Almbassadeur 9000 2-speed reel. I still own this very old reel and it is the very best fishing reel I have ever used. It required very little service and withstood the very roughest use. One night off of Barnegat Ridge, NJ this reel came in contact with a 20Lb. Bluefish which still hangs on the wall of my shop. A fish like this can do terrible things to the very best reels, but my 9000's drag was smooth as silk and after a twenty minute battle the reel seemed to say "is that all you got?". Although very old, this reel is still scary reliable and smooth and almost unfair to use in any fish fight even large Yellowfin Tuna and similar species.

[flasaltangler]

MY PENN BAJA SPL AND MY PRO GEAR 255

[yockman]

Those old Shimano Triton Trolling Series, especially the 50W I got from ebay that had been 2-speeded by Cal Sheets

[Fishead]

For conventional reels,any of the P series Newells,The metal clicker & aluminum spool along with a drag upgrade make them bullet proof.My favorite is the 332,perfect hight to width makes it a pleasure to fish all day.My favorite spinning reel would be a toss up between the old green penn 706 & the old daiwa SS series with an added manual pickup instead of a sprung bail.Both have caught boatloads of fish & are still in my arsenal when I go fishing.Both are bullet proof for me as well,the drags are the only parts I've ever replaced after almost 30 years of use.

[CaptDavDavis01]

for fishing... shimano tlds. mainly the 25's, they just work for what i do.

for nostalgia... my dads 4/0 sentor, its close to 50 years old!

for a spinner... a penn 6500ss. it just the right size for my style

[staff23]

Hey guys new to the board so this is post #1.  Love the topic.
For nostalgia I have to go with either the Penn Jig Master with a 99 frame and spool upgrade.  Perfect size and a great bait reel.  Or
the 4/0 with a narrow kit and an Accurate high speed conversion.
But for modern day fire power I love my Saltiga 20.  Fill it with 40 # Braid and topshots from 12# to 40# Flouro and it will cast like a dream and take on all comers (Don't forget the carbontex upgrade.
Thanks for considering my 2 cents, and keep the great banter and info coming.

[landingcrewman]

WOW!!!!! what a hard choice i think i will go with the PENN 500. Now i have different sizes.

All have accurate conversion and HI speed gears (still need gear sleeves - spring 2011)

500 magnum (purple/black)
3 500s all different (all blk or blk/silver)
3 500s (99 size different combinations)
Those are the favorites. Close second are progear 255/251, albacore line and 145 squidder magnum conversion. Have a 145 conversion. not magnum
I think i answered the question  .
I have been following Allen for a while and finally did the first post, i have followed the site and the the way Allen explains everything and the pictures are phenomenal.   

[alantani]

you neen bryan to post some pictures of his 251.  grab a towel, it's going to make you drool.  alan

[landingcrewman]

Well i would like to see pictures. i have 2- 251s 1 blk w/clicker and 1 silver no clicker and i have a 255 gun metal w/ a clicker... and 541/545.. 540-280-282 albacore special.. and a pg551
I wonder if i picked the right one???

[Bryan Young]

you neen bryan to post some pictures of his 251.  grab a towel, it's going to make you drool.  alan

I'll do a write up of the 251 in the next week or two.  I gotta take it apart to put in new gears anyway and measure the washers used to make up the 5+1 drag washer stack.

[alantani]

Well i would like to see pictures. i have 2- 251s 1 blk w/clicker and 1 silver no clicker and i have a 255 gun metal w/ a clicker... and 541/545.. 540-280-282 albacore special.. and a pg551
I wonder if i picked the right one???

this is one of the nicest collections of conventional reels i've seen.  you've chosen well. 

[landingcrewman]

Thank you, most were bought on the cheep right place RIGHT price. Just before we sold my house in the bay area and moved back to socal 3 years ago all my gear got stolen from a storage unit my son and i were devistated). Priceless gear from when i started fishing in Newport Beach,CA first reels /rods/ and lots of updated modern gear. I don't think i will ever be done  

[reddrum55]

Since my feet are normally in the sand, Diawa SL20SH with Ambassadeur 7500C3CT back up on Diawa rod SABS35-405G.  Both reels are easy to service and deliver extreme casting distance.