Buy new reel or buy combo ?

[rutgersfan1]

As stated in my other post, it's been 25 yrs since I'd been fishing and now want to introduce my young kids to it. I still have quite a lot of gear and tackle but a couple of reels no longer work and the needed repair parts are no longer available.

I'd been to Dicks, Sports Authority and Walmart looking for new reels yet the rod/reel combos they sell cost almost what the reels do alone. For example, $40 bucks gets an ultra-lite ugly stick and a Shakespeare reel while $36 gets a reel sold separately.

What should I do ? Find used reels on the internet ? buy the new combos and sell my current rods on the internet ?

Buy better reels on-line thru Cabelas ? Generally I do not see value in high-end reels.

[AndyS]

I do not see value in high-end reels,..... you will when you hook a very large fish and need a smooth as glass drag.

Buy a cheap rod, get a good reel. http://www.daiwa.com/reel/spinning.aspx

[RAMMFISH66]

Cabelas combos are good for starters but will outlast many others....they are moderately priced and good value for the $$$$$$...Cabelas brand is the way to go....good luck with your search, Robbie

[dboyd101]

got a stradic 2500 last week @ cabelas w/a mag touch rod - the setup is AMAZING.

also got a shimano spyrex (i think) 2500 and it is also great and good for the kids... check it out! :)

[rutgersfan1]

I must have dropped my reels while moving here and there over the years...all Shimano ultralites with the QuikFire one-hand cast feature bought new in the mid-1980s...and unrepairable I am told. My rods are all still good.

I don't see the one-hand cast reels on the market anymore. ANd I don't see them come with extra spools for different #test anymore either.

Problem is, w/o extra spools I need three reels for different line # options and I don't want to spend a ton on three. And again, the Walmart Shakespeare/Ugly Stick ultralite combos for $40 seems like a good value.

Any other local supply stores worth checking out ? I'm in Essex.

[maddhatterr]

A good reel is a must regardless of the type of fishing you are doin....when in dout put the money into a good reel....if you are bait fishing mostly the rod is not as impotant as if you are fishing artificals....you can always up grade your rod later. A good reel like a Stradic will last a long time if you mantain it properly...:)

[shucker]

Go with the lower end shimanos in the $30 range, smooth drag and antireverse are something I look for in reel.Match it with a diawa or shimano rod and have fun.

[Pete_P]

I vote piece stuff together. Keep an eye out on craigslist, look for stuff with clearance stickers on them at the sporting good stores. There are deals to be had.


If you can find a nice combo as a 'hold you over' until you get something better something nicer, that works also. You can then use the combo as the spare.

[acabtp]

I bought an Ugly Stik/Shakespeare combo last year. The reel had 2 or 3 bearings. The rod is still working perfectly fine, but after about 5 trips, the reel was making noise, and after a dozen or so, the bail would no longer stay snapped closed so it was no longer usable.

I replaced it with an Okuma that was $30 on sale from $40 at dicks. 10 bearings, real smooth drag, but plastic frame. The reel worked fine and landed me several hundred fish, but it was only a few weeks before I snapped the handle off of it.

So, see where I am going with this? At this point, I really wish I has just forked out the cash for a nice reel in the beginning.

[Moz]

Cabelas has a guarantee on their own label that you can swap for a new replacement for a period of one year. I've brought a rod back for line-guide inserts being missing and another for the tip snapping off and got a new one with no problem (just keep the receipt).

If it's for kids I'd suggest a good reel combo paired with one of their rods. You'll have some "coverage" if something goes wrong with the rod and a good excuse to make another drive to Cabelas. :p

[mad_skillz]

Mitchells are great reel at a very reasonable price.

[Capt. Lou]

Why not consider going to a sponsor shop & get reel advice from someone who actually fishes . Few extra bucks up front on the correct product is definitely money well spent. Like was said reel quality is first & foremost unless you just intend to fish once or twice a year!

[Lard Almighty]

Shimano has some of the best lower-end spinning reels; a $50 Shimano reel will likely last you several years. As far as rods go, Shakespeare makes some decent ones that are dirt cheap. Avoid their combos, though; I have never had a Shakespeare reel last more than a year. Ugly Stiks are unbreakable, but the action is horrible IMO. I prefer graphite over glass. I agree with previous posts that you should definitely put more money into the reel than the rod, and typically the more expensive stuff will perform better and last longer.