Which reels do you prefer?

[spinyeel]

Going back 25 years, maybe even 30. I had my first spinning reel, a Mitchell for fresh water spinning in Tasmania, I think it was my dads hand me down & he bought the newest model. Alot of the lakes we fished in Tasmania were shallow & we fished off the shore in thigh waders. Hence I was taught the proper way to spin & that is wind with your left hand. Well for that enviroment at least. The idea being for a right handed person you normally cast with your right hand above the reel & your left at the bottom.
Catching trout in Tas lakes by spinning is without a doubt aided by the wind, wether it is because of the chop there is more oxygen in the water & the trout are more active. Or because the tiddleys get smashed about in their hiding spot & have to venture out into more open water I don't know.
But on a calm day you can catch fish in the evening or morning, & you may as well give up fishing for the rest of the day.
When its blowing a gale, fishing into weather, thats almost impossible to fish into you can catch your bag of trout. Thats why I was taught to wind left handed, When your side casting (Horizontal rod with a spinning reel) into the wind in shallow water a fraction of a second means the difference between retrieving your lure before it hits the bottom & loosing 30m of line to the wind. Loosing your lure to the bottom & with freezing uncooperative fingers tying on a new one.

Most people are right handed, & if you have to change hands after you cast the rod to wind there is your 1/2 second you can't afford to loose.
I think we fished with Mitchells because they were the best you could buy at the time (25 yrs ago). A large spool diameter for easy casting, A compact body for light weight. Quick button change spools for different line requirements & if you ever did wear out a gear from thousands of hours use. This happened to me from dads hand me down we were amazed that the local shop stocked the gears for a dollar or two.
25 years later I have my own boat, thinking about trawling for mackeral around mud island & landing. Hoping to land a 5kg fish. Sometimes see the seagulls & the fish working I want something that is the best & won't let me down. I was in BCF today buying some lures to hopefully land that big mackeral & looked at some reels. I was amazed at how cheap they were. Then I started looking at the bail arm, most were wire into plastic. Picked up a few & smooth to wind, But felt cheap & tacky. Diawa were absolute crap when I was a kid, but they were the only brand I Saw today with a lathe spun bail arm.
The amount of times I have cast into the wind with a wire into plastic journal & it has double looped.
Or just a plastic journal that grooves & frays your line. $300 for the reel that I wanted. I can't afford that kind of money. I came on here to see what fisherman thought. Most have an opinion with no reason. I want to be told that this reel is iron clad best you can buy in its range. Then I can search for it & buy it secondhabd

Quality built tackle in the old days was built to last for a lifetime.Quality tackle today is built to last until the next model is released

[Vindicator]

Shimano all the way.... Unless its beach fishing, then I'll use an alvey

[falcon01]

Hi not that I am threadline fisherman I prefer the good old alvey I even for use estuary that said I have brought my wife a stadic and symetre for christmas love the stradic it is smooth as so shimano

[cuzzamundi]

Shimano all the way for big game. Penn and shimano for smaller classes.

cuzza

[nigelr]

Toolman, those Mitchell reels you speak of can still be bought via Ebay USA.
Either second hand or with a bit of patience, new old stock, or in very fine used condition. Most will cost you way less than $300 to get posted to your door.
Don't know whether you are familiar with Ebay USA, so will attempt to post relevent link.
Cheers.
http://sporting-goods.listings.ebay....istingItemList

[Lutjanus johnii]

Daiwa overheads, Shimano Spinners. I voted before I read spinners

[trev1]

I got all different brands too, I dont really think one is superior to any others provided they are fit for purpose and you dont get ripped off buying it.

[angler1]

okuma in the salt (all stainless internal gears)and shimano for the fresh

[Tetsuo]

Ignorance is bliss. People are happy with the reel they have until they try another. I bought a stradic then worked up to a couple of sustains. Loved them until I got a certate. I would call the certate middle of the range for Daiwa and in my opinion it out performs the stella's. Let alone if you move up to daiwa's better reels which are at the same pricepoint as the stella's. I'll let you know how my new Hyper Custom goes. Sorry shimano fans

[lxc]

Other Abu Garcia have worked for me but I have not had much experience yet.

[Flattie Assassin]

Ignorance is bliss. People are happy with the reel they have until they try another. I bought a stradic then worked up to a couple of sustains. Loved them until I got a certate. I would call the certate middle of the range for Daiwa and in my opinion it out performs the stella's. Let alone if you move up to daiwa's better reels which are at the same pricepoint as the stella's. I'll let you know how my new Hyper Custom goes. Sorry shimano fans

Nail Hammer Head. spot on.

[thatp1g]

That one.

so it's an 'other' for me.


I was building a little outfit to put the fun in whiting and was hunting a ultra light reel.

The bloke at Swan Boat Hire in Maroochydore showed me this one. I was a bit, "what the freckle? it's an Itchypussy brand mate" because i had two hundred bucks to spend and wanted a brand name. The fella at the shop said it was good quality and such and so I bought it. It was only 40 bucks.

Get it home and 2 years later I have hunted for them and bought every one I find. They are stupidly featured - infinite anti reverse, bunches of ball bearings and outrageously sturdy for such a tiny reel.. (think 1000 sized and then go half.)

I love this thing. It's currently teamed with an ultra light daiwa rod and really puts the wallop back into whiting.

[shaneomack05]

shimano for me. BUT... thats mainly what i've had. they say daiwa this daiwa that, i cant say they aren't the best cos i've never used one. so thats why i say go the shimano.

good question
shane

[reddybayfisher]

I'll take a Penn - 5500ss, 6500ss & 7500ss (USA made) are my favourties.....they are made to last.....

[NAGG]

I'll take a Penn - 5500ss, 6500ss & 7500ss (USA made) are my favourties.....they are made to last.....

TALKING BIG SPIN REELS ....... Back in the days of High speed spinning off the stones ...... A big Penn Spinfisher was the reel to have! .... There really was nothing comparable ( Mitchells maybe).
But once the likes of Shimano & Daiwa started into developing their products ...... The likes of the Penns started to be left behind!
Today ..... If you have the cash with the likes of Daiwa Saltigas & Shimano Stellas .... You wouldn't look twice at a Penn (IMHO) .............. But hey you are going to part with $950-$1250 as apposed to $200 for the Penn

I see Penn as good honest value for money reels ...... but they have been left behind by the Japanese !
Even the once famed Penn International game reels have largely been replaced by Shimano Tiagras on the game scene!
Nagg