Inshore spinning reel suggestions?

[Horitexan]

I want to get a spinning reel or two for my wife and kids to use (so I can spend less time untangling backlashes) but I don't have a clue about spinning reels, especially saltwater reels. Suggestions?

I don't want to totally break the bank but I want to get some good ones. $150-$250(max). Planning on fishing braid.

[Cartman]

I really like my penn battle

[randal]

im gonna say with pflueger rod/reel combo.. the are around 80-90.. i know you say 150-250 but i fish a lot of spinning reels and have some high dollar ones and i think the pflueger is right up there.. i bought two for my kayak 2 years ago (in case i flip it and loose everything) and actully use it all the time out on the boat..

[randal]

or im now guessing you mean salt water in shore... didnt read it all ,sorry..

[MassMan]

im gonna say with pflueger rod/reel combo.. the are around 80-90.. i know you say 150-250 but i fish a lot of spinning reels and have some high dollar ones and i think the pflueger is right up there.. i bought two for my kayak 2 years ago (in case i flip it and loose everything) and actully use it all the time out on the boat..

Actually the Pflueger's do ok in the salt. I fished with a guide in FL and that's all he used.

The Shimano Stradic is a really nice reel in that price range.

[Horitexan]

Yeah- I'm looking for a good saltwater reel. Just to clarify.

[manwitaplan]

I really like my penn battle

X100

I bought the Penn Battle and loaded it with FINS Windtamer (pink) line on a Triple Fork Rod. If you go with braid and using a popping cork be aware of "wind knots". It is when you pop the cork and reel and the line knots up. Two issues 1) there is to much line spooled on the reel and the second there is not enough weight on the line as you reel.

The Penn fierce is a nice reel as well but not as durable.

My set up is perfect for reds, trout, flounder, drum etc... - Even big nasty slimy gafftop.

Good luck

[Austin]

We use the penn spinfisher 440ssg they have been my FIL go to reel for years

[JP8]

Any Penn is good to go, if you can find the older ones that are made in PA/USA get it.

[PBUCKSHOT]

I'm a big fan of Okumas. I'm slowly but surely changing all my spinning reels to Okumas. Check these out on Craigslist. The Cendros are sweet

http://sanantonio.craigslist.org/sgd/3686498177.html

[Capt.Bryan]

As a part time fishing guide i have tried many brands of reels and shimano reels are hard to beat for salt water use. I like to give my clients a solid light weight reel so that they have an enjoyable time and do not get wore out whether we are using corks or casting lures. Look at the Symetre or Sedona 2500 series reels by Shimano. Don't let their relatively low cost (60.00-100.00 dollars) fool you. I have several of these low cost reels that are approaching ten years old that have caught thousands of fish. I use 15-20# spiderwire stealth braid and put about ten yards of mono backing on first. They will hold around 125-150 yards of line and i like to put them on a 7' medium or medium light falcon or American rodsmith rod. With these reels i have less problems with the wind knots usually associated with braid and spinning reels.

[Mike Honcho]

As a part time fishing guide i have tried many brands of reels and shimano reels are hard to beat for salt water use. I like to give my clients a solid light weight reel so that they have an enjoyable time and do not get wore out whether we are using corks or casting lures. Look at the Symetre or Sedona 2500 series reels by Shimano. Don't let their relatively low cost (60.00-100.00 dollars) fool you. I have several of these low cost reels that are approaching ten years old that have caught thousands of fish. I use 15-20# spiderwire stealth braid and put about ten yards of mono backing on first. They will hold around 125-150 yards of line and i like to put them on a 7' medium or medium light falcon or American rodsmith rod. With these reels i have less problems with the wind knots usually associated with braid and spinning reels.

I'll second the Sedona 2500. I've got 3 that get plenty of saltwater use or abuse depending on how you look at it. One by my 11 year old while wade fishing so it gets dunked plenty. We give it a good fresh water rinse at the end of the day and it's good to go the next time out.

[ETexBowAddict]

As a part time fishing guide i have tried many brands of reels and shimano reels are hard to beat for salt water use. I like to give my clients a solid light weight reel so that they have an enjoyable time and do not get wore out whether we are using corks or casting lures. Look at the Symetre or Sedona 2500 series reels by Shimano. Don't let their relatively low cost (60.00-100.00 dollars) fool you. I have several of these low cost reels that are approaching ten years old that have caught thousands of fish. I use 15-20# spiderwire stealth braid and put about ten yards of mono backing on first. They will hold around 125-150 yards of line and i like to put them on a 7' medium or medium light falcon or American rodsmith rod. With these reels i have less problems with the wind knots usually associated with braid and spinning reels.

Deff agree!! I guided in Buras/Venice LA for ten years up until oil spill and agree with everything Capt.Bryan said. Customers abuse those reels and they hold up. Will say though, I snagged a Penn combo in the marsh, cleaned it up and it is still going strong!!

[ramos104]

Shimano stradic or shimano stella

[AtTheWall]

AKIOS - the relatively new comer in spinning reels.. but....a record breaker in the Baitcasting world. Quality on their equipment matches Penn International series construction....I use AKIOS Baitcasting reels for my long rods....easily making 200 yard casts with 5 - 6 ounces of lead. I suspect their spinning reels are everybit as well made as their baitcasters.

Akios Cresta 90 or Cresta 100. The drags on these reels will go upward to 66lbs of drag and each back 300 – 400 yards of line.
AKIOS SPECS
• High Strength Al-Si-Cu-Mg Aluminium body/rotor
• 10+1 Stainless Steel Shielded Bearings
• Oversized Permanent Instant Anti-reverse Bearing
• Line Capacity AK90-330yds/30lb - AK100-440yds/30lb
• Stainless Drive, Pinion and Oscillation Gears
• Gear Ratio - 4.1:1
• Saltwater Resistant
• Sealed Body & Drag
• Stainless and Carbon Textile Sealed Drag
• Titanium Coated Line Roller
• Solid 4mm Bail Arm Wire
• Gearbox Lubrication Port
• Waterproof CNC Handle

Akios reels are made in a joint venture between UK, Japan and the USA. High quality design, materials and engineering.

PENN REELS
Penn reels....this is the benchmark reel in Saltwater circles. The first company that focused on saltwater extremes centric with spinning tackle. Cost, quality and performance.....hard to top a Penn SPINFISHER series reel!

Penn Spinfisher V. Water tight gears, handles using the PENN HT-100 (Slammer) drag system. Penn HT-100 drags are the same drags found in the Penn Squidder, Penn 4/0 – 6/0 reels…all of their various inshore baitcasting bay reels etc. Drag on the Spinfisher V should hold drag pressures up to 30lbs of pressure…solid metal bodies and smooth bearings (9 on some models). Designed for braid line with a rubber base on the spool keeping slip in check.

VAN STAAL - The Rolls Royce of spinning reels
Van Staal VM150 spinning reel….costs a lot but….there is a reason why! Aluminum & stainless steel construction, 30lb drag, 285 yards of 12lb mono…..built to work big fish.


I've had excellent performance using Penn Slammers & Spinfisher spinning reels. Two summers ago I hauled a then new Penn Slammer 260 spinning reel offshore with me....with the then new HT100 drag system. 30lb braid with a top shot of 20lb test mono (about 20 yards) on a 7ft spinning rod. Found a tree top full of Mahi Mahi and proceeded to catch up to 20 fish with this super light weight reel (the rod was a custom HMX blank I built myself - ultra light graphite blank, Titanium guides, Fuji graphite reel seat.) Instead of working an offshore rod on these fish, I opted to finesse cast jigs to them using ultralight weight tackle as they suspended under a floating tree in the open Gulf. Reel and rod held up to the abuse and I boxed a ton of Mahi that afternoon..after very long fights with this light tackle. The Penn 260 slammer reel held up to this abuse....the Penn Spinfishers are even better than this Chinese assembled Slammer!

Been fishing saltwater all my life.....on top of 20 years of Coast Guard time. I'm not afraid of dropping some serious coin on a decent spinning reel......they need all the help they can get to survive in salt water.....a world very harsh on Spinning reel gear. AKIOS, PENN, SHIMANO & VAN STAAL are all excellent choices to make, in their mid-high end reel offerings. If you wade fish....using a fully sealed system is very important versus a boat only fishing style. Add sand along the coastline...wading in the surf.....it becomes even more critical on how well the reels waterproofing fights against gritty salt water intrusions. In a boat, it's not a big deal.....out of the boat...an entirely different story. Keep that in mind as you shop.