Spinning Reels

[Geoff]

I was at a large tackle store earlier this week to pick up some bits & pieces & noticed a large table with an assortment of spinning reel , mainly Jarvis Walker at $29 for the medium size & $39 for the larger modles.

These were all metal , 3 ball bearing with S/steel main shafts.

Now I know JW may not be in the same class as Shimano or Dawia but for the average fisho , fishing enclosed waters or perhaps some close off shore it's difficult the justify spending an additional $100 - $150 for top shelf gear which , in essence , gives you a few extra ball bearings.

Am I missing something hear which justifies the additional cost or is it just paying for the brand name & their advertising.

Geoff

Edited August 7, 2014 by Geoff

[antonywardle]

I've seen some really well priced equipment and

have wondered the same thing.

For the amount of fishing that I've been doing lately,

the extra dollars would be hard to get past the minister

of finance.

[Scratchie]

The well known brands are just that for a reason. They last longer, don't malfunction as much and are designed to cast and reel better. They also provide the drag required in difficult situations. Having said that, I've caught some good fish on cheap gear but prefer to use more reputable brands as I use my gear often.

Cheers scratchie!!!

[fragmeister]

I was at a large tackle store earlier this week to pick up some bits & pieces & noticed a large table with an assortment of spinning reel , mainly Jarvis Walker at $29 for the medium size & $39 for the larger modles.

These were all metal , 3 ball bearing with S/steel main shafts.

Now I know JW may not be in the same class as Shimano or Dawia but for the average fisho , fishing enclosed waters or perhaps some close off shore it's difficult the justify spending an additional $100 - $150 for top shelf gear which , in essence , gives you a few extra ball bearings.

Am I missing something hear which justifies the additional cost or is it just paying for the brand name & their advertising.

Geoff

There is no doubt that more expensive gear like a Shimano Stradic for example is a better reel. The design is more ergonomic the drag is more powerful and smoother, gears are stronger and the additional bearings make for longer life and smoother operation. When working within and even a little over the over the reels stated ratings it won't let you down and that can be all the difference when you are onto bigger more powerful fish.

I use mostly Shimano gear but I save the Stradics for fish that really matter like Kings and Jewies. On bream, trevally, flathead, salmon, tailor, on the kids rods and anything I lend to anyone I give them low end Shimanos like the Sienna which you can pick up for less than $50.

With any reel maintenance is important but the Stradics get my full attention and the Siennas I am less diligent.

Very rarely has any reel ( even the cheaper ones) let me down unless it was spooled with line way over the maximum breaking strain or drag rating. I does happen of course but its rare... most fish are lost due to poor attention to terminal tackle or they were simply "too big for the rig"

My advice is that for most applications the cheaper reels will do the job but, if you have the money and you are good at maintenance and you are in the hunt for kings or any other potential fighting fish then avoid the low end stuff.

Hope this helps

Jim

[thefisherman6784]

im with scratchie

i love daiwa and dont mind shimano either

i prefer daiwa but they are expensive but worth it because their reels will last for a longer time than your average $50 reel because they have all there oils and that sort of stuff

some daiwa and shimano reels have really good drag, light, good insides, etc, etc which keep there reel good for a long time

but some rods and reel are great for there price, for example, daiwa generation black $150 and a great rod. then the daiwa aird $100 but if you want a really good combo mainly for fishing for kings or jigging and stuff like that requires heavier tackle, then a saltiga or catalina is like a dream reel and same with the shimano stella but the saltiga is $1300 and stella is $1000 i think but catalina $600 (not to sure)

but some reels have there special things in them but cheap reels wont last as long

[abecedarian]

Everything is built to a price and the first thing to be cut back on from my experience with cheap reels is the drag. It's not the total force of drag that counts (tighten them up with a pair of pliers and you'll achieve high drag pressures...) but how smooth the drag is at any pressure. I've found the cheaper reels grab a lot more in the drag and are not as smooth as the better gear. Drag that's not smooth will put more pressure on the terminal tackle and is more likely to cause it to fail. That's the main reason I buy a bit better gear. (A $200 reel is not what I would call top shelf, just more expensive than the cheapest. A $1000 reel is more what I think of when I say top shelf)

Ball bearings have different grades of quality too, but the cheap and nasty ones are less likely to lose you fish unless they seize.

[Mr Squidy]

I reckon its all about what you're fishing for.

Bread and butter stuff, its not necessary to spend the extra money for the top end gear (but still lovely to have if you can afford it). I've got a Shimano outfit with a 2500 sienna and a 3-5lb "sonic pro" graphite composite rod that I originally picked up for $60 thinking i'd just use it for bait jigging. It has blown me away for how good it is for a cheap set up and I now use mine regularly fishing small softies and bait for bream, flatties, tailor, etc. Just know that the cheaper the stuff the sooner you'll be buying another reel to replace it.

Fishing for Jew's, kings and other fish where you have the chance at a real trophy model however? Try loosing a fish of a lifetime because the gear wasn't up to the task and then see if you are still asking the same question...

R

Edited August 8, 2014 by Mr Squidy

[night_rider]

If you are going to go cheap, make sure the drag mech is a spring loaded tab rather than a bent piece of metal...

Got a $49 beach reel from K-Marty and caught a shark the first trip out and it fried it, snapping the drag the cast after reeling in Jaws.. Got a refund and bought an Okuma reel half price. Ex display models are a great value

Cheers

[Fab1]

This is a cheap chain store bought combo that I've had for about 16years now that has caught many flathead, bream, whitting, tailor, small jews, salmon, snapper,etc, etc.

The only mods I did to it which I do to all my reels was pull the drag apart and hone the drag washers on a sheet of glass working up to finer grits of sandpaper until I get a smooth mirror finish.

Then I lube/assemble.

Like others said you pay more for better quality gear as the materials are usually better, etc.

In my opinion regardless of gear used it needs periodic attention to give the best service life possible.

For the species I target on bait in the estuaries, my cheap gear has never let me down.

I guess you need to ask yourself, do I really need the more expensive gear for the fishing I do?

Only you can answer that one.

Cheers.

Sent from my GT-I8730T using Tapatalk

Edited August 8, 2014 by Fab1

[Geoff]

Well ,, this has bought a larger & most interesting response than I first thought. Thanks to all for taking the time & your detailed posts.

I mentiond the No. of bearings in my origional post but as many have pointed out the drag system & quality is perhaps more important & needs to be kept in mind when purchasing less expensive gear.

To try & summerise , we would all like to have the best gear available but cost & frequency of usage play a big part.

For those on either charter boats or who chase the big fish off shore on a regular basis then the top quality gear is the best option & the $$$$ easily justified.

For the occusional weekend fisho hoping to catch a few keepers for the table then the less expensive gear will most likely do the job without breaking the bank.

For me , I tend to fit into the latter category of less expensive gear & other than a broken handle , which was my own stupid fault, have not had a gear failure in more than 40 years of fishing.

So , at the end of the day it appears to be "horses for courses" with a degree of budget & past experience mixed in.

Geoff