Design your perfect baitcasting reel in the $250.00 or less

[M Perry]

If you could design your prefect baitcast reel and it retail for $250.00 and under what would you want? You can use features from any brand as well. Be as detailed as you like but bear in mind certain features will drive up the cost. I chose this range as it seems to be the one the majority of reels sold falls under.


Mine would be basically a Tatula Type R with possibly a slightly lighter overall weight and a flat black finish as opposed to a glass finish. I would like the various speeds to have their own independant color as well as the spool tension knob and drag star. For instance make the 5.4's a metallic yellow, the 6.3's a metallic orange or brushed aluminum and the 7.3/8.1s a true metallic red. Leave any saltwater versions the metallic blue.

I also would love the option of having easier access to a true custom feature such as the way the new Etec engines will allow you to build your engine with many color choices. Say offering the color choices in the side plates, handles etc to give your reel an unique look.

Probably just dreaming but its a slow day.....

[Teal101]

Tatula Type-R with 3d braking.

[21farms]

mine would basically be the size, shape, and speed of a 13metanium XG with the same brake system but with a 92mm handle and a clicking drag. cosmetically, i'd love an all-chrome look like the antares or some color other than silver or black...and, please, no more red accents.

[tywithay]

Curado I with the Antares lightweight magnesium spool.

[Afrayedknot]

Curado I with smaller line capacity, more distance between spool and line guide, a cone line guide, and lighter spool..

For daiwa, a tatula type R with a less wide frame, lighter spool, and titanium coated TWS.

[Bootytrain]

Core/chronarch 50 with 6 pin svs infinity and clicking tension knob, 85-90mm handle, with attached handle side plate and x ship.

[Fishwhittler]

Hmm…

Aluminum frame & side plates. I like metal reels.

Entire exterior would be coated with black chrome Titanium Nitride. Reel would be available in four different retrieve ratios: 5:1 with black trim; 6:1 with silver trim; 7:1 with blue trim; and 8:1 with purple trim.

Magforce 3d. Haven't used either one yet, but I'm getting a T3 in the mail tomorrow and I've heard nothing but raves about casting performance. My old (and now deceased) Daiwa Megaforce was an excellent caster with idiot-proof brakes, and that was just about as basic a braking system as Daiwa makes. The high-end ones can only be better.

Free-floating spool, as in Daiwa reels. Shimano also has an excellent system, but to me the free-floating design seems a bit stronger and less vulnerable to warping, thanks to the thicker spool shaft.

ABEC-7 stainless-steel ball bearings, located as follows: One at either end of the spool shaft, two supporting the pinion gear, two supporting the crankshaft. No handle-knob or level-wind bearings, though reel would have nylon bushings in each location that could be swapped for bearings if the owner desired. Total bearing count 6+1.

Brass gears and crankshaft, and 95mm swept forged aluminum handle shank with Shimano PGII knobs. CC knob and drag star would be aluminum.

That's probably pushing the limit of $250, but it's as close as I can get.

[Tim Kelly]

Zillion type r with an SV spool for that sort of money would pretty much nail it!

[Fishing4Fun]

Start with an Alphas frame, add a spool and breaking system like the Escence DC, and what ever limited bling a guy could get without going too far. Standard 120 yards of 12lb line is good and some form of aluminum / magnesium frame will suffice. Yea, probably over $300 but I could live with it!

[QUAKEnSHAKE]

Okuma Helios with SVS infinity and pv power grip knobs

[Mcyl]

Metanium '13 with the right pals to hit up for one. And 13 concept knobs

[badbuffalo]

Curado I with smaller line capacity, more distance between spool and line guide, a cone line guide, and lighter spool..

X2 That would be perfect.

[Hogsticker2]

That's easy -
T3 aluminum frame. This form factor looks and feels fantastic to me. Keep the T Wing, loose the pop up hood. SV deep spool or a shallower version of the 1016 spool. I could roll either way. Satin pearl white or satin black in color.
I want all the trim parts to be a nice gunmetal color. Spool tension cap, handle nut/retainer, level wind cap (no plastic), thumb pad. 90 mm handle, same as Tatula only gunmetal. I'd also really dig a smaller version of the Tatula knobs. About 25% smaller with the regular circle knob caps - make those gunmetal too (no plastic).
Brass gears, and of course....3D braking. This would be my perfect mid range reel for sure
Now what I'd really really love to see is a 50/51 size aluminum or magnesium Shimano reel with the DC braking system off the Excense DC , with a 90 mm handle!!

[RMCatchNrelease]

Alphas platform with Zion sideplate. Aluminum gears, clicking CC/drag, swept 90mm handle, and Mag 3d if possible. Throw in a SV103 spool and call it a day. Paint it a dark midnight purple almost black with gunmetal or black accents for 5.8 and 6.8.

[trout27]

For me its a T3 with an aluminum frame and handle side plate. Keep the pop up hood and non handle side plate is made out of zaion. T3 Mx spool and handle and bam perfect.

For shimano right now I want a curado I with bearings in the handle knobs and six point SvS infinity.