Post
by timsford » Sat Jun 03, 2017 3:42 pm
It's not a baitcaster but my vote is hands down the ss whisker tournament spinning reel. I asked for one for Christmas the year that dion hibdon won the newsletters classic using one. I think it was 1997. I was 11 years old and has only just gotten started serious bass fishing. My cousin and fishing partner had just began using baitcasters, but after a few trips of trying to use his and backlashing like crazy, I decided to stick with spinning gear. This reel was the only reel I used up until I was 18 or so, except when going after panfish or stocker trout with a cheap ul combo from Wal-Mart. I used it with every bait imaginable, from weightless plastics up to dd22's and super spooks. It handled every bait I threw, including 5" swimbaits for stripers and wipers a few weeks after the first 100 lb tournaments in years on the bass trail on lake toho and clear lake. Never a hiccup and still going strong. I had never heard of cleaning a reel until several years ago when I got into the internet forums like this one. I was kind of scared to send it off thinking it had to have internal damage from all the abuse of put it through, but the reel tech said it's still good as new. Well besides all the scrapes and marks on the exterior. I have since bought several others in the 1300 and 700 sizes, and use them to this day. They won't win any beauty contests, and sure aren't the smoothest, but if I could only pick one reel to last me forever and handle any fish I hook on any bait I throw, this reel is definitely it.
If we are talking casting reels, I would have to pick the td-z. Timeless looks, most comfortable to palm for me to this day, and endless options for customizing. If the td-z is too new or too popular to mention, then the procaster 33an(not sure if that is correct name) would get my vote. Still a workhorse reel that was the first I know of to have a truly high speed retrieve. Won't cast light stuff worth a darn but between it and the as tournament spinning reels, you can cover about any technique worth fishing
