TackleTour

What's your smoothest reel?

My baitcasters-
Calcutta Conquest 14
Bantam MGL

Weird because I have two Metanium 20's and the Bantam is smoother.

Spinning-
Stella

calais 201a
stella B

My Stella FJ’s and Antares 70’s.

Easy for me to answer since they’re all I own.

12bb upgraded zillion1000

My zillion 100pa, my upgraded sv103 is right behind it.

I've got a Scorpion FV...

That gives everything I own a run for its money on the butter scale...

Millionaire CT and Conquest BFS. They Millionaire is just a hair smoother even though it has no micro gearing.

Megabass IP68

I have a Bantam that's gotten the most work and it has real slight geariness (not bad at all) but my other Bantams are great and they do beat out my Zillion 1000. They are just a little more buttery, I think in part due to the added weight/more solid frame.

As for spinning I don't have anything too special. My Stradic Ci4+ FBs are smooth enough but I can easily feel the gears. If it wasn't for their quick start ups and passable smoothness I'd probably have cheaper spinning reels. Looking to add a Certate 3000 as my next step up at some point, hopefully during fall/holiday sales.

Casting:
21 Conquest, Zillion 1000 (jdm version), millionaire ct, steez ct, alphas sv tw with steez ct gears and alphas air tw are all incredibly smooth even my alphas ct is excellent.

Spinning:
20 Luvias lt 2000s is the smoothest I've had, 15 exist 2003 and 15 luvias 1003 get honorable mentions

My honest-to-god, I'm-not-trying-to-troll answer: a Pflueger Patriarch XT baitcaster after I'd serviced it with ZPI grease and oil. Used that reel for cranking, and turning the handle felt like reeling air: no resistance, no indication that gears were even involved. I have various high-end Daiwas and Shimanos that are incredibly smooth, and I don't mean to say that they're not as smooth as that Patriarch. (If pressed, I'd put the Antares A 70 up there as the smoothest reel I own.) But those reels feel more connected than that super-airy Patriarch XT, and using it was a bit of an eye opener. It's the reason I'll defend Doyo-manufactured reels on occasion (Patriarchs were built on the Revo 3 platform): a $250, 150-size reel only weighing 5.8oz, and it was smooth as air after I serviced it - that's kinda amazing. (It kept that smooth feeling for many trips, btw, this wasn't a "right after service every reel feels great" kinda deal).

I don't fish those Patriarchs a ton because casting distance is not as good as with a good Shimano/Daiwa. They also don't feel as rigid/solid/stable as high-end Shimanos/Daiwas and have worse tolerances/more play. But when it comes to smoothness... <Chef's Kiss>

I used to own a Stella FE. Far and away the smoothest. Just couldn’t justify owning that nice of a spinning reel.

Smoothest baitcaster I currently own is a well tuned Calcutta 400D - but I primarily fish for pike/musky.