Budget spinning reel recommendations please!

[ibo7]

I'm looking to upgrade my Shimano Alivio 3000SFC as it's slightly too small with a low capacity.
I'm on a tight budget of about £40, Looking for new or used fixed spool for lure fishing, about 4000 size and front drag.

I've looked at Browning Backfire 640 going cheap on eBay, also the Rovex Ceratec 4000 but not found any real reviews on them.
Also like the look of Shimano Exage 4000 which sells used around £30.

I just want a good reel for lure fishing with my Daiwa rod that's rated 10-30gram. Needs to be fairly light and reliable.

Any info would be much appreciated!

 

[jacksharp]

A 4000 size reel sounds a bit on the big side for spinning. I would prefer a 3000 size, but that's just my preference.

Shakespeare Sigma Front drag 3500 might suit you but it's probably around the same quality as the Alivio.

Shimano Catana or Nexave might suit you too. I have a Shimano Sahara GTE 3000 that I have spooled with 10lb braid for spinning. If I wanted to splash a bit of cash it would be on the Exage FD 3000, which is a stunning little reel at £59.99.

 

[Beaker]

Now I dont know where you live but you could look atGo Outdoors, they have a Shimano Nexeave RC 4000 FOR £28.77 ALMOST HALF PRICE. They are the perffect size but only available for store pick up but they are worth a look, cheeers and welcome to the forum.

 

[ibo7]

Thanks for the reply, I wanted a 4000 so I have the capacity to use 50lb braid so I need around 120m capacity. I fish a snaggy river/canal so need a strong braid to get out of them!
Maybe a 4000 size would be too heavy for lure fishing, especially as I often fish for 4-5 hours a day, which is a lot of casting!

 

[chris k]

Diawa crossfire!

 

[Beaker]

I have a Nexeave I use foe spinning and have had no probs.

 

[robtherake]

I have a front drag Exage 2500 with one spool loaded with 30lb braid (now used exclusively for spinning,) and find it excellent twinned with a light rod, but wouldn't doubt its ability to handle big fish, having used it to good effect for kerb-crawling carp in the past.

For heavier tasks, a 10 bearing Daiwa Regal 2500XI has proved to be an excellent choice. Although it's a 2500, it's far chunkier than the Shimano and probably closer to a 4000 sized reel from the Shimano range. I fell rather lucky with this one, bought - complete with spare spool - for the exorbitant sum of two English pounds at a local car boot

 

[sumtime]

Regarding the Regal, I used an old 2500 last year when spinning off Anglesey, caught a few mackerel, four at a time on it no problem, I wouldn't go over 2500 when spinning.

 

[ibo7]

Thanks robtherake, I had been looking at the Daiwa Regal 2500 but didn't realise it was much bigger than the Exage, which is making me think twice about it.
The Shimano Alivio I have is very light at 250g, yet has easily handled any pike up to 12lb and very smooth, just need a higher capacity without the extra weight.

Any other suggestions would be helpful!

 

[ronroach]

Welcome to the forum. I fish lures for Bass in the summer. Consequently I visit the lure forum often. The most popular reel for general lure work recommended on the forum is the Shimano Rarenium C14 4000FA. Great reel but expensive. The second most recommended is Shimano Exage 4000FC. Very popular and widley used. I have a 3000SFC for course fishing, which may take enough braid? I think 50lb is a bit heavy by the way. We use 30lb as a heavy choice in the sea and have no probs, there is plenty of weed where we fish but 30lb handles 99% of situations.

Whitby Angling have the 4000FC on offer at the mo for 44.99. A touch over budget but it won't let you down. Worth a thought perhaps. Reels used for lure fishing have a tough time, better pay a little more if you can .

Ron.

 

[pointngo]

when choosing your reel size the most important factor is to have it balance nicely on the rod you're using. If it's not balanced it will either be top or bottom heavy, will feel unwieldy and will lead to fatigue in your wrist/arm.

how long is the rod you're using?

 

[porphyrios]

Shakespeare Sigma or maybe have a look at the Okuma range?

---------- Post added at 06:58 ---------- Previous post was at 06:37 ----------

Rovex Varona or Ceratec?

 

[ibo7]

when choosing your reel size the most important factor is to have it balance nicely on the rod you're using. If it's not balanced it will either be top or bottom heavy, will feel unwieldy and will lead to fatigue in your wrist/arm.

how long is the rod you're using?

I'm using a Daiwa Procaster 8ft 10-30gram rod, my current Shimano is light so makes for easy fishing, just need more capacity and possible upgrade

 

[robtherake]

Thanks robtherake, I had been looking at the Daiwa Regal 2500 but didn't realise it was much bigger than the Exage, which is making me think twice about it.
The Shimano Alivio I have is very light at 250g, yet has easily handled any pike up to 12lb and very smooth, just need a higher capacity without the extra weight.

Any other suggestions would be helpful!

There isn't a huge amount of difference, it's just the next size up, as it were.

The Exage weighs in at 258g; the Regal at 311g. It's just the right size to balance a 9ft 20-50g rod perfectly. Line capacity is 190m of 0.25mm.

 

[pointngo]

I'm using a Daiwa Procaster 8ft 10-30gram rod, my current Shimano is light so makes for easy fishing, just need more capacity and possible upgrade

I'd have thought the reel you have would be fine for that rod. I wouldn't go above 40lb braid for 10-30g lures as you'll find that the braid, when wet, will feel heavy from the rod tip to the water and it will dampen any feeling you have for the lure. Looking at the specs it looks like you'd get about 80m of 40lb power pro on it... you don't really need any more than that for lure fishing.

if you want an upgrade the exage 3000fc would be my choice.

 

[guest61]

Exage I guess, better off investing in something a bit better though like a technium or similar. The okumas so used to be brill but build quality is changing these days

 

[mark brailsford 2]

The Daiwa Crossfire and the Shimano Exage are brilliant reels for the money mate! please keep away from Shakespeare reels for spinning, their build quality is not up to the constant load the method entails...They have a tendency to either grind to a halt or explode! mg:

 

[jacksharp]

I seem to remember the OP saying he was on a tight budget of £40, so the Exage is out at between £50 (rear drag) and £60 (front drag).

My advice is to try look at or two reels in a tackle shop, or a mate's reels and to take ALL advice on here with a pinch of salt as we all have our favourites (and our blinkers!)

 

[pointngo]

got to disagree there Jack.

Simply looking and feeling a reel in a shop might tell you how good it feels in that surrounding but won't tell you anything about how it performs in real life use or it's longevity. Only experience can tell you that and I suspect that is the reason why he asked the question in the first place. Take Mark's post as an example (which is spot on), Shakespeare reels might seem to fit the bill but they won't last so will end up being replaced fairly quickly.

The exage isn't my favourite reel by a long shot but in that sort of price range it's probably the pick of the bunch. For just a bit more money than the OP's budget he will have a reel that will last years.. not one that is cheap and will break after a season or two. Buy cheap, buy twice.

 

[jacksharp]

Sorry, but that's what tackle shops are there for to offer advice as well as to sell. My local tackle dealer is a friend and wouldn't sell me anything that wasn't up to the job. As for Mark's post being "spot on" he probably doesn't fish with either of the reels he recommended (far too low-budget for him) and is merely trotting out the same tired old cliches.

I only recommend the reels I use or have used and found to be good, Daiwa Regal Z, Shimano Sahara, Drennan FD 3000, Shakespeare Sigma FD, being four that I have no hesitation in recommending. If I was in the market for a new small reel it would definitely be the Shimano Exage Front Drag. I'm not but I bet it lives up to the Shimano name.

Edit: Oh, amd I had a Daiwa Procaster X 4000 on recommendation from my local tackle shop, that I used for barbel and method fishing but after nearly losing the rod on several wrap-rounds, I sold it to a very happy member of FM and bought the Daiwa Regal Z baitrunner. The Procaster X is a lovely reel and a quality bit of kit, which is why I would recommend it to anyone - personal experience!!!


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