Hi Guys

What baitcaster is the best to go for?
price range R1k to R2k?



Regards,
Barend

Shimano Chronarch D or E series.

I would look at one of the following:

Quantum - great bargains on slightly older models that is being replaced - my personal choice (PT Tour or KVD Tour)
Abu Garcia - speak to Plasticman on the forum that can get you a great deal. Abu guys can comment on model
Shimano - more difficult to get from guys on the forum as Rapala VMC requires a rather large initial order. Shimano guys can comment on model
Pinnacle (from Roy) - from what I have seen from Roy is that you get good bang for you buck
Daiwa - I have a 25 year old baitcaster that is still going strong.

If you can try and fish with guys that have these. Also good to go into a shop and ask them to pair it to the rod you have (or take your rod with) so you can get a good feel for the combo.

I have a shimano calais 200 in very good condition for R2k.

Let me know if you are interested!

Baries investing in a reel is almost like buying a car. Everybody will say Toyota and one will say no and this and that. It really comes down to personal preference.For that price range you can get pretty decent reels.

Depending on what you want and what your preference is I can try and help out on 2 brands.

Shimano has a VBS system of reducing reel speed where there are centrifugal pins one the sideplate that you need to open up to adjust.

Abu's generally have a magnetic casting control which I personally feel is less hassle than opening up a side plate.

Im not too familiar with the other brands but anything in that price range on the ABU and Shimano's are worth spending money on. I havent tried quantum but people love them

A reel is a very personal piece of equipment. It has to be reliable, comfortable, preform without flaw and manage your line. Its nice to have something you feel comfortable with. Take a couple of models and compare the weight and feel of themwith each other. Best is to actually see them up close and hold them in your hands. the smoothness when you reel in and how quiet it is on the casts.

a few things that I generally look for in a reel:

size- I prefer smaller more compact reels. Handles easier for me when I palming it.

Weight- lighter reel does just feel more comfortable after making many casts.

smoothness of retrieve: Nothing more annoying than a crunchy real.(bearing count but a good quality 4 bearing reel can sometimes feel just as nice a 7 bearing reel)

Casting control: VBS vs Magnetic. Comes down to preference. I prefer magnetic. its just a lot easier to dial in for me.

Drag smoothness and max drag: Smoothness will be good on all reels in this price range , but max drag is generally more on your Abu Garcias.

Gear Ratio: Are you going to use this for general things? Then round the 6.4.1 range is good. 7.1.1 is a high speed reel but the cranking power is a bit on the weaker so it gets bit heavier to crank down when you got weight at the end of your line. 5.1.1 if good cranking power but slower retrieve.

You really wont go wrong with any Shimano or Abu's. bang for buck these 2 compete well with each other as well.

........and like any other Porsche or Tata vehicle, if you don't maintain it properly, you end up dissappointed - ask Breedesmallie!

baries - broaden your mind, within that budget you can maybe negotiate a price to buy 2 of the same of a good relaible quality reel??

Thanks Guys!!!

Iv been fishing for a while now.... but only recently got myself some decent rods.... now, I need to replace my R500 reels....

I have both Quantum and Shimano's. Quantum are my favourite but servicing and sprares are a nightmare. For starting out Chronarchs will be your best bet 200E7. Ganis have them for R1600. you need to find someone coming down to you to bring for you.

Few Abu Models:

http://www.ganis.co.za/pc82/bi3/reels/baitcasting/abu-garcia.html

The Revo SX is saltwater rated. The Revo STX are great reels. Tough as nailsl. Review:
http://www.tackletour.com/reviewabugarciarevostx.html

You will find Shimano reviews on the same site.

Good luck with picking a model

I have bought reel bearings and spares through Gani's Witbank and for a reasonable fee they will pop in the post for you?

Don't know about some of you but most of us started with cheap reels, combo's etc and it's not that they don't work it's just that bass anging has now become such a technique specific practice and the tackle available is so diverse that we are basically forced to upgrade due to reports of great catches by anglers who already practice this and spend liberally in achieving this!

baries, I'm biased towards the mid range reels for two reasons:
One, I can't afford to kit out my fishing mad family with top gear only
and two, I still believe that the TOP reels don't give you that much extra to validate the costs incurred.

If you maintain a well built reel properly, it will give you many years of trouble free service.
I don't want to sway you any wich way but if you are going to pick up a Chronarch or Citica reel, ask if there isn't any old stock Chromica lying in the back and feel that as well - it's like the old Toyota 2.4D which was difficult to kill. My Zim$20M dollars worth.

Quote:

Don't know about some of you but most of us started with cheap reels, combo's etc and it's not that they don't work it's just that bass anging has now become such a technique specific practice and the tackle available is so diverse that we are basically forced to upgrade due to reports of great catches by anglers who already practice this and spend liberally in achieving this!

RIPRAP I couldn't agree more on that statement.

Make no mistake however. a sub R500 reel will frustrate you because chances of being able to cast weightless plastics without constant overruns, is as much as the Southern Kings winning the Super 15.

At the end of the day how much do you actually spend ? A fair to good setup will exceed R1400, then your looking at min of R200 for line.

If you have a carolina setup, texas setup, weightless, frogging, cranking etc etc you will spend a min of about R8000. That excludes your lures and tackle.

There is nothing wrong with reels in the R700 range. The caenan that I bought the other day is a awsome little reel. My ABU black max has been servicing me very well the past 2 years- the other day I opened up the side plate and removed the spool and just gave it a quick clean and few drops of oil. It casts weightless flukes on 12lb like a dream.

The price more or less dictates the reels refinement. Less handle play, smoother drag etc.

If I could afford to spend R2k on a reel I would but I cant justify spending that amount to replace 5-6 other reels that don't really work that hard that much. A good quality reel will last you longer that's for sure. The reviews on the revo STX and revo Premier are all about the quality of the reels and you pay for that. Doesnt mean my little black max and caenan wont be able to make weightless cast or pitch and flip jigs. I rig one rod carolina and one with a spoon or spinnerbait and I certainly do catch just as much as the guys with the premium setups do. The more expensive setups are however lighter, more comfortable, might cast a little bit further and last longer but for a weekend fisherman like me, I am still able to join the local club fishoffs and kick a few butts.

I think that’s the key, “weekend fisherman who still competes at club level” type of stuff. Fully agree Baarsmeister.

Pro staff anglers and the likes get assisted with better quality equipment which is basically advertising and once sales come into play, hopefully a win-win for all. Let’s not fool ourselves that manufacturers and tackle retailers are out there to give us the best deal; they are in it to make money…….rule no 1 of business.

Abroad you often see reels marketed as best entry level for your buck type of setup and this is where one must rather be cautious and do some investigation such as is happening on this thread. The range is so huge nowadays that it’s actually difficult to make an uninformed decision!
Caenan, Chromica, Black Max – all good mid-range for okes like your and I. I don’t know abu…….
Interesting topic this.

look to clarify I'm not saying DONT spend that little extra and get something decent but surely there are inferior rubbish flooded on the market that "fools" the novice or beginner to think that they now own a decent peice of equipment for a fraction of the popular makes price, but in the same breath I want to warn people not to overspend on certain things as they are just really way too pricey only to have something function exactly like a more affordable item. as an estimated guess id say your fairly safe if a popular brand like shimano, quantum, abu, dare i say daiwa etc costs in the region from R700 to R1700. your super reels in excess of R2500 id say you are wasting money because they certainly wont be performing nor lasting that much longer than the more affordable ones.

Id love a MGX supertuned reel but the latest one costs R5000 and yes they are super light and and and...but your mid range level is certainly not incapable of casting same distances and be just as enjoyable landing the piggies. id rather spend on additional rods and reels than get one super reel.

these days we have the luxury of researching on forums and various websites and the businesses that sell rubbish and are overpriced simply will loose alot of business. I'd happily spend my money at a shop that might charge a bit more but takes time to find out what my budget is and what do I need, than some scum that sits behind a counter and pretends to be busy and wants to smeer off the cheapest rubbish at the best price. i wont dare be stereo typical but think everybody has been to such a place once.