Sugestions please?

Tiger spinning combo by shakespear, inexpensive and performs good.

 

A Shimano Baitrunner 6500:wink:

 

Take a hard look at the Okuma Avenger ABF series of spinners. They have size 10 to 65 and have bait runners on them (like having a clicker on bait casters). Love the rear drag and bait runner option on these and get great reviews. I have had mine for over a year with no problems; using the ABF-40 size on the original series medium action 9 foot Ugly Sticks.

This real in a size 65 with a new ugly stick should cost you no more then $75.00 total.

 

I just got one of those tiger combos at wally world 19 bucks! It is a little flimsy but with some finesse it will hold a biggun. I put some 30lb braid on it and it holds a ton. You really cant beat it for the price!!

 

The Avenger was the first reel I bought for catfishing and it hasn't let me down yet. I've upgraded most of my gear to baitcasters, but still use this as one of my three poles. LOOK VERY SERIOUSLY AT THESE, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THEM!

 

Question on the Okuma..What stores would carry the Okuma brand???

Just about everyone carries them...... Cabala's, Bass Pro Shop, Scheels.
Go to Okuuma's web site and look for local dealers in your area:
http://www.okumafishingteam.com/

I think you will find it very hard to find a better spinner for cat fishing.

 

i agree :wink::big_smile:

 

Also a great real, only reason I went with the Okuma is because it has the "rear drag" adjustment knob. Find it easier to adjust drag when fighting a fish with this option rather then messing with the front of bail drag system. Just comes down to prefrence...... Both are equipped with bait runners though.

 

If you don't care about price, either Penn or Shimano. The "baitrunner" feature is nice. Penn had a similar one, but you had to disengage it manually. Not sure if they still have it or they modified it. The Shimano Baitrunner disengages it when you turn the handle.

Okumas are okay for the price, but I've had both them and Shimano and much prefer the Shimano. They have models with a "baitrunner" feature also.

Now I prefer my Ambassadeurs to any spinning reel though.

 

The Shimano Baitrunner is the bar by which all other baitrunner spinning reels are measured. The price isn't bad, really in the middle of the pack at $100 or a bit more, depending on where you shop.

The key questions are:

1. Do you really need the baitrunner feature?
2. Are you going to use mono or braid?

If you plan on using braid, you can get by with a much smaller reel than if you were using mono.

If you don't plan on using the reel in any kind of freespool mode, then you have many more options to choose from. The obvious ones would be Shimano, Daiwa, and Penn, all of which also offer baitrunner reels.

Quantum has just come out with a spinning reel called the Surge, the largest one holds 400 yds of 20lb mono. It looks pretty good to me.

I recommend Daiwa spinning reels, they offer a lot, and they have a ton of models to choose from. They also list the max drag amount of each reel on their website. The Giant really isn't in the same league as the rest of Daiwa's offering like the Emcast, Regals, etc.

Okuma is really becoming a powerhouse in the reel world. Tons of models, tons of features, and the prices are usually right. I haven't bought one yet, but the time is coming....

Another brand that you don't hear too much about is TICA. They just may have the most diverse product line out of all the companies. They OEM stuff under different names, and I've never heard a bad word about them at all. I've handled several models, and they are all tight and well made. They may very well be my next reel purchase.

I've heard a lot of good things about the Bass Pro Sea Lion reels, and they are under $50 for the most part. Just another option.

Since you want to handle the reels, go to your local store, see what they have in stock, handle them, and then come back and tell us what they have. Don't worry, we'll tell you what we think about them.:wink:

 

How about the Salt Striker baitfeeder from Cabelas?Good tough reel,my wife uses 4 of them.3 sizes-40,65,and 80.Price $59-$69.I,ve put these through some rough use for over 4 years now,not a problem out of one of them.They,re an exact clone of the Okuma epixor baitfeeders,just $30 less.Yes I do have some of the okumas too.The 65 holds 310yds15.the 80 holds 350yds of 20.:big_smile:

 

Ive got the Shimano Baitrunner 6500 and it is an awesome reel. If you dont want/need the baitrunner, I would highly recommend the Penn 950ssm, huge line capacity and probably the best drag on a spinning reel. Very hard to beat. :wink:

 

Everyone here is going to have their own choices I too have a brand I like to use over others. As for Daiwa spinning reel I had one it lasted a long time, still has it as a matter of fact just go with what feels right to you.