spinning???

i have been looking for a spinning reel for alittle while now andi have no clue where to start i looked at walmart alot but i dont know where to start looking i have looked at a shakespeare mantis combo but i am not sure about it thank

[Travis C.]

What questions do you have on it?

Are you new to fishing, new to spinning or just want to upgrade something?

[antilibrarian]

I use a Shakespeare Microspin from Walmart when I am throwing 1/16 oz and smaller for panfish. I have an Ugly Stick I use to throw larger stuff when I am fishing for larger stuff. I also have an inexpensive fly rod I use when there isn't a lot of brush or trees around, since I don't fly fish often, it tends to be more of a hassle for me than it is for my BIL. When we wade together, he uses his fly rod and I tote my micro.

i aint that new to fishing but i am very new spinning reels and dont know anything about them and i am looking to uprade to one soon and i dont know even how to set one up. how is the shakespeare mantis i know shakespeare isnt the best out there but i dont catch fish that big and i am wanting one to just get used to then if i like it i will get a better thanks

[Travis C.]

Originally Posted by jrbaker90

i know shakespeare isnt the best out there but i dont catch fish that big

Hey don't sell Shakespeare too short. I have owned several all up and down the price point. All have been great. My current line of fly fishing reels minus one are all the 1094 Shakespeare which cost me $9. My line I throw on it cost several times over that much and some flies I have fished cost more than the reel. Until I get into monster fish where a drag is needed I'll upgrade then. I have caught several trout in the upper teens to twenty inches on it with no problems. If It breaks I'll go pick another up.

Trust me I have yet to meet a fish that knew what it was caught on. Don't worry over name brands. Find what fits your budget or style and go from there.

On the actual use of spinning, it will allow you to do a lot more with lure selection and line that the closed face Zebco 33 style. You may find it more enjoyable to fish with. I will warn of the line twist as that is a problem but one everyone deals with and in pros vs. cons worth it to use a spinning reel.

Go try it out and feel free to ask any questions you have on it.

By the way... Welcome to the site.

[Alphahawk]

As one who fishes 5 to 6 days a week....52 weeks a year...with spinning reels you will find you get what you pay for. I am not partial to one brand as you will find the quality control can slip periodically in all brands. Since 95 percent of my fishing is done with 2# test line I need a reel that has a great drag. I have no problem at all with line twist or loops since I learned to close the bail with my hand and not the handle many years ago. I fish with Shimano Stradic 1000 series and the Pflueger Supreme XT 25 model. These are small reels for UL fishing but I catch quite large fish with them also. You may not need to spend that much money on a spinning reel but as much as I fish lesser reels will not hold up. One thing you can do that I do if my reel I purchase does not have is I buy carbon fiber drag sets for around 7 bucks. There are several places on the net that sell drag sets for spinning reels and to me it is well worth the 7 dollars to have carbon fiber drags. Even catching Bluegill or large Crappie on light line the drag needs to be silky smooth. A lot of cheaper reels will not have a good drag. Just my opinion.


Regards

I did buy one today it is the shakespeare tiger and I am quite happu with it but I know I will buy another some time I also looked at a south bend
muilt species for the same price but I didnt know much about it so I when with one I know some about thanks

[bd-]

If you're looking for a reel that is relatively inexpensive but still reliable, I'd look at the Abu Garcia Cardinal. It's a bit heavier than more expensive reels, but other than weight, it performs better than most other reels in its price class. I also like that the Cardinal has a front drag, which tends to be much smoother and more reliable (with less startup inertia) than a comparable rear drag.

I have fought fairly good-sized stripers and even bonefish on a Cardinal and it handled the pressure just fine. Bonefish are so fast that they can punish a drag like almost no other fish in their size range.

As far as carbon fiber drags go, they are very nice, but I can't help thinking they might be a little bit of overkill. They definitely have their place in saltwater fishing but I haven't encountered any freshwater fish where I thought a carbon fiber drag was essential. Just my opinion though; your experience may vary.

bd

[jaycee]

I really like the ABU Garcia Cardinal reels. All sizes. They are smooooth, very little presure is needed to trip the bail. I have had no problems with them.

[tjustin]

Originally Posted by jaycee

I really like the ABU Garcia Cardinal reels. All sizes. They are smooooth, very little presure is needed to trip the bail. I have had no problems with them.

This past year i have only fished the abu garcia cardinal , with no problems execpt if its left in water it gets really hard to reel , I just take it back to wal mart and they replace it easy mode.

I looked at the abu garcia cardinal it looked really good and I looked at a quantum optix but I am very happy with my shakespeare tiger but I will be buying another spinning reel before nexted spring

[bd-]

Originally Posted by tjustin

This past year i have only fished the abu garcia cardinal , with no problems execpt if its left in water it gets really hard to reel , I just take it back to wal mart and they replace it easy mode.

Don't leave your reels in water! It's not good for them.

I'm sure your problem is that the water dissolves the lubricants in the reel and leaves dirt and gunk in its place, causing the gears in the reel to bind up. Next time, before you take your reel back to Wal-Mart, try removing the spool and reel handle and put a generous amount of reel oil into any interior reel part you can reach. I'm willing to bet this will get it back into good working order.

If you want to get more involved with reel maintenance, I vaguely recall that there is a sheet of paper that comes with the new Cardinal reels that shows where to put oil and reel grease.

bd

[HunterP]

I fish with a Shimano Stradic. I have the 4000 series and the 2500 series. I wouldn't trade them for anything else. Awesome, and as long as you take care of them a little bit they can last a long long time. I've had my shimano 4000 for 6 years fishing salt water down in florida and it is still as smooth as when i bought it. I agree with Alphahawk you get what you pay for and you can really tell a difference in my opinion.

[Alphahawk]

Originally Posted by bd-

Don't leave your reels in water! It's not good for them.

I'm sure your problem is that the water dissolves the lubricants in the reel and leaves dirt and gunk in its place, causing the gears in the reel to bind up. Next time, before you take your reel back to Wal-Mart, try removing the spool and reel handle and put a generous amount of reel oil into any interior reel part you can reach. I'm willing to bet this will get it back into good working order.

If you want to get more involved with reel maintenance, I vaguely recall that there is a sheet of paper that comes with the new Cardinal reels that shows where to put oil and reel grease.

bd

The problem with some reels when they get wet is that water gets trapped inside and water will not compress. Thus you can get a binding problem. It does not happen on all reels and usually only happens if you are fishing a light bait or trying to slow roll a spinner. You are turning the handle really slow and all of a sudden it just stops. Working my way up through the Shimano line the Sahara was really bad about this. A little rain and it would start binding. After it dried out it was OK. But in a lot of forums it had earned the nickname "Shibindo".

Regards

[Travis C.]

A couple reels I miss are the old 300 & 308 Mitchell's. Those things were like tanks and did not have a high gear reatio so you can pretty much work how ever fast you wanted.