Best Surf Spinning Reel...
 

I need to make some recommendations for a friend and looking for ideas for the best surf spinning reel under $200 (or slightly over).

Person will be fishing lures from a 9' - bombers to wood

Shimano Spheros......I love mine!:love:

he's right
they are a good value

$129.00 I paid and they are great! Great drag, smooth operation! Great value for the money!

Quantum cabo 60..... the drag is smoooooooooth...

Quantum Boca PTs Reviews - Saltwater Spinning Reels Inshore Fishing

I am sure the Spheros are great, not familiar with them... I bought a Quantum Boca at the urging of a friend who knew more than I ever will, and have not regretted it so far...

worth a look.

I agree with Larry. Prior to getting a VS a couple years ago the Shimano Spheros was my go to. I have a bunch of them and they really are an excellent reel for the $$.

Spheros seems to be the most surf worthy for under 200. Fishes fine and much more durable than other reels at the same price point. Are they creeping over 200 yet?

stratic 6000

Still around $130, and you can occasionally find them for less than $120. And they have the bailess coversion kit that runs for about 20 bucks.

Quantum cabo 40pt for light plugging that what I had before I got a vs150 and vs200
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Stradic 6000 or Spheros 6000.

My Penn Slammer 560 has gotten beat to hell the past two seasons and hasn't been serviced once. End of this season, it got a little dry, that's all. I'm more than happy with it.

ditto

i vote for the Stradic. I have several ,5000 thru 8000, and never a problem and extra spool too.

I agree I have the 6000 and the 8000 both are great and have lasted. I know they made a few changes a year or two ago, but so far I haven't heard any different. Smooth and fairly light, does very well with braid.

Penn 560 slammer.

Shimano Spheros 8000 - it is on the outfit I keep in the trunk of my car almost all the time. (5000 & 6000 are same size body with different depth spools).

I also like the Shimano Baitrunners because of their versatility. I plug with my 4500B and find the lever on the back great for letting out a little more line as opposed to grabbing the line with your hands and pulling it out or opening the bail to let out a loop.

Daiwa BG (Black and Gold) series has been around since the 70s - these things are like tanks! I've fished Penn's all my life and wish I hadn't been so pig headed as a youth! Charter captains in FL use them heavily and that has to say something. There is a reason they are still around. :D The BG30 is plugging size (about the size of Penn 650ss) and retails for $85. 20 lb Fireline works fine on them if you want to go the super line route.

Daiwa Bg reels, I use a 30 and a 60. Very durable and <$100

I also use the Daiwa TDA 4000 $150 a stronger drag than the new Tierra.

I'm partial to Stradics myself..very smooth drag

Spheros 8000 is the best bang for the buck going.You can find the older FAs in some shops still,they are a real bargain now.

Though I must admit my Stradic FI in the same size is superior.It lays line on the spool so evenly it has insanely good castability.Smooth too.

I have to give the nod to the new Stradic's, awesome reels for the money

I agree with Dave. The Stradics have the new "Palladin" cold forged aluminum main gears that also have a super-hard black coating (possibly some sort of nitride). I'm also pretty sure that they have a brass pinion gear. One piece handle that screws directly into the main gear, and not through it where it's held in place on the other side by a cheap plastic nut. And it comes with an equal quality spare spool--lot of reel for under $200, with much better gearing than many other reels in the same price range.

The Saragossa is also a good reel with the same type of gearing, and it's almost as simple inside as an old Penn 704, but it doesn't come with a spare spool.

I don't think that the Spheros has the same type of gears--they're probably cast aluminum.

Anyone try out that new Daiwa Saltist yet?

i got one. nice but it is heavy. I wouldn't want to walk a beach with it.

I think Shimano added "Approved for use in saltwater" to the specs for the Stradic at some point in the past year.

I don't remember seeing that in the past.

Whether they made any "saltwater" changes or not I'm not sure.

Clammer would luv it just cause it comes with a Blue neoprene reel bag
to Protect It in transport. :hihi: :hidin:

go with Penn. 5500ss or 560 slammer. worth every penny.

I have used, owned, or fished with people that own every conceivable reel. I grew up fishin Penns cause by my dad's theory, if they break, you can get them fixed just about anywhere. They broke all the time.
Now anyone knows that I beat the Shat out of my gear, fish just about everynight, and never wash stuff.
Before the VS's, I was using the Stradic 8000. Awesome, smooth reel, but the drags required too much drag/ drag washer maintenance. If the reel got wet at all, I had to on a regular basis pull the drag washers out, clean them, lube them, and put them back together without breaking them. For me it was a major PIA. Before that used the Shimano 4500 baitrunners. Bullet proof, but heavy. Never once used the bait runner feature. But I loved the water proof drag.
The stardic is the nicest non- water tight reel out there.....BUT, and there is always a BUT, the absolute best bang for your buck is the Spheros 8000. Same size, smootheness, line capacity as the Stradics, cost less, but they have a WATER PROOF DRAG. Maximilius beat the bag out of his, swam and wetsuited with it for a whole season without cleaning it, and it never let him down.
But to each their own.........either way, go with a shimano.

I almost think that the Stradics have a water proof seal now on the drag Mike. I could be wrong though as I usually am a few times a day. But I could have sworn I saw a seal on the 8000 I just bought. When you going to change your addy to Westport?