Looking to buy a starter centerpin reel .

I bought a Okuma raw ii for my starter reel. I would highly recommend it, great startup in slower water and spins great. Wholesale sports in lacey had them for well under the $199 price tag.
The okuma aventa is a good reel for under $150. Actually it's hard to find bad reviews on the okuma pins.

Thanks for the info bankbum my buddie has the aventa and is nice. Just hoping to find someone that will let one go for a decent price. If not i will forsure get me the raw ive looked into them before. Ive been told a couple tricks to make them more free then they are.

I made the mistake of fishing a kingpin r2 and a milner kingfisher recently. The addiction has taken hold and I need to buy more reels.

i wouldnt cheap out on the reel, got a couple big center pin friends and all of them say spend a little extra on the reel.

look into an islander pin reel

That's what I wish I would have done. If you know you're gonna like this style of fishing (I didn't know) then definitely buy a higher end reel. The lower end reels fish the same...but there really is no comparison. But cheaper reels are easily made better by upgrading the bearings. Boca bearings hybrid ceramics aren't expensive at all and make a world of difference

Been pinning quite a bit for a few years. I started with a Milner kingfisher and recently picked up a raven for $185 new . I think I prefer the raven. I've tried the okuma adventa as well and it was good. If I did it all over again...going cheap is good with the pin. I don't feel bad when chum beat the heck out of it.

Which raven did you buy? At That price sounds like a matrix? I have been seriously looking at the limited edition matrix or sst 2. I just want to be able to check them out before buying.

I use a Limited Edition Matrix, and I love it.

Fish on...

Todd

I have a matrix. I saw them at outdoor wear house in mtvernon....I think that's what the place is called.

I like my Raven SST-3.
The good news is that there are a number of good reels available out there.

Rick

I like the Raven Matrix too. I have a Ross Flow. As long as it stays clean it's ok but grit seems to get between the spool and frame. Just bought a Islander, looking forward to using it.

Any raven or okuma pin is a winner. I own both and don't see the need for a more exspensive reel. I can cast plenty far with my cheap ones and out fish my buddys with high end ones, after all its just a wheel. As far as a rod get the 13' shimano clarus 8-12 can't beat 100$ with a lifetime warrenty. I've landed kings to 25# on it so far without problems
Good luck and tight lines

As a fair warning, be careful, it can become very addicting, very quickly.

wtf?! sell me one of those!