I have been using my ol' ambassador reel for a couple of years now, I would like to know what peoples favorite spinning and casting reels are?

Thanks Elkman

Keep the line in the water.

Like using the calcutta 251 for baitcasting and for spining I like the Shimano Stradic 4000 and Sustain 4000. Would like to try out a stella.

Hey Elk,
Best bang for the buck in my opinion is still the Ambassadeur. Favorite spinning reel after years of shimano is now the Browning Predator...P-20 or 30.



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Jim Bain
Always have Fun while Fishing!!!

Hey Elk, I use a Calcutta ( an original from the first year they came out).. it handels all my drift fishing needs ,I use a shimano spriex 2000 on my 10 foot noodle and for my plug reel i use an old bantam 350 ...

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Tight Lines....
Jaxx <*)>><

I have a shimano curado casting & shimano Aero Stratic,like them both really well.I also have several ambassador reels and wouldn't trade them for anything,you can't go wrong with the new ones.There all really good reels.REMEMBER YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR
BUY CHEEP GET CHEEP STUFF.
Bob Dawson

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Bob Dawson

A shimano Bantam 200,100 or a Shimano Chronarch or a Shimano Calcutta 200A..... My three favorite baitcasters

Shimano Sustain 2000.... The Stella??? $450 wow, I don't knwo how it can beat the Sustain, but they say it does?

Stadic 2000 very good

I am able to fish smaller reels due to the size of my locate streams... and they are just that... compared to the Oly. Pen. rivers. Small, tight and brushy.

Curado for the money gets my vote for baitcaster. My whole crew has at least one apiece and I see a ton of them on the rivers.
Stratic 2000 is what I use for spinning but I too fish mostly smaller rivers with my spinning gear. Hooked 5 yeaterday with one going to 14 pounds--man I love that Stratic!

Crayfin

The Curado is my favorite reel, I know of 5-6 other fellow Steelheaders who use them and swear by them. Mine's 4-5 years old and works as good as the day I pulled it out of the box.

Kev

[This message has been edited by Kev (edited 01-21-2000).]

[This message has been edited by Kev (edited 01-21-2000).]

My favorite by leaps and bounds is my new Quantum IR400CX. Im telling you, this reel is the best thing for the price since sliced bread!! I would easily put this reel up against the calcutta especially with the friendly price(89.00 at sportco). Also this reel was voted best reel under 100.00 done on a large reel survey and I couldnt agree more!!!!!!!

I have both the shimano calcutta 251 and the ambassadeur 5501,both are good reels but the calcutta is a better quality reel and much smoother,hey you get what you pay for

FISH ON!!!

Shimano Curado for baitcasting and for spinning, I have a Shimano Symetre 4000. Both of these reels have been flawless. It was money well spent.
Mark

anyone try out the new diawa millionaires?

... some are a bit pricy but they also have some under a $100
They sound good on paper.

drift rods - Calcutta 251s
float rod - Chronarch 101
freedrift - Stradic 2000
plug rods - 5501s
Chinook rods - 6501s or my trusty 'ol 4500 ss for tossing darts off the pier.

Light line - Shimao Symetre 2000(front drag)
drift rod - Abu Pro Max
Back Bounce - Abu UC5600
Trolling - Abu 6500C
Srurgeon - Penn 310 GTI
Throw in the garbage - Shimano Corsair( drag sucks)

Hey guys, lot's of good reels on here. I use a Shimano Sahara 4000F and an older Quantum Blue Runner 40 for spinning, have caught and landed quite a few with the latter even though it's low-tec. My levelwind's are an Ambassadeur 6500 C3, a couple of Quantum Iron's, IR3 & IR3W, and here's one for you a Sears Ted Williams 540, which is a great old nostalgia reel still crankin' with the best.

Spinning......Stradic 2000
light drift grear...calcutta 151
heavier drift gear..Calcuta 251
Salmon........Ambassadors 6501 C3
I also have a couple Curado 201s
My steelhead plug rods wear ABU Black max 3600s, the price was right and they have been great reels..too bad they built them with the andles on the wrong side.
My 2 calcuttas are my favorite reels......too bad they dont have the same retrieve as a curado.

The Daiwa's are great reels. I have a PS2-5B that I bought a few years back (5 or 6) and that reel is as smooth as any. At the time it had more ball bearing than any other reel on the market and that is why I bought that reel. (my logic was the more ball bearings the smoother the reel) I personally do not have a newer shimano, but my brother bought a calcutta a couple years ago and i have used that to compare. It is just as smooth and unlike a shimano it casts well if you get a little low on line. The Daiwa is sleeker and fits in the hand better. More like the older shimano's (200 and 250) I like it as much as my shimano bantam mag 250.
I am considering a new reel myself and the newer daiwa TDX models are looking pretty good. check them out, they have more ball bearings than any reel except the shimano calias but are $140 and $190 the calias is over $300. They have a new technology that totally disengages the spool when you cast and have long cast spool design. They hold plenty of line and they newer ones have a sleeker desing also. I know shimano used to be the holy grail of reels, but that may not be the case anymore, the new daiwa's might be better.
just my experience. I also have used a black max (the 1600 model) and those things with the criss cross design really cast well also, and since I am lefthanded the handle is on the correct side for me.