I have read some posts on here about how a reel can help you feel a fish bite. Please explain this to me.

As far as I know its for casting and cranking at different gear ratios. On another note a $30 reel has the exact same bearings in it as an expensive one. I have old I mean old wore out reels that when cleaned properly will out cast ANY reel you can put up against it. Does it feel as smooth while cranking NO. But it will cast on those 65 cent bearings just as good. I have disassembled a bunch of reels and interestingly enough they look very similar on the inside. I just recently purchased 2 Chronarch 100 SF on Ebay because they seem to cast and reel smoother longer than any other reel I have tried. They where also 1/2 the price of new Shimanos.

I hear alot about the Lews reels would really like to cast one sometime to see if it has some advantage over others.

Im at the age now where I cant throw hard all day anyway so all I really need is something to pitch into the brush. Which is why I upgraded a few reels to ceramic just to make casting a little less effort.

Looking forward to seeing all these comments!

Some reels are smoother than others, some are lighter than others but none of them will help you feel the bite better in my opinion. The rod is the key for feeling the bite, not the reel.

Yep....I have $99 reels, $300 reels, and $600 reels.....none of them make the rod more sensitive. I can say that the $600 reels are pretty light with very tight tolerances and the gear quality gives a little more of a "connected" feel to the line....but it's not the kind of "connected" that would translate to feel more bites. It's smooth in a different way.

Only differences in them is the casting distance is better on the higher priced stuff. The spool fully detaches from the business side of the reel when casting and is supported by two ceramic bearings. The free floating spool is the real deal. One of my medium priced reels has the same type of spool (Zillion TWS) and the t wing for less drag and it is almost as good as the shallow, light spool of the upper end reels. The cheaper bearings and heavier spool (and the added brakes to control the rotation) do create more resistance and just will not cast as far.

Maybe someone would argue that the stiffer magnesium frames with their lighter weight wouldn't insulate your hand from feeling light taps as much as a heavy, softer aluminum reel would....but I can't tell.

I still like my Garcia 4600c3's and 5500c3's. They will throw a lure as far as I want to throw it, they feel comfortable in my hand, simple to operate and have few moving parts. Keep'em clean and they last forever. As far as sensitivity goes, the farther away your lure is from the rod tip the less sensitivity you have no matter what kind of rod/reel combo you have. For instance if I'm flipping bushes I can feel the slightest tap, but if I'm Carolina rigging and I have out 80-100 ft. of line on a heavy action rod the fish could suck it in and blow it out and chances I or anyone else would feel it. On TR and CR I try to limit my cast to 50ft or less especially on windy days and I try to cast either into the wind or with the wind to keep the wind from blowing my line sideways. My opinions and tactics are my own and may not work for anyone else but over the years have been pretty successful for me. Oh, and I have 2 Quantam
1310mg's that I bought in 1992 and they still work great especially for flukes, spinner baits and flukes.

You seem to be contradicting yourself, I'm confused... from 65cent bearings to Chronarchs to ceramic bearings?

I think the rod has as much to do with distance casting as the reel does.

The Chronarch comes with 65 cent bearings too. I just added the ceramics because they require less maintenance and free spool better.

To me the older sloppier reels actually help you detect bites on a crankbait.

I don't see a reel helping detect bites unless it provides a better way of holding the reel.
Having disassembled many of the Lews Speed Spools I can tell you the basic insides are the same. The $99 Speed Spool uses the exact frame as the $200 Pro Speed Spool.
Major improvements in the $200 reel:
Better Spool bearings
Ball bearings on the worm gear. Cheaper speed Spools use plastic bushings.
Line guide better, stainless steel versus softer brass
Aluminum gear and main shaft- lighter and stronger
Multi-stack carbon fiber drag versus single drag washer
Carbon fiber handle with 4 ball bearings versus metal handle with bushings
Stronger side cover material

A lot of the improvements will make the reel last longer, especially if you use it a lot. I may cast 800-900 times in a day if I'm power fishing so it helps keep the reel feeling good.
Other improvements make the reel lighter. Less fatigue when casting 800-900 times in a day.

Whats is the difference? A 10x4x3 mm steel bearing made in china is all I have ever seen. Is there another steel bearing out there that is some how better?

I guess there could be some made of better metals which would still require cleaning and lubrication.

Are there any reels out there that come with ceramic bearings?

Magsealed ones to mind along with stainless steel.

Yes....there is a significant difference between bearings.

Only ones coming with ceramic is the Megabass tuned Diawas.

I'm going to keep my Magsealed comments to my self.

If you dont have the Magsealed bearing you either have stainless or ceramic.

95% of reels have stainless if not more.

There are different grades of bearings. Google ABEC. Just because they are the same material doesn't make them the same quality.

Can't remember which pro, but I remember reading an article where one of them placed an order for 30 of the old Lews BB1 when they were going out of production. That was all he used. His argument was that the "instant anti-reverse" everyone likes now killed the reels sensitivity. But, his argument was those old reels and the old abus had sensitivity because of that.

I can kind of see that argument, but I'll probably stick with my instant anti reverse.