I just started fishing again in the last year or two and have really gotten into it again. Keep in mind there is a 20-30 year laps from fishing with my father to know as an adult. I went from the shore to a Kayak to a boat. I really enjoy the boat. I have always fished with a Zebco reel.

I have a friend that is telling me to switch to Baitcast Reel. I have tried a cheap $39 Quantum for the last year or so with varying results. I had real issues with the back lash initially. I have since figured out how not to backlash and more importantly figured out how to fix the back lash even the very sever in just a few minutes. My friend keeps telling me to get another reel not made by Zebco (Quantum). He thinks I will catch more fish with a better reel.

My question is what brands I should consider?

h20 mettle is 29.99 this week at academy. absolutely, the best deal for the money in the fishing reel world. if you have more to spend, shimano curado, abu garcia revo.

Garcia/Abu.. Last you a lifetime.

Find you an old B series Curado. Best $75 investment you'll ever make.

H2o mettle great buy for money.

In my opinion you get what you pay for,the less you pay, the less you will enjoy using a cheap reel (or rod). For sure you can make almost anything work, but you don't know what a difference a quality reel will make until you use one. If you can, you need to find someone that has some quality reels and see if they will let you cast them and form your own opinion.
BTM

to the TFF!

Catching more fish with a better reel, rod, boat... may or may not happen. I think that comes from becoming a better fisherman. There are some decent inexpensive reels. My favorite, that I have, is the $50 Bass Pro Tourney Special. I seem to be able to cast it as well as any without backlashing too much and get good distance. A lot of people recommend the $30 Academy H20 Xpress Mettle. I never tried one but I do like a lot of the China made H20 stuff. Then there's ABU Revo that a lot of people swear by, but I don't have any of those to comment on. For me now it's the $150 Lew's Tournament Speed Spool or the $200 Lew's Tournament Pro Speed Spool. I also like Shimano Curado and Chronarch. The Lew's and Shimano I like have centrifugal cast control, which is adjustable plastic pieces inside the left reel cap that helps with not backlashing. When you get better at casting, you adjust them in to get more distance. You have to go to the more expensive reels to get this feature but if you've "really gotten into it again" investing in good equipment is worth it in the long run. But then of course you'll need to get some good rods too! Oh yeah, more expense! Welcome to bass fishing!

I noticed your other posts about Ray Hubbard. I'm in Rowlett and fish RH some too so maybe I'll see ya out there some day! But I fish a lot of east TX other lakes too!

Good luck, have fun and happy to ya!

H2O Mettle is a very good baitcast reel for the money. At $30 this week, at Acedemy, it can't be beat.

If I were fishing two or three days a week, all day, I'd probably go with a Garcia 5000, but for most weekend fishermen the H2O works fine. I do fish 2-3 days a week and still use the Mettle, as it only weighs 6 oz and is easy on the arms and rotator cuffs.

THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS "YOU AUTOMATICALLY GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR". Like lots of old ideas, it's a thing of the past.

Wow! Thanks for all the advice I am surprised by the all the answers and have looked at some of the brands mentioned and some the reel models. It is good to know what a seasoned fisherman thinks is a good buy for the money is in reels.

I was hesitant to post this topic, but I am sure glad I did. I have never heard of the H2O brand or Lew�s, so that gives me a couple more brands to look at and compare. I had looked at the Bass Pro Tourney and was wondering about it, good to know someone who knows about reels would actual recommend it. The Shimano I recognized from there bicycle gears in pro cycling and I had just about decided on them from looking on line as quality name. Abu Garcia I had never heard of till last night when I was researching reels and once I looked at their polls I figured they had to be a quality company and the all the post confirmed that.

Thanks a lot I have a lot more names and models to research. It always makes me feel better buying something someone else has used and is recommending.

Paparon thanks for the hot links. That makes finding these reels so much easier.

It does make a diff. to me i fish my abu orras alot didnt think i needed anything better my dad bought me a abu sx for my birthday now thats all i want to fish with.

I started out with a cheaper reel a few years ago, then I got an expensive Quantum Tour edition; and it made a huge difference. I was sold on Quantums at the time, however I picked up a Shimano of a buddies, and now I wont have anything other than the Curados. Seems like I backlash my Curados alot less than the two expensive Quantums that I have - but I do think both Quantum and Shimano are good reels, I have not tried anything else. I have seen alot of recommendations on the H20 Mettle though.

Glad you brought that H2O Mettle up again lilBr. I was looking at it on the Academy website and just felt like NO, no way. That looks like a very cheap real. Then I wanted to see the other side (Academy only shows one side) and see if anyone else sold it or reviewed. I found this write up in my search. The poster repairs reels for a living and tore one down for the first time.

http://www.bassfishin.com/bassfishingforums/showthread.php?t=27148

Now can�t wait to buy one and try it. I figure if it turns out to be something I don�t like I am only out the cost of a good Zebco 33. Turns out Academy is the only store that sells it.

Oh no, I found a picture of the other side. Looks like you have to pull the cover off to adjust the braking system. Not sure that is something I want to deal with. I kind of like just adjusting the dial up and down to this on the quantum. So H2O is out for now.

http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/9638/sdc12061.jpg

Maybe this picture link will work.

Actually, another reel you could look into, based off of some of the prices I've seen on EBay lately is the Daiwa Advantage HSTA. I've fished with one that I had purchased from Academy back when they had them clearanced, and wish I had never sold it. It has similar traits to the Alphas frame, just a little wider and some find it uncomfortable; so if you have smaller hands disregard this reel. One of the best reels I ever owned.

This takes all of about 1 second. The Mettle is every bit as nice of a reel as any of the $100+ offerings out there.


But I'm glad there's alot of people out there that wont buy it because of the name. Just means Academy wont be out of stock when I make my next trip over there.