I like Shimano, cos I can use one reel for more than one fishing style
Daiwa
Shimano
Okuma
Penn
other
Banax,
They are a great reel, tough as nails and are a reasonable price.
They have a reel for all types of fishing.
Joe
Ok i know it's only spin reels you asked for but i'm going to give you my prefered for the whole gamit of fishing ( to show lack of Bais)
Spin reels........................... Daiwa
Small baitcasters................ Daiwa
Light tackle overheads........Alutecnos ( unbelievable reels)
Bottom donging overheads.Shimano
Heavy tackle overheads.......Shimano ( never seen a Heavy tackle Alutecnos in the flesh so i cant comment)
Bait runners.........................Shimano
Jigging reel...........................Daiwa
Surf.......................................Alvey
ian
Alcohol doesn't agree with me, but i sure do enjoy the argument!!!
I prefer both Daiwa and Shimano i guess now, after buying a Daiwa spin reel. Depends on the model. I like my twin power cause it's absolutely silent and a treat to use. The Daiwa Capricorn is a sweet lil ride as well. Better drag in my opinion then Shimano out of the box. But you can always upgrade. I look for different features that suit my style of fishing. Waterproof drags and machined handles etc.
the daiwa saltiga is unbelievable....and so is the price tag. but i will get one one day.
Shimano for me, thats offshore,river and flicking lures, have never tried other brads, first reel was ashimano, no probs so stuck with them
Abu Garcia....good quality and value for money
i have voted Daiwa grew up with them, still have my first reel GS9 27yrs old now still going strong
Daz
The big problem is of course, different fish , different reels, different strengths & weaknesses...
I've got a big soft spot for my Daiwa reels, but for a big GT I'd probably go a Stella 20 ( right after I sold a body part or two )...
I didn't even know Alvey made a spinning reel ? Where can I buy them ?
I have Shimanos, but heard a guy servicing reels say Daiwa is the go. Shimano 2nd. Too complicated for me, as I'm only a weekend fisho. The real test is when you use it nearly everyday and how you clean it after each fishing trip. I was also told that if you stored reels of aluminium body to your stainless rod winch continuously electrolysis can occur within the reel. Yours truly confused, Castlemaine.
Diawa , diawa then diawa.
Do or do not ,
there is no try.
- Yoda
thanks to everyone for their contrib....interesting to see how close they are....espec. since shimano are rubbish!!!! OK OK just stirring
Shimano for me
Going back 25 years, maybe even 30. I had my first spinning reel, a Mitchell for fresh water spinning in Tasmania, I think it was my dads hand me down & he bought the newest model. Alot of the lakes we fished in Tasmania were shallow & we fished off the shore in thigh waders. Hence I was taught the proper way to spin & that is wind with your left hand. Well for that enviroment at least. The idea being for a right handed person you normally cast with your right hand above the reel & your left at the bottom.
Catching trout in Tas lakes by spinning is without a doubt aided by the wind, wether it is because of the chop there is more oxygen in the water & the trout are more active. Or because the tiddleys get smashed about in their hiding spot & have to venture out into more open water I don't know.
But on a calm day you can catch fish in the evening or morning, & you may as well give up fishing for the rest of the day.
When its blowing a gale, fishing into weather, thats almost impossible to fish into you can catch your bag of trout. Thats why I was taught to wind left handed, When your side casting (Horizontal rod with a spinning reel) into the wind in shallow water a fraction of a second means the difference between retrieving your lure before it hits the bottom & loosing 30m of line to the wind. Loosing your lure to the bottom & with freezing uncooperative fingers tying on a new one.
Most people are right handed, & if you have to change hands after you cast the rod to wind there is your 1/2 second you can't afford to loose.
I think we fished with Mitchells because they were the best you could buy at the time (25 yrs ago). A large spool diameter for easy casting, A compact body for light weight. Quick button change spools for different line requirements & if you ever did wear out a gear from thousands of hours use. This happened to me from dads hand me down we were amazed that the local shop stocked the gears for a dollar or two.
25 years later I have my own boat, thinking about trawling for mackeral around mud island & landing. Hoping to land a 5kg fish. Sometimes see the seagulls & the fish working I want something that is the best & won't let me down. I was in BCF today buying some lures to hopefully land that big mackeral & looked at some reels. I was amazed at how cheap they were. Then I started looking at the bail arm, most were wire into plastic. Picked up a few & smooth to wind, But felt cheap & tacky. Diawa were absolute crap when I was a kid, but they were the only brand I Saw today with a lathe spun bail arm.
The amount of times I have cast into the wind with a wire into plastic journal & it has double looped.
Or just a plastic journal that grooves & frays your line. $300 for the reel that I wanted. I can't afford that kind of money. I came on here to see what fisherman thought. Most have an opinion with no reason. I want to be told that this reel is iron clad best you can buy in its range. Then I can search for it & buy it secondhabd