How to Choose a Spinning Fishing Reel for Under $100

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Hi!
I'm Charles Fort, Associate Editor at BoatUS Magazine.
I'm here with Lenny Rudow, Fishing Editor, BoatUS Magazine.
Lenny has just helped me find and buy my first fishing rod for under $100.
And if you haven't seen the video yet, you should.
Now, Lenny, I also want to get a reel for under $100, so what's my next step?
OK, so this is a spinning rod, so you're looking at spinning reels.
But the first thing I need to point out is, $100 budget for a nice spinning reel is, eh,
it's a tight budget.
You can get a competent reel, but you shouldn't expect to get the very best one on the market.
So, let's look at a few of the things that will give you an inkling of the quality of
a reel.
First just pick it up and hold it and give the handle a spin.
You may or may not feel the reel wobbling.
OK, that's called "rotor wobble," and that gives you an idea of how well the reel is
balanced.
The next thing you might want to check for is how smooth the bail is.
Flip it back, and reel it closed.
Flip it back.
Reel it closed.
Several times, and you'll just get some kind of idea for how smoothly these pieces and
parts all work together.
Another test I like to do is to spin the drag.
Now, obviously smoother is better, so just give it a turn, see if it feels smooth as
it goes around.
And in some cases, reels like this Baitrunner here have a secondary drag on the back, so
you'll want to feel for that, too.
You know, Lenny, I think I like this one best.
Wait a minute!
We've got to cover one more detail, Charles.
We also want to look for the anti-reverse system.
Right?
You want to know how quickly this reel stops you from spinning backwards.
That's very important because if there's any play in that system, over time it will get
worse and worse and worse.
This one feels really tight to me.
OK, good, so that one's your favorite?
That's my favorite.
Well, there's one more really important thing we've got to do.
What's that?
We need to mount this reel on the rod, because, don't forget, all of these reels come in different
sizes.
Right.
So let's make sure we've got the right size in our hand for this rod.
And of course often it says on the rod and on the reel, it gives numeric explanations.
This is a 2500.
This may or may not say it, but you always want to try it for yourself.
These numbers vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, so you want to give it a feel.
Let's see what that feels like.
Yeah!
You know, I think this is the one I want.
Excellent!
Well, our work here is done.
One thing I do want to make sure you're aware of, Charles: Don't forget to rinse this reel
off thoroughly with freshwater after every trip in salt or brackish water.
So if I take care of this reel it will last my lifetime?
Well, that's a little bit of a stretch.
You have to remember that you're working at $100 budget.
You're not gonna get the best corrosion resistance in the world.
If you take care of that reel and you get five years out of it, you should be happy.
Maybe if you doubled your budget, you can count on more like a decade.
Got it.
That makes sense.
We hope you folks have found this video helpful, and we hope you'll leave your comments in
the box below.
We have a lot more videos coming out, so don't forget to subscribe to the BoatUS YouTube
channel.
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How to Choose a Spinning Fishing Reel for Under $100 | BoatUS

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