Spinning reel under $100

[jonahsdad]

I am looking to buy a new spinning reel to put on a Abu Garcia Veritas 6'9"ML spinning rod. I would love to keep the weight of the reel under 10 oz., if possible, and at least 100 yards of 8 lb. test line. I am looking at some pfluegers, Falcon Volt, W & M Skeet Reese, Shimano Sahara, Bass Pro Pro Qualifier, Browning Citori, Quantum Energy, and Okuma. I've some good things about all of them, and bad things about all of them. I am leaning toward either the Falcon Volt ($79.95) or a pflueger Supreme ($99). Any input would be appreciated!

[Pmedicbm]

Out of the last 2 reels you mentioned I'd go with the Supreme myself. However, the under $100 spinning market is a tough one to say the least... Look at BPS's PQ's, the Daiwa Excellers, and the Shimanos in that price range too. I think if you'll stay with either Daiwa or Shimano you'll get a little bit longer lasting reel. This is a tough question actually. The more I type the more confused I get myself.... Haha

[Hulkster]

Shimano Symetre 2500 FJ fits the bill perfectly.

[Stasher1]

I ditched my Symetres in favor of Supremes and have no complaints.

[tracker01]

Hard to beat the Shimano line-up for under $100.00.

[Darkninja11]

I vote for the sahara, that reel is smooth, nice looking, and its made by shimano. GL on new purchase.

[ma_fisherman]

Have you handled a wright & mcgill skeet reese spinner yet? I have and i think you can absolutely do better at this price point. I would nix that one from consideration. As others have said, the shimanos are a solid bet....either the symetre ($100) or sahara ($80).

Here are a couple more that may be worthy of consideration that have not been mentioned: 1) Pinnacle Performa XT- I just got the latest field & stream and they have this spinning reel in their best of the best 2011 for spinning reel. If you can find someone who carries this model and can get a closer look this one may be worth closer inspection.
2) Lews Tournament LFS Speed Spin spinning reel- This is another one that may be tough to find to take a closer look but sure does look nice and sounds like it has some nice features. Comes with the oversized spool for (supposedly) increased casting distance and less line management issues. Carbon fiber body and rotor with 10 shielded stainless steel bearings and an oversized, sealed graphite drag system. It sure looks nice....check it out on www.lews.com. Good luck and take care.

[jonahsdad]

Thanks for all the responses! I did look at the W&M spinning reel. The handle paddle (?) seems too big for the reel. I did like the "clicking" drag, though! I am curious as to who builds the Falcon reels! I have narrowed it down to Shimano, Pflueger, and Abu Garcia spinning reels, but where I live (SW VA), I am limited as to what I can actually handle, unless I travel at least an hour. The closest Bass Pro is about 3 hours away! Shimanos and Pfluegers seem to get the nods, along with Daiwa, but like what Pflueger offers for the money compared to Shimano. I am always looking for a good buy, and I am keping my eyes open!

[NCbigbass]

I am sure I will be laughed at here, but I say Daiwa Whisker Tournament SS1300. While it is not the smoothest, or most refined, it is the most reliable, toughest, longest lasting spinning reel I have seen for less than $100. I clean and work on a lot of reels, and you should see some of the old soldiers that are brought to me. They are simply bulletproof. These reels will still be ticking away when most of the others mentioned above are thrown away.

[overdose]

for the veritas rod being white... i would suggest the daiwa caldia that basspro was blowing out a few months ago... aesthetically it would be perfect together!

[Tomhdez]

The ABU Söron Sx can be had for just under a hundred. It's a solid reel for the money.

[jonahsdad]

I talked to the owner of the local tackle shop, and he has a Daiwa Exceler TSH2500 for $94.99. I am going to look at it, but he also told me if I wanted a particular reel, he would order it and beat most prices, unless it meant losing money! I did buy an the Abu Garcia Veritas 6'9" ML spinning rod from him for $77.99, which is $20 cheaper than most places! His business is mostly guns, but he is expanding his fishing tackle to accomodate the fisherman in our area! I think he found out how much money some of my friends spend on tackle and realzed he was misssing out!! Anyway, I will look at the Daiwa, but I will probably ask for a price on a Pflueger Supreme 20 and 25 series, maybe also the Supreme XT! I will also get prices on the Abu Garcia Soron SX 20-30 and STX20-30 and Shimano Sahara and Symetre 1500 and 2500 hundred. I actually saw a Pflueger Supreme 8235 on Amazon for less than $80.!! If anyone knows of any good deals on these reels, PLEASE let me know!! Thank you!!

[jonahsdad]

I started looking around and asking questions. Cabelas spinning reels are mad by Daiwa and Quantum, and Gander Mountain reels are made by Abu Garcia (Purefishing). Bass pro reels are made either by Quantum or Lews. By the way Cabelas has a model that is white! the more I look, the more I see that I like!

[jonahsdad]

Well, I pulled the trigger on a Shimano Symetre 2500FI for $67.49, including taxes!Could not believe that I found this reel on sale for that price!! And it's new in the box. Gander Mountain had it.

[Stasher1]

Well, I pulled the trigger on a Shimano Symetre 2500FI for $67.49, including taxes!Could not believe that I found this reel on sale for that price!! And it's new in the box. Gander Mountain had it.

FI or FJ? That's would be a good price on a FJ, but about average price for an FI...maybe even a bit high. The FI is an older discontinued version, and it only retailed for ~$79. I bought a few on Ebay for less than $50 before the FJ came out.