Best Baitcasting Reels for both Salt- and Freshwater Fishing

Reels are the hottest topic for TackleTour. Everyone wants to know what the latest and greatest is and how they compare to the old guard. What's the best for light stuff, or what's your suggestion for heavy cover. Do we really need different retrieve ratios? It's all in here.
slicksouthpaw
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Re: Best Baitcasting Reels for both Salt- and Freshwater Fis

Post by slicksouthpaw » Tue Jul 15, 2014 7:24 am

t31016 is on sale for 199 at tw. i fish my fair share of saltwater fishing. this reel is a true work horse.

at that price its a steal

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Re: Best Baitcasting Reels for both Salt- and Freshwater Fis

Post by slicksouthpaw » Tue Jul 15, 2014 7:26 am

i like the tatula type r. but the line doesnt peel off right with the drag. it stutters when u start to barely lock it down.

i seriously think it has something to do with the twing. dont know if its normal but in retrive move it kinda bends the line at an angle.

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Re: Best Baitcasting Reels for both Salt- and Freshwater Fis

Post by PCSnooker » Tue Jul 15, 2014 11:46 am

I've caught a ton of fish on my tatulas fishing almost exclusively salt and they've held up great. It's a fantastic reel for the job if you're on a budget.
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Re: Best Baitcasting Reels for both Salt- and Freshwater Fis

Post by ezcue » Wed Jul 16, 2014 1:25 am

PCSnooker wrote:I've caught a ton of fish on my tatulas fishing almost exclusively salt and they've held up great. It's a fantastic reel for the job if you're on a budget.




First, great pics. Second, I have been researching that particular reel very hard the last couple of days. I really think I am going to give one a try. I use a lot of Daiwa stuff on the freshwater side and have always been very pleased with the performance. Thanks for the Pics!! 8-) 8-)

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Re: Best Baitcasting Reels for both Salt- and Freshwater Fishing

Post by Ubinjo » Wed Oct 31, 2018 2:03 am

Just my humble experience...sorry for bumping...

Curados are the way to go if you want a very good, but moderately priced baitcaster for saltwater and freshwater. It doesn't have an anti-corrosion coating other saltwater reels, but a good rinse after a saltwater trip keeps it in great working order. I prefer the smaller 50e, but I love the 200e as well.

Another reel I like for saltwater and freshwater is the Okuma Serrano https://under-the-open-sky.com/best-baitcasting-reels/ It's rated for both saltwater and freshwater and it's a little cheaper than the Curado. It's a nice, smooth reel that casts well with 10-20 lb braid. However, the Curado and the Serrano are light and compact baitcasters, not the round ones like you prefer.

I like Abu Garcia Veritas rods like this because they're light and sensitive, and they're not too bad on the wallet. I stick with 7 foot rods because it allows me to easily reach the rod across the bow of my boat when fighting a fish.

My Curado/Veritas and Serrano/Veritas combos get a lot of work in both freshwater and saltwater. They're strong and light as heck so you can cast those suckers all day. Combined they cost less than $500. If you're budget is anywhere around there, I would suggest going mid-range in your rod and reels and maybe getting two. In my experience, the difference between a $50 reel and a $150 reel is FAR greater than the difference between a $150 reel and $250+ reel. Similar story with rods in my opinion. You can find nice deals if you look around on the internet.
Last edited by Ubinjo on Tue Nov 06, 2018 12:08 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Best Baitcasting Reels for both Salt- and Freshwater Fishing

Post by SSS » Wed Oct 31, 2018 3:35 pm

The new or the OG ryoga in 1016 size.

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Re: Best Baitcasting Reels for both Salt- and Freshwater Fishing

Post by K3RRY » Thu Nov 01, 2018 10:45 am

There’s also the Daiwa Coastal that has CRBB bearings and an aluminum body. You can pick it up for around $150($230msrp)

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Re: Best Baitcasting Reels for both Salt- and Freshwater Fishing

Post by zodiak311 » Thu Nov 01, 2018 9:09 pm

Tranx 300
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Re: Best Baitcasting Reels for both Salt- and Freshwater Fishing

Post by BARRAMANIAC » Thu Nov 01, 2018 10:38 pm

if you want the best forget about the budget and get a Steez A and a Ryoga 1016 (the old model) as still don't trust micro gears for heavy use.

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Re: Best Baitcasting Reels for both Salt- and Freshwater Fishing

Post by Aquaftm45 » Fri Nov 02, 2018 12:18 am

Daiwa Battler with an HLC spool for heavier lures/baits.
Daiwa Morethan for anything else.

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Re: Best Baitcasting Reels for both Salt- and Freshwater Fishing

Post by Jeffbro999 » Fri Nov 02, 2018 9:19 am

Every freshwater reel from the top 2 companies (Daiwa and Shimano) will work well in the salt with the proper lubricants. Beyond that it’s all up to personal preference. Every fishery is different so it’s tough to break it all down and decide on one as the best. Curado K and Tatula would be good choices to cover many different applications and types of fish, but won’t throw the light stuff like the smaller reels. Chronarch G and Steez A both make great inshore reels for more money, and will handle anything you could throw at them. I fish extremely fast with jerkbaits(clear water reaction strikes) and light gear is a necessity to not be worn out after fishing for 8-10 hours. I’ve become a huge fan of the 50 size reels in the salt, and the Stile SS is my favorite followed closely by the Aldebaran 51MG. Both cast from 3/16-1oz with ease, and are super smooth. 20lb braid will allow plenty of capacity for big fish, and plenty of power to take on big fish(although you won’t be dragging a 30lb redfish out of anything :lol: )

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Re: Best Baitcasting Reels for both Salt- and Freshwater Fishing

Post by bbates3 » Sun Nov 04, 2018 4:21 pm

Lots of good choices out there.

I’ve got lews inshore and speed spool , Curado K and 13 concept a but no long term use with them. All are relatively new.

really like the Curado K overall and have 4 of them so far.

Super smooth retrieve and fits my hand well but it’s a bigger / heavier reel i keep them on my heavier rods

But on a lighter rod I’d go lews or 13 just feel better.

Neither has a retrieve as smooth as k but are good reels

I’ll prob end up with 2 of the new txz for my go to inshore Rods I’m building.

I just like the way the 13 feels in my hand. And the grip knobs. Plus how easy you can swap spools/line

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Re: Best Baitcasting Reels for both Salt- and Freshwater Fishing

Post by Vius » Fri Dec 21, 2018 5:23 am

I vote for Tranx 200/201

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Re: Best Baitcasting Reels for both Salt- and Freshwater Fishing

Post by Dalleinf » Fri Dec 21, 2018 9:40 am

JBcrankaddict wrote:Every freshwater reel from the top 2 companies (Daiwa and Shimano) will work well in the salt with the proper lubricants. Beyond that it’s all up to personal preference.
I agree. I have enjoyed using many “freshwater” reels in the salt. Not only Shimano (Curado, Exsence, Calcutta are among my stables) and Daiwa (T3s) but also many ABUs. I really like the ABU 4000-5000 reels for inshore fishing. They cast far, are easy to maintain, and spare parts are easily sourced (and cheap). If I need to cast light lures, I get an Avail spool.

I do not look much at “saltwater/freshwater reel” labels but find that:
No reel benefits from a stay in the salt...
Every reel benefits from a good rinse and lube after salt water fishing.

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Re: Best Baitcasting Reels for both Salt- and Freshwater Fishing

Post by mhood » Fri Dec 21, 2018 10:36 am

Conquests...any of them.
ORANGE Reels Rule!!!
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