Best UL reels under $50

[Inspectorlee]

This reply is late as you already have the reel, but the Tica should serve you fine. I had the same reel, Cetus SB500, and it worked for about four years. I waded streams for smallmouth and the occasional carp. If the drag on that little reel can handle a 10-12 lb carp, it can handle anything that you'll throw at it trout/panfish-wise. I would routinely dunk the reel in the stream and swish it around to clean it off after every trip, hahaha. It finally died when I took it saltwater fishing (fully knowing what might happen to it). Funny enough, it took FOUR trips to the ocean before it completely gave out.

As a side note, my very first Pflueger, a Supreme XT (fairly expensive at $150 retail) is currently sitting unused right now. After one summer and fall season, the bail spring seems weak for lack of a better term. The bail "flops" a bit, and there's about 1/4 of an inch of wiggle. And yes, I manually close the bail by hand. All I use are spinning reels so I do know how to use them properly. Anecdotal for sure, but it is what it is.

[Smead]

Believe it or not, the only difference between the 4 and 6 bearing reels are 2 bearings in the handle in the SS, SE and SB, so really the GV is the bargain; the LF does only have 2 BB total, so you might want to avoid that one. The SE's extra spool is metal, one of the reasons that one costs a bit more.

People always seem to mention liking the drag...they also seem to get used for ice fishing a lot.


That Pflueger may be suffering from just a spring out of position or bent a bit....or if it has 2 springs, 1 might be damaged.

[overdose]

Thanks for the reviews fellas. I got the reel.. didn't feel too impressed. I can hear damaged bearings right off the bat cranking the reel handle. Feels like the reel has been sitting since 2003 on the shelf.. lol.. took it apart and lubed what I could. A bit smoother but still not as smooth as my sahara 750fb and I've had that for 4 yrs now. Hope it butters up as I keep using it.

[Smead]

I've read that some people got them smoother by completely degreasing the reel and relubing.

My opinion is that the value of this reel is in the drag...low cost may make putting some better Boca bearings in it a possibility. Though drags on anything can be improved on anything by using Smoothdrag replacement washers.

Of course, you could do the same for a Shimano too.

The TT review is rather too glowing IMHO...you just are not going to find across-the-board hidden gold at that price point.

Personally, I don't think that anything made of plastic is going to hold up regarding reel bodies...even less so with run-of-the-mill bearings tossed in....but even Quantum PT's seem to have bearing issues despite claiming to use special bearings.

A decent bearing seems to go around foe $10 apiece...you can do the math from there.

Probably the majority of current reels are designed to be smooth out of the box and hopefully make it through the warranty period. They aren't using bronze gearings and Stainless steel pinions. Though many vintage reels, which do seem to last, only use one quality bearing on the pinion and oilite bushings elsewhere.

[Thor]

Ah, the joys of buying an under $50 reel.

Replacing the bearings helps, along with new grease but the gear train wears out so quickly, it's hardly worth the effort. Another daily dose of reality for the now initiated.

[buster 2900]

The only reels that I can think of that falls into that category are the older Abu Garcia Cardinals. They're great reels and you can still find them online. I believe the 300 models were 6-6.5oz?

Yes, the Abu Cardinals are still around. I bought a Cardinal 104 a couple of years ago at a Wal-Mart for around $35. I fish inshore with baitcast reels but wanted to experiment with some various lines on a spinning reel for distance while fishing from shore in the flats during cold weather. I wanted to heave a 1 oz. weight as far as possible without concern for a backlash. I landed a bull Redfish with that UL reel. Not kidding at all. The reel came with a spare spool and is a terrific bargain for the price.

[uljersey]

Speaking of Cardinals ... some of the older ones were (and still may be) highly sought after and coveted by Japanese trout anglers. Otherwise it's a reel that would be dismissed by most because it's not Japanese and therefore can't be of any value

[Smead]

That complete reversal on all things Japanese is amusing.

I read somewhere that both Shimano and Daiwa get more revenue from their non-fishing divisions...haven't been able to cross check and confirm. Very possible regarding Shimano; it was said that Daiwa was involved with golf equipment though.

Anything ABU and Swedish made goes for a good price, especially the smaller reels.

That drops off greatly when production in Japan began...though the smaller size Cardinal 75x reels can be pricier than the average if in VGC condition.

Shakespeare Sigma 2200ck series reels, also made in Japan at the same time, are rather sought.

[f15h1n6]

The best ul reel I've used is the Shimano UL-S Lol

[Doug76]

Nearly anything within your price limit made by Shimano. The Sienna at $30 would suit you fine.

[Phonch]

Stumbled upon this thread, and I want to share my experience...sorry for bumping

I had (have) the Eagle Claw rod, which I used for more than 20 years together with Mitchell 308 http://www.ricksbaitandtackle.com/best- ... ning-reel/ ..... I suspect that it’s more out of nostalgia than anything else. This is not the most responsive rod, but he traveled with me more than I remember. A few years ago I I picked up a St Croix 5'6" and Priemer 2 piece rod, and it was a huge improvement. There was no difference between broken down lengths.I paired it to Stradic CI4. 1000, but I use PowerPro 5 - pound braid. Braid is a tough thing ..... can't cut it with your teeth like mono! This is a great combination for me and I would buy Stradic again. My brother has a Loomis rod with the same reel and I also plan update my fishing rod. I don’t know if it has any differences, but I was taught to close the bail manually and take care to fill the spool properly. To date, no problems. I carry a small tackle box with some Mepps and Road Runners,and I'm good to go.

[hungry_cow]

Never used that model of Tica but have a couple Tica Libra reels and they perform well over their price point, very smooth and solid. One is 20 years old and still works very well.

[Wpeart7]

I've been loving my Daiwa Revros 1003. I have a Daiwa Luvias 1003 as well and the Revros is almost identical in size and spool, just a bit heavier. I'm throwing or giving away all my small spool ultralight reels now. For 40 bucks you get a JDM UL reel with a nice large, shallow spool that manages line soooo much better than your standard small spool like you'd find on a US reel. I ordered another 1003 and 2004 and while my Luvias will serve as my "nice" reel, the Revros will be my working reels for my other UL rods.




Once again I'm astonished at how much the US market could care less about designing reels and rods on par with some of the overseas products.

[ultralight]

I wonder how the Okuma size 500s stack up against other size 500 reels. I'm going to gift one to my friend who is picking up a $100 rod just to start him off as his current from BPS is defective. Will be interesting to see. The Okuma is sub 6 ounces with 9 bearings. My sons have used those reels when they were younger and never have ever broken.

[earthworm77]

Tica SB500