Your favorite obscure reels

[Polkfish1]

Apia Ventura Lunker Custom as well as the Ventura Speed Custom.

[new2BC4bass]

The original gold BPS Pro Lite Finesse were nice reels. Similar to an Alpahas. Light, cast well, easy to palm.

Other than most of the things that I have used that stood out were for a reason and not something that was under the radar

Along the same lines I am impressed with my older gold colored Carbonlites. Dual brakes. Casts #5 Shad Raps very well. Would love to have one of the gold Prolites.

Have an older gray Prodigy casting reel made by Daiwa that is an extremely fine reel for the money. Black Max 1600C is another fine casting reel from the past.

Here is a reel that I seriously doubt very few...if any...of you have or have used. The Pinnacle Primmus Xi HS. Love mine. Nice looking. Light. Smooth. Cast like a dream.

[mark poulson]

The original Quantum Smoke Burner 7/1. Light, great brakes, light spool, casts 1/4 oz baits easily. All they do is work.

[hoohoorjoo]

The original gold BPS Pro Lite Finesse were nice reels. Similar to an Alpahas. Light, cast well, easy to palm.

Other than most of the things that I have used that stood out were for a reason and not something that was under the radar

Along the same lines I am impressed with my older gold colored Carbonlites. Dual brakes. Casts #5 Shad Raps very well. Would love to have one of the gold Prolites.

Have an older gray Prodigy casting reel made by Daiwa that is an extremely fine reel for the money. Black Max 1600C is another fine casting reel from the past.

Here is a reel that I seriously doubt very few...if any...of you have or have used. The Pinnacle Primmus Xi HS. Love mine. Nice looking. Light. Smooth. Cast like a dream.

Yep, I had one of those and regretfully sold it. They are exceptional reels to be made by Pinnacle.

[hookfynn]

Quantum Iron IR-4CX and the Calcutta 50. use to beat the piss out of those things shore stomping the bay for spotted bay bass, halibut and such. both were the first 2 reels i ever owned with zero anti reverse and coincidentally my first baitcasters. still have them on a "retirement" mantle with baits and such that are sentimental.

[mark poulson]

The original gold BPS Pro Lite Finesse were nice reels. Similar to an Alpahas. Light, cast well, easy to palm.

Other than most of the things that I have used that stood out were for a reason and not something that was under the radar

Along the same lines I am impressed with my older gold colored Carbonlites. Dual brakes. Casts #5 Shad Raps very well. Would love to have one of the gold Prolites.

Have an older gray Prodigy casting reel made by Daiwa that is an extremely fine reel for the money. Black Max 1600C is another fine casting reel from the past.

Here is a reel that I seriously doubt very few...if any...of you have or have used. The Pinnacle Primmus Xi HS. Love mine. Nice looking. Light. Smooth. Cast like a dream.

Yep, I had one of those and regretfully sold it. They are exceptional reels to be made by Pinnacle.

Who actually makes reels for Pinnacle?

[hoohoorjoo]

Pinnacle reels are made by a Chinese OEM manufacturer.

[Hobie-Wan Kenobi]

The original gold BPS Pro Lite Finesse were nice reels. Similar to an Alpahas. Light, cast well, easy to palm.

Other than most of the things that I have used that stood out were for a reason and not something that was under the radar

Along the same lines I am impressed with my older gold colored Carbonlites. Dual brakes. Casts #5 Shad Raps very well. Would love to have one of the gold Prolites.

Have an older gray Prodigy casting reel made by Daiwa that is an extremely fine reel for the money. Black Max 1600C is another fine casting reel from the past.

Here is a reel that I seriously doubt very few...if any...of you have or have used. The Pinnacle Primmus Xi HS. Love mine. Nice looking. Light. Smooth. Cast like a dream.

Yep, I had one of those and regretfully sold it. They are exceptional reels to be made by Pinnacle.

Who actually makes reels for Pinnacle?

Could ask here: viewforum.php?f=59

[mark poulson]

The original gold BPS Pro Lite Finesse were nice reels. Similar to an Alpahas. Light, cast well, easy to palm.

Other than most of the things that I have used that stood out were for a reason and not something that was under the radar

Along the same lines I am impressed with my older gold colored Carbonlites. Dual brakes. Casts #5 Shad Raps very well. Would love to have one of the gold Prolites.

Have an older gray Prodigy casting reel made by Daiwa that is an extremely fine reel for the money. Black Max 1600C is another fine casting reel from the past.

Here is a reel that I seriously doubt very few...if any...of you have or have used. The Pinnacle Primmus Xi HS. Love mine. Nice looking. Light. Smooth. Cast like a dream.

Yep, I had one of those and regretfully sold it. They are exceptional reels to be made by Pinnacle.

Who actually makes reels for Pinnacle?

Could ask here: viewforum.php?f=59

That forum says it's locked.

[LgMouthGambler]

Ive been really enjoying my Lews Tournament MB. Dual braking, and brass gearing. Its really smooth, and casts great. 2 pins on, and set the magnetic braking to 4, and it will sling with a flick of the wrist. Tiny like my Shimano 50E series too. I just added a carbon fiber handle that was donated by a parts reel purchase (Carbonlite 2.0). Holds plenty of 30lb braid, and can casts 1/4oz lures if needed. Figures that TW had put them on special for $80, I couldnt resist grabbing another one just to have a second spool, and parts just in case. Well worth the $80 to me.

[dgalex]

Kudos to new2BC4bass for mentioning the ABU Black Max 1600c. I've never known anyone else who used these but they are tiny "tanks." I bought a couple on clearance in the early 90s. Loaded them with spiderwire and mounted them on Shimano Crucial rods. SUPER comfortable to palm. Awesome drag. Built like tanks.

[Drakestar]

I recently got a cheap Pflueger Patriarch PAT71LPX and ended up liking it a lot. Pflueger baitcasters are rather obscure to me, but in the lower high-end range (where I think it falls) it's pretty awesome!

Light (6.3oz), dual brakes, good spool size (~12/140, I got 100 yards of 40lbs Maxcuatro on it), good line retrieve even at the lower gear ratio (29 inches), 20lbs of drag. The handles are a bit meaty, replaced those with Abu Garcia EVA knobs (of course those will fit ). Got this reel for $110, I guess they're being discontinued and you can get deals at various places.

Initially I was happy but not super impressed (or having fun) with this reel; it felt a bit grainy even after greasing it through the lube port, and casting distance was barely average. But completely disassembling the reel and cleaning/re-greasing everything made a difference. (I found some left-over metal shavings from manufacturing that were to blame - not great, but if you do your own reel maintenance anyway it's not a huge deal.) Now it runs smoothly and casts better, as well. Don't expect to make bomber casts with it, the spool has too much inertia. But I get average distance.

Currently got it paired with a Powell Endurance 733, and I have no doubt I'll put one on my 843 GLX when I get that rod back. I used it to throw smaller jigs, 1oz Dark Sleepers and a 3/4oz Jackhammer chatterbait and... I dunno, it's just fun to use! The combo feels so light and airy that it might as well be a toy, but it's not. It's powerful and fights fish well.

Whether you agree might depend on how partial you are to Abu Garcia reels (I generally am). This feels like a $200 MSRP reel that was designed as a "smart choice" to compete with $300 reels in the marketplace, and it totally does that. I'd pick the Patriarch over a Revo SX (obviously!) and even a Revo Premier. It beats Curados for me, as well. (Maybe even a Chronach? Hmm...probably not if I got both at the same price, but at this crazy price difference: definitely). I was having such a good time that I just ordered two more (also got those at ~1/2 of MSRP).

[Chris_Carlyle]

Old thread but had to add another nod for some older Pinnacles, got a couple of metal series low profile reels and they are very well built and have held up extremely well. I would put them up against any other real that I have ever owned in terms of fit, finish, smoothness and durability. I have a Matrix II and PLS100, both are excellent reels. On the other hand, I have a lower end Lucille and it is junk.

[njbasscat]

I purchased a Fin Nor Ahab spinning combo for inshore fishing over 20 years ago. I got back into freshwater fishing and the combo worked really well. I still have the rod and use it as a loaner to friends who are guests on my boat and inshore fishing when I get near saltwater. I used the reel so much, I wore it out so it sits on a shelf now.

[BigG]

Not sure if it fits the criteria, but Love the Daiwa Deps-100zx...fairly unusal reel with the lock down drag.....dont see a ton around

X2, but I converted to drag.