Besides you, your baitcasting reels get the biggest workout during a fishing trip. They turn the entire time you're fishing, whether spinning the spool during a cast, retrieving a lure, or battling a big bass. And they rarely get a weekend off.
With that much use and maybe a little unintentional abuse along the way, there’s no question that quality and durability are essential traits in a baitcasting reel. And like uncovering the nuances of a perfect fishing pattern, the most minor details can mean the most significant performance gains over the course of a day, season or lifetime on the water.
Finding an excellent baitcasting reel requires reviewing a host of traits. Some are easily defined, while others are more of a gut feeling. The latter often determines how often and how long you use a reel. They include:
- Comfort: Some baitcasting reels feel right in your hand. That may be a modern low-profile design, or it could be a time-tested round version. Handle length and paddle shape play a role, too.
- Brand: Some anglers are loyal to a specific manufacturer, and there’s something to say about that. You know — to a large degree — what you’re getting when you buy a reel. While that can be reassuring, you could miss out on another's superior offering.
- Price: Some fishing budgets are significant, but none are unlimited. There's no shame in shopping within your means. If you can't fuel your boat because you bought expensive reels, then what's the point?
But finding a great baitcasting reel requires a quantitative review, too. These facts and figures often define a reel’s performance and longevity. And one doesn’t outshine the rest; they perform best in collaboration. They include:
- Ball bearings: Beyond keeping your reel running smoothly, they remove any sloppy feeling in the spool or handle. Manufacturers use several styles in their baitcasting reels, but usually, the more, the better.
- Drag: Don’t overlook this function; simply cranking it down so it won't budge. It must operate smoothly and be tuned precisely, especially for light-line tactics such as Bait Finesse System.
- Line capacity: Heavy lures that you cast far — such as deep-diving crankbaits — quickly eat up spool capacity. But lightweight lures cast better with spools that hold less line.
- Gear ratio: If you've driven a vehicle with a manual transmission, then you know how important selecting the correct gear is to your goal. For example, selecting a high gear ratio instead of a low one makes ripping lipless crankbaits easy.
Getting all those traits in one reel is essential. And most manufacturers know that. But some do a better job bringing them together. These four recently released baitcasting reels — only listed in alphabetical order — accomplish that goal. While their MSRP is considered middle-of-the-road, their quality, functions, and features are top-notch.
Daiwa Lexa 300
The Lexa nameplate has been a Daiwa staple for years. The 300 size was redesigned in November 2023. That included several notable changes. The biggest is a lower profile that combines comfort and power.
The details:
- Style: Low profile
- Weight: 11.5 ounces or 12:1 ounces, depending on version
- Gear ratios: 6.3:1 or 7.1:1, depending on version
- Bearings: 7, including two corrosion-resistant ball bearings
- Line capacity: Monofilament or fluorocarbon (pound test/yards) — 12/240, 14/190, 20/120; braid — 30/240, 40/180
- Drag: 22 pounds, maximum
- MSRP: $219.99
The highlights
The beauty of Daiwa's redesigned Lexa 300 starts on the outside. Its handle has been milled and swept into the reel, reducing weight and improving comfort. It sports a pair of EVA foam knobs, which are easy to hang onto even in the worst weather.
Inside is a strong aluminum frame and hardened brass main and pinion gears. There are six ball bearings and one roller bearing for smooth operation, and infinite anti-reverse keeps the handle from turning backward, adding power to hooksets. Its Ultimate Tournament Drag uses carbon discs and Daiwa's proprietary DSG505 grease, ensuring it slips at the exact moment your personal best bass turns and makes a last-ditch dive boatside.
But line capacity is where the Lexa 300 pulls ahead of many baitcasting reels. Heavy lures, such as big swimbaits and umbrella rigs, cast far, pulling out plenty of line. For example, having 240 yards of 12-pound test fluorocarbon lets your deep-diving crankbait fly, knowing you have plenty of line to support the long casts needed to get them to summertime structure.
Lew’s HyperMag
Lew's HyperMag is high-performance through and through. It may feel like a feather in your hand, but it has enough fight inside to handle the fastest-moving lures, hardest fishing bass, and years of fishing trips.
The details:
- Style: Low profile
- Weight: 5.2 ounces
- Gear ratios: 7.5:1 or 8.3:1, depending on version
- Bearings: 11, including stainless steel double-shielded ball bearings
- Line capacity: Monofilament or fluorocarbon (pound test/yards) — 12/110
- Drag: 20 pounds, maximum
- MSRP: $349.99
The highlights
Magnesium, carbon, Duralumin, anodized — even the materials used to build Lew’s latest HyperMag baitcasting reel sound cutting edge. And in this case, there is a lot of performance behind them. The magnesium frame, for example, offers strength while cutting weight. Add the carbon side plates and the 95mm bowed handle, which sports easy-to-grip Winn knobs and this reel hits the scale a full 2 ounces lighter than any other on this list.
The u-shaped spool, constructed of Duralumin — a rigid and lightweight aluminum alloy — is drilled and chamfered, saving weight. It's spun by hardened anodized aluminum alloy gears, which turn smoothly during retrieves. Its carbon-fiber drag system provides up to 20 pounds of drag pressure, enough to stop even the most determined bass.
Keeping all those internal parts running smoothly is 11 bearings, each supporting a critical point. An external lube port makes keeping them maintained easy, and the recessed brake dial with a four-pin SpeedCast externally adjustable centrifugal brake system keeps everything under control.
Shimano Curado 200 M
The Curado line of reels has been impressing anglers and catching bass for three decades. This latest edition offers a combination of performance and durability that can be fine-tuned for any power-fishing application.
The details:
- Style: Low profile
- Weight: 7.4 ounces or 7.6 ounces, depending on version
- Gear ratios: 6.2:1, 7.4:1 or 8.5:1, depending on version
- Bearings: 7, including 1 roller bearing
- Line capacity: Monofilament or fluorocarbon (pound test/yards) — 10/155 or 14/110
- Drag: 13 pounds, maximum
- MSRP: $199.99
The highlights
A reel’s gear ratio may seem like a small detail, but matching the best one to how you’re fishing adds efficiency and enjoyment to your day. The Curado 200 M is offered in three ratios, from a powerful 6.2:1 for grinding crankbaits to a speedy 8.5:1 for sucking in slack on a topwater strike. That makes this reel perfect for power-fishing pursuits.
Shimano built the Curado 200 M around its aluminum HAGANE Body, MagnumLite Spool III, and Silent Tune technology, ensuring it quietly spins with ease cast after cast. And it carries enough line to cast large baits far but not enough to slow the spool. Retrieves are smooth thanks to X-Ship technology and MicroModule Gears.
The SVS infinity braking system ensures your casts end with a perfect touchdown, not a backlash. And it's easy to adjust, meaning casting keeps pace with bait changes. And the Cross Carbon Drag system will protect you from break-offs, even when spooled with 10-pound test for jerkbaits in cold water.
SEVIIN GF
The SEVIIN GF may be new to the market, but it has plenty of experience and effort behind it. And don't let its entry-level price deceive you: There are enough features to make the most experienced anglers happy.
The details:
- Style: Low profile
- Weight: 7.3 ounces
- Gear ratios: 6.6:1, 7.3:1 or 8.1:1, depending on version
- Bearings: 5, including 4 stainless steel ball bearings
- Line capacity: Monofilament or fluorocarbon (pound test/yards) — 12/110; braid — 30/100
- Drag: 19 pounds, maximum
- MSRP: $120.00
While the SEVIIN GF has seven decades of design and manufacturing expertise behind it, the one-piece graphite frame and side plates make it feel like it’s from tomorrow. The one-piece swept carbon-fiber handle adds to that, creating a balanced feel no matter how fast you spin it.
The reel’s internal workings include durable drive and pinion gears CNC machined from hardened brass. The ported forged aluminum spool cuts weight and adds castability. It rides on a stainless steel shaft, which spins on bearings like the other components.
Precise controls keep this reel working for you. The micro-adjustable magnetic cast control distinguishes between achieving distance and avoiding backlashes. Its drag stacks are a combination of carbon fiber and stainless steel discs—the former slips smoothly without wear over the lifetime of the reel. The latter allows you to lock down the drag, ensuring rock-solid hooksets and smooth extractions of bass from brush.
