If you are new to fishing or been fishing for many years, you will know that having the best gear for the job will make your experience at the water much better. Within this article we are going to be looking for the best spinning reel under $200 dollars, we know that no two reel are not all made equally, so I am going to strip down the top five and give them my unbiased review and what makes them the best within our budget.
We have put together a spinning reel buying guide below our recommendations for anyone that want to know a little more information on what to look for when making their purchase.
So let’s get right into the top 5 spinning reels under 200 dollars.
Pflueger Supreme XT Spinning Fishing Reel
Ultra-lightweight design is the name of the game for the Pflueger Supreme XT Spinning Fishing Reel. Everything about this reel has been designed to be comfortable and lightweight. They achieve this through a unique composition of materials, compared to the competition. Unlike other reels, the Supreme XT features a magnesium based body and carbon handles which noticeably decrease the weight of the reel making it featherlight.
The weight is not the only thing that sets this reel apart. It also has some high grade features such as a fully sealed carbon drag system. Many reels do not feature a sealed drag system and you will love the difference. Having it completely sealed means that it will stay fresh, lubricated, and strong for longer. Add in a durable braid ready spool and EVA grips atop the light carbon handle and you get a modern, ultra-light reel that has all of the bells and whistles you desire and require out of a reel of this price.
- Lightweight and comfortable to the extreme
- Clever upgrades and materials make for a distinct design
- Quality workmanship from the reliable makers at Pflueger
- Only weighs 6 ounces total
Daiwa Bg Spinning Reel
The Daiwa BG Spinning Reel is a reel designed to fight and catch the fish you demand. Designed for both and power and lightweight feel, this reel achieves this with a host of unique features. It has a unique aluminum body that is special to Daiwa reels that increase strength and durability while decreasing weight. They also have engineered their Air Rotor which is a proprietary design that decreases the weight of the main rotor assembly which significantly decreases the weight of the reel without sacrificing the features you love.
The Daiwa BG Spinning Reel has 15lbs of drag force, a desirable 5.6:1 gear ratio, 37.4” of line retrieval per crank, and an infinite anti-reversal system which all come together to deliver you a reel that can do it all. Whether you are hunting for that big catch or just do some casual fishing on the side, this reel is light enough and versatile enough to cover all of your needs.
- A versatile lightweight reel with all the modern conveniences
- Solid screw-in handle and air rotor increase power while reducing weight
- Many options at a price point that works
Penn Battle II 8000 Spinning Fishing Reel
The Penn 1338222 Battle II 8000 Spinning Fishing Reel is quickly gaining a reputation as a classic fishing reel. Available in multiple sizes and gearings, the Battle II is one of the most durable and versatile reels on the market. It comes up continuously on lists of people’s favorite reels and for good reason. It can be used in a wide array of situations and environments, it always performs great and it has a stunning appearance as well. Penn Fishing has really outdone the competition with their Battle II reels.
It features an all-metal body, which has been shown to increase efficiency and power by reducing flex and strain that you get from weaker kinds of materials. It has an HT-100 carbon drag system that is powerful, smooth, and gives you a level of performance you have to feel to believe. Add in five fully double sealed ball bearings for ultimate smoothness and durability over time and you have a reel that is quickly topping the charts. The Penn 1338222 Battle II 8000 Spinning Fishing Reel is a reel you do not want to go without for long.
- A true classic from Penn Fishing
- A dearth of quality features and materials
- Sharp looking and sharp performing design
Zebco/Quantum Smoke S3 PT Inshore Spinning Reel
Durability, smoothness, and strength are the key pillars to any good reel. Many reels offer these things in spades but the Zebco/Quantum Smoke S3 PT Inshore Spinning Reel takes those things and improves upon them. With a combination of high grade materials, precision engineering and superior design the makers at Zebco have taken the standard quality spinning reel and moved it to the next level in terms of performance and durability.
That is because, unlike the competition, these reels are super-refined and performance-tuned for top notch efficiency. This means each pull is smoother, more efficient and simply better than a non-tuned reel. Add that to their unique combination of combine ceramic, carbon fiber, and stainless steel and you get a reel that is made to land the big fish while feeling like you’re hauling up a minnow. From the durable materials to the smooth and excellent line laying ability to the power from its proprietary carbon drag system, the Zebco/Quantum Smoke S3 PT Inshore Spinning Reel has it all.
- Features a distinctive asymmetric gearing system
- Uses Plasma Arc ceramic washers that are harder, smoother, and more durable than standard ceramic
- Lightweight and ready for braided line right out of the box
SHIMANO Stradic FL Spinning Fishing Reel
The SHIMANO Stradic FL Spinning Fishing Reel is going to immediately catch your eye. Many reels are made up of multiple kinds of materials but the Stradic FL Reel is entirely metal construction. The body, the spool, the bail line, everything is a distinctive metal giving it a modern chrome metallic look that is different and innovative. SHIMANO claims that the metal body reduces flex which reduces wasted energy during casting which improves upon the efficiency of the reel.
Efficiency is the theme of the SHIMANO Stradic FL Spinning Fishing Reel. They have also added G-FreeBody technology which moves the center of gravity for this reel closer to the rod which reduces fatigue, improves balance and comfort during long fishing sessions which leads to an overall more efficient reel in the long run. Combined with their X-Ship technology, which reduces friction working within the reel and keeps the gears firmly locked into place even under the heaviest of forces, means you get a balanced, durable and comfortable reel that can handle the biggest fishing challenges you can throw at it.
- Classic innovations from the makers at SHIMANO put this reel over the top
- Unique metallic construction increases efficiency
- CrossCarbonDrag system offers more versatility and power
Best Spinning Reel Under 200 Dollars Buying Guide
When it comes to spending money on new gear whatever the budget we want the best within that budget. There is nothing worse than buying something and realising down the line it’s just not up to scratch. Our recommendations should stop this happening and below I will include some of the key element that you should consider when buying a spinning reel.
External Spinning Reel Parts
When looking to make your purchase manufactures have a tendency to try to make things sound fancy. We have broken a spinning reel down into individual parts to explain which each part dose so you have a better understanding on how the reel works.
Spool
The spool is what holds your fishing line, the spool on a spinning reel dose not spin when you reel your line back onto the spool. With this being said it will spin when your line is under tension when you have a fish on the line allowing the line to unwind this is set by the drag.
The spool moves up and down as you reel your line in to collect the line in an even fashion.
The Spool is an important part as it has a great impact on the distance you can cast, if the line is easy to leave the spool you will be able to cast longer distances. If you want to cast long distances look for a large spool.
Reel Body
The real body is what all the reel components are put onto so it’s a very important element to whole build of the reel but there only two main things to consider when it come to the reel body and that is what it is made from.
Reel bodies are mainly made from two materials and they are aluminium or graphite both make decent reels the only difference from each are aluminium is for people looking for a solid reel that will stand up to a lot of ruff treatment. If you are looking at graphite they will best suit someone who want a really light setup but they won’t stand up to as much harsh treatment like an aluminium reel.
One thing to keep an eye on is when manufactures put holes in the reel body this is done to reduce weight and style. However, this can have negative effects as the real body can flex under pressure and feels strange in the hand. Also, these holes attract water and this can lead to corrosion and this can be a lot worse if you are using them in sea water.
Reel Foot
Not something you have to give much thought is the reel foot; this will normally be made from the same material as the reel body.
The reel foot in most cases comes in the shape of a ‘T’ and you simple screw the rod holder over the ‘T’ to keep your reel in place.
Reel Handle
The handle is something to give a little more thought to as they are can be made from different material from the reel body at times like a hard plastic. The reel handle is what you turn to retrieve the line back onto the spool.
Attached to the handle in most cases are a spinning grip the covering can come in many different materials like plastic, foam and cork to name just a few. There is no right one to pick here and I would chose the one that you like most if you already own a real, soft foam is comfortable but tends to break down after some harsh weather.
The real handle can come in different size also from small to large the bigger the handle the less turns it will take to retrieve the line back onto the reel spool.
Bail
The reel bail is the wire that stretches over the front of the spool and can be opened and closed.
When the bail is open the line will flow freely this is the position that you use when you want to cast your line.
When the bail is closed the line will stay in place and you can wind your handle to reel your line back onto the spool the bail also acts as a tool to guide the line perfectly back onto the spool.
Power Roller
Not all spinning reels will have a power roller but it is a nice feature to have on your real. It is a spinning cylinder that is attached to the bail that makes retrieving the line back onto the spool much smoother.
They come if many different styles but the best is a gold material and I have always found this to be the best and feel the smoothest.
Drag Adjustment
No depending on the type of spinning reel you buy with depend were the drag adjustment is some have a dial at the rear of the reel and others have a dial on the head of the spool.
The real drag is turned in the direction of choice to make the line harder or easier to leave the spool when the line is under strain.
It’s an important element to the reel as this will stop you losing a lot of fish with snapped line as you can slacken the spool so the fish can run without snapping the line.
Anti Revers Switch
Some people really don’t like using a drag adjustment and prefer to manual approach to do this you will need the anti revers switch. What this does when you flick the switch is you can now reel in any direction, this will allow you to reel anti clockwise letting your line out when a fish is fighting and you won’t have any snapped line.
With modern drags it’s something only a few people now do as the drags are really good but it’s an option to have but if this was missing it would not bother most people as they would never use it.
So unless you plan on using this feature I wouldn’t give this one much thought.
Internal Spinning Reel Parts
Again with internal parts manufactures have a tendency to try to make things sound fancy and more complicated than it need to be, I aim to explain all the important internal parts to a spinning reel and what each one dose so you know what to look for when making a purchase.
Gear Ratio
When you see 4:1 on a reel this is the gear ratio and it determines the amount of time the reel turns to the amount of spins of the reel arm. So in the 4:1 instance the reel will turn 4 times for every 1 turn you make on the reel handle.
So if you want a reel to retrieve the line quickly you want to look for a reel with a high number like 8:1 this would be a fast real but something like a 2:1 would be a slow reel.
Bearings
Bearing is something the manufactures really push to sell there reels and they do have a really important element.
They are rotating ball bearing within the reel handle and the more ball bearing the smoother the handle turning will feel, normally the cheaper the reel the less ball bearing that are adding and this will feel clunky and not very nice to reel with.
I would always try to get as many bearings as possible as I really don’t like the uneven clucky feel that a reel with few bearing gives and when playing a fish feels much better with a smooth turn.
Line Capacity
If you are targeting fish in deep water you are going to want a larger line capacity, the line capacity will be determined by the size of the spool. In most cases the manufacture will let you know the amount of line that the spool will fit at different breaking strains.
What you also must consider is the lager the spool the more line you will need and in turn the heavy this will make your reel overall.
Conclusion
I really hope that my article helps you find the best spinning reel under 200 dollars that is going to last you for years without fail. I have done my best to find you the top 5 in this price range and I really think you will be hard pushed finding anything better even if you want to drop a lot more money.
Our buying guide is there to help you see the important aspects of the spinning reel and show you what to look for what’s important.
If you are on a smaller budget, then check out our other articles Spinning Reels under $150, Spinning Reel under $100 we have plenty of articles on our site to help you find the best gear.
There is not a lot more to say other than hope you find the reel that will last you years and next time you hit the water with your new reel I wish you many tight lines.