Looking for a baitcaster.

[skinny]

Remember... you get what you pay for. I now own all Curado's

[R19]

I noticed several people on here have mentioned the Shamino Cuardo. They are made very well and are worth the money...however you mentioned your budget was 80-120. The only way you will find a Curado in that price range new is on sale.

The Shamino Citica is regular price 119 and it is also a good reel. On 3 different ocassions I found an e-bay seller that sold them new for 99. It has been a while since I looked at his auction site so I do not know if he still sells them at that price.

The Curado and Citica are both great reels but if 120 is your budget you may have to get a Citica...which is a great reel... I have 8 Citica's and some of them are 4 years old and I have had zero issues with them. I am slowly changing all my baitcasting setups to Shamino Citica. A friend of mine who has both Curado's and Citica's introduced me to the Shamino line of reels. He has used Shamino reels for many years. In fact he has an older Shamino from the late 80's or early 90's that is still very smooth. The key to getting many years of use out of a reel is to buy good quality "Shamino" then service/grease/clean them yearly.

[drjochum73]

I would suggest a Quantum PT Energy reel. I have fished with other brands, and while all are usually comparable in the same price range, Quantum seems the most comfortable for me when fishing all day. I usually pear it up with a Quantum 6'6" PT Energy rod or an Abu Garcia 6'6" Veritas rod. Good performance system under $300.00. Good Luck deciding.

Dan

http://evansvillebassmasters.webs.com

[MLTSPCS]

There are many reels of good quality on the market in that price range. You can go to a place like BPS and try one out. In the past they have either had a reel I wanted to try out prespooled or put some line on a display and let me try it out. As with rods, everyone has their own opinion on brands and models. I saw you mentioned having to use a lot of weight to get good casting distance. If you want to throw light baits and get good distance the BPS Prolite series is a good reel in your price range. I have one on a 6'6" ML Prolite finesse rod that I absolutely love. I can sling a 1/8 oz. bait pretty good with it and I love the sensitvity of the rod. Been a while since I checked, but I'm thinking you can get the combo for around $160 and just the rod or reel for around $90 a piece. I have other combos that I prefer for different techniques, but for lighter lures I almost always use this set-up. Good luck with whatever you purchase, but I highly recommend trying out a few for yourself before you make a purchase. In today's economy $80-100 is too much to spend for something you end up not liking or using. Let us know what you go with and how you like it. I always like to see other opinions to get an idea before making my own selections. Also, as others have mentioned, the curados, citicas, and chronarchs are great but since it starts off a little cheaper the Prolite can probably be had for less if you decide to go the ebay route.

[Raydaver]

I'd wait until BPS spring sale and trade in an old reel for a discount on a higher priced one. Sometimes they have the reel on sale you want and then get the discount on top of that. This past year I bought a Pro Qualifier Baitcast Reel. Smooth reel, one of my best now. I try to hold off buying anything this time of year. Then when the spring sale comes, I make a list at home and then stock up on everything for the years fishing season. Save some $$$$$$ , Then I can loose what I save in a tournament !!!!

[Fishin is life]

I have 8 Curados...Look over on bassboatcentral and you can find new or very lightly used E5 or E7 in your price range....it'll be worth every penny...If you don't wanna spend toward the top of your price range I'd also highly recommend the old "greenie" Curados...You can find them for 80-90 bucks