Testing Spinning Reels
I spent months fishing for smallmouth, largemouth, stripers, and lake trout tearing drag and testing the quality of these reels. I feel very confident in telling you that each and every one of these reels deserves a shot to be on your reel seat.
Due to that fact, deciding which reels are better than the others was more difficult than I had ever expected. Thankfully, after a lot of thought and in-field research, Im confident the reels below deserve the top spots.
The DAIWA Ballistic MQ LT 2500D is more than deserving of our best overall award. Throughout the summer of battling largemouth, smallmouth, lake trout, and even a 25-pound freshwater striped bass, the high-quality drag never showed even the slightest sign of slipping or failing. The quality of this reel can be felt with each turn of the handle, which fits perfectly in your hand with a well-thought-out handle design.
Coming in at just below 7 ounces, you dont have to worry about the weight of your reel wearing you down throughout a long day on the water. A final piece worth noting with this phenomenal reel is the castability. The first time I reared back and fired out a ¼-ounce swimbait head with a 3.8-inch soft plastic swimbait on the back, I was stunned at just how far along the bluff wall it went. It was almost like I was long lining the bait, but in reality, I had simply cast it out there.
If youre looking for a high-quality reel at a very reasonable price, I wouldnt look any further than the DAIWA Ballistic MQ LT 2500D.