Dave Hopkins Jr.

Hey fellas, For my money, you can't beat a BPS brand (Viper with 10 bearings) spinning reel, a Quantum 50 or one of my old favorites, a Shimano Spirex. All those reels were under $60.00. The Viper was just under $30. The key for me is to spend less scratch on the reel and more on the spinning rod. I heard that tip at a seminar about 10 years ago. The converse is the same for baitcasters. Spend more on the reel than the rod. My Spirex is paired with a 6' 6" BPS Bionic Rod. It's a fantastic set up for shaky heads. For wacky rigging, I go with the Viper (In Red), paired with a 6'3" Abu Garcia Vendetta. The feel with that set up is unbelievable. With that combo, I'm in for less than a hundy. The Spirex and Bionic ran me about a buck ten. The Bionic was on sale or there was a special on the combo during the Spring Fishing Classic in 2008. Quality bass fishing on a reasonable budget.