jt7

YES, without a doubt, fly fishing spending can get out of hand quickly! I spent way too much money this past week on a couple of new fly lines and some other accesories. And i'm kinda in the same boat as you, no trout streams in South Mississippi! So its about 9 hours to somewhere like North Carolina/TN or 20 plus hours to Northern New Mexico/Colorado. And i'm still HOPING one day to get to Montana or Wyoming

Yea, i already ordered the Lews. If it doesnt work out it'll go back and i'm going to get the SLX. Only baitcast reel i have, or have ever used, is a Kast King Royale Legend GT. It seems ok to me but as another member has pointed out, any of the reels on my list will be a big upgrade over the Kast King. I did go to the closest Academy, they really didnt have much selection of reels in the price range i was looking at. I did look at the SLX there, it was very nice. If the Lews i ordered doesnt suit me im going back and getting the SLX

THIS is the perfect solution! But then i might have to figure out how to put a fly line on a baitcaster!!

The SLX actually is my first choice but no more than i bass fish anymore i guess it was easier to justify spending $60 than it was $100. But if the Lews doesnt pan out i am just gonna bite the bullet and get the SLX! It didnt help that last night i made a big purchase of a couple of fly lines and other fly fishing stuff.

I just ordered the Lews, couldnt pass on it for the price. If i decide to upgrade in the future i'll probably add the SLX, seems like lots of people like them. I've been using a KastKing Royale, and it doesnt seem too bad, but i'm sure the Lews and Shimano are upgrades

So, would you say these 3 are pretty equal as far as smoothness, castability etc? Especially for somebody somewhat new to baitcasters? At $60 dollars the Lews is hard to pass up. Especially since i wont be fishing it a whole lot. And i can take the $40 i save and buy an extra fly reel! I found a Tatula CT listed for $99.99 it was cheaper than a Fuego

Narrowed my choices down to a few reels and would like some opinions from people with more knowledge/experience than myself. Shimano Caius $80 Daiwa CC80 $60 Daiwa Tatula $100 Abu Garcia Max STX $69 Abu Garcia Revo 5X $105 Lews Classic Pro Speed Spool (SLP) $60 What would yall say is the best reel for the money of these options? I had also been looking at Shimano SLX A for $100, but not sure i like the fact that it has no external brakes. Or is that really that big of a deal?? Thanks for any info, baitcasters are still pretty new to me.

Thanks for the offer but i'm looking for a right side. My fly rods are left side and even after several years fly fishing it still feels weird! I believe i'm gonna go with the Mettle and see if they are as good as all the reviews i've seen

Its my understanding the Mettle is an aluminum reel also, is that true? And how do you think the Mettle compares to the CC-80 and the Abu Garcia Max STX?

The Aird does seem to be the best choice from the responses. I guess its considered a better rod than the Falcon Altrax? And i am definitely leaning towards the Mettle reel. Would you consider it as good or even better than the Abu Garcia Max STX ?

Hello, new member here. I'm starting to get back into bass fishing a little bit. Don't really have much equipment as i havent been bass fishing much in several years. Last few years i've been focusing on getting stocked up on fly fishing gear. I've never really used baitcasters but am trying to make myself learn now! I want to get a new rod, but only looking at entry level ones. I've somewhat narrowed it down to a few choices and would like some input on them if possible? They are, Diawa Aird ($50), Falcon Altrax ($50), Shimano Scimitar ($50) & H2O Xpress Mettle ($35), Berkley Lightning Rod. Any thoughts on these budget rods? I currently have a KastKing Royale Legend GT reel that seems ok for what i paid, but was looking to add another reel also. Would the H2O Xpress Mettle ($70) be an upgrade from the KK? Any other "budget" reels worth getting? Such as Abu Garcia Max STX , Daiwa CC 80, Shimano Caius etc? Or is another KK suffecient in that price range?? Thanks for any info