im looking around for a new reel and just wondering if theres any websites out there that i havnt heard of, so far ive just been of the big ones like tackle wear house and bass pro

A cheap reel will actually be more expensive than a quality reel, and you will have very little satisfaction with it.

You will have to replace it earlier, and in essence it will cost more in the long run.  If you need to go to Ebay,

and get something.

Cabelas Bargain Cave regularly has a selection of reels discounted.

Check out the Flea Market forum on this site. Plenty of bargains to be found there. 

 

Tom

I have wondered about that too, this site should have a spots where people post good deals they find for fishing gear.

Check out the Flea Market forum on this site. Plenty of bargains to be found there. 

 

Tom

 

This.

I have bought most of my rods and reels from BR members on our Flea Market.

My "rule of thumb" is around 60% of retail for NIB or "Gently Used".

Why venture into unfamiliar waters?  Use the lake you know and trust - namely the BassResource Flea Market!!

To me me if your looking for a decent long lasting spinning reel it matters what lures your going to use with it. I now have a junk yard box of cheap reels. I never dreamed the bass could tear them up the way they did. Depending on how much you want to spend here's my suggestions thru experience on what holds up do far for me.

Quantum spinning reels at Wal-Mart. Even the 3 ball bearing ones have worked for me.

These can run between $15 to $30 on sale or spring clearance.

Okuma spinning reels the exiptor has ten ball bearing and may need some wear in time before using for faster baits.

Finor spinning reels with 4 bearings it's an excellent quality reel but it's not cheap.

So far I been hammering these three reels with no problems.

I have another brand I picked up to test out too. It's called a Viva. The smaller viva matches the older okuma exactly.

The okuma expitor about $59 on the net.

If I were you if your in no hurry I would watch BPS, Cabelas, Wal-Mart for sales and there awesome spring clearances. I like shopping in Wal-Mart in March thru April for markdowns. I even go earlier like right after Christmas too. You can get more for your buck too.

I just purchased three new okumas from, www.buyfishingstuff.com the editors are on the bottom of the okuma page. Be careful there are

Baitfeeders and regular spinning reels too.

To me so far the difference between having less and more ball bearings is how sore my arm is after making 1,000 casts. It could be old age creeping up on me but the pro fishermen and woman must experience this too. I never had arm pump on the dirtbikes but there sore after fishing.

Sorry I don't have any experience with other reels yet. I kind of stopped testing them when I purchased the ones that didn't break.

Now baitcasters are another thing. I purchased lower priced older

Baitcasters in the past that still are good today. The prices were silly back then. I got reels with brakes for $12 and up on clearance. I just don't see anything new for that cost today. For me at the time wanting to break into baitcasting these lower cost reels were perfect. I was using the Penn reels saltwater fishing with my thumb being the break for many years. So the spool baitcasters wasn't new to me. There not hard to learn.

Forgive me I'm no pro but I'm a normal fisherman like everyone else.

I just noticed that www.buyfishingstuff.com has cheaper okumas with 6+ bearings for around $32. Look at them all for a better price.

Checkout Wal-Mart too I hear there are sales going on right now. It sounds like there spring clearance is early.