Mine is a Shakespeare that cost me $12 brand new. It has adjustable mag brakes and still works great today. I caught my very first bass on a jig n pig using it. My second bait casting reel was a $14 Shakespeare reel too.

#3 Mitchell

#4 quantum

#5 quantum Bill Dance.

#1 Shimano Citica 201E

#2 Shimano Bantam Magplus 150XG

#3 Daiwa T3 Ballistic 

 

The Bantam is about as old as I am, still works great though, along with it being right handed it went to my pops. 

My first was the Shakespeare combo from walmart for about $20. It almost turned me off of baitcasters totally. I decided to upgrade to a pinnacle Solene and it was night and day between the 2. I used PQs and pfluegers from there and now have moved to daiwas. I will say as of right now the T3 platform is the best I have used so far.

Abu Garcia ambassador 5000-c

Quantum SGA100cx. Still have it but rarely use it.

My first was a calcutta in 2002

12 years later she still works like the day i bought it. That baby casts a crankbait a looooooong way!

Langley Lure Cast, Ashaway Diamondback braid line with a Conolin rod, in 1955. Still have the reel. Garcia bought Cololin rods, Zebco bought Langley reels, today known as Quantum.

Tom

Abu Garcia Record reel. 20 lb mono and a Ugly Stick. Fished for Stripers long before I started fish for the green ones!

It was my dads rod and reel, but I still have it today 17 years later..

A Shimano Bantam Mag Plus 250SG. This particular reel is my very first and I got it around 1982 IIRC when we moved to a new house that had a creek behind it. 

 

megabass monoblock racing condition bespoke limited...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

kidding, it was a curado 200b

A quantum combo which broke instantly lol

One I learned on for 6 mo was s Abu ultra mag I

First one I bought quantum energy pt e100hpt

Mine was a $50 Quantum Shaw Grigsby model. WOW what a piece of junk! Tried using it for a half year, then upgraded to a Abu Silvermax. There was no difference in price, but what a difference in performance!

My first was a Lews MG just a few years ago. Still a great reel I caught my PB on it.

Penn Levelmatics -

 

I think it was mid 70's.

 

Still have them.

 

A-Jay

 

 

An Abu Garcia Ambassadeur 5601 C4. Still have it and just finished "upgrading" it this winter. I installed a Carbontex drag, Abec 5 Ceramic spool bearings, dual BB levelwind, BB supported cog gear, and ceramic levelwind pawl. I also changed the spool but it was just a color change as I went with a stock Garcia spool. This thing boarders on uncontrollable now, the difference is amazing. I have to run at least 3 brake blocks at all times and pay very close attention to my casts.

Penn 9M 13 oz 3.4:1, try burning spinnerbaits for 12-14 hrs with that puppy!

Daiwa Millionaire 4H.  

Bass Pro Extreme combo. Reel ended up in the trash, but the rod is still in use. About or 13 years old now. Not too old, but that rod is still a great rod

daiwa strikeforce... that puppy has seen a lot of 5+ lb bass, still works pretty well(doesn't get much love anymore)...

 

Mitch

Abu Garcia Revo STX Gen 3. I just got into baitcasters a couple of months ago and took the advice from here about not skimping out on a reel. It has been a wonderful reel and has since been joined by a Speed Spool.... Now I'm going to be adding a Shimano soon (just have to decide which one).

Silstar Tech 1, I worked for two months in my friend's tackle store to purchase it.

First one was an abu round reel at about 15 years of age. I couldnt figure it out for the life of me, dont know if it had brakes, cant remember. Returned it in a week as I knew the store owner and never picked up another for about five years.

abu silver max, not bad honestly. I learned on this reel for a year before upgrading. After upgrading I no longer care for mag brakes

Daiwa Triforce 150i