Calcutta 50A & 100A (2 ea).

 

Used them for everything from a weightless trick worms to punch rigs, ,crankbaits to spinnerbaits.

 

Performance and durability..... Shimano Calcutta 251. Built like a tank and will probably last a lifetime or two. 

 

As just a reel that surprised me.... Quantum Vapor. Smooth as any reel I have and casts well but it does feel cheap in hand. For the price I paid, it has been fun to fish. 

1994 Shimano Curado 100 Super Free.

Abu Garcia Revo sx gen4 Paid 140$ Canadian for, it’s just been a great reel never gave me an issue ??‍♂️I got a second one I’ve enjoyed it so much 

The Lew's KVD Casting Reel. It's the best sub $200 Lew's reel in my opinion, definitely flies under the radar. 

20 hours ago, Jrob78 said:

I don't know if this really counts as a sleeper but I bought 2 of the OG Fuegos for $120 or whatever they were when TW closed them out. They were and still are amazing reels.

I still have one of the original TD Fuego casting reel in left hand from 2005, also the TD Sol from same year.

Pleasant surprise for me was the first pflueger trion baitcaster, the beige one. 
 

It was on par with the curado bsf in all ways except 

1) price - it was way cheaper @$79.00 vs the curado @$149.00 at that time. 
2) lower weight range - the curado had it beat. Once in a while, perhaps once every 75 casts or so, out of nowhere, I’d experience an overrun if the lure was 1/4oz. It did not handle sub 1/4oz well at all. No big deal. Just don’t use it for lighter weights. 
3) turning the crank felt “nicer” to me on the pflueger than the curado. Weird!

 

Truly a hidden gem and imho, was severely underrated. I still have it to this day. 

7 hours ago, islandbass said:

Pleasant surprise for me was the first pflueger trion baitcaster, the beige one. 

 

Also a Korean Silstar, Still fish 3 of them. The guts are interchangeable with the Pinnacles of that era.

I had a few Daiwa Capricorn 100H reels that were amazing casters.  They are a little heavy and large by today's standards, but in the day they were excellent value.

Qauntum. I have one Tour Grade Qauntum casting reel in my lineup. It's been very good going on three years.             My other " sleeper" is a 24yr old ABU 4600c. It's been a great reel also.

Lew's LFS Tournament MBs at $130. I had 3 of them. Like it so much I bought a plain LFS. Similarly good quality for $100. I bought a Fuego on the advice of people on this here site and it's disappointing. I can't complain much because it functions as it should, but it sounds like sandpaper rubbing when you're reeling. Guess the gears don't mesh perfectly. 

 

When I was 13, I got a Daiwa PMF100 Magforce reel for Christmas. I used that thing heavily for 30+ years. Most of those years, it was my only baitcaster. I did have to replace the levelwind pawl a couple of times, but they sent it to me for free, didn't even charge shipping.

 

An Academy store brand Tac-40 reel was pretty decent for the money. I finally wore it out after 3 years or so of it being my jig reel with the drag cinched down. The anti-reverse is intermittent now. It would have lasted a lot longer for other techniques.

Just now, A-Jay said:

May be a bit of a surprise ~

The Quantum EXO PT made its debut in retail locations late in the Fall of 2011.

I started my collection a year or two later which includes 100 & 200 sizes.

Some of these were scored for a song on E-Bay. 

Stock handles were 'EVA Foam'.

Didn't care for it.

Went with all new HawgTechs

Better. 

All 9 are still making it happen for me. 

A-Jay

A-Jay.  Please stop with the morning tackle porn posts.  If you are wondering where the Bait Monkey is this morning, he is at my house attached firmly to my back trying to convince me I will not be a complete angler unless I own at least half as many reels as A-Jay.  Are you on the Monkeys pay roll?

A lot of you all are putting up reels that aren't sleepers, but very well known and occupy the middle price point of the $100 to $200+ range (when new).  Sleeper to me means cheap, good, and reliable.  With that, I'd agree with both the Revo X and President XT.  The Black Max is also another worthy of mention.  These are also pretty reliable reels that perform well and punch above their price point.  Just goes to show you don't have to be a tackle nerd to have a nice reel. 

19 hours ago, Joe Henry said:

What is the baitcaster you have or had that most surprised you with performance and durability for the price?

 Lamiglas Skeet Reese SR705R

http://www.tackletour.com/reviewlamiglas705pg3.html

15 hours ago, Columbia Craw said:

1994 Shimano Curado 100 Super Free.

I got a Chronarch 100SF from around that time also. 

Great reel!!

 

 

 

 

Mike

 

21 hours ago, T-Billy said:

Is that the round reel that looks like a Shimano Calcutta Mike? I have three of those and they're super smooth and cast a country mile. I haven't used 'em for a few years, the thumb bars started sticking, but I think I'm gonna send 'em to DVT this coming winter for rehab. 

Those we're awesome. Same as the Pflueger Trion  Round reels. I loved them.

 BPS Browning midas.  Bought three on sale around 2007 for 79 .00 each. Only fished shimano for previous 20 some years.  This is the reel that turned me to the dark side.  I now own a couple of abu,s and lews.  These are still one of my favorite reels. Just replaced the trios handles as they are all wobbly and wore out, reels still fine.  I fish about 50 weeks per year.

Abu Garcia Black Max. Amazing reel for the price. Paired with a Abu Garcia Vengeance rod it’s a nice combo and always in my kayak

My old Citca D reels are still as smooth and slick as any new one on the market.

Curado 100b was the bomb, I still use mine. The BPS Extreme from around 2000 or so was basically a Pflueger Trion. Those and Pinnacle had some sleepers. Right now the Abu max x has me impressed at $60.

I don't know that I would call it a sleeper due to the good reviews they get, but the one I was most surprised by was the Lews Speed Spool LFS.

 

I got my first one at the Gander Mt closeouts as the stores were closing for like $55. I had never had a Lews, but thought I didn't have much to lose on an aluminum framed reel for that price.

 

Took it out the first time and was extremely happy with how smoothly it casts. And reeling was pretty smooth too. Bought a couple more when seeing them on sale!!

For me it’s a reel I recommend often and in fact just tonight I recommended it again. The Daiwa CA80, aluminum frame graphite side plates and it casts as smooth as my other Daiwas. Love this reel and as a bonus I found mine for around $70.00 bucks.

 

1 hour ago, Eric 26 said:

 

Thats a great rod for $40.00 bucks, too. Nice little budget bank beater combo.

Daiwa HRF PE- Smooth as silk after 100+ salmon

BPS Pro Qualifier Tournament. I have 2. They were a long forgotten special run reel added for a summer flyer I believe...Same reel as the famed Gold Carbonlites everyone loved, but I believe it had brass gears instead of aluminum of the carbonlites. So theyre smoother. Handles light weights pretty well for a doyo dual brake reel. Just a nice, smooth casting, well mannered, ergonomic reel for $69 (+/-) or so about a decade ago.