Hey guys, 

I am looking for a spinning reel around 100-125 to replace my diawa fuego. It’s going to be on my medium light for finesse bass stuff. My fuego that I had was not smooth anymore and Made a noise on the retrieve so I sold it. I want something that will last and is relatively light and small. I like my stradic now but wouldn’t want anything heavier. I was looking at the miravel 2500 and the Daiwa Procyon on sale for 110. 
Thanks in advance, 

Bryce

Long time Daiwa fan here, I use the fuego and it’s held of great for me with routine maintenance along the way. 
 

I would suggest something cheaper entirely - the Okuma Steatus 7. The spools run small so get the 30 size.

 https://www.dickssportinggoods.com/p/okuma-stratus-vii-spinning-reel-23okuustrtsv10spnree/23okuustrtsv10spnree

 

Having run the gamut of budget to expensive reels, this one wins the contest for durability and feel. You’ll think you’ve got a $150 fee in your hands. I now have these on 3 of 5 spinning setups. 

18 minutes ago, raydomz said:

Long time Daiwa fan here, I use the fuego and it’s held of great for me with routine maintenance along the way. 
 

I would suggest something cheaper entirely - the Okuma Steatus 7. The spools run small so get the 30 size.

 https://www.dickssportinggoods.com/p/okuma-stratus-vii-spinning-reel-23okuustrtsv10spnree/23okuustrtsv10spnree

 

Having run the gamut of budget to expensive reels, this one wins the contest for durability and feel. You’ll think you’ve got a $150 fee in your hands. I now have these on 3 of 5 spinning setups. 

Wow that’s impressive for $40. You really think they compare to a 100 dollar reel? Yeah I’m not sure what happened with my fuego to be honest. 

I like the Pfleuger Supreme at that price point. I have many of them and they've always been really solid. 

When I was shopping for a new spinning reel for my Ned rig rod, I first turned to Daiwa. I’ll be honest and say that I prefer them if money was no issue. I put a tatula on the rod, loved it - but did I want to shell out another $150+ just to keep things the same? No. So I turned to my fuego, surely I could convince myself to fork out for a fuego once I was reminded of the quality, right? There’s a comfort level there, so I liked it of course, but I have other mouths to feed. Time to dig a little deeper. 
 

An online acquaintance suggested checking out Okuma. I was completely unfamiliar with them at the time but Dick’s had a similar price going on those reels and I decided to pull the trigger - if nothing else I could just return it…

 

After rainy days, falling in the lake/river, falling in the mud, being generally mishandled by two young kids and myself - I can say these reels are right on par with something like a fuego. I now use one on my more expensive setup and don’t plan to shell out any big money on a spinning reel again. In my experience, what you’re paying for are very nuanced changes in feel and a name/style. If you’re someone that likes to stress over the small stuff in your setup, then you may be disappointed. If you are someone that just needs a consistent rig, these can’t be beat. The quality, feel, assembly, maintenance schedule are all in line with a mid level Daiwa. If you need that specific Daiwa click drag noise (some do care) then that’s about all you’ll miss. 
 

Doesn’t hurt that they also look cool 😎.

Best bet for high quality in your price range is go JDM. 
Tom

2 hours ago, Brycecover said:

Hey guys, 

I am looking for a spinning reel around 100-125 to replace my diawa fuego. It’s going to be on my medium light for finesse bass stuff. My fuego that I had was not smooth anymore and Made a noise on the retrieve so I sold it. I want something that will last and is relatively light and small. I like my stradic now but wouldn’t want anything heavier. I was looking at the miravel 2500 and the Daiwa Procyon on sale for 110. 
Thanks in advance, 

Bryce

 

Me?  I'd kick in another $40 and get a JDM stradic.  That's what I've done for my last 3.  They are about $160-$165 depending on the specific model you want.  I've done both 2500 and 3000 (same body, different spools) so that choice is yours depending on the line you're putting on it.  Not sure which stradic you have now to compare weight.

 

If you're locked into the price point, then a JDM miravel would be my choice at $110.

WRB is spot on. Diawa Freams or Shimano Ultegra or Miravel. Digitaka has free shipping, you'll have it in a week.

FM

you sold a suspect reel?  haha

 

in your price range, my Daiwa Procyon AL in 2500 is fantastic.  great reel for the money.  it shouldnt be that good and reliable, but it is.  

1 hour ago, casts_by_fly said:

 

Me?  I'd kick in another $40 and get a JDM stradic.  That's what I've done for my last 3.  They are about $160-$165 depending on the specific model you want.  I've done both 2500 and 3000 (same body, different spools) so that choice is yours depending on the line you're putting on it.  Not sure which stradic you have now to compare weight.

 

If you're locked into the price point, then a JDM miravel would be my choice at $110.

I have the 2500 us version though. It is definitely bigger than my fuego was.

42 minutes ago, Brycecover said:

I have the 2500 us version though. It is definitely bigger than my fuego was.

then drop to the 2k size.  The USDM and JDM bodies are the same size.  I personally prefer a little bigger rather than a little smaller, but if the 2500 is too big for what you want then grab a 2k.  That will be the same across the entire shimano lineup.  

1 hour ago, Darth-Baiter said:

you sold a suspect reel?  haha

 

in your price range, my Daiwa Procyon AL in 2500 is fantastic.  great reel for the money.  it shouldnt be that good and reliable, but it is.  

I was looking at the mq. 

2 hours ago, casts_by_fly said:

 

Me?  I'd kick in another $40 and get a JDM stradic.  That's what I've done for my last 3.  They are about $160-$165 depending on the specific model you want.  I've done both 2500 and 3000 (same body, different spools) so that choice is yours depending on the line you're putting on it.  Not sure which stradic you have now to compare weight.

 

If you're locked into the price point, then a JDM miravel would be my choice at $110.

So you would go with a miravel over a Ultegra? Because for a ci4+ body, the miravel is only 10 grams lighter in the 2500 size. And the ultegra 25 is brand new.  

41 minutes ago, Brycecover said:

I was looking at the mq. 

So you would go with a miravel over a Ultegra? Because for a ci4+ body, the miravel is only 10 grams lighter in the 2500 size. And the ultegra 25 is brand new.  

I didn't realize there was a new ultegra.  Some nice upgrades from the previous version it looks like.  The ultegra is inching closer to a stradic.

JDM 25 Ultegra C2000SHG or C2500SHG for about $122 plus shipping. The Procyon is also a solid deal at $110.

51 minutes ago, Big Hands said:

JDM 25 Ultegra C2000SHG or C2500SHG for about $122 plus shipping. The Procyon is also a solid deal at $110.

You think a shallow will hold enough line though? 

2 hours ago, Brycecover said:

You think a shallow will hold enough line though? 

 

Absolutely. I even opt for super shallow when possible, but it's hard to reliably find them with SS spools in the sizes and gear ratios I prefer (I like 2000 and 2500 spinning reels and generally with high gear ratios). I think shallow spools are at least borderline too much depending on the line you use. When push comes to shove, I will sacrifice a super shallow spool for a shallow spool if it means I can get it in a higher gear ratio.

 

I actually own a Fuego LT2000S-XH that I bought from a seller in Croatia on the 'bay'. I've had it for a few years now and have never wished it held more line. I have pretty much all of my spinning reels filled with 10 lbs braid. I'm sure they'd be fine with 15 lbs braid if I wanted to use it.

8 hours ago, Big Hands said:

 

Absolutely. I even opt for super shallow when possible, but it's hard to reliably find them with SS spools in the sizes and gear ratios I prefer (I like 2000 and 2500 spinning reels and generally with high gear ratios). I think shallow spools are at least borderline too much depending on the line you use. When push comes to shove, I will sacrifice a super shallow spool for a shallow spool if it means I can get it in a higher gear ratio.

 

I actually own a Fuego LT2000S-XH that I bought from a seller in Croatia on the 'bay'. I've had it for a few years now and have never wished it held more line. I have pretty much all of my spinning reels filled with 10 lbs braid. I'm sure they'd be fine with 15 lbs braid if I wanted to use it.

What shallow spool reels do you have and how much 10 pound braid can you get on them? Originally I was looking at the miravel 200s but it’s only listed at 105 for 4 pound power pro I believe.

4 minutes ago, Brycecover said:

What shallow spool reels do you have and how much 10 pound braid can you get on them? Originally I was looking at the miravel 200s but it’s only listed at 105 for 4 pound power pro I believe.

Maybe it’s saying 4 pound equivalent diameter? 

I believe that generally you get what you pay for, with that said all reels need proper maintenance for longer life and more satisfying use. High quality reels that have been properly designed, will give you much longer life and incentive to maintain them. 

2 hours ago, Brycecover said:

What shallow spool reels do you have and how much 10 pound braid can you get on them? Originally I was looking at the miravel 200s but it’s only listed at 105 for 4 pound power pro I believe.

 

The 2500S Miravel holds 140 yards of 5 lbs Power Pro and 85 yards of 10 lbs Power Pro. So, 10 lbs Power Pro is about a 62% capacity reduction from the capacity of 5 lbs Power Pro. Apply that to the 2000S, and 62% of the 90 yards of 5 lbs Power Pro that the 2000S will hold comes out to 55.8 yards, which is 167 feet.

4 hours ago, Brycecover said:

What shallow spool reels do you have and how much 10 pound braid can you get on them? Originally I was looking at the miravel 200s but it’s only listed at 105 for 4 pound power pro I believe.

Maybe it’s saying 4 pound equivalent diameter? 

 

I can tell you that a 1000 sized reel holds more than enough 6 lb mono for bass fishing.  The spool diameter is a little small and the stem is too short for my hands to be comfortable, but I could take my 1000 that's downstairs right now and fish it with no problems.  A 2k sized reel holds plenty, especially if you're going with braid.

Fin’s Spin5 is a small diameter braid per lb test; 10 lb is .004 dia. and strong line.

Line capacity is based on spool circumference, width and depth. 
Spinning sizes are not equal between brands and capacity is usually calculated at maximum full spool something I suggest you never do!

Tom

5 hours ago, casts_by_fly said:

 

I can tell you that a 1000 sized reel holds more than enough 6 lb mono for bass fishing.  The spool diameter is a little small and the stem is too short for my hands to be comfortable, but I could take my 1000 that's downstairs right now and fish it with no problems.  A 2k sized reel holds plenty, especially if you're going with braid.

I think I’m going to get the ultegra c2500shg. Should hold the perfect amount for 10-15 pound braid and be a little cheaper than a stradic. Haven’t heard about issues with the ci4+ frame

On 6/2/2025 at 6:44 PM, Big Hands said:

JDM 25 Ultegra C2000SHG or C2500SHG for about $122 plus shipping. The Procyon is also a solid deal at $110.

Would you go with the c2500shg or the regular 2500shg? The c version seems to be smaller and lighter with a smaller handle, but will the smaller spool that it has reduce casting distance? 

The nicest spinning reel I've owned, or used, is a Bass Pro Shops Pro Qualifier 2. I like it better than all my buddies reels including a Pfluger President. I've not messed with really high end stuff, but I am completely satisfied with the PQ2.

5 hours ago, Brycecover said:

Would you go with the c2500shg or the regular 2500shg? The c version seems to be smaller and lighter with a smaller handle, but will the smaller spool that it has reduce casting distance? 

The c2500 is the body size of a 2000 with a 2500 spool IIRC. At that point, it would be about the balance. I like the lightest rig that doesn’t feel unbalanced. Half an ounce is noticeable but not generally a deal breaker. An ounce might have me questioning whether or not I should consider a different reel. Maybe. If I had to roll the dice and wanted the 2500 spool size, I would be inclined to go with the c2500. 
 

I can interchange spools 🧵 n several of my Daiwa reels between 2000 and 2500. The arbor diameters are the same, but the skirts on the 2500 spools are just a tiny bit larger. But they will still function on the 2000 size reels, that’s how close they are in terms of size.