Best Spinning Reel For Bass
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Introduction
This article is all about the best spinning reel for bass. One common question that comes up among anglers is why are spinning reels great?
The simple answer to that questions is because they are incredibly versatile.
Spinning reels are great for jigging or drop shotting and many other techniques to catch bass and other fish. Using a spinning reel is super easy too, this means it is a great reel for beginners or pros alike, oh and don’t forget that spinning reels are great for pretty much any body of water too.
Ultimately, if you are looking for the best spinning reel for bass, then make sure you read on. If you just want the quick and dirty summary, then be sure to check out the summary table below.
Hope this article can help you choose the absolute best spinning reel for bass!
Comparison Table
Table could not be displayed.#1 Abu Garcia Revo Sx Spinning Reel
This is hands down one of the best spinning reels for bass fishing. This is a subsequent model to previous reels, it has a better gear ratio than previous models. The gear ratio of 6.2:1 means that for each time you crank the handle, it will rotate the gears inside 6.2 times. The higher the ratio the less you have to reel, and also the quicker the hook will set.
The fact that this has 9 bearings in it means that you will have a super smooth reeling experience with this reel. Also, these are corrosion resistant stainless steel bearings, so you won’t have to worry about them breaking down and the reel needing to be replaced quickly.
This reel can come in 8 or 10 pound drag, meaning your bass will feel between 8 to 10 lbs of resistance when it tries to pull away from you.
Key Features
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Bottom Line
This is hands down one of the best spinning reels for bass out there. This reel has the appropriate gear ratio and drag setting so that you can hook that bass quick and when it fights back, there is enough resistance on the drag to prevent it from fighting too hard.
Another great thing about this spinning reel is that the bearings are made of stainless steel. This will decrease the likelihood that those bearings will break down, essentially meaning the life of the reel is extended, and you don’t need to buy a new reel.
#2 Pflueger Supreme XT Spinning Fishing Reel
The Pflueger XT spinning reel is a great option in terms of a spinning reel for bass. The gear ratio in this spinning reel is a great ratio. The ratio of 6.2:1 means you won’t have to crank that handle around a ton to reel your bass in. Also, the more bearings there are in the reel itself, the smoother it will function, once again making it so you can reel in that bass quicker and more efficiently.
This spinning reel makes casting lightweight bait and doing things like drop shotting a breeze. The reel itself is so smooth, that finesse casting maneuvers like this.
The magnesium body and rotor are what make this reel so lightweight and still strong/durable.
Key Features
Pros
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Bottom Line
Overall this is a great spinning reel for bass. If you do a lot of drop shotting or other techniques that require fine skills. When it comes to considering the ultimate value comparison of a fishing reel to its features, this reel is hands down the best value. Price vs. features the Pflueger is a fantastic option.
#3 Shimano Ultegra 2500
When it comes to the best spinning reels for bass fishing Shimano needs to be discussed, as it is one of the biggest names in the fishing reel business.
The Hagane Gear concept is something that is unique to Shimano. Essentially it is a metal manufacturing process that makes the gears inside incredibly strong and smooth as can be. You can check out more on the topic here.
This reel has a fairly good gear ratio of 5.0:1, meaning you won’t have to crank the handle too much to get that bass into your boat.
The drag on this reel is adjustable up to 20lbs of drag, meaning that if that bass fights back and tries to pull away from you it will experience 20lbs of resistance without any effort by you.
Overall the Shimano is one of the best spinning reels for bass hands down.
Key Features
Pros
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Bottom Line
Shimano Ultegra 2500: Best Drag
This is a great reel, especially when it comes to bass fishing. When you compare this to some of the other spinning reels mentioned above, it falls short in the gear ratio and number of bearings. Shimano has a great technology with the hagane gear concept that makes this reel nearly as smooth as the others with more bearings.
If you are looking for the best spinning reel for bass, then this is one you should consider. IT has a ton of great features and the Shimano name is huge in the reel world.
#4 Daiwa Bg Spinning Reel
The Daiwa Bg Spinning Reel is a great option for bass fishing. The gear ratio on this reel is pretty decent at 5.6:1 meaning you don’t have to just crank and crank to get that fish into your boat/shore. Also, the drag on this reel isn’t quite as much as the shimano mentioned above, but at 15.4 lb of drag resistance you won’t have to fight so much to keep your edge on the fish you hooked.
The drag means that the fish on the other end of the line will experience 15.4lb of resistance when it tried to swim away from you.
The solid construction of this reel includes only a few plastic parts to the reel, but this aren’t in weight resistance parts, they are more aesthetic parts, like the casing for the bearings. Overall if you are looking for a great reel that is smooth, great for fishing mid sized fish, and will last for years and years, then this is a great reel for you.
Key Features
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Daiwa Bg Spinning Reel: Most durable
When you are looking for the best spinning reel for bass, it is so important to look for the best one for you! What kind of fishing do you plan on doing? Open water, shore, or any other kind? What size fish will you be chasing?
This reel is a fantastic option for the mid to large sized fish (not sharks…). The Daiwa Spinning reel will last for a long time due to its solid construction. The gear ratio is good enough to make reeling simple and effortless, also with 7 bearings total, it is a fairly smooth reeling experience.
The combination of the anti reverse system with drag up to 15.4 lbs means that fish can’t make you work too hard to land them.
#5 Shimano Stradic Spinning Reel
The Shimano brand of fishing reels is a fantastic reel. These are easily among the best spinning reels for bass. This reel is unique in the fact that it has a full metal Hagane body, the hagane material is unique to the Shimano brand. This is a strong and durable metal material.
All models of this reel have 7 total bearings in them, meaning they are really smooth when reeling them. Also, the gear ratio is right in line with what the majority of the high dollar reels are, it averaged a 6.0:1-6.4:1 ratio, which is great for reeling in those big bass/fish.
Key Features
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Bottom Line
Shimano Stradic: The upgrade reel
When you are looking for the best spinning reel for bass you want to be sure you find one that has high drag, good gear ratio, and will last for atleast a few years.
This reel has all of that. The metal hagane body will ensure that the reel doesn’t break down easily and will last at least a few years for you. When fishing for a powerful fish such as bass or really any other fish, you want a reel that has some decent drag to it, with the higher models of this reel having a drag weight of 24 lb, those fish don’t stand a chance at pulling away from you.
This is an expensive reel compared to some of the others, that is why it is listed as the “Upgrade Reel”.
#6 Daiwa Tatula
The Daiwa Tatula series of reels is a fantastic set up. The 6.2:1 gear ratio of these reels is right in the range you want it to be. Any reel that has a gear ratio near 6.0:1 means that reeling in your monsters will be so much easier.
Also, the 7 bearing system of this reel makes for smooth reeling, so you can land that whopper even easier. Another must have when it comes to spinning reels for bass (or any other fish) is a good amount of drag. This prevents the fish from being able to pull back too hard, and if they are pulling back hard then they will get fatigued easier the higher the drag is.
This reel has up to 22lb of drag, depending on the model.
One of the most notable things about this set up is just how lightweight the reel is.
Key Features
Pros
Cons
Bottom Line
This reel has a lot of great features. We have already touched on most of them in terms of the amount of bearings (the more the better) and the gear ratio. Putting this reel into an overall recommendation is that it provides the best value out there.
The trouble you will run into with this reel is the “cheap feel” that so many people have mentioned. The majority of the reel is made of plastic and it comes from manufacturing places out of China, which means great production but the overall construction could be cheaper.
This is a great reel and one of the best spinning reels for bass. Just recognize that it isn’t the solid construction that others are, but that is why it is so lightweight.
How to Choose the Best Spinning Reel for Bass
Construction
This is one of the most important features with it comes to finding the best spinning reel for bass. What the reel is made of determines how long it will last, how solid it is, and how easy it can break.
Most reels are going to be made of a composite of materials that is primarily graphite, metal, or aluminum. When thinking about what you want, know that metal is stronger, but just as our cars frames rust the metal reels will rust and corrode as well. Aluminum and graphite typically doesn’t corrode as easily as solid metal.
Things that will cause corrosion
- Saltwater
- Humidity
When it comes to sturdiness, the metal and aluminum reels will be more durable and sturdy, but they are also more pricy that the graphite composite reels, and the graphite composite reels are generally “cheaper” feeling.
Overall, the best way to choose the construction you want is to determine what is most important to you. Is it durability, is it price, or is it if the reel will corrode?
Drag System
The drag system is so important for bigger angrier fish, especially if you can’t/won’t reel them in right away. This creates resistance for the fish to pull against and prevents them from pulling all your line out too easily and it also wears them out.
Grad systems also affect your casting. A good drag system makes casting easier because you can adjust the drag and lighten it up for your casts.
Spool
The spool is an important part of the reel. The spool affects casting, reeling, line capacity and overall effectiveness of the reel. Spools are the same size as the reel in general, meaning if you get a small reel then you get a small spool. Which, small to medium reels are good choices for most bass fishing.
Line Capacity
When it comes to line capacity there are typically two numbers that show up. The first number is the pound test and the second is the length. So for example, 20 200. This means that the reel can handle lines up to 20 lbs test and that it is 200 yards in length.
Weight
The weight of the reel matters a lot. If the reel is too heavy it can wear you out and even throw off your casting throughout the day.
Especially if the reel is not the corresponding weight to the rod. If the reel is super heavy, but the rod is light, then this will definitely affect your casting abilities, and not to mention wear out your shoulders and arms.
Gear Ratio
Gear ratio is represented by two numbers, such as 6.2:1. This means that for every 1 time you turn the handle, the spool spins completely 6.2 times.
A good middle of the road ratio is right around the 6:1 area, if you are into more finessed type fishing with a ton of drop shotting then you may want a higher gear ratio.
Other Related Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best type of reel for bass fishing?
Really there are a ton of different reels out there, but when it comes to reels for bass fishing, spinning reels are great for bass fishing and will do everything that you want them to do.
Everyone loves to compare baitcaster reels to spinning reels. The main difference between these two reels is simply the skill required to operate them. The baitcaster reel requires more skill, but is incredibly accurate in its casting abilities, if you know how to use it right.
The spinning reel is a fantastic and easy to operate reel.
Can you use a spinning reel for bass?
Absolutely! This is a common question that people ask, and it is a super easy reel to operate and one that you should definitely be using for bass fishing.
Are all spinning reels reversible?
To say that all of them are would be difficult, but the majority of spinning reels are reversible in terms of being able to put the handle on each side of the reel and use it either right or left handed.
Should your reel be on the left or right side?
Are you right or left handed? This is a very common question, and if you are right handed then put the handle on the right side of the rod, if you are left handed put the handle on the left side of the rod. Use your dominate hand to reel and you other hand to hold the rod.
What is anti-reverse on a spinning reel?
This is a feature that essentially allows you to reel in reverse. This is helpful when fighting a fish and you don’t want to just rely on drag.
Are more ball bearings on a reel better?
The more bearings there are on a reel, the smoother it will perform. Some will argue that you should purchase a reel that has the most bearings that you can afford. If the reel has in the neighborhood of 6-8 bearings then it will run smooth.
A key thing about bearings is that they should be made out of a material such as stainless steel. If they are made of anything else they run the risk of corroding and wearing out sooner then they should.
Does the reel go on top or bottom?
The reel typically goes on the bottom. The body and foot of the reel are designed for the reel to be hung from, not necessarily supported by.
Also the body and foot are a great point of leverage for you to wrap your fingers around and solidify your hold onto the rod.
Conclusion
When it comes to finding the best spinning reel for bass, it really is about looking at all the options out there in terms of features and figuring out which ones are most important to you. It you want a super durable and rugged reel, then avoid one made primarily from plastic. If you want a super smooth reel when you are reeling in those monster fish, then make sure it has more bearings.
All in all the majority of spinning reels in the $150 price range are going to be high quality, and the difference between them is really about the few extra things you want. Want it to be lighter, then get one with less metal in it. Don’t ever want to buy a reel again, then make sure it is all metal.
Anyways, I think you get the point.
I hope this article can help you land those fish easier by finding the absolute best spinning reel for bass!
Good luck
Sean
