10 Best Fishing Reels (Review) In 2020

KastKing’s tagline is ‘affordable innovation’. That pretty much sets the tone for what this company’s all about. We’ve actually included a few of their reels in this list, but we had to choose the KastKing Royale Legend as our Best Choice product. For a start, the fact that you can get a baitcasting fishing reel for this kind of price is nothing short of amazing. How do they even make money on these things!?

The first thing you’ll notice when you open the box is the way it looks. The super-sleek design makes this reel look like it would cost hundreds of dollars. The body is made out of high-quality materials and it has a stainless-steel handle that’s padded in non-slip foam to make sure you never miss a catch. It can handle 17.5lb of fish and has a quick 7.0:1 brass gear ratio that is virtually silent when you reel it in.

The thing about KastKing is that they only came onto the market a few years ago and people didn’t really expect much. Most people wouldn’t feel comfortable going out and fishing for big fish with a $20 reel. Until now. They have an amazing video on YouTube called “What Did You Expect For $20?” which makes you think it’s going to be a pretty stinking review. Then, the fisherman goes on to catch about four large fish, including a beautiful rainbow trout. It’s a great advertisement because it really shows that this reel can handle just about anything you can throw at it.

Amazingly, Centron 3000 has a stopping power of 17.5lbs, the same as the KastKing Royale Legend. This is partnered with a hardened main shaft, a mesh drive gear, and a precision machined pinion gear that gives you a whole lot of fighting power against those fish. It’s also pretty lightweight for a spinning reel, weighing only 9.1 ounces. That’s thanks to the narrow, graphite frame design, which also makes it look pretty cool.

Sharky III is the last KastKing to be featured on this list, but it’s by no means the least. In fact, it’s by far the most heavy-duty of the three KastKing reels. It has a whopping capacity of 39.5lbs, perfect for going after those larger game fish. As they say in their product description, it’s a “real versatile warrior that can handle any monster from river to the ocean.” The Sharky 3 could be the perfect reel for you if you’re going after monsters.

With this reel, KastKing has had the luxury of experience. This is the 3rd-generation Sharky reel, which means they’ve had a couple of years to really improve the design. That improvement comes in the shape of a triple disc carbon-fiber drag, an oversized main shaft, and a stronger manganese brass pinion gears to give you plenty of power against those monster fish. Plus, everything’s been sealed with K.I.S.S., which is KastKing’s water-resistant design that helps keep water and dirt out. That also means it’s suitable for both freshwater and saltwater fishing. A huge plus if you like to mix it up from time to time.

The Penn Squall Level Wind is the successor to the popular GT series from Penn. The GT reels have been around forever and have always been thought of as one of the best trolling reels around. So, you can expect that this one is even better. Trolling reels are designed to be used whilst on a moving boat and can be used to catch some absolute monster fish. The 30LW, which is the reel we’re looking at, has a weight capacity of 30lbs and a can handle a 370yd line. That gives you plenty of scope to go out searching for huge fish in saltwater conditions.

The frame and side plates are made from graphite to keep it lightweight, whereas the main gear is made from marine-grade bronze alloy. The quality of this reel is one of the first things you’ll notice, it’s in a different class to most of the reels on this list. But then again, you have to pay for that sort of quality. At nearly $130, it’s one of the most expensive fishing reels around and was a strong contender to be our Premium Choice product (narrowly missing out to the Shimano Stradic HG). 

Daiwa isn’t the best-known fishing gear company around, but they’ve been making reels since 1955, so they know what they’re doing. The Daiwa BG is their flagship saltwater spinning reel and it’s one of the best around. There’s a whole range of sizes from 1500 – 8000, so when you’re buying one, you’re really going to have to know what you’re looking for.

All of the BG reels come in a black, anodized, machined aluminum housing. Not only does this make the reel look fantastic, but it is pretty much scratch proof. There’s nothing worse than buying a brand-new reel and scratching it as soon as you get it out of the box, but that’s not going to be a problem here.

The Okuma Ceymar range is one of the most comprehensive groups of spinning reels around. The C-10, which we’re focusing on in this review, is a lightweight reel perfect for fishing trout, sunfish, small perch, and plenty of other great small fish. It’s got a capacity of 110yd/4lb, which means it needs to be paired with an ultra-lightweight fishing rod for maximum effect. This will give you a fantastic set up that won’t overpower the fish you’re trying to catch.

The corrosion-resistant body design means it’s suitable for both freshwater and saltwater fishing, but, due to the size, this is definitely more geared towards freshwater. It has a fantastic 8-bearing drive system and elliptical gearing setup, which is what provides such a smooth performance.

Shimano is probably best known for making bicycle components, but they use that technology to make some of the best fishing reels around. The Stradic has been around for a while now and has gained a huge amount of popularity with both amateur and professional fishermen. We chose it as our Premium Choice because it’s one of the best spinning reels on the market. Spinning reels tend to be cheaper than their baitcasting and trolling counterparts, but this one comes in at well over $100, so you’re going to have to be pretty serious about your fishing if you’re considering one.

They come in sizes from 1000 to 5000, with the larger models asking an even bigger price. But you get some serious reel technology for that. It has a Hagane gear and body, which makes it tough and extremely consistent. Then, you’ve got the Dyna-balance rotor and Fluidrive II system, that give an unbelievably smooth casting and retrieval. This, coupled with Shimano’s amazing construction, makes this the smoothest, most durable, and most reliable spinning reel on this list. If you are fishing at night, check out our guide to the best underwater fishing lights.

Our Best Value product in this list had to be the Zebco 33 Authentic Spincast Reel. At less than $20, it really can’t be beaten on value even by the KastKing reels. However, it’s worth mentioning that this reel isn’t suitable for monster fish. It’s really designed for small bait, small fish, and even small fishermen. There aren’t many bad Amazon reviews for this product, but the ones you find are generally people trying to use this reel for something it wasn’t designed to do.

It has a surprisingly durable all-metal body that holds the gearing. With a gear ratio of 4.1:1, it’s going to take a little while to pull those fish in, but the action is smooth and it’s relatively easy to use. The line comes pre-spooled and has a capacity of 10lbs. This is an excellent spincast reel to get started with. If you’re a serious angler looking to catch some impressive fish this isn’t for you, but it’s a great option if you’re just getting into fishing or if you want to try and get your kids out there.

If you’re specifically looking for a spincast reel, but want something a little more heavy-duty, then the Pflueger President is an excellent option. Spincast reels had a reputation for a long time of being nothing more than kid’s toys, but advances in technology mean that they’re now a genuine option for serious fishermen. They’re so easy to use that they make fishing an absolute joy, the only problem is that they’re not particularly durable. Well, most of them aren’t. The Pflueger President, with its aluminum frame and dual titanium pins, is the exception.

This model has a gear ratio of 3.8:1, which is a little faster than the smaller options, but not going to win any awards for speed. Having said that, it’s not particularly slow either and the retrieval is pretty smooth and quiet. The soft-grip rubber knob makes reeling in nice and comfortable and the aluminum parts keep the weight down to an acceptable 11.2 ounces. It’s definitely more heavy-duty than the Zebco spincast reel, but it’s still no good for fishing big game. We’d highly recommend it for beginners and kids. So put on your fishing shoes and hit the road!

Now, back to a fishing reel with a bit more muscle. The Burning Shark Trolling Reel is designed with ocean fishing in mind. You can be targeting groupers, sea bass, and salmon and have some power to spare. It’s got a line capacity of 430yds/20lbs or 320yds/25lbs, which makes it perfect for deep-sea fishing.

Everything about the construction is high-quality and is made out of either aluminum or stainless steel. Even the handle is made out of metal and not rubber like most reels, which is really a matter of preference because it could become slippery if it gets wet. The CNC aluminum spool gives a pretty smooth casting and retrieval that you can barely hear.