The Best Fishing Reel Brands and Most Popular Models

best fishing reel brands

Are you looking for the best fishing reel brands?

We’ve got you covered. From Abu Garcia to Zebco, we have all of the information you need on some of the most popular fishing reels in one place. We’ve listed the most popular reels from each brand and provide a brief history for each. Check out our list here.

  1. PENN
  2. Shimano
  3. Daiwa
  4. Plfueger
  5. Abu Garcia
  6. Okuma
  7. LEW’S
  8. Zebco
  9. Quantum
  10. KastKing
  11. Piscifun
  12. 13 Fishing
  13. Cadence

Best Fishing Reels Brands Broken Down

Penn Fishing Breakdown

best fishing reel brands

Penn Fishing was founded in 1932 by Otto Henze and has since been a leader in the fishing community. To this day they continue to innovate and set the bar when it comes to quality and performance.

Penn has always been focused on saltwater fishing reels and is known as the leader for conventional offshore reels. They manufacture over 200 different models that are in the top of their respective classes.

Penn reels are used by the most trusted captains in the saltwater fishing community including Nick Stanczyk, a young swordfishing legend.

Penn’s most popular fishing reels include the Battle ll Spinning Reel and the Squall ll Conventional Reel.

Best For Saltwater
PENN Battle II 4000 Spinning Reel
$203.00

It takes a special kind of spinning reel to handle the rigors of saltwater fishing, and the Battle II 4000 Spinning Reel is up to the task. Its exceptional durability and corrosion resistance makes it one of the best spinning reels for saltwater anglers. 

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03/14/2024 07:13 pm GMT

Shimano Fishing Breakdown

best fishing reel brands

Shimano is one of the leaders when it comes to quality and innovative technology. Shimano was founded in 1927 and is headquartered out of Japan.

They didn’t always produce fishing gear, in fact they started off a bicycle parts manufacturer. Founder, Shozaburo Shimano has always aimed to produce the best product classes in the world whether used for fishing, biking, or even rowing.

They are most well known for their top of the line fishing reels like the Shimano Baitrunner Spinning Reel, Shimano Curado Baitcaster, and the Tiagra conventional reel.

Shimano Baitrunner D Spinning Reel
$209.99 $195.49


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03/10/2024 05:32 pm GMT
Shimano Tiagra Reels
$769.99


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03/15/2024 12:09 am GMT

Daiwa Fishing Breakdown

best fishing reel brands

Daiwa is a Japanese company that was founded in 1945. They are best known for their fishing reels which are used all over the world by fisherman of all levels.

Their products known to be a value because of how affordable they are and reliable. From pros to beginners you can count on Daiwa to provide you with a long lasting product.

Their most popular reels include the Daiwa BG2000 Spinning Reel, and the Saltist Conventional Fishing Reel.

Plfueger Fishing Breakdown

best fishing reel brands

Pflueger has been creating top of the line fishing gear for over a century. They’ve been designing products that are known for their strength, durability, and dependability.

Pflueger is one of the most recognized brands in fishing because they have featured prominently on TV. Their fishing reels were used by Bobby Brewer on his popular show Deadliest Catch to land the largest halibut caught during season two.

Many fisherman have credited Pflueger fishing reels for being a major factor in their success. Some of the most popular products from Pflueger include the Trion Spinning Reel, and The President Spincast Reel.

Pflueger Trion Spinning Reel
$49.99 $41.98


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03/12/2024 10:26 pm GMT

Abu Garcia Fishing Breakdown

best fishing reel brands

Abu Garcia is a Swedish company that was founded in 1921 and is headquartered out of Sweden. Abu Garcia was originally a subsidiary of a larger company called Mechan-schneider, but was later bought by Brunswick Corporation which is now owned by Pure Fishing.

Abu Garcia produces both high-quality fishing reels for freshwater use and saltwater fishing. They are best known for their top of the line reels like the Abu Garcia Revo X Baitcasting Reels, and their Ambassadeur Conventional Reel.

Okuma Fishing Breakdown

best fishing reel brands

Okuma is a Japanese based company that is most well known for their high quality CNC machines and machinery. They were founded in 1918 and make all sorts of products including fishing supplies.

Okuma is most well known for their spinning reels and other fishing gear used to catch a variety of different species. Their spinning reels include the Okuma Ceymar and Avenger Spinning Reels.

Okuma Ceymar Spinning Reel
$49.99 $38.95


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03/11/2024 12:43 am GMT

Lew’s Fishing Breakdown

best fishing reel brands

Lew’s is an American company that was originally founded in 1983 by Lew Milward. Its headquarters are based out of Clearwater, Florida.

Many people have credited Lew’s fishing reels with being one of the best reels they’ve ever used due to their smoothness, durability, and reliability. Some of the most popular products from Lew’s include the Lew’s Customer Pro Speed Spinning Reel and BB1 Baitcasting Reels.

Zebco Fishing Breakdown

best fishing reel brands

Zebco is an American company that was founded in 1949. Their primary focus has always been producing quality fishing reels at very affordable prices.

They are best known for their Zebco 202 Spincast Reel, which is one of the most popular spincast reels on the market today. They also create fishing gear like rod & reels combos for kids.

The most well known Zebco reel and the apparently the best selling fishing reel of all time is the classic and dependable Zebco 33 Spincast Reel.

Zebco 33 Gold Spincast Reel
$39.95

The convenient lever allows easy one-handed casting, and some argue, better target accuracy than the button variety of spincast reels.

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03/12/2024 08:59 pm GMT

Quantum Fishing Breakdown

best fishing reel brands

Quantum was founded in 1984 under the Zebco Europe brand but is now along with Zebco owned by Rather Outdoors.

Rather also owns Lew’s, Strike King Lures, Salmo and Fox fishing companies.

Quantum is well known for their high quality fishing reels and other products used by fisherman around the world.

Our favorite and recommended reel is the Quantum Smoke Carbon Baitcast Reel.

Quantum Smoke Baitcast Reel
4.5
$179.95
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03/14/2024 11:24 pm GMT

Kastking Fishing Breakdown

best fishing reel brands

Kastking is an American company that was founded back in 2014 out of garage in Long Island, NY and is under the parent company of Eposiden together along sister brands MadBite which handles fishing tools and accessory items), Extremus which creates outdoors products primarily designed

There’s one product they sold out their Long Island garage: eposedion superpower braid fishing line! It became very popular with fishermen all over America who wanted an assurance when fighting bigger fish than ever before or just simply for sport because this stuff works no matter what size your catch might be.

One of the more popular KastKing reels is the newly released KastKing Spartacus ll.

Piscifun Fishing Breakdown

best fishing reel brands

Piscifun is dedicated to providing high-quality fishing gear at an affordable price. The company slogan, “Fish with Family” shows that they believe in this cause by working together as family themselves!

Pisci means fish. Piscifun, Fishing Is Fun! Not only do they have a slogan for their company name but it’s also the meaning behind what they sell-fishing equipment and supplies with prices designed so everyone can afford high quality gear without breaking their bank account or going short on essentials just because of this hobby we all love so much!

Piscifun offers sealed stainless steel bearings over bushings for added durability and control which helps cut down on circulation costs so everyone can enjoy the sport more easily suited their needs–no matter what type of fisherman you are or how much money you have budgeted into purchasing equipment.

The two fishing reels from Piscifun that we recommend are the Viper X Spinning Reel and the Chaos.

Piscifun Viper X Spinning Reel
$29.99 $27.99


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03/13/2024 06:10 am GMT

13 Fishing Breakdown

best fishing reel brands

13 Fishing is a relatively new company in the fishing supplies industry. They have many different kinds of reels and rods designed to catch various kinds of fish.

Some of their most popular products include the 13 Fishing Concept TX2 Casting Reel and the 13 Creed GT Spinning Reel.

Cadence Fishing Breakdown

best fishing reel brands

Cadence is an American fishing company that was founded in 2004 by David Mullen.

They focus on producing high-quality fishing reels for both fresh and saltwater use. Their best known products are their spinning reels, like the Cadence Stout Saltwater and Elate Spinning Reels.

You may be starting to wonder what about fly reels? Don’t worry, we didn’t forget about you fly fishermen out there. There is no surprise when it comes to fly reels who the leader of the pack is. Orvis.

Orvis Fishing Breakdown

The founder, Charles F. Orvis was an avid fly-fisherman who founded the company in 1856 with one goal: customer satisfaction and service at all times!

They are the world leader in fly fishing, but their offerings go beyond that. They have sportswear for men and women, luggage, travel accessories, and much more.

Orvis has fly reels and gear for beginners and pros alike. For beginners, the Clearwater Fly Rod is the way to go.

Orvis even offers fly fishing schools around the world! From Belize to Alaska, they provide guided instruction in some of the most serene environments in the world.

Orvis Clearwater Fly Rod Combo

his combo has composite tips on the rods to provide durability and features blanks that are black chrome with white highlights. 

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Best Fishing Reel Brands Summary

No matter which reel you end up going with, the brands we have listed here are all making a name for themselves by manufacturing quality products that they stand behind with trustworthy customer service.

With any of these fishing reels, you’ll be able to enjoy your fishing experience while knowing you have one of the best reels from a top fishing reel brand in your hands! Whether you’re just starting out or are an experienced angler that needs a new reel, our list has something for everyone.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which reel has the most drag?

The reel that provides the most drag is the Shimano Stella 20000 SW which has a maximum drag of 55 lbs. The Shimano Stella 20000 SW is a great overall reel that has lots of power and strength to reel in fish you only dream of.

What is the best selling fishing reel of all time?

The most popular fishing reel of all time goes to the Zebco 33. This classic spincast reel has been around since 1954 and according to Zebco has been sold over 40 million times.

What is the best fishing reel under 50 dollars?

In our opinion, the best budget friendly reel for a fisherman of any age is the Piscifun Fishing Spinning Reel. It’s a spinning reel, which means it can be used for both saltwater and freshwater fishing, so you don’t have to buy different reels depending on what you’re going after. It’s also a great value for the price!

What is the best affordable baitcasting reel?

The best budget-friendly baitcasting reels we found were the 13 Fishing Concept A Casting Reel and the Zebco Omega ZO3PRO. Both of these reels have a lot of power to haul in fish of all sizes with up to 22 pounds of drag pressure.

What is the best fishing reel for under 200 dollars?

The best reels for under 200 are Shimano’s Twin Power Baitcasting Reels, which have a lot of power and tons of features in an affordable package. They are used by both beginners and expert anglers because they are dependable, reliable, high-quality reels for a great price!

Conclusion

best fishing reel brands

No matter which fishing reel brand you end up going with, the best fishing reels brands are all on our list. All of their products are high-quality and affordably priced so that every fisherman can enjoy his or her time on the water!

If you enjoyed this article, we’ve got plenty more just like it for your viewing pleasure. Check out the category pages below to find all of our articles on fishing rods and reels.

Captain Tyler Brady

Captain Tyler Brady

Hi, I'm Captain Tyler Brady, founder of A Fellow Fisherman. Thank you for reading this post and visiting my site. I strive to provide the best information when it comes to fishing, whether it is myself or A Fellow Fisherman that is part of my team. Now stop reading and GO fishing!

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