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Choosing a spinning reel for bass can be overwhelming. There have never been more high-quality, affordable, and reliable spinning reels for the freshwater angler than there are today. There are literally dozens of choices that range from about $20 all the way up to nearly $1000, with a reel at almost every $10 increment! However, before you begin sorting through all your options, there are a number of factors you should consider. I’ll break them down here and offer some picks for the best spinning reel for bass at every budget.
Best Overall: Daiwa Exceler
Best for the Money: Shimano Sienna
Best Budget Combo: Daiwa Revros Spinning Combo
Best Premium Combo: Abu Garcia Veritas Spinning Combo
Best Overall: Daiwa Exceler
Specs
Construction and Build: Carbon-based composite body, aluminum handle, aluminum spool
Drag, Gear Ratio, and Weight for 2500 size: 22 lbs, 5.3:1, 7.5 oz
Bearings: 5+1
Pros
Very lightweight body with tight tolerances
Rugged and stiff construction, strong handle
Easily adjusted drag knob and thick, strong bail wire
High line capacity at all sizes
Cons
None at this price
Of all the best Daiwa reels, the Exceler is a great option for a variety of fishing techniques. It is extremely smooth (one of the smoothest I’ve ever tested, at any price) while also remaining rugged and strong. The thing that really caught my eye is how light the Exceler is. Despite impressive line capacity and high drag-ratings, the “LT” (light and tough) body undercuts other reels at this price point in terms of ounces on the scale. You really notice this first when you pick up the reel; it’s just so light! The line-lay on this reel is excellent (as with all Daiwas), which keeps tangles down and likely helps in casting distance. Daiwa has an excellent reputation for reliability, and the Exceler is even popular for light saltwater use across the world, which speaks volumes for how tough it is. The Exceler provides at least 90% of the performance of even the very best reels, most expensive reels, and is all most anglers will ever need.
Of all the review articles I’ve written (across a variety of topics) this was the hardest pick for me to make to date. There are just so many fantastic spinning reels out there between $50 and $150, and it was very hard to choose. However, I have found that Daiwa and Shimano make the best moderately priced spinning reels for freshwater, and at this price point, it really is a toss-up between the Daiwa Exceler and Legalis, and the Shimano Sedona and Sahara. Ultimately, when comparing these four models, I think the Daiwa Exceler is the best option for most anglers. It has more drag, more line capacity and is lighter weight than the Shimano’s, and a slightly better design overall than the Legalis. If you’re not a fan of Daiwa or Shimano, the Abu Garcia Revo X is your next best bet- but it’s going to cost you an extra 50%, or $40 extra- but it is also a dynamite, top-performing reel.
Best for the Money: Shimano Sienna
Specs
Construction and Build: Composite body, plastic handle, aluminum spool
Drag, Gear Ratio, and Weight for 2500 size: 9 lbs, 6.2:1, 8.8 oz
Bearings: 3+1
Pros
For the price, there is no reel as smooth, precise, or reliable
Infinite anti-reverse and highly adjustable drag
Capable of handling the largest freshwater species
Available in sizes from 500 to 4000
Cons
Handle could be stronger
Bail wire and design lacks some refinement and strength
Shimano reels are in this article a lot, because it’s hard to argue with their excellent craftsmanship and reliability. However, they aren’t typically known for budget offerings. That’s a shame, because for around $30, the Sienna is a phenomenal reel that is light weight, strong, and incredibly smooth. The anti-reverse is instant and infinite, and I’ve had good luck with the bail not flipping close when I go to make a hard, long cast. I have fished my Sienna reels with both braid and monofilament, and they work well with both. The drag is smooth and doesn’t stick, and is easy to adjust in small increments. I fish this reel very hard, and it’s been dunked underwater many times, dropped on the pavement, even flew off the top of my car on a 50-mph road. It certainly doesn’t feel as good as it did when I first bought it, but I’m still fishing with it. Just last year it landed a largemouth in excess of 8-pounds and a bunch of smallmouths over 4-pounds. It’s a dynamite budget reel!
However, there are a ton of great alternatives, too. For the same price, the Daiwa Crossfire LT is a bit heavier and has fewer bearings, but also has a nicer bail wire, drag knob, and a good handle. I also really liked the Quantum Drive from my limited testing, as it was very smooth with nine bearings, and had a nice chunky bail wire, easily adjusted drag knob, and compact frame. For just a little bit more money, the Daiwa Revros LT is a high-quality reel that overall is just more solid, smoother, and stronger than the Sienna, and is your best bet at the $50 price point. For just a little bit more than that, the Pflueger President is a legendary reel that many anglers absolutely love, and has been around for many decades.
Best Budget Combo: Daiwa Revros Spinning Combo
Specs
Reel: 5 bearing system, composite body, aluminum spool and handle, 7.4-8.8 ounces (depending on size)
Rod: Graphite blank, aluminum oxide guides, split grip, 2-piece design
Pros
Daiwa matches the reel to the rod, so you don’t have to
Revros reel is dynamite, and punches above its price
The Daiwa rod is relatively comfortable with good action
An absolute bargain for a setup that will last for years
Cons
The rod, like in many combos, could be a bit more refined
If you’re not sure how to match your rod and reel together, or just don’t want to spend too much time thinking about it, getting a factory rod and reel combo is a great alternative. The Daiwa Revros combination is fantastic for bass fishing, as long as one of the rod options matches how you want to fish (in terms of lure or bait weight). For its price, the Revros reel is one of the best on the market, and it will deliver smooth, reliable function for many years if you take basic care of it. The body is strong and light, the drag is fantastic, and the handle is tough and comfortable. The rod that Daiwa provides in the combo is decent, with good action and a nice handle. I felt it was a huge step up from the rod that comes with Shimano’s Sienna combo. Is it the best rod out there? No, of course not. But it offers good performance and will help you catch plenty of fish. Whether you use the Revros as a primary, everyday rod and reel, or keep it as a back-up or loaner setup, you won’t be disappointed.
I think this combination offers incredible value, and without jumping way up in price it’s hard to beat. However, those that love the Pfleuger President reels should know that they offer a good combination for just a little bit more money than the Daiwa Revros combo. The Plfueger rod that comes with the combination is also available in more lengths, actions, and one-piece options.
Best Premium Combo: Abu Garcia Veritas Spinning Combo
Abu Garcia Veritas Spinning Combo
Specs
Reel: Abu Garcia Zata V; 11 bearing system, aluminum frame and composite body, stainless internals, 8.1-9.5 ounces (depending on size)
Rod: Abu Garcia Veritas; graphite blank, titanium alloy guides with zirconium inserts, closed cell EVA grips
Pros
A pro-level combination ready for seven-days-a-week fishing
Veritas rod is one of the best bass rods on the market
Zata reel is very strong, smooth, and has very tight tolerances
Combo is available in many options
Cons
The all-white color may not appeal to everyone
Let’s get this out of the way right from the start: I love the Abu Garcia Veritas rods, and I have for years. They are just amazing rods for the money that cast fantastic, are extremely sensitive, ultra-light weight, and provide astounding backbone. This influenced my pick substantially. However, the Zata reel that comes with the Veritas combination is a serious contender in the mid-high price point. And though it’s not quite as good as the Shimano Stradic CI4+, in my opinion, it’s also $75 less expensive! It’s a very solid reel, built around an aluminum main frame, and it simply feels more rugged in your hand than other reels at the same price (including the aforementioned Stradic CI4+).
It’s not the lightest fishing rod and reel combo we've tested, but this is the trade-off for how rugged it is. The drag is extremely adjustable, and its essentially over-kill. All sizes have 14-pounds of drag which is more than you’ll ever need fighting bass. Of course, with 11-bearings, it’s extremely smooth. If you want a professional level rod and reel combination that matches perfectly and will last you a decade of hard fishing, I think the Veritas Combination is impossible to beat, with no competitors on the market.
How We Picked the Best Spinning Reels for Bass
My choice in bass spinning reels is based on nearly 30-years of angling experience. I have personally used and tested many reels in both freshwater and saltwater settings, from models costing less than $8 to more than $900. I take my gear very seriously, and I like to geek out over reel specifications and craftsmanship. I am not brand loyal, and I am looking for the best product regardless of reputation or preconceived notions about who, or what, is “the best.” While I have been bass fishing from a boat, kayak, and from shore for nearly three-decades, I also have many contacts with professional anglers, industry professionals, top-tier tackle suppliers and retailers, and some of the very best citizen anglers alive today. These resources and my own significant experience have informed all my choices here.
I have carefully weighed the top factors I believe are most important for bass anglers across the country (and the world), to come up with my spinning reel picks. I evaluated each reel here based on the following criteria:
Build Quality and Construction: How strong, durable, and reliable is the reel? How tight are the tolerances, both out of the package, but also after a season of use? Is the reel serviceable? How will it stand up to being splashed or rained on repeatedly? What about fighting many large, powerful fish?
Reel Feel and Bearing Function: How smooth is the reel? Does it function silently? Is it comfortable to use all day on the water? Does it feel heavy in your hand, or on the rod?
Drag Quality and Performance: Is the drag smooth, with little or no start-up inertia? Can it be easily adjusted in small increments? Will it stand up to years of use, even if it gets wet?
Price and Value: Does the reel offer high quality parts at a good price? Does it out compete other reels within the same price range? If the initial price is substantial, will the reel prove to be a good investment over many seasons of use?
Performance: No matter what it says on the package, how does the reel feel and perform when you’re actually out on the water fishing?
Build Quality and Construction: How strong, durable, and reliable is the reel? How tight are the tolerances, both out of the package, but also after a season of use? Is the reel serviceable? How will it stand up to being splashed or rained on repeatedly? What about fighting many large, powerful fish?
Reel Feel and Bearing Function: How smooth is the reel? Does it function silently? Is it comfortable to use all day on the water? Does it feel heavy in your hand, or on the rod?
Drag Quality and Performance: Is the drag smooth, with little or no start-up inertia? Can it be easily adjusted in small increments? Will it stand up to years of use, even if it gets wet?
Price and Value: Does the reel offer high quality parts at a good price? Does it out compete other reels within the same price range? If the initial price is substantial, will the reel prove to be a good investment over many seasons of use?
Performance: No matter what it says on the package, how does the reel feel and perform when you’re actually out on the water fishing?
What To Consider When Choosing a Bass Spinning Reel
Size and Weight
The size of the reel will determine a few quite a few different factors, including the weight, rod balance, line retrieve, line capacity, and even casting distance. Most anglers will be happy with reels between 1000 and 3000 size, with 2000 and 2500 size reels being most popular. The weight of a reel is highly variable between brands and models and is primarily determined by the overall size and materials it is composed of. Importantly, the weight of the reel will dramatically impact how well it matches with a rod.
Budget
There are truly great bass spinning reels that start at around $30 and go all the way up to nearly $1000. As price increases, you generally get more reliable, stronger, smoother and lighter reels. However, don’t feel like you have to spend a lot- reels in the $50 to $100 range offer amazing value and long-term reliability.
Construction
There are a lot of factors to look at in terms of construction. The materials of the body and spool will dictate how rugged and stiff the reel is, as well as its weight. Don’t be afraid of reels from well-known makers with plastic or composite bodies. Plastic has come a long way and can be a very strong, durable, and relatively lightweight main material.
The internals of the reel—the gears, bushings, and bearings—are harder to investigate, so you have to do your homework. Stainless and forged gears are by far the best internals, and I do think you get what you pay for in this regard. Also, if it’s in your budget, getting a reel with a sealed body and water-resistant drag will increase its durability, especially if you’re fishing in the rain a lot.
A few other specifics I look for include a high-quality, stiff handle arm with a comfortable knob. I always investigate the bail wire and arm, to make sure they’re strong and resistant to bending or warping under pressure. Line roller design is also very important, as it’s one of the first parts to fail on many reels with heavy use or constant splashing. There should be no play, vibration, or “roughness” to the line roller, and it should have a quality bushing or bearing. I also appreciate a smooth drag, without any start-up inertia, and a solid drag knob that is easy to adjust in small increments.
Bearings
How “smooth” a reel feels is heavily influenced by the number, type, and quality of bearings found in a reel. Generally, the higher the number for bearings, the smoother a reel will feel and perform on the water. It also is just more comfortable to have a super smooth reel, and it can be addicting once you get used to it!
Retrieve Speed
The first number in the retrieve speed is the number of revolutions the spool will make, and the second is the number of revolutions the handle will make (typically one). For example, a reel that is 5.0:1 means the spool will turn 5 times for every 1 turn of the handle. But different spool and handle sizes mean the amount of line retrieved at the same ratio can be different between reels. Check the manufactures website to see the inches per turn to get the most accurate representation of how “fast” a reel is.
Infinite Anti-Reverse
Infinite or instant anti-reverse allows the reel handle to stop instantly in any position with no backwards motion. It’s become a common feature even on budget reels, and I could never go back to fishing a reel with any backwards movement at the handle. I’d steer clear of any reel without infinite anti-reverse.
Rod
Before you buy a spinning reel for bass, you need to carefully consider what kind of fishing you do most. Get a rod that matches these requirements first; then shop for a reel. Matching your reel to your rod is one of the most important factors in how well it functions out on the water. Having the wrong one can impact casting performance, fishing fighting ability, and can lead to increased fatigue or even injury when you’re out on the water for long hours. Purchasing a reel that is too heavy can dramatically throw-off the balance of the rod and make the whole setup cast awkwardly. Choosing too small a reel can make the rod very tip heavy, and the leverage will torque on the angler’s wrist and arm while fishing. You also lose a lot of retrieve speed and line capacity with a small reel, which can make fishing tiresome or frustrating.
Most anglers will be happy with a 2000 or 2500 size reel for an average bass rod between 6- and 7-feet. However, ultra-light anglers who fish short, very light rods may want a 1000 or even 500-sized reel. Those fishing heavy tackle (like swimbaits or large top-water) may want a 3000 or even a 4000-size reel (though this is rare).
Need help picking out a rod? Check out our roundup of bass fishing rods for some excellent suggestions.
FAQs
Q: What line should I use on spinning reels for bass?
Though often overlooked, the fishing line you chose can dramatically impact how you fish. What you should choose to put on your spinning reel is based entirely on where and how you want to fish. However, one of the great attributes of spinning reels is their ability to work well with virtually any kind of line. They don’t tangle as easily as a baitcaster, and as a result work well with thinner lines, like ultralight monofilament or typical braided line. If you’re looking for specific line for bass, 8- to 12-pound high-quality monofilament or 15- to 20-pound braided line are excellent options for using on their spinning reels for bass. If I had to pick just one for the average angler, I think high quality 10-pound monofilament, like Sufix Advance or Sufix Elite, would be my choice.
Q: What size spinning reel should I use for bass?
What size spinning reel you use really comes down to four factors: the rod you’re going to use, how much line capacity you need, the retrieve speed you’re looking for, and your preference. The shorter and lighter a rod, the smaller and lighter the reel needs to be to match. The larger the reel, the more line capacity it will have. Some anglers prefer a larger, beefier reel that has a faster retrieve and larger body and handle. Others prefer a super light weight, compact reel. I think most bass anglers will be happy with a reel between 1000 and 3000 sized, with 2000 or 2500 the perfect “do-it-all” size that matches well with freshwater rods between five-and-a-half- and seven-and-a-half-feet. If I was to have just two spinning reels for bass, I would want a 1000 and a 3000, and these two reels would cover every situation I encounter on the water.
Q: What is the drag on a fishing reel?
The drag is an essential component of any fishing reel, especially if you’re trying to catch large fish, fish in heavy cover, or if you’re using very light gear. The drag is a mechanism in the reel that allows the line to come off the reel under a certain force, to prevent the line from breaking. Without getting into the details, this is controlled by a series of washers that are compressed together using a cap on the top of the spool. You tighten or loosen the drag using a knob at the top of the spool.
Most anglers agree setting your drag at about 30% of the breaking strain of your line is a good rule of thumb. However, this requires measuring it with a scale, and many of us don’t want to do that. Instead, one simple way to know you’ve set your drag correctly is it doesn’t slip when you set the hook, and it slips before your line breaks even if you give it a quick, hard yank. Just take note, the rod will add some drag, so it’s best to test all this by pulling the line at the end of the rod- not directly out from the reel.
Q: Should you use a baitcast or spinning reel for bass?
Baitcasting reels, or “baitcasters”, are very popular for bass fishing. As someone who uses both, I like to sum it up like this: The baitcaster is more precise, but also takes more precision. With a baitcaster, I’m more in-tune with what’s going on underwater, and small adjustments in depth or action are easier with a baitcasting setup. However, there are several adjustments that typically need to be made on a baitcaster when switching between large and small lures to prevent tangles and get good casting distance. Frankly, I still mess this up sometimes and end up with tangles or frustratingly short casts.
Spinning reels are simple to use, and for most beginner and intermediate anglers result in less tangles and further casting distances. Once I’ve set my drag with a spinning reel, there are no other adjustments that need to be made, whether I’m casting a giant lure or a tiny one. They also work much better with braided line, and only after a lot of practice should you consider using thin braid with a baitcasting reel. I also have found that budget spinning reels are much higher quality than budget baitcasters. If I only had 50- to 70-dollars to spend on a reel, I wouldn’t even consider a baitcaster; spinning reels in that price range are just so much better.
Final Thoughts
There are a lot of spinning reels for bass fishing out there. A lot of really good reels, in fact. After you choose your rod, and decide on what you most want out of your reel, use my recommendations to make the best choice. Then, get out there and catch the fish of your dreams!
Why Trust Us
For more than 125 years, Field & Stream has been providing readers with honest and authentic coverage of outdoor gear. Our writers and editors eat, sleep, and breathe the outdoors, and that passion comes through in our product reviews. You can count on F&S to keep you up to date on the best new gear. And when we write about a product—whether it’s a bass lure or a backpack—we cover the good and the bad, so you know exactly what to expect before you decide to make a purchase.
