The Best Spinning Reels of 2021 (Buying Guide)

The KastKing Summer and Centron Spinning Reels also feature a powerful 17.5 pound drag system, which gives anglers ample opportunity to win in a fight with even the largest of game fish species. Their systems consist of a hardened metal main shaft, a perfect mesh drive gear, and a precision-machined pinion gear. These components also serve as a point of enhanced durability, as a poor drag system is often responsible for common fishing failures.

Another key characteristic of all the KastKing Summer and Centron reels is their high level of visual appeal. Each reel comes in various color combinations, which allows an angler to select which would best suit their individual taste. Among these color sets include black with blue accents and silver and white.

These reels also come in multiple sizes for use within a variety of applications. From ultralight ice fishing reels to larger catfishing reels, there’s no doubt that there’s a selection in this series that will fit the needs of every angler.

The drag system of the KastKing Sharky III is engineered for power from every front. The reel’s combination of triple disc carbon fiber clutches, oversized stainless-steel main shaft, and precision mesh manganese brass pinion gears should make the perfect combination for taking on trophy size fishes everywhere.

Another noteworthy characteristic of the KastKing Sharky III is its unique Shark Fin Braid Ready aluminum spool. This spool allows anglers to fit the KastKing Sharky III with braided lines, without the use of backing line, as is a characteristic of many other reels on the market. This is something that many anglers will appreciate, as it saves them the time and trouble of dealing with the intricacies of spooling braid, leaving more time for fishing.

Perhaps most notable about this is the fact that this powerhouse of a reel can be purchased for little more than the cost of a tank of gas.

The Penn Battle line of reels features the company’s signature HT-100 drag system. This system uses carbon-fiber discs to meter line dispersal with high consistency, while also maintaining smooth operational characteristics. This is a huge advantage to anglers that constantly seek out the biggest fish in the water.

Another feature of these reels that many anglers will love is their ease of adaptability when a braided line is used. On many spinning reels, a backing layer of monofilament line is required to use a braided line. However, braid can easily be used with the Penn Battle, without the use of any backing. This is great for anglers who re-spool their reels regularly, as it will reduce the time required to facilitate this task.

To further aid in the spooling of new line, Penn has included capacity indicators on the spool of all Battle series reels. These indicators denote ⅓, ⅔, and full capacities, which should make it easier than ever to determine whether you’re getting the most out of your reel or not.

The Penn Pursuit III features the company’s HT-100 drag system, which uses carbon-fiber drag washers to meter load and line dispersal. This system is designed to dissipate heat, minimize wear, and provide consistent operation, no matter the size of the fish at the end of your line. This should be a favorite among anglers who commonly pursue larger species of game fish, which are known to fight relentlessly.

Another one of the Penn Pursuit III’s features that anglers are sure to love is the reel’s Instant Anti-Reverse mechanism, which prevents rotor back play. The elimination of this back play should allow for instant hooksets, free from the need to take up any slack prior to anchoring your hook. This is a feature that is ideal for snagging bass, catfish, or any other species of fish that often bite subtly.

The Penn Pursuit III is offered in a myriad of sizes, which allows anglers to select the perfect reel for their particular application. From small panfish to hard-fighting saltwater species, there is a Penn Pursuit III model to meet every need.

Many conventional spinning reels keep a standard diameter, from one end of their spool to the other, which often leaves “dead” line buried at the spool’s core. However, the Daiwa Bg’s Dynamic Cut Aluminum ABS Spool features a reversed taper spool face, which allows for 100% use of the reel’s overall line capacity. This means that the angler will be able to cast farther and reach distant points of interest that might otherwise go unfished.

The Daiwa Bg’s use of an oversized Digigear is also a nice touch, as it allows for a greater degree of gear-tooth contact and increases the reel’s overall torque. This feature should be quite popular with anglers who pursue larger species of fish frequently.

It takes only a single glance to see the level of detail that has been placed into the Daiwa Bg’s external appearance. This reel’s machined aluminum body not offers extensive eye appeal but is even anodized to resist corrosion and scratches. This same anodized surface coating creates a layer of adhesion that should provide long-lasting protection.

Weighing in at only 8.5 ounces, arm and hand fatigue should be of no issue to anglers who use the Piscifun Flame Spinning Reel. This minimization of weight is largely a product of the Flame’s hollow graphite handle, which eliminates a substantial amount of unnecessary weight. This reel also includes an ergonomically designed handle that is likely to become a favorite feature among anglers who spend long hours on the water.

The Piscifun Flame is built to satisfy the needs of those with serious ambitions toward catching sizable fish. With a 19.8 pound total drag weight, a reinforced metal main shaft, a high quality drive gear, a precisely machined brass pinion gear and triple drag washers, it is highly unlikely that the average angler will encounter a situation that the Piscifun Flame cannot handle.

Braid line can also be used in conjunction with the Piscifun Flame, as its specialized spool is engineered for this exact purpose. There will no longer be any reason to worry about backing your braid with monofilament. Simply spool on your line of choice, then take to the water.

The Sougayilang Spinning Reels have a complex and well thought out rotational configuration. With a greater total number of ball bearings than the total of reels on this list, its operation is guaranteed to be silky smooth. This is great for anglers who prefer a cast and wind method of fishing, such as when working a buzzbait or crankbait.

Its S-curve oscillation system slightly slows its spooling in a bid to minimize line twist and kinking. It also features a drag system that is quite similar to those found on many higher-dollar reels. This system uses quality carbon discs, which are sealed from dust and other environmental contaminants, for anglers to maintain a better control over the fight at hand.

The KastKing Megatron features an astounding 30+ pounds of total drag, further adding to its ruggedness. The reel’s drag system uses a series of carbon fiber discs to provide uniform line control and prevent binding.

The Megatron Spinning Reel also features 7+1 MaxiDur double-shielded stainless-steel ball bearings, which should make for an incredibly smooth operation under a near-infinite number of circumstances. This is perfect when attempting to boat sizable game fish that have no intention of being caught.

Also included is an instant anti-reverse feature, which allows for rapid hooksets. This is a feature that bass fishermen will absolutely love as more often than not, the difference between a successful day of bass fishing and a day spent missing bites ultimately comes down to the speed of one’s hookset.

The Pfluger President takes line control to a new extreme by using slow oscillation gearing to prevent the line from being wound in a manner that is too quick for efficient spooling. This causes an even line distribution, which means fewer “birds’ nests”, and more time spent fishing instead of fixing line-related issues.

Also of note is the Pflueger President’s sealed drag system, which resists water ingress and maintains internal lubrication. This should be an immensely popular feature among anglers, as water contamination, and resulting corrosion, can spell trouble for the drag systems of many lesser quality reels currently available on the market. When a drag system becomes compromised, a number of performance related issues soon become evident.

As a further compliment to the abovementioned drag system, Pfueger has used corrosion-resistant, stainless steel ball bearings in their President line of reels. This adds another level of depth to the line’s already impressive weather resistance. As a result, this reel is likely to make it through many seasons without much in the way of mechanical issues.

The Penn Slammer III features a precisely cut CNC machined gear set, which meshes perfectly upon every revolution of its handle. This should maximize fighting torque, eliminating the presence of binding. The precise way that these gears are cut also minimizes premature tooth wear and extends overall longevity.

It is also worth mentioning that the Penn Slammer III uses a top-end drag system, which features the specialized disc material of Penn’s Dura-Drag technology, much like that found within the transmissions of high-performance vehicles, to meter line pull and prevent premature fiber breakdown. This will be of significant benefit to those who commonly pursue record size game fish, as they tend to tax the drag systems of lesser-quality reels.

Penn Slammer III reels also come in several sizes, so anglers are free to select the model which is best suited to their particular application. This only adds to the reel’s already pronounced level of versatility.