20 Best Ultralight Reel For Trout (2023 Updated)

I looked at a number of reels from very expensive to inexpensive reels. While fishing at Cape Cod Cannel I asked some of the other fishermen /woman present how they liked their equipment and most of them allowed me to make several casts.

Based upon their recommendations and my hands on trial I determined that the Shimano Saragosa SW10000 was the reel I would like to get. I shopped around and located the best price from Otto’s Tackle World in Australia.

I placed the order and received it promptly. I recently got to use it and it was such a delight I sent away and got a second one (8000) for a lighter rod that I own. It has an extremely smooth crank that made reeling the line in a dream with and without a fish-on.

I did a lot of research and highly recommend it. I matched the 10000 (50 lb Power Pro braid) with my Temple Fork GIS SCS 1106 H === My cast were right with the top group.

I am new to bass fishing, bought two of the 2500 for poppers and jerk baits for a 3 day fishing trip to mexico, El Salto lake, caught over 100 fish on one reel up to six pounds, Lightweight, great drag and very smooth.

Then took reels to Colombia fishing for peakock bass, payara and piranah. The guide told me the reel looked to small. Over the course of five days fishing caught up to 30 peacock bass up to 15 lbs, reel worked flawlessly! Plenty of drag to keep the bass from going in the shallows or wrapping around underground tree branches.

Biggest Payara was 15lbs, and again, the reel stopped the fish from getting into the current and swimming off. I just could not believe how such a small, lightweight reel performed! Also, I used max quatro 30 lb for largemouth bass and 65lb for peacock’s.

Got almost 100 yards on the spool, which was plenty! Rather than change out the line, I ordered extra spools from Shimano and delivered next day for free!.

I bought the Shimano Stradic FK 3000 as a replacement for an FJ 2500 that went under salt water once too many times. I use it for inshore fishing (Trout, Snook, Redfish) with artificial lures. Although it is not rated as a salt water reel, I compared features with the Shimano CI4 which is an inshore reel, and found no significant difference that would improve the situation if the reel went under water, so I opted for the FK as I could find it for $70 less by shopping around.

I looked at the popular competition and found the Stradic line of reels to be the most smooth operating and had the best “feel” with 1/8 to 1/4 ounce plastic baits. I use this reel on a spinning rod that is built on an 8-1/2 foot fly rod blank and i can feel the bait as it slowly dips and slips through grass and on sandy bottoms, and the delicate feel of the reel is as important as the rod.

Competitive reels by other makers just seem a little clunky or less smooth when compared to the Stradic. Additionally the drag can be set very light which is important to me for Spotted Trout fishing, and it will tighten up to 20 lbs according to advertising (I’ve never cranked in more than 5 or 6 lbs drag and that was on a big Jack Crevalle).

I thought I’d miss the FJ’s anti-reverse on-off function but I don’t.

I’ve been using Shim 4000’s but wasn’t getting the casting distance you sometimes need, so invested in these. As you would expect, look and feel very high quality. Not been fishing yet so cannot comment on how they behave out in the real world.

Note that these do not have a baitrunner facility – something I dont use much anyway so hopefully wont miss it. You do get a spare (same size) spool.

Honestly have not used yet due to lockdown and Carp spawning. But look and feel great. Line lay is smooth and effortless. Light yet robust. Look great on my 10ft scopes even though they are 45’s.

A medium to small reel, which also has good line capacity. I needed to put on backing line before loading. Perfect for cast up to 100 yards and a good balance with Nash Scope rods,

recently lost my favorite Stradic 3000FJ and want to replace it so went to BP to check out the FL. What in the world is Shimano thinking? No reverse lever? Whoever made that decision must not fish. There are plenty of reasons to have a reverse lever so you don’t have to open the bail or loosen the drag to take line out.

Even worse, the angle of mounting arm that attaches to the rod is such that when you are holding it, it is very uncomfortable, almost as if it were intentionally designed to hurt you as it grinds against the bone of your finger that fits behind it.

Guess you have to have small hands and mine are not that out of the ordinary in size. The Vanford is the same way.

I’m absolutely shocked at the quality of this reel. Is it smooth when you reel it, yes. BUT the noise is ridiculous. It’s not quite when turning it slow, even worse when turning it fast. In no way am I paying this price for l noisy reel.

This is obviously why Shimano’s older model reels sell for what they do (even used ones), because these new ones are not worth the money. Even the new Shimano “Sustain FJ” is the same way. Just tried one out a couple days ago.

They really cheapened these up, throughout the last hand-full or years. My 1998 Shimano 2000 Sustain FA is quieter then this and just as smooth. Unreal!.

The two different braking systems are easy to dial in. Hands down the smoothest reel I’ve ever used. If you are into regularly cleaning the spool n piling bearings, etc…. With this reel you don’t have to do it often….

Compared to many other bait casting reels…. after I’ve use it for about 100 hours, then there is a lil bit of dirt I see on a cue tip when oiling the spool. I’ve got two of them now…. Bought the first one in the spring, it’s December now….

I give it a 10/10…. I’ve caught hybrid stripers, steelhead… even muskies on it…it’s a tough reel that casts a mile every time. What more you need?.

while any reel can look good, the Ceymar C-65(purchased 2016)and this C-55(purchased June/ July?) feel very solid yet smooth as butter and so far very consistently dependable. Casts better than all the other reels I’ve ever owned/used,never malfunctioned/broke and love the looks.

Initially skeptical of price point and unknown brand back in 2016(purchased C-65) but so loved it that I wanted another Ceymar but specially for largemouth bass. This C-55 is perfect! Adds to a great fishing experience even on the rare occasions I don’t get any bites.

Only regret is not buying this Ceymar C-55 sooner! Matter of fact, I’m ordering another one!.

Will spoil about 170 yds of #12 nanofil. Read other reviews about spool too big. Dont use a super line then. I primarily use to jig and troll for walleyes. Great value reel. I also have c-40 and c-20 so Im sold on them.

I have mine on okuma dead-eye classic rods and use a lighter weight fluorocarbon leader. Everyone fishes differently, but I would highly recommend for a value reel!.

Great reel, fairly smooth and has caught lots of fish. If it gets wet, however, it’s a pain to service and the retrieve will forever be clunky. It’s not a saltwater or anything so thats more or less forgivable, but geeze it doesn’t hold up after a bath.

3 stars, because it was amazing pre-soaking.

From Japan This model will probably not be imported to Japan, and even if it is, it will not be cheaper than buying it from Tackle Direct. (Although, on the contrary, you can buy Shimano Stella SW in Japan for less than in the U.

S. ) First of all, this is made in China, but if you don’t mind that, the PENN Slammer 5500 DX is wonderfully comfortable to wind, and if you can get it at this price, you will be happy even if it is not a Stella SW! I can expect the durability of stainless steel gears in addition to a winding feel that is comparable to the Stella SW8000HG that I have, which is probably the same size.

Unfortunately, however, the 4500DX, which I purchased later in the day, was disappointing to wind up with, as it seemed to be made in China, not quite the same line! It looks like it will be reborn with Japanese bearings and the latest lubricant service.

Is the bearing standard for this reel metric? Looking forward to seeing the 2500DX in stock. ymx.

This reel has exceeded my every expectation. Diawa has been my reel of choice for nearly two decades. The power and sturdiness of these reels is remarkable. So much so I know own a 5500, 7500,8500HS.

This reel handled some sizeable Cubera Snapper and a 30 kilo Rooster just weeks ago. Never have I considered until now, a reel I enjoy as much as my Line-up up Saltigas. Far as price goes. Almost 3 of the SlammerIV series for the price of one Saltiga.

Still love my Dogfight 8000HDF though.

I’ve owned a lot of spinning reels in my time, (nearly every brand) and some were great reels. This Penn Slammer lV is quality that can get into the ring with any heavy weight fighter. These are military tough and smooth too.

The drag is consistently smooth on long runs and the bail is solid. I will never switch again from Penn again. Price represents quality and I expect to get YEARS and YEARS of enjoyment knowing that I have the advantage once hooked up.

The only thing that this reel needs is line and an angler saying “Fish on”.

I bought this on an impulse buy at Walmart. I have always been a Daiwa guy. But I have wanted a Penn reel ever since I lived down the road from them. They were my hometown reel maker. Kinda silly I know.

I didn’t even consider the size I bought. I bought the only one they had. A 4000 size. It’s bigger than what I needed at the time. But I since got a rod that is a lot stiffer than I was expecting. And this reel works well on it.

Just the other day I caught my PB largemouth. It is only 3 pounds 1 ounce and 20 1/4 inches. I even had the drag set way too loose at the time. But I was able to tighten it up and land it with my son doing a great net job from the bank.

But I think the reason I was able to still land it even with the drag loose at first, was because of the good drag it has. One thing that stood out to me when I got this reel is how smooth it is. Even though it is only 4 +1 bearings, it is super smooth.

Very impressed. After I first bought it I figured I would be putting it on the shelf and buying a smaller one like I should have bought. But I like it enough and the one rod I bought is different than I was expecting, it has worked out to be a great combo.

I use it for my weightless Senko and other plastics, like craws. I have even used it for a Texas rig when I didn’t want to use one of my baitcasters. It is better than even more expensive reels out there.

I think down the road I will try it as an inshore setup when I go on vacation to the beach. I think it will do very well. I highly recommend this reel. I know they have since come out with a Pursuit IV.

I honestly don’t know what they could have improved on this series of reels. I love it when you buy something on an impulse buy not knowing what you will use it for, and it works out. I’m glad because I want to use this reel and don’t want it sitting on a shelf collecting dust.

It is good enough it deserves to be used.

I bought the Penn Pursuit III 2500 to use as a back up inshore, nearshore, and pier fishing reel for the summer. I primarily used it as a pier plugging/casting setup to target bluefish and Spanish mackerel in which it excelled due to the fast gear ratio and smooth drag.

However, one trip truly put this reel to the test when I hooked up to my first ever king mackerel at 36. 5” and 10 lbs; the reel exceeded my expectations when I saw firsthand how smooth the HT-100 drag system was and how fast the reel could pick up line.

After this test of the reel’s reliability, I have decided to use it in my “starting lineup” of both freshwater and saltwater setups. If you intend to use the Penn Pursuit III for saltwater applications, a freshwater rinse after every few trips and an annual re-greasing of internal parts after every season will ensure you many more years of use with this reel.

For the price point, Penn offers many options in the Pursuit III that will suit the needs of an entry level angler as well as the most avid angler. All I can say is that the Penn Pursuit III is a solid, versatile reel that can be utilized in multiple freshwater and saltwater applications! Pros: Affordable Price, Smooth Drag, More than adequate line capacity, and Overall Versatility.

Cons: Wind Knots (Although not a common occurrence, happened as a result of slightly overfilling the spool with line. ) and Doesn’t have the best line lay (There is a noticeable improvement in line lay when compared to older/previous models in the Penn line up.

).

So I was looking to buy a smaller reel. I really like the 25 size reels for jigging walleye. So I purchased a Penn Pursuit III 2500 thinking I would enjoy the fall run. I just received it and the size is enormous.

It is almost double the size to my pflueger president 25. It’s like a 35 series. I am so upset and disappointed and now, I might miss the fall walleye run. I will never purchase anything from penn again.

I bought a 3000 over 3 years ago and shortly after that bought a 2500. I’ve caught everything under the sun on them from dinky croakers in the surf to 25” stripers with plenty of 20+ inch trout and upper slot redfish in between.

The biggest thing I like about this reel is the durability. I’ve owned several shimanos in the same price range and none of them have lasted me as long as these bgs. The drag adjustment is up there with reels 200$ above its class.

I’ve dunked it in saltwater on a few occasions and just made sure to take the spool off when rinsing it off and had no issues. All around great reel. 2500 pairs well with my fenwick hmg medium light and 3000 does great on my fenwick hmg medium.

I’ve swapped with a friends Penn battle which fits in the same class and price range I preferred the bg and he was regretting his brand new purchase of the battle.

I got this reel before Daiwa stops making them in preference to their BG-MQ. I know there are pros to the MQ series but I am old school and like to be able to service my own reel. This reel is fully serviceable when it needs being cleaned and re-lubed.

I also like this reel over Shimanos that have a bearing in their line roller. I’ll take a bushing that can be easily cleaned and lubed over a bearing that fails with the slightest bit of sand which is ever-present on the beach.

I was spooled twice fishing for speckled trout when a cow-nosed ray decided to get foul hooked. Drag, bail, and reel are amazing even after pulling off over 200 yards each time. Love Daiwas!.

Bought this reel in the 8: retrieve speed back before summer. I’ve used it all season now. The first thing I noticed is how far I could bomb my frog. Had 65lb x9 on and it’s basically well rope, very thick line.

After using it for frogging I switched it over to a buzzbait rod with 40lb power pro V2. It fired that 3\8oz buzzer very nicely. I enjoy the tuff black matte finish and the no frills look. For the money the reel is a gem.

I am def looking into buying more dc style reels. If I had to mention a negative it would probably be that a few times when I was frogging and needed to horse a fish out of the pads or slop, I would notice the reel got hard to turn and made a sort of a dull grinding sound for a few turns then it was fine.

I think it was from me trying to force the reel against the drag but I’m not certain. Most times it would work as it should. I know the drag rating is relatively low and people have complained in other reviews.

I am going to explore that grinding a little more before purchasing another dc. Even the$500dc reels have the same drag so it is what it is. Overall very very happy with the reel and would buy it over again for sure!.

It casts farther than my reel that has custom ceramic bearings that I installed. Barely any effort to make a long cast. I set the lure weight knob so that when you release the bail the lure slowly falls, when it touches the ground the spool stops quickly.

Set the brakes to 4, to make practice casts, then lowed brakes to 3 and it casts so far, why go any lower and risk a backlash. The casting distance on 3 exceeds my expectations and barely requires any thumbing at end of cast, sometimes not at all.

It’s great if your experienced with baitcasters and lose your touch after not casting in a while or a beginner. Try it, why would you ever want to go back to pins or magnets for braking.

Great balance in reel. Smooth retrieval. Great casting distance. Just a fantastic reel. Its now my 4th reel set up as slowly swapped out reels of less quality. My first Stradic that I bought over 10 years ago is running just as smooth as first day I bought it so happy days.

These reels will certainly be passed down to my sons to enjoy. I service them every year without fail.

Excellent product. Composite finish is bullet proof. Line Roller bearing goes bad in salt first then handle after lots of use. Drag pads are made of cotton totally dissolve fast. Replace pads with composite pads and you are good for a very long use.

Way to expensive after Covid 19 pandemic. 370. 00 one reel ugghh.

We wondered if this reel was really worth the price it was commanding. We do a lot of stream and inshore saltwater forays that can last all day. The super lightweight carry allows us to fish all day and no fatigue.

The classic Shimano buttery smooth operation seals the deal. Well worth the asking price we paid for a reel that can be passed generationally! We were absolutely thrilled once we used it on the water! It casts effortlessly, retrieves lightning quick when we needed it to, and bail operates with a confident snap each time.

It was like the reel was a non factor as we fought fish. as pure a fishing experience as we have had doing the ultra light fishing we love to do. I would imagine nothing but satisfaction from anyone who purchases this fine piece of engineering!!.

Great reel I use for large blue catfish (30+lbs fish using 30lb trilene big game line and 2oz to 6oz sinker plus bait ). These have been in production for decades with minor changes for a reason. Six pin cast control works well and the drive gear must be engaged by the lever.

Handle spin will not engage gears during cast. Non disengaging level wind, so line never bunches to one side of spool and drag is always smooth during long runs. Solid frame ensures proper alignment of gear/spool train.

I purchased my Calcutta 200b about 4 years ago now and this is hands down one of the best purchases I’ve made. The quality you get with this reel for the price is amazing. We do a lot of musky fishing in the Susquehanna River in PA and this reel handles everything well.

Of note, we have a Calcutta 300 te, a Tranx 500 in both PG and HG, and a AG C4 (would never by another, it’s junk compared to a 200b). We sent our reels to be “tuned” shortly after purchase. The 200b is only minimally behind the 300te as far as smoothness goes, i’d say unnoticeable unless you’re switching between the two back to back, but still minimal.

Unfortunately they didn’t sell the tranx in 300 size at the time, but the tranx500 is just too much unless you’re pulling something huge; and still, it kills you quickly and it’s so bulky. The 200b and 300 te calcuttas are our most used rods and the most versatile.

A #5 bucktail, double 10s, glide bait, medussas, bondi’s, and big ol’ whopper ploppers; those two reels handle everything well and they’re still comfortable to throw all day long and fit your hand well.

4 years of fishing later and no issues to report (we pull them apart every year to inspect and grease also). So if you’re on the fence, and are looking for a good musky reel at a good price, i’d say start with the 200b if you’re on a budget.

Couldn’t be happier with this reel. And if you’re like us, we have 2 rods each with different lure combos that we switch back and forth, so saving a hundred bucks here and there adds up in that quantity.

Hope that helps some.

After using Calcutta’s for some time now I thought it was time to give a review. I own a 250 and it has worked perfectly and has never failed. Probably had it for 12 years now. I cleaned it last year for the 1st time.

I am changing the bearings out tomorrow as they are beginning to have some issues on longer harder casts. Also upgrading the plastic bushing on the spool to a bearing. I think originally they were APEC 1 rated bearing and I am going with APEC 5 bearing.

They make 7’s as well but from what i read there is not much difference and can effect the mechanical break spool tension. I purchased a 200B about a month ago and it has worked flawlessly. It already has the spool bearing.

About a week ago I purchased a 400. These reels are very easy to clean and maintain. Just remember, minimal oil and grease. Shimano has a great video on maintaining the reels. I use to fish abu’s for red fishing.

The last 400 I bought replaced my 6500c so now all shimano Calcutta’s for my red fishing. They are simply the best.

Bought it a year and half ago then the drag washers went out. Come to find out Shimano had discontinued about every part for this reel including the drag washers. Talked to basspro about it and there was nothing they could other than a warranty swap.

Shimano has already started discontinuing the series above thieve models. Stay clear. Don’t even know why they are selling them without a disclaimer about it being discontinued by the producing company.

Just about all of my Shimano bear is discontinued.

I recently picked up my first Shimano Reel ever!!! BTR4000OC is the one I chose to go with for the option of having the ability to allow bait to run freely with out having to keep a bail flipped open.

I like the freespool feature on my Penn Rival with clicker for this purpose as well. But I wanted a spinning reel and my local DSG did not have any Penn LL’s in stock in store. I had toyed with the Shimano’s many times in store but always walked away from them.

Not because I didn’t know the name, but just because of my love of Penns. Anyhow back to the reel, I mated this reel to a 7′ Berkley Lightning HD 1 piece rod with 14lb Cajun Mono backing and 30lb Sufix 832 Advanced.

I took this combo out to the Apollo Beach park the next morning and caught a nice little red snapper on live bait. Then the next day the reel got the real test, I was jigging soft plastics with 15 lb flouro leader when I hooked into a good sized snook just above slot.

This reel handled the snook like a dream, did not wear me out before wearing down the fish. I was able to land this snook but was unable to capture a picture as I was out in the water wading with out a camera.

I do recommend this reel, will be purchasing the 8000 series to replace my worn out reel on my surf rod!.

THE SHIMANO SPM1211 IS A PERFECT 2 SPEED LEVER DRAG REEL FOR THOSE DEEP SEA MONSTERS. THE ALL METAL 0NE PIECE FRAME DOESN’T FLEX (LIKE SOME OF THOSE GRAPHITE FRAMED REELS) WHEN FIGHTING A BIG FISH. THE LEVER DRAG IS GREAT FOR THOSE LONG RUNS.

THIS REEL IS A PERFECT SIZE. IT HOLDS A NICE AMOUNT OF 50 LB BRAID. I COULDN’T RESIST BUYING THIS REEL WHEN I FIRST LAID MY EYES ON IT. TACKLE DIRECT’S PRICE CAN’T BE BEAT AND WITH THEIR FREE SHIPPING IT’S A NO BRAINER!!! IF YOUR IN NEED OF A PERFECT CONVENTIONAL (BOAT) REEL, I WOULD STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU LOOK INTO THE SHIMANO SPM12II REEL——YOU WON’T REGRET IT!!!!!!.

I had researched online for a new high-speed overhead reel for ocean jigging, targeting species like dog-tooth tuna, giant trevally, and big reds. The two-speed Shimano Speedmaster 12 LD II seemed to fit the bill nicely, with heaps of drag, a low gear for cranking heavy fish, and massive line capacity.

Plus it is quality gear from Shimano. I couldn’t justify an Ocea Jigger reel. Then the BCF club price plus a discount code meant I ended up paying only a bit more than half RRP. No other store could match that.

Now I’ve just got to wait for my next offshore trip!.

At this price point, its impossible to go wrong with this reel. Its heavy, but for good reason. Solid build, no nonsense tool to drag big fish over the sandbars and through the chop without it breaking a sweat.

You will wear out from catching fish well before it does. Ridiculous amount of drag. More than adequate line capacity to stop and turn around big fast fish. A fishing belt will alieve the bulk of the weight fatigue when its not sitting in a rod holder.

Big dollar performance for a legit sub 200 Dollar reel. Id buy it again in a heartbeat.

Shimano Stella 18000Hg Reel is really legend. Perfect reel for me.

I was hesitated whether or not I should have bought this reel. I did some comparison between this one (the Stella SW 14000XG) vs TwinPower 14000XG which is at half price. I also did some research and even came across Alan Hawk where he showed some flaws of the 2019 model.

Until a friend of mine recommended this reel to me. He told me if I bought this reel I would not worrying about losing big fish. well we all know we can lose any fish even with the best gears we have 🙂 I decided to buy this anyway because I was too hyped even it broke the bank LOL.

I haven’t actually used it as I haven’t had a chance to go offshore fishing up until now. I even haven’t spooled it. However, what I can tell is I feel good because I own one like this. I live in Georgia and so ocean access is just a dream, but I know I will have chances to put it into heavy use at some point in time, perhaps when I am retired and buy a house close to the beach, and oh with a boat too, who knows LOL.

Simano 2018 Stella FJ C5000XG is one of best quality reel ever. Most of US fishing shop don’t carry and stock this reel. Ship it quickly only 5 days after order. I will trust this web store. There is best Japanese high end fishing equipment usually any local fishing store don’t care.

But all Japanese fishing pro shop carry those over $700 level reel. Great selections!.

I recently purchased this amazing overhead jigging/ all purpose Shimano reel from the top people at BCF Springfield. The reel is a cheaper version of the Talica but is just as an amazing reel as the Talica.

The star drag on this 30HG Torium is fantastic & sound unreal as well. Shannon & the team from BCF Springfield went out of their way to ordered the reel from down the GC for me. Thank you Shannon & the great team at BCF Springfield.

5 Stars ***** every days.

This is very good general purpose reel for when you want a star drag. I like it mostly bottom fishing and casting. The ONLY reason I dinged it to a 4 star is the lugs for the real seat clamp. They are of good design but material that just isn’t up to the quality of the rest of the reel.

The flanges that hold them to the foot of the reel will break under strain if you don’t snap them off installing them. I found a few solutions like the cork puppy, the trinadad A clamp and the Tiburon TCU-L.

I choose the Tiburon clamp. Runs about $40 and was about half of the most expensive solution. Other than that it fishes with the power and reliability of the older Penn 4/0s with out the weight, balance and slack in the anti reverse.

Far more castable too. The gear ratio is nice and high so you can make a jig really move when you want too. They have a permanent place on the boat with out worry of early replacement. I’d buy them again and recommend them to anyone.

Figure out the right reel seat clamp issue fix for your application right out of box though. Don’t wish you did when your out on the water.

I have the 16 and loaded with 500 yards of 50 Berkley Professional Braid. The reel is smooth, very powerful, free spool is awesome and casting is awesome and the drag is nice and smooth with carbon fiber washers.

It is really compact. almost the size of the Torium 14. The 16hga is slightly slimmer and slightly taller. For jigging, casting and retrieving it is great with the narrow spool. Most people would probably not need more than the 330 of 65lb braid it holds though.

its also a one piece cast frame now, no graphite! A nice budget Trinidad if you do not need to spend the 450. If your concerned about casting distance, just upgrade the spool bearings to bocas. Only downside is the frame on bottom is not bowed so if you decide to load up 535 of 50 or 330 of 65lb braid, be careful leveling line back on.

I just didn’t load all of the capacity to leave a little room. Problem easily solved.