If you want to take your fishing to the next level, baitcasting reels are one way to go. It’s easy to become overwhelmed when reading baitcast reel reviews if you don’t understand the typical features of baitcasting reels.
So, you need to know what makes good casting reel reviews and what you should look for. Our bait casting reels reviews will help you discover some of the best baitcasting reels that can help you perfect your favorite fishing techniques, whether you’re a novice or an expert.
Despite the popularity of baitcasting reels, some anglers still prefer spinning reels, yet by the end, you’ll discover who makes the best baitcasting reels for the money.
Why You Need a Good Round Baitcasting Reels
Anglers should invest in good quality spinning reels, and baitcasting reels as this offers the most versatility. While using a spinning reel explains itself, here you can see why you need a good round baitcaster in your fishing gear.
Longer Casting: Although this is based on your rod, you can have a good baitcasting combo that helps you cast further than before. You can easily outcast any spinning gear as the line comes directly off the spool and through the rod guides.
More Power: Baitcasters offer more reel power than spinning reels, thanks to their spool layout. The spool is aligned with the handle and gears, allowing the reel to exert more torque and power. You’ll have no lever arm causing flex when reeling hard on a fish.
More Control: Baitcasting reel combos provide casting control when compared to spinning gear. You have control over the distance and speed of your lure.
Heavier & Line Capacity: The spool’s axis of rotation is perpendicular to the rod guides on a baitcasting reel, which means the line exits directly through the line guide and straight through the rod guides. With this, you’ll find the chance to use heavier line that ranges from 10 to 20-pound along with the use of heavier lures. Besides this, you can easily have more line capacity on your reel. (Find the Best Fishing Rod and Reel Combo for The Money)
Line Twist: When you use spinning reels, you’ll find these push into your gear lots of line twists and line twist can affect your casting.
Top Round Baitcasting Reel Reviews
1. KastKing Rover Round Baitcasting Reel – No.1 Highest Rated Conventional Reel – Reinforced Metal Body & Supreme Star Drag
The Rover Round Reel is a long-term and worthwhile investment because Kastking goods are built for long-lasting durability at an affordable price.
With thick anodized aluminum frame side plates and a stainless steel shaft, this model is built for strength above all else, keeping it safe from corrosion and damage while offering the robustness needed to help you land those huge trophy fish.
The corrosion-resistant ball bearings are shielded for extra protection and enable smooth reel movement to retrieve big fish easily.
A line-out clicker alarm, a thumb bar spool release, and EVA grips are some of the extra features you’ll find in a classic design.
Pros
- 7 shielded stainless steel ball bearings
- Stainless steel worm gear for consistent brake pressure
- Oversized handles and EVA grips
- Very affordable
Cons
- Drag can weaken over time
- The lightweight filament can work its way behind the spool and frame.
With a guide price of just under $80, you get one of the top-rated baitcasting reels to match your rod for a great fishing experience. It is a very efficient baitcaster, and with a greater casting distance, it has to be the best round baitcasting reel for the money.
2. Piscifun Chaos XS Round Reel
Piscifun is among the budget baitcaster brands, yet that shouldn’t put you off. The Chaos XS round baitcasting reel features a CNC caved, anti-line skip aluminum spool for smooth fishing and spooling.
It has 6 + 1 anti-corrosion stainless steel bearings to deliver a smooth drag. You’ll find an extended forged handle to deliver power and torque for the largest fish. (Find the Best Casting Rods)
The cheap baitcasting reel uses innovative cast technology for smoother & longer casting distance while reducing chances of backlash. The carbon fiber drag system is coupled with Japanese Haimai-Cut brass main gear for 20 pounds of stopping power.
Pros
- Efficient, smooth casting
- 385 grams reel weight
- Machined aluminum spool
- 6 + 1 ball bearings
Cons
- Diamonds on the spool can cut your line
- Light but bulky
With a guide price of just over $85, you are paying more than other reels and don’t get as many features or improved areas of build quality. It performs like all these reels, yet it could suffer when saltwater fishing rather than on lakes. It does, however, offer a high gear ratio of 5.3, which should suffice for any fishing trip.
3. 13 Fishing Concept Z Freshwater/Saltwater Baitcasting Fishing Reel
While roller ball bearings keep reels delivering a smooth action, the Fishing Concept Z turns this on its head as it uses the CZB technology and replaces the stainless-steel bearings with a proprietary new space-age polymer material.
With the Concept Z low-profile reel, you can cast further than a reel that uses roller bearings. You have the one-piece aluminum frame for saltwater fishing, and the company uses its Ocean Armor 2 Saltwater protection to offer lots of corrosion resistance.
The best baitcasting reel for salmon offers almost ideal drag pressure with the 6-way centrifugal brake system allows anglers to adjust six pins for the braking system. The reel has an aluminum frame and gear side plate, thus offering a reel that is lightweight, durable enough to catch big fish.
Pros
- No ball bearings to seize
- Great water resistance
- Efficient braking system
- Lightweight yet strong
Cons
- Slow in operation with 6.6:1 low gear ratio
- It only comes in RH configuration
With a guide price of just under $450, you pay a lot for the best round reels here. However, it sits among the top baitcasting reels you can find. It can cope with anything, and the most significant drawback being you can only find this new baitcasting reel in RH configuration and the cost.
4. Abu Garcia C4-6600 C4-6600 Classic BCAST Reel
For many years, this iconic Abu Garcia has been the best round baitcaster, and for a good reason. It is light, so you’ll find no fatigue setting in when landing large fish. It’s powerful enough to handle big fish, as proven by its 15-pound maximum drag.
You’ll find this is among the great reels here as it is still one of the fastest round casting reels on the market. The speed comes from the high gear ratio of 6:.3:1, which translates into 30” per handle turn retrieval speed.
The reel is suitable for casting large lures, which makes it popular for salmon, muskie, and striper anglers love. It is also a huge favorite for bass anglers who need to cast extra-large swimbaits.
Pros
- Cross carbon drag system
- 6-pin centrifugal brake
- 4 stainless steel ball bearings + 1 roller bearing
- Synchronized level wind
Cons
- Expensive
- Made in more than one place, so quality can vary
With a guide price over $200, you pay for the name as much as the features. It has decent gear ratios and is proven to deal with fish and conditions of all sizes. If you are freshwater fishing, catfish fishing, or offshore fishing, you’ll find the Abu Garcia among the top round baitcasters by name, a welcome addition to your gear.
5. Abu Garcia Revo SX Low Profile Fishing Reel
Abu Garcia’s Revo SX baitcasting reel is one of the best all-around reels on the market today. There’s a reason they’re Abu Garcia’s most popular baitcasting reel. It’s small, with two different gear ratios to choose from.
The 6.6:1 SX excels in a wide range of fishing techniques, and we recommend it if you’re looking for a multi-purpose workhorse reel. The 7.3:1 reel is superior for burning in top-water baits, as well as pitching and flipping jigs and soft plastic creature baits. With the 7.3 ratios, you’ll get more casts.
The Abu Garcia REVO 4 SX has an updated D2 Duragear and clutches to reduce friction. The Revo SX is ultra-smooth when you cast with the 9+1 ball bearings and the Infini magnetic braking system.
Pros
- 9 stainless steel ball bearings + 1 roller bearing
- Instant Anti-Reverse feature
- Duragear brass gear
- C6 carbon sideplates provide significant weight reduction
Cons
- Easy to catch the side plate button by mistake
- Gear on the spool axis can grind over time
With a guide price of less than $160, you get one of the best low-profile baitcaster reels there is. Abu Garcia makes some great reels, and this one can make an impressive addition without breaking the bank.
Round Baitcasting Reel Buying guide
There is a bit to understand; here’s some information you need to consider.
Gear Ratio
Gear ratio is the number of times the spool turns when you spin the handle. With a variety of gear ratios to pick from, it can determine how quickly you can retrieve your fish.
The spool turns three times when you rotate the handle on a baitcasting reel with a 3:1 ratio. If you’re using soft plastics, aim for a 5:1 gear ratio. If a lure needs to move quickly, a 7:1 gear ratio is advised. (Find the Best Surf Rods For The Money)
Spool Size
After you’ve settled on the gear ratio, the spool size is the next thing to think about. It depends on the fish you intend to pursue. If you want to catch bigger fish, you’ll need a heavier line, which means you’ll need a heavier spool to hold it.
Ball Bearings
The count of bearings does not matter; however, make sure that the baitcasting reel you choose has high-quality ball bearings, and it is best to use one that has sealed or shielded bearings for freshwater fishing.
Build
All-metal reels are preferred by anglers, with aluminum being the preferred material. Stainless steel or brass-based metal gears are likewise well-known for their performance and durability.
Braking Systems
You should also consider the braking system because it helps to create the required friction while fishing. The majority of baitcasting reels come with two kinds of braking systems: centrifugal braking system and magnetic.
FAQ
What Is Low Profile Baitcasting Reels?
All-metal round baitcasting reels are heavier than low-profile reels. The all-metal construction makes the reels more corrosion resistant, making them suitable for saltwater applications.
Low-profile baitcasting reels are like round baitcasting reels. Only the spool is smaller, and the side plates are longer. This option provides similar power and spin like round reels, yet they don’t hold as much line as round reels.
What Are Baitcasting Reels Best For?
Round reels are bulkier than slim reels. They can hold more lines than the latter. They are also good choices for heavier fish like salmon, pike, steelhead, or muskies.
Are Baitcasting Reels Good for Saltwater?
Saltwater anglers prefer baitcasting reels. Baitcasting is a great method for catching small inshore fish to large offshore game fish. Baitcasters can handle heavier saltwater fishing lines better.
Final Verdict
In testing, there most reels appeared to perform the same. However, after repeat use, you see the niggles or noises you don’t notice at the start.
It was quickly decided the winner of these comparison reviews was the KastKing Rover Round Baitcasting Reel – No.1 Highest Rated Conventional Reel – Reinforced Metal Body & Supreme Star Drag. It was among the most affordable, yet some features set it apart from its rivals.
It was almost perfect for any fishing trip with the smooth operation, line capacity, and protection against salt water. There are some niggles, and using the lightweight line isn’t what these types of reels are for. Aside from this, you can find this reel is built well enough to offer lots of performance for years to come.
