I bought a cheap Shimano Sienna last year and the bail started sticking after about 4-5 months. Now I'm looking to replace it and want something reliable that won't break the bank. I do freshwater fishing mostly - lakes and rivers. Should I stick with Shimano, or are there other brands I should check out in that price range?
Shimano Sienna's reputation for sticking issues is pretty well-documented, so I'd actually look at the Pflueger President instead - it's solidly built, usually sits right around $60-70, and folks report getting multiple seasons out of them without the bail problems you had. If you want to stick with Shimano, jump up to their Sedona line, which costs closer to $80 but is a notch more durable. Abu Garcia also makes some solid budget reels in that range that don't get talked about as much but hold up fine. The key difference between these and the ultra-cheap stuff is better bearing quality and less plastic in the critical parts, so double-check reviews specifically mentioning how long people actually kept each reel working before dropping the cash.
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