Quality fishing reels tend to be the optimal choice for the more experienced fishermen. Not only do these reels work more efficiently, but they tend to last for a longer period of time. If you are planning to use a $125 budget for a new fishing reel, that should be plenty of money if you are looking for a great, reliable reel. At this price point, reels tend to have similar features and styles. Finding the ideal reel for your fishing needs can come down to picking a top brand for the lowest price.

Of course different reels can work differently with various types of fishing lines. For example, some spinning reels actually work best with braided line. Given that these reels can be used in both freshwater and marine environments, it is essential to find durable spools that won’t get tangled or knotted.

From our personal experiences as well as conducting further analysis into reading all different types of product reviews, we have create a list that distinguishes the best spinning reels under $125. We are confident that this is an ideal price point to receive a reel that instills trust for any type of fisherman, while also providing him/her with top-notch results.

Penn Battle II 6000 Spinning Fishing Reel

Penn continues to be the most popular spinning reel brand within my personal fishing reel collection. The company takes a tremendous amount of pride in delivering consistent high range spinning reels, that work great for battling massive saltwater game fish. The Penn Battle II 6000 is equipped with a heavy duty aluminum bail wire that has been proven to provide an increased level of durability. Simply said, this reel will withstand all weather conditions.

Features

• 5 sealed stainless steel balls bearings
• Retrieval rate of 41″ | 104cm
• Instant anti reverse feature
• Weighs 22.10
• Mono line capacity: 335/15, 230/20, 210/25
• Gear Ratio 5.6:1

The drag is also another stand-out component for these products. It has a silky smooth HT-100 drag that offers drag even more seamless then it sounds. If you were concerned about the line on your spool unraveling, this reel with solve all of those problems. With its trademarked “Superline Spool”, backing is no longer a problem. Superlines will not slip!

This truly is an all-purpose spinning reel and can pretty much satisfy almost all your fishing needs. It is available in both reel handle positions, left and right. The color is really cool looking – black, gold and smoke. I purchased one of these reels several years ago for bluefish and striper fishing. I have had no problems thus far! It works well for all types of fishing: casting, bottom fishing, deep sea fishing and even trolling (just make sure you use a swivel)! When taken care of, it definitely falls under the category of being a lifetime reel for all fishermen.

Daiwa BG5000 Gold Spinning Reel

Daiwa’s next generation BG5000 doesn’t lack any power. This reel is probably known as providing some of the best value given its respectable price. As an industry leader for ingenuity, Daiwa developed this model to work as a fish-fighting machine. You would be glad to know that the reel resembles every letter of the word strength with its powerful aluminum body. It only makes sense that the reel is both corrosion and scratch resistant! The body and body’s cover is black anodized.

Features

• 6BB+1RB
• Manual Return Bail
• Infinite Dual Anti-Reverse system
• Increased durability with manual trip bail
• Mono line capacity: 470/14, 380/17, 280/20
• Gear Ratio 5.6:1

A pretty helpful feature is the solid screw-in handle. The design creates a zero movement effect between the main gear and the handle arm. This is beneficial while fishing because it provides a high-level of control when turning the handle quickly. Another valuable feature is the ABS spool. With a maximized core diameter, your fishing line will be 100% useable. The spool can be filled to the edge without the risk or worry of line tangles or knots. This larger spool still works terrific for casting long-range and produces minimal line memory coil.

The BG5000 reel by Daiwa is part of a larger series of several different sizes of spinning reels. These reels are available in lighter sizes for freshwater fishing as well as larger sizes for the heavy-duty saltwater fish. For the money, it would be very difficult to find a reel that offers the durability and strength that is comparable to that of this reel. Don’t think that you will sacrifice any quality at this price, as it is able to perform and compete at the same level versus all of its competitors.

Pflueger Supreme Spinning Fishing Reel

One the biggest attractions that draw anglers to a spinning reel is their lightweight design. If lightweight performance is important to you, then you should certainly have a look at products offered by Pflueger. As a trusted brand for over 130 years, they have perfected all types of lightweight tackle. With a magnesium body, rotor, and side-plate, the reel feels almost like a feather in your hand. Their Supreme reel was created to help cast very light baits and lures. The reel can accommodate your game-plan for almost any type of fishing strategy.

Features

• 8 stainless steel ball bearings
• Ability to turn anti-reverse bearing on and off
• Carbon-inlay drag
• Titanium line roller to avoid line twists/tangles
• Mono line capacity: 230/6, 185/8, 155,10
• Gear Ratio 6.2:1

Given its smaller size and reduced capacity compared to other reels around this price range, I would recommend the use of a braided line. The reel has a greater capacity for braided line at 250/8, 220/10, & 160/14. This is a great reel for saltwater fishing. It has been known as an ideal reel for panfish, trout, bass, catfish, walleye and salmon. For a lightweight reel, it is pretty impressive that the reel has a max drag of 12lb.

I really like this reel and I truly think that Pflueger does an excellent job with their lightweight design. However, I would probably only advise the purchase of this reel if you plan on using this reel for saltwater fishing. In the past, I used to always favor Shimano reels but was able to quickly switch over to these reels because of its exceptional drag system and I felt that I was better able to justify its price. Pflueger, definitely offers beautiful reels, as they seem to be the freshwater version of the Penn & Daiwa reels that we already highlighted above.

Conclusion

Our in-depth research on reviewing great reels priced at under $125 led us to some interesting discoveries. We noticed that these reels offer plenty of strength and power, and are able to compete with all of the other brands that charge way too much money for the same basic features. With the right amount of proper care, maintenance, and attention to detail, you will be able to fish with any of these fantastic reels for a very long time.