How much should you spend on a fishing reel?

I think a lot of this depends upon one's skills, fishing experience, and just what the desired species is. At the extreme high end, a spinning reel can cost $500 or more, and that's not money well spent while introducing a ten year-old to the sport. Basically, it's not a good investment for the best of fishermen. There are many good reels that can be purchased for under $100. Size and style depend upon the situation.

Beginning fishermen are mainly introduced to the sport with a spincasting (aka close faced) reel. The first name in introductory reels is the Zebco 33. In fact, many old timers making hundreds of casts with lures love these reels. They are easier to use, allow for quicker casting, and are less apt to tangle. The "33" runs anywhere from $18-35 (or thereabouts), and there is an improved version known as the Zebco Omega that goes for about $60. I own two Omegas, and I'll vouch for the fact that they'll cast as far as many relatively expensive spinning (open faced) reels, and with 6 ball bearings, the retrieve is very smooth.

Not every fish you catch is going to be a lunker, and ultralight fishing makes the sport fun and exciting. I have two ultralight spinning reels that I have caught bass up to 16" with. One is an Okuma Inspira IA 10, which runs in the neighborhood of $80. It has 10 ball bearings, and is both smooth and user friendly. The other is a St. Croix PS750. It has 6 bearings, but it is a very high quality reel for the $40 price. It's important to remember that ball bearings are key; the more the merrier. However, a reel with 10 or more cheap bearings may not be as good as one with 4-6 high quality bearings. A lot of people swear by Mitchell reels, but I am not a big fan. Many Mitchell's have 10 or more bearings, yet they still have a grind while retrieving that is reminiscent of reels from a bygone era.

A larger reel with more punch and good quality is the Daiwa Capricorn. Quite frankly, I love fishing with ultralights and rarely use the Capricorn, but for overall quality it is the best reel I own. This reel runs in the $80-90 range. Another quality spinning reel that I have tried is the Pflueger Premium, which costs $100. When mounted on a quality graphite rod, and of these reels will complete a combo that will give years of quality service. While $500 reels are ridiculous for most of us, it is important to also remember that you get what you pay for. Ask the counter person at your favorite sporting goods store to let you handle the reel that interests you most. Give the handle a few cranks. The smoother the better.