The 12 Best Fishing Reel Brands and Most Popular Reel Models
I'm sure we can agree there is a ton of fishing reel brands covering a variety of gear options and price points. You may think classifying the 12 best brands is a little presumptuous as I may interpret the value of a brand differently than you do. And that's completely fair. That said, these are the top brands that we've chosen on experience, durability/quality, technology, customer service and finally how they have adapted to the changing fishing industry.
Along with the top brand histories and what they're known for, I've included their best selling reels (that are still being sold) and their higher end (premium) reels. Remember this article is focused on reels and not rods or other fishing gear. These reels are strictly spinning, casting and spincast and do NOT include fly or centerpins reels.
If you want to focus on the best type of reels, see my review pages:
12 Top Fishing Reel Brands
| Rank | Brand | Logo |
|---|---|---|
| #1 | Penn |  |
| #2 | Shimano |  |
| #3 | Daiwa |  |
| #4 | Abu Garcia |  |
| #5 | Pflueger |  |
| #6 | Lews |  |
| #7 | Okuma |  |
| #8 | 13 Fishing |  |
| #9 | KastKing |  |
| #10 | Quantum |  |
| #11 | Zebco |  |
| #12 | Piscifun |  |
Penn Fishing Overview
Machinist Otto Henze began working for the reel manufacturer Ocean City Manufacturing Company shortly after he immigrated to America from Germany in 1922. 10 years later, he rented a loft a few blocks away and started his own reel company. He impressed Miller Auto Supply Company with his innovative designs, and they offered him a production contract.
The reel that put his fledgling company on the map is his second design, the Long Beach. It was the first reel to incorporate both a casting lever and a star drag wheel. The Long Beach was an instant hit with surf anglers and charter fishing guides.
His wife, Martha, took over operations after his untimely death in 1948, and the small company grew into a globally recognized brand.
What They're Known For
Penn got its start as a saltwater fishing gear manufacturer, and that reputation holds today. Their signature reel, the Senator, has been a mainstay in the saltwater fishing scene since its debut in 1936. 220 different models are currently in production, and they are all considered to be among the most dependable for ocean fishing.
Best Selling Penn Reel
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High End Penn Reel
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Shimano Fishing Overview
Shimano got its start in 1927 as a bicycle parts manufacturer in Japan. They became known for their precise engineering and ingenious innovations of existing gear technology. They pioneered in-hub gear systems. It wasn’t until 1970 that the American division of the company broke into the fishing reel niche, but their success was immediate.
The company revolutionized the reel industry while still in its infancy. In 1972, just a couple years after entering the tackle market, they introduced their DUX Auto series of spinning reels. This line featured a special cog system that automatically shifted into a higher gear when the angler set a hook.
What They're Known For
Shimano is known for innovation. After the game-changing DUX Auto series. They introduced the Bantam 200 reel, which was the first ultra-light baitcaster. The world wasn’t quite ready for a computerized reel, but Shimano built one anyway. It was very big, because it had a micro-computer inside that controlled the motorized spool.
Best Selling Shimano Reel
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High End Shimano Reel
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Daiwa Fishing Overview
Daiwa came into being just as “Rock Around The Clock” hit number one on the charts in 1955. They focused on a single line of spinning reels at first. Growth was slow and steady. In 1966, they opened a sales and distribution center in Culver City, California to handle what became an impressive share of the Western Hemisphere’s fishing tackle market. Today, they are known for quality and a commitment to fine craftsmanship.
What They're Known For
The manufacturer is heavily entrenched in the freshwater rod and reel industry, although they do offer some pretty good saltwater options. The saltwater reels are expensive, but offer a glimpse of Daiwa’s industry-leading innovation. Most of their freshwater reels are of the spinner and baitcasting variety, with just a few fly and trolling reels.
Perhaps their two most well-known reel lines are the HD and LT. The HD stands for “heavy duty,” and these reels feature strong sealed ball bearings. LT stands for “light and tough.” They are made of lightweight alloys and are very comfortable to use.
Best Selling Daiwa Reel
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High End Daiwa Reel
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Abu Garcia Fishing Overview
Many of today’s most widely recognized fishing tackle manufacturers got their start with totally unrelated products, and Abu Garcia is no different. They started out making watches and taximeters in the 1920s. But demand for those products bottomed out during WWII. The company turned to Göte Borgström, the founder’s son, for direction on which way to go. The Swede loved fishing, so he began to design reels.
His designs caught the attention of the largest importer of fishing gear at that time, the Garcia Corporation. Sales were rather lackluster at first. It was the Ambassadeur line of reels that really got the fishing public to take notice. That was in the late 1950s, and the rest is history. The company has changed hands many times, but their popularity and the value of their reels have remained steady.
What They're Known For
Antique Abu Garcia reels can go for thousands of dollars. A quick check on sites like eBay confirms both the rarity and astronomical cost of old Abu Garcia tackle. Nowadays, the manufacturer is best known for its smooth spinning reels and its low-profile freshwater baitcasters.
Best Selling Abu Garcia Reels
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High End Abu Garcia Reel
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Pflueger Fishing Overview
Originally known as Enterprise Manufacturing Company, E.A. Pflueger Company was born in 1880 as a fishing tackle manufacturer. A few years after its birth, Pflueger forever revolutionized the fishing tackle market with the introduction of lures that glow in the dark. The company enjoyed tremendous success as a lure and hook maker, but it wasn’t until 1916 that they began to make reels.
Their first reel was the Pflueger Baitcast, which was an instant hit. But it would be almost 40 years before they came out with their first reel. Even today, the company does not have such a wide variety of reels as most others. They do, however, enjoy some of the best brand loyalty in the industry.
What They're Known For
Pflueger has focused mostly on rod and reel combos. They offer a very good value, with some of the cheapest products on the market, and the public has responded by making some of their combos the best selling year after year. Baitcasters, spinners, fly and trolling reels are all in their freshwater lineups. They also make saltwater rigs, but they haven't yet captured a significant share of that niche.
Best Selling Pflueger Reel
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High End Pflueger Reel
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Lew's Fishing Overview
Lew Childre Jr saw the need for fresh bait in his hometown on the gulf coast of Alabama. He and his wife, Bebe, started selling shrimp to the local anglers. This small venture slowly grew to a little bait and tackle shop. But Childre was frustrated with the rods of the day. He started to grow his own bamboo for making his own rods.
While on a trip to Japan to find the best bamboo, he met some Japanese investors who loved fishing almost as much as he did. They decided to help fund his idea for a new type of reel with a teardrop shape. Soon after, in 1979, Lew’s Speed Spool Baitcaster was born. It was a big hit at bass tournaments, paired with his pistol-grip rods.
What They're Known For
Lew Childre & Sons Inc. is still known for the types of reels that put them on the map. Those teardrop reels are very popular today, and it’s hard to find a better one outside of Lew’s line of reels. They mostly make baitcasters, but there are some spinning reels that are widely used by American fishermen.
Best Selling Lew's Reel
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High End Lew's Reel
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Okuma Fishing Overview
Okuma is relatively new to the field, having entered the fishing tackle industry in the mid-1980s. But they have almost 40 series of reels spanning all the major types: spinners, baitcasters, saltwater, freshwater and fly. Their designs range from minimalist to almost over complicated.
Their product development is based in the United States, but most of the manufacturing is done in Taiwan. This allows the company to stay on the cutting edge of contemporary American fishing trends while keeping prices reasonable.
What They're Known For
Okuma is known for its budget reels. They have mastered the production process to the point where they can put out dependable and feature-laden reels at a low cost. This makes them particularly popular with beginner anglers who know how to research and find a good product that fills all of their needs.
Many of their mid-priced reels are popular with seasoned fisherman, but they aren’t so well-known as to have a major presence at tournaments or on charter boats.
Best Selling Okuma Reel
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High End Okuma Reel
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13 Fishing Overview
13 Fishing is a newcomer to the game, beginning production in 2012. But this is one company that you should keep an eye on if you follow trends in the industry. As with most other new fishing tackle manufacturers, this one began with a focus on the American market. Rapala’s recent investment is taking 13 Fishing into the global marketplace. This will almost certainly lead to an expansion in the company’s domestic and foreign product lines. We’ll most likely see more spinning reels and possibly fly fishing combos.
What They're Known For
13 Fishing is, without a doubt, most known for its baitcasters. They offer only a few spinning reels, but interestingly enough, their most popular reel is a spinner.
Best Selling 13 Fishing Reel
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High End 13 Fishing Reel
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KastKing Fishing Overview
Eposeidon was born on the Finger Lakes in upstate New York. The college students who founded it had a vision. They wanted to have a direct connection to fisherman and keep their prices ridiculously low. The kids decided that the best way to realize this vision was to cut out the middlemen and deal directly with the consumers. Their factory-direct venture, now known as KastKing, was almost immediately a success. Even their product development is driven by surveys and suggestions that come directly from anglers who use their products.
What They're Known For
KastKing is known for their across-the-board low prices and value. The majority of their reels can be had for less than $50, with some costing about half of that. Their reel lineup is more or less equally split between spinners and baitcasters, although the baitcasters are the most popular.
See all their baitcasting reels.
Best Selling KastKing Reel
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High End KastKing Spinning Reel
I'm a big fan of these saltwater Kapstan reels and use them on my kayak for bottom fishing in tidal waters.
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Quantum Fishing Overview
This is a Zebco brand, founded in 1984 to lead the way of their parent company’s innovation and precision-engineered fishing products. They don’t currently offer any fly or trolling reels, but they do have a nice line of baitcasters and spinning reels that range from quite affordable to high end.
What They're Known For
The brand was almost instantly popular with bass tournament anglers, especially those who preferred low-profile baitcasters for largemouths. It wasn’t long before outdoor writers fell in love with Quantum. It is rare to get through a fishing magazine without seeing some kind of endorsement for this brand. But it isn’t hype. Quantum draws from the years of Zebco’s industry dominance, and they are constantly updating and improving their reels and other tackle products. So there’s a lot to write about. This mostly free publicity helps Quantum to continue its growth season after season.
Best Selling Quantum Reel
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High End Quantum Reel
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Zebco Fishing Overview
Here’s another leading reel manufacturer that was founded by a watchmaker. The company has grown from its first steps in the 1940s to a giant maker of all kinds of outdoor products, but it is still best known for its fishing gear. It has acquired and sold many smaller fishing company’s along its way to becoming one of the biggest and perhaps most famous angling supplier.
What They're Known For
Board any charter ocean fishing boat, and you are likely to find one of Zebco’s big heavy-duty reels. They have a reputation for quality surf and deep-sea reels.
Another thing they’re known for is the closed-head design spinning reels, sometimes called spincasters, that are so popular for kids. But adults love that they tend to stay tangle-free as well. Some of these bullet spinners made in the 1950s are still in use today. That speaks to the durability and quality that the brand is known for.
Best Selling Zebco Reel
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High End Zebco Reel
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Piscifun Fishing Overview
This young company was started in 2013 by two fishing buddies. They are committed to what they refer to as “rapid product updating,” It doesn’t seem, however, that their products are updated all that often. But that isn’t really necessary if you get it right the first time. The company’s reputation is for high quality and functionality, so it seems that the two friends know what they’re doing.
They manufacture spinning, baitcasting and fly reels. The company has recently started to gain traction in other fishing gear, like waders, tackle boxes and backpacks. This may or may not shift the focus away from reels, but it seems as though Piscifun’s foothold in the reel niche is strong.
What They're Known For
At this point, they’re known mostly for large sealed drag fly reels. They also have gotten a reputation for large open-design baitcasters for both freshwater and saltwater. It will be interesting to check back in a few years and take a look at the Piscifun’s line of reels. They may become an industry leader in fly reels, and there’s a possibility that they’ll capture a much bigger saltwater market share.
Best Selling Piscifun Reel
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High End Piscifun Reel
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Summary of the Top Fishing Reel Brands
There you have it! I'm sure you may have been surprised to see some of these brands as they haven't been around for very long. Each of the companies has impressed me whether it be their longstanding quality reels, the sexiness of their products (and marketing) and even how I see these companies positioning themselves in a fast paced growing fishing industry.
What do think? Did we miss one (some)? I'd love to hear from you on my contact page. Thanks for taking the time to check out my page. Much appreciation! Jesse