When asking what the best conventional reel is, you first have to determine where you are going to be fishing, freshwater or saltwater. The next thing to consider is what is your anticipated budget.
I say anticipated because once you start to understand the difference between the lower priced reels especially for saltwater applications and a more expensive reel that offers say sealed bearings and a sealed body you might change your mind.
When we do a baitcasting reel review, it is unbiased as we purchase or borrow these reels, they are not provided by the manufacturer so there is no expectation of getting a “good review” in trade for equipment.
It is very important to us that you know we will point out the bad as well as the good and we will do our best to steer you in the right direction for the type of fishing you want to do.
We also want you to know that we update this information on a regular basis. If you want to stay informed click on the Get-Notifications to the right or sign up for our Email List.
When doing our reviews we look at things such as:
- Durability
- Material Used For Construction
- Types of Bearings
- Manufacturing Process
- Weight
- Gear Ratios
- Retrieval Rates
- How it Performs On The Water
- Value
- Pros and Cons
- Suggested Alternatives
Our objective is to provide you with all the information you need to make the most informed purchase you can from the comfort of your home.
Below are the manufacturers we have completed reviews for. Click thru to the individual manufacturer’s page and you will see a list of all the reels we have reviewed. If there is a particular baitcasting reel that you would like to see a review for, please shoot us an email and let know.
Best Accurate Conventional Reels
Accurate is a phenomenal brand of reels if you are a serious fisherman and want to have a quality reel that is going to last you for a lifetime.
These reels are manufactured from the finest aircraft grade aluminum and stainless steel and incorporate engineering to make them as lightweight as possible while still maintaining great strength.
Read all the Accurate Conventional Reel Reviews HERE.
Accurate Reels is dedicated to outfitting anglers with the highest quality fishing tackle. Other manufacturers may use descriptions such as double-disc drag or dual disc drag, but no other reel's two-faced drag system can compare with the performance of Accurate's exclusive, patented TwinDrag system. 
Best Daiwa Conventional Reels
Daiwa is one of our favorite brands due to how smooth and well engineered their reels are.
When you think of baitcasting reels one name that you will hear over and over again is Tatula and one of the features you will hear about is the T Wing System or TWS.
Daiwa offers a wide range of baitcasting reels for everything from pitching and flipping for small species up to the larger Lexa 300 and Lexa 400 for larger gamefish.
Read all the Daiwa Conventional Reel Reviews HERE.
Built to handle just about anything, the Daiwa Lexa WN Casting Reel provides the tacky, durable comfort and leverage of authentic Winn grips, plus all the stopping power you'll need to outlast the bruisers.
Best Okuma Conventional Reels
Okuma produces some great conventional reels that much like their spinning reels deliver very good value. It has been our experience that the materials and the manufacturing that goes into making an Okuma reel are on par with some of the major manufacturers that have been around for longer.
When looking at an Okuma conventional reel you will find things like graphite sideplates and frames for their smaller and lighter weight reels and meticulously machined aluminum frames and sideplates on their larger models.
Read all the Okuma Conventional Reel Reviews HERE.
Okuma's "Carbonite" drag system features a newly-developed carbon-based drag material that displaces heat and friction consistently and steadily even under the harshest of fishing conditions.
Best Penn Conventional Reels
Penn has been making conventional reels since 1932 and has always been known for making a quality product at a reasonable price point.
If you have ever been on a head boat you probably were fishing with a Penn Senator but they also have a number of other mid-tier priced reels that are great for jigging and targeting your larger pelagic species.
Read all the Penn Conventional Reel Reviews HERE.
Built for power and reliability throughout, the PENN Special Senator features precision-machined stainless steel pinion gear, high-strength marine-grade bronze alloy main gear, multi-disc star drag with premium HT-100 drag washers, convertible power handle, and more.
Best Shimano Conventional Reels
While Shimano is not as well known for their conventional reels as they are their spinning and baitcasting reels, they offer a handful of convention reels from star drags to levelwinds.
As with most things made by Shimano you can count on a well-manufactured reel that is built to withstand the elements of fishing and hold up over time if it is well cared for. Probably one of the conventional or round reels that Shimano is best known for is the Shimano Calcutta Conquest.
Read all the Shimano Conventional Reel Reviews HERE.
The benchmk in smoothness, precision and pure power, Shimano designed the new Calcutta Conquest to be the pinnacle in performance. While the Calcutta Conquest 100 and 200 may look like classics, these iconic reels incorporate many of Shimano's flagship technologies for those anglers demanding the best. 
