With so many different fishing reel brands to choose from, it can get quite confusing to pick the right one. Arguably one of the most important parts of my fishing gear are the reels so while I want everything to be of the best quality I can afford, the fishing reel itself makes the most difference to me. I’ve used cheap reels and expensive reels and while I’m by no means a gear snob one thing is for certain. If you hook a fish on a bad quality reel, it makes it so much more work and stress to land the fish. Not to mention increasing the chance that you’re not going to land them at all.

I’m also the type that likes to get a shortcut when trying to look up new information and when looking around at who makes these various brands of fishing reels, I quickly found that there wasn’t a good source for a list of all the fishing reel brands. That’s why I created the list below. To help you research the various brands of reels and make a more educated choice as to what is right for you.

Brands of Fishing Reels

For each brand, I list whether they make freshwater, saltwater or fly fishing reels, the average aggregate ratings of all the reels for the brand(where available) and a price range so you can get an idea of the quality vs cost. I also have links to where you can buy each brand of reel online. You may find some duplication in the list where a given brand may be listed in more than one category due to offering reels for more than just one type of fishing.

To skip to a specific section, click one of the links below:

One word of caution on saltwater fishing reels. A number of manufacturers make both freshwater and saltwater reels, and a number of the cheaper brands may not have much, if any difference between the two. If you’re spending the money for a fishing reel you want to hold up to saltwater usage, be sure that the reel is made to withstand the elements. This means using materials less prone to corrosion and better sealed designs to make sure saltwater doesn’t get inside the reel.