Best Spinning Reel for $100 in 2024 | Nasci VS Exceler LT VS Fierce IV

In this video, we discuss the $100 price point spinning reel and why we think it's the best value. We go over 3 reels at this price and discuss which one is the best for you.
Shimano Nasci - tailwatershop.com/products/sh...
Daiwa Exceler LT - tailwatershop.com/products/co...
Penn Fierce IV - tailwatershop.com/products/pe...
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[@lv2keepfit493]

Exceler is a gorgeous reel! Was in a fishing store Niagara On. and asked to try it out and wow! Smooth, light and great feel. Spec's are excellent too! $99 Can. I didn't buy it though, but might go back for it tomorrow.

[@aaronlopez388]

Picked up a Daiwa exceller and I love it!

[@tailwateroutfitters]

Great to hear!

[@jimmyrecard6021]

how is it going so far?

[@M--76]

I own a new 2023 Shimano Vanquish, 2023 Shimano Stradic FM, and a Shimano Nasci. Three very different price points but all three are great reels. I use all three for inshore saltwater fishing and I love all three of them. I don't know that I can truthfully justify the 4x price of the Vanquish over the Nasci but I really wanted a high end reel just because.

[@WhiteGhost21]

the FM sucks compared to the FL. used it once and i'm now trying to sell it.

[@cavesuki8510]

@@WhiteGhost21Why does it suck for you? I have the FL & FM & find them very similiar & enjoy both

[@ericwest128]

@@WhiteGhost21 I have seen this same opinion from other people on the difference between FL and FM makes me confused since shimano claims FM is a better version of the stradic.Why do you think FL its better?

[@WhiteGhost21]

@@cavesuki8510 it felt a bit more bumpy for some reason upon retrieve and the handle is smaller

[@WhiteGhost21]

@@ericwest128 i just prefered the larger handle that the FL had.. and i feel reel companies tend to make one reel better and one worse in susequent editions to make it appear theyre always improving, once a new one then is geared to come out.

[@marcusWKG]

Appreciate your videos, very informative...so quick question, in the Daiwa line its really tough to figure out differences, which one between Regal LT vs Exceler LT? Use is a all rounder in Michigan and some Florida, thank you!!

[@DerylSmith-qh7no]

I paid $70 for my Fierce IV and it was on a Penn rod. I paid $90 for my Battle III and I would chose it over the other two. Thanks for info.

[@samuelsellers3829]

I agree I love my Penn reels because I can get parts and also find good sales on them and I think they hold up better in salt compared to others

[@willcordelo9582]

I came into your store last Thursday 4/4/24 (I'm the guy with the walker), I can't remember his name, but I spoke to the tall older guy and he was a great help! I'm 4th generation from Clearwater and I have many high end rod's and reels, as I fish both saltwater and freshwater. On this day I was looking for a two piece rod that I could leave in the front of my Ranger all the time, so I could grab it and jump out at any time I see a lake or pond that I want to try, yet not have to worry about it being stolen if I'm in a store somewhere. I was told that you didn't have any two piece rods, but I ended up buying a Bull Bay 3 pc. travel rod which was perfect for what I needed! He then showed me a Shimano Nasci 1500 and the Diawa Exceler 2500D-XH, I played with both and it took me less than a minute to choose the Exceler. Would I have chose it if I needed it for saltwater? Definitely not, but I used the Exceler and the Bull Bay Travel Rod a lot over the weekend and both performed even better than I expected! Thanks Tailwater Outfitters for your first class service!

[@tailwateroutfitters]

Thats great! We appreciate the kind words! We're always happy to help

[@dm9103]

I switched from Shimano to Daiwa a long ago. Shimano reels are usually heavier and always had heavier start up inertia. Exceler is a great reel.

[@davidfurst7233]

I am having trouble finding them. Where did you buy yours?

[@CrcrcrcrCrcrcrcr]

How does the sahara fj compare to the nasci? I am between those two and sadly the newer daiwa reels dont exist in my country

[@davidlove7825]

I would go Nasci. Core protect gives good water resistance. Exceler would be good but Daiwa spare parts in Australia are an issue. The Penn would be good if the extra weight did not both you.

[@DuallDude]

Just got the Exceler on sale for $60. Super excited to put it through its paces

[@d1grizz]

Where did you get it?

[@Zyl0n_yt]

PLEASE TELL ME WHEIR LOL

[@Zyl0n_yt]

@DuallDude wheir did you get it on sale for?

[@DuallDude]

@@Zyl0n_yt it was from tackle warehouse

[@jedi8372]

is it for fresh or saltwater?

[@thetoyota86perspective54]

I bought 2 x Excelers. A 2000D-C for finesse fishing and then a 3000D. The 2000D shit itself after being exposed to saltwater. I've had Shimano Siennas dunked and survive with just a wash when I got home. Daiwa's are nice and smooth but dont last anywhere near as long as Shimano reels. The best reel on the planet for the money is still the Stradic (FL is my preference). I'd take the Nasci here

[@tailwateroutfitters]

That's fair, I could see that

[@lelokong6898]

It's crazy how good these $100 reel are, they are as good as $200 reels 10 years ago

[@tailwateroutfitters]

I agree!

[@chuckfinley3152]

The fierce iv is just an aluminum pursuit iv that costs twice as much, I would skip it and get a battle iii or a spin fisher vi since they are on sale. I got a Daiwa Fuego for a rod I built to try out, and I’ll admit I love it, I absolutely love it, and I’m a penn guy. Penn pursuits are my secrete weapon, same drag, bearings and gears as the fierce, and you can get them for for less than $50 for a 4000

[@ivanvedris9636]

I think daiwa reels up to 100 dollars are unbeatable, especially for UL. I have Legalis 2000, 2500 and Fuego 2000. Very light reels and smooth, without resistance and inertia when winding. In the more expensive segment, Shimano is a little better, it depends on which price range. ​

[@sonnco]

That’s a solid assessment and your feel for the Shimano NASCI is spot on. It’s in Shimano’s CoreSolid lineup which is more for power than the finesse line known as MagnumLite. CoreSolid = takes more to start the revolution but it rotates longer MagnumLite = less effort to start and stop the reel (smoother)

[@tailwateroutfitters]

Appreciate that! Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for the clarification, that definitely makes sense with the two lines of reels

[@WhiteGhost21]

the LT has an antireverse switch still which by default should take a few points off

[@TurtleNeck-vd7ek]

Nearly always the first thing that puts me off a reel. Don't know why reel companies keep doing it. If people wanna course fish just buy a baitrunner not a lure reel

[@user-oc5ry8pp1p]

@@TurtleNeck-vd7ek that switch is very useful

[@TurtleNeck-vd7ek]

@user-oc5ry8pp1p just out of interest how do you use it? I've had lure reels with them on and never found a use for it.

[@user-oc5ry8pp1p]

@@TurtleNeck-vd7ek let some line out, often

[@rontruocchio5744]

I have not found anything yet that beats a daiwa BG for quality and value at that price point. Smooth and powerful if not a little heavy but will not flex under heavy load. Still an easy real to maintain yourself. I have the 3000 and 3500. The 3500 is as beast. I also own a Shimano stradic 4000. Sixty bucks more than the daiwa but a work of art . The downside is if you do your own maintainence this real will be very intricate with a lot of small parts. Just a note if you fish in salt check the line roller bearing . Mine had corrosion starting after half a season. My last reel is my most expensive and wish I didn't buy it. A penn clash 2 in 3000 size. It's one of those reels that felt real smooth in the store but didn't come close to the daiwa and Shimano jigging all day. . i use this real for throwing out bait and putting the pole in a sand spike.

[@artificialslinger9730]

I actually agree with 99% of this video great review over all. I would personally go with the nasci over the daiwa. I bought my kids the nasci and was messing with it and got a 34" redfish with it and handled like a dream. Throwing arties all day too i dont notcie the difference between the nasic and the daiwa my biddy got his kid. Its not this model daiwa i believe it was the next step up. The cheaper daiwas and the lt model daiwas don't seem to have the build quality of Penn and Shimano. Just frkn my own experience and opinion

[@tailwateroutfitters]

Thanks! The Nasci is wildly more popular for us than the Exceler, and I don’t think that will change. Appreciate the comment!

[@user-lp1eh6fx7t]

How whould the exceler hold up in saltwater?

[@bigg6080]

I am kayak fisherman in South Africa. Looking fir the most durable toughest spinning reel that would best survive in harsh saltwater conditions… what woud be your pick in the $100 range?

[@janmichaelsuarez2996]

hi bro can u pick one for me nasci or exceler?

[@TheBoneruner]

The Nasci is sealed while the Exceler is not. That was the deciding factor at least for me

[@FishingAdventure-qm3wj]

One thing to note is that the exceler is not rated for saltwater fishing but the nasci is!! If the exceler was saltwater rated i would choose it any day over the nasci :)

[@fieshyfish]

I wouldnt pay attention to “Saltwater ratings” internally both will handle salt environments the same.

[@Azizur84]

I am new in fishing, do fresh water fishing. Recently upgrade my setups. After seeing many videos and suggestions i end with daiwa phantom power 8ft rod and Daiwa bg 3000 .

[@tailwateroutfitters]

Sounds like a great choice!

[@Azizur84]

@@tailwateroutfitters thank you so much

[@poepflater]

The best advice I can give you is to get the lightest weight setup that can do the job, It is so much less taxing and tiring to work with light equipment and is much easier to keep going when it gets slow and motivation low. I know for certain kinds of work like punching in reeds you need a stronger rod... I do almost all my fishing with only 2 rods at my side.

[@Azizur84]

@@poepflater thank you so much for your valuable advice. Really appreciate

[@iLearnt-IT-on-You-Tubes]

If You're a weirdo like me who likes to use 20 or 30 lb fluoro to braid line go with diawa. Shimano always makes a narrow choke point between the line roller and the bale. Makes it so you're connecting not gets caught. But if you know that with that real you're always going to you 15 and below line I would say Shimano is a little better. I just like having the option.

[@TTangOutdoors]

Great comparison! The new Exceler is a big step up from the previous 2017 version, Shimano needs to catch up now.

[@poepflater]

2023 Shimano LT is king in the budget category I think they come in at 175g

[@ivanvedris9636]

@@poepflaterDaiwa LT...

[@poepflater]

correct, brain has been fried in near 40C sun today next the water... I forget the Shimano equivalent one now. better reel, smoother etc, but If you are catching large bass, I'd go with the Daiwa 100%@@ivanvedris9636

[@aaronhiggs]

Shimano Miravel on sale. Got one for 85 bucks. It’s amazing.

[@smlbcity23]

Where?

[@aaronhiggs]

@@smlbcity23amazon

[@deshnaidoo2558]

You didn't talk about the premium cold forged aluminum main gear (same as the Stella) that you get in the Nasci. The Fierce uses a cheap zinc alloy as far as i'm concerned and knowing Daiwa they probably also went down the zinc route for the Exceler. For that reason alone Nasci for the win, no brainer

[@tailwateroutfitters]

While the cold forged hagane gear in both reels is correct, the main gear in two reels is definitely not the same gear. The Stella has the micro module gear ii, which is an increased number of smaller gear teeth. This results in the gears meshing together smoother.

[@bdcfu]

I put my hands on a handful of reels the other day and i didn’t like the feel of these reels. I also don’t like the thin bail wire. TBH I really like the pfluegar president and I really liked the Lews KVD.

[@luissortorosales9009]

can i use penn fierce for bass fishing ( like lures?)

[@tailwateroutfitters]

Yea that will work just fine

[@leepao6302]

The Nasci is great, but for less the money, I prefer the Sahara over the nasci; it may have less ball bearings counts but it performs as great as the nasci comparability, plus if you fish saltwater environment bushing a bit better than bearing because it doesn’t rust. I still have my old 2012 Sahara and that thing still works fine with minimal issue. On top of that any reel will last; all you needs is just with a little love and cares doesn’t matter the price point

[@WhiteGhost21]

twin power

[@leepao6302]

@@WhiteGhost21 hahaha ... over the price range of this $100 topic, if i were going pay that much just for that reel; I rather just pick up the Stella instead. I prefer go cheap to save money or go all out and call it a day, the in between price point is a waste of money in my opinion

[@Rpark1214]

Fuego is also a solid reel at that price point. Out of the shimano reels, the Sedona, sahara, nasci, miravel, and ultegra are all somewhat similar too with them being within $20 or so of each other. I wish they had a couple more reels in between the ultegra and the stradic/vanford tho..

[@tailwateroutfitters]

Yea I agree and love the fuego. Shimano is pretty dense between $60-$140

[@artificialslinger9730]

The only con to the Fuego lt and the lt models of daiwa is their frame flex issues they are known for. Their aluminum reels are amazing. I do agree Shimano should be able to make another model reel in-between the ultegra and Stradic.

[@WhiteGhost21]

the ultegra is all you need

[@Dolbee49277]

Daiwa Exceller is great. You can find from $75-90. Thing just looks like you should catch fish.

[@Nobodybaby78]

I’ll stick to my fuego or legalis! Daiwa baby

[@Peeler86]

Is it better than the Fuego?

[@Amblos-jk7uo]

I was told yesterday by a fishing store clerk that the Fuego, about $10 more than the Excelor, has better saltwater protection (Magseal). The Excelor to me felt smoother. He stated that if you’re mostly freshwater fishing, the Excelor is an excellent choice. Hope this helps.

[@mrfilamfishing]

The 10lbs PowerPro is .15 in diameter while the 15lbs J Braid is .019 in diameter, not .19. The J Braid is higher strength but thinner.

[@wcmacster]

Yo you didn’t show the specs on the Penn.

[@fishmaniachannel]

👌

[@jeffnaval4894]

The best is ultegra. It's similar to stradic.

[@karnivorouskirby2062]

Is the Shimano Vanford worth it?

[@tailwateroutfitters]

It's a phenomenal reel that looks great and is a joy to use

[@ericaudette6668]

@@tailwateroutfitters if you have big hands or knuckles, the stem sucks. i just sent back the vanford.

[@joekassay6650]

So shimano nasci is 99. stradic is 179 to 199, so 100 dollar difference

[@colesheehan9929]

Will you do a $200 spinning reel round 2? I can’t decide between the new stradic or bg mq 🤪

[@artificialslinger9730]

I had both. Kept the Stradic FM. Sold the mq. Mq felt cheap to me for the price.

[@Rpark1214]

@@artificialslinger9730 surprising. I mean they are pretty different reels but my Stradic although a great reel will require more maintenance as the slightest touch does bang it up a bit

[@WhiteGhost21]

get the old stradic if you can. the FL

[@artificialslinger9730]

@@Rpark1214 I've had no issues with the new stradics starting with the FL prior models did indeed need more maintenance but it was basic maintenance that any reel would need and still need to this day. When I sold my FL to get the FM it was still in mint condition at 4 years old. If you throw your stuff around it's going to get marked up regardless of what you do or what it's made from. If you take care of your gear the right way it'll take care of you 🔥💪🏼

[@vincentmok2873]

It’s simple, get both 😂

[@EMILNOVEL0]

The exceller better than the fuego?

[@tailwateroutfitters]

I think it is

[@vsonic86]

Love the Daiwa. Sadly this one doesn’t have any mag seal for using saltwater 😭

[@kmilesSC]

Diawa Feugo is best

[@tailwateroutfitters]

Yea the Fuego is great! I was just trying to be exactly at $100 for these, or else I would have grabbed the fuego

[@thatonebeone]

i have a 30$ combo from 32 years ago and i smoke my friends out fishing them i do have a stella and graphiteleader 1000+$ combo

[@artificialslinger9730]

😂😂

[@thatonebeone]

its funny my friends are new and they buy expensive reels and rods and they cant catch much gots to work your way up and get experience and then treat yourself into the nicer things because you will appreciate the rod and reel even more..a cheap set up will teach you and once you master that then you get the fancy stuff@@artificialslinger9730