I am looking for some insight on wich reels you feel are a best bet for under $50. I bought some rods on clearance at the end of the season last year and now watching the sales on reels. Any oppinions appreciated.
Sealegs
For spinning reels under $50, the shimano sedona is hard to beat.
I’ll have to agree with that also. Had mine for 2 years and have not had any problems with it.
I just recieved a Mitchell 300X gold today. It has 10 ball bearings and seems to be a very smooth reel. I paid 49.99 for it. I plan on using it one night this week. I’ll let you know what I think of it.
The history and trail of testimonies for the Sedona leave little, if any, to measure up! I used them for the last 4 years now and still no problems. I didn’t need a new one but I caught one on clearance about a month ago…………..had to have it just because I knew it was money well spent………..and would then be there when I needed a reel.
Another vote for the Sedona. 
J.
Value for Sedona is outstanding, I have both kinds,,front drag and rear….prefer the front ones because they are more compact. I have never had a problem with these reels, truly a great value. I couldn’t stand it this year, though, and had to taste the Stradics they had on sale at Bass Pro for $89. Guess I’ll learn if there is a difference for about 2x the Sedona cost.
I also have to agree on the Sedona by Shimano. But if you can aford a little more you can’t go wrong with the NEW Stradic. I talked to a Shimano rep a few weeks back about how smooth they work and he said it’s all about the GEARs in there reels 
, lots of anglers thinks that that reels with lots of ball bearing make the reel work smooth. So don’t let a lot of ball bears fool you. 
I became a Shimano man over this last winter. I bought a reel just over a year ago. Last fall it wasn’t working right. I sent an email to Shimano, they responded with an address in CA to send it to, and about a week later, I was holdling a new reel in my hand. Backing up your product is worth a lot.
I’ve got to agree about the # of bearings not being the most important factor. I was at Gander last year and the guy was trying to sell me on a seven-bearing GM guide series. He couldn’t believe that I didn’t like it – it was smooth, but felt really sluggish to me. I suppose that there’s a lot of inertial mass in those seven bearings that other reels just don’t have.
I have a sedona and like it just fine. I also bought a quantum five-bearing model (I think it’s an ST4000) at bass pro in Chicago a couple years back for $20 that I think is every bit as good. The one complaint I have is that it has a bail trigger, which means that the anti-reverse only has one stop – for this reason, I would probably say the sedona is better even though it’s not as smooth.
One thing of interest: I absolutely refuse to buy rear drag reels now. I fished one for years and can’t tell you how many fish I lost because I couldn’t resist the urge to tighten it when a big fish would run. A little bit of self-discipline would have also solved the problem, but that’s easier said than done when the drag is screaming and your rod is doubled in half.
I will have to agree with everyone else. Been using the sedona and sidestabs for 4 or five years on 8 differnt rigs, never a problem. 
Sealegs,
I’ve got four sedona’s, two front drag 2000’s and two rear drag 2000’s. Never had a problem with them, and I’ll continue to buy them if they ever wear out. I bought a pair of them off of E-Bay a couple of months used, and paid 25.00 for both of them. If your interested in that route, E-Bay usually has a bunch of them on there at great prices.
SEDNERB
Thank you all for the advice I appreciate it along with my pocket book!
Sealegs
I’ve had very good luck with the Sahara too…it also comes with a spare Aluminum spool.
ONE WORD…….SEDONA! GOT 5 VERY HAPPY WITH THEM. VERY NICE DRAG,I MOST ALWAYS BACK REEL, AND STILL LIKE THE DRAG.
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