I was wondering how long it would take you to start looking for a rod and reel for your grandson, after seeing those pictures of him and his bass he caught, and exoresion on his face , with I could have see the bass you caught and expresion on your face.


 Did he out fish you or did you out fish him???


 Can not help you with baitcaster do not use them....

George

The Daiwa Megaforce has a 7:1 ratio and is low dollar.

I like mine.    Of course its not a Steez or anything, but serves its purpose.   It cast really smooth and has the external mag control which would be good for a newbie.   Its also a small reel.

Its got the twitching bar also, which I use on occasion.

http://www.daiwa.com/Reel/detail.aspx?ID=234

Pondhopper,  The below site has the prices listed as 39, 49 and 59 dollars respectfully, just to get an idea of what your looking at. All of those are 6.?:1 gear ratios. As far as physical size... If there is a "100" in the model # chances are their frame size are much like the old Batam Mag 100's(B-100) and are a hair smaller than the 200#'ed models.(I could be wrong on that)


http://www.anglersupply.com/shimano.htm

Pondhopper,I have a shimano bantam crestfire cr-100 I can give you no charge and see if he can get used to baitcasting.It's really a beginner reel.The thumb bar is on the side like an abu round reel.

I don't know how good it really is,but it does work.

All you got to do is add some cheap line in case he backlashes a few times.

Guys the problem, or perhaps the question, is not whether he can handle a Curado or not; it’s what am I going to buy him so that I can have mine back! 

I am totally amazed at how well this kid has learned to use this equipment. I know they say that kids learn stuff a lot faster than us “old” folks but I never dreamed that he could learn this stuff this fast! 

Nay friends, the problem is that between the wife and I there are six Grandchildren in this equation. The wife say’s that whatever amount I spend on one an equal amount should be spent on the rest! That is the reason that “cost” has become a factor. 

awesome! i gave my son (6 yrs old) an old daiwa triforce-x and wasnt expecting much. boy was i surprised; that boy can throw that thing! infact, he only over-ran the reel a handful of times. which is a lot more than i can say for my self when i started using a casting reel!

so true. I did the same when my daughter was 6. She is now nine and she stole my old greenie curado bsf after the first cast.

PH,

I think I have a way around your dilemna. Buy the reel for you and just have it ready for him every time you both fish.  Of course, you can them let him "borrow" it as in forever because technically it's "yours" but you know and he will know it is really his. 

I see that the Abu Max seems fairly reasonable at $49.00 or just give him the one he is already accustomed to. Zero out of pocket cost and a happy child.

Pond, I know you use the Curados like I do, etc... Growing up, I used the lower end shimano reels for many many years(still have two of the B-1000's) and had NO problems out of them(the rest were stolen). Any of the three, persay, lower quailty reels will cast almost as well and you know they'll last a loooong time. I mean, what did you use when you started out...202's, 303's, Johnson century's, etc..Yeah, so did I  . I graduated to the Shimano B-100's and B-1000's that came in the plastic packages that you find on the J-hook cheapy rods and reels section at wally-whurl  for YEARS before I graduated to those Curado's . If I were forced to spend "equal" cashola amongst them, I wouldn't bat an eye at using one of the three lower end Shimano's, seriuosly.

Anywho! my 2 cents

Econobasser