Daiwa BG 2500 Spinning Reel Independent Review (On-The-Water Performance)
- By: Luke Simonds
- on
- Found In: Fishing Tips, Product Reviews, Saltwater Fishing Reels
In this article, you’ll see an independent review of the Daiwa BG 2500 spinning reel.
Best of all, it’s focused towards on-the-water performance specifically for inshore saltwater anglers.
Because finding a good saltwater reel can be very tough.
It can be frustrating if you don’t know what to look for, and there are just so many options that it can quickly get overwhelming.
Plus, saltwater is tough on reels so we always need to condsider longevity expectations when deciding upon which reel to buy.
Many members have asked about which spinning reel is best for saltwater anglers who predominantly use artificial lures (aka – lots of casting and retrieving).
So I decided to start buying a variety of inshore reels from various manufacturers so that I can test them myself and then share unbiased feedback to our members since we are not affiliated with any reel manufacturers.
Most importantly, this review is on first-hand usage one the water instead of just looking at the specs… specs are great, but the data I care about most is how it feels and performs when actually using it out on the water.
So in this post, I’ll focus on the feel and performance that I’ve personally felt and seen whe using the new Daiwa BG 2500 spinning reel.
Daiwa BG 2500 Spinning Reel Usage
For the past few months, I have been using my new Daiwa BG 2500 reel in a variety of inshore fishing applications.
Most of the fishing I’ve done with it has been targeting redfish, snook, and seatrout up on the flats.
But I’ve also used it for lighter applications such as casting light jigs for the many pompano that have been showing up in Tampa Bay recently.
Daiwa BG 2500 Specs
I could bore you with the flashy phrases and new words from Daiwa’s website such as an “Over-Sized Digigear” or an “ABS Spool”, but you can go on their website and read that for yourself.
Instead, I’m going to tell you the pros and cons that I have noticed while using this reel… because let’s face it, no reel is perfect.
First, Let’s take a look at the core stats straight from Daiwa’s website.
Daiwa BG 2500 Specs:
- Weight: 9.3 oz
- Line Capacity: 190 yds of 10 lb. braid
- Drag Capacity: 13.2 lbs. of drag
- Ball Bearings: 6+1
- Gear Ratio: 5.6:1
- Line Per Handle Turn: 33.2”
Daiwa BG 2500 Price:
The Daiwa BG 2500 retails at roughly $100 dollars.
So that puts it roughly equivalent to other popular spinning reels such as the Shimano NASCI and the Penn Battle II.
Daiwa BG 2500 Spinning Reel Review
Here’s a video review that shows the pros and cons that I’ve found on the Daiwa BG 2500 reel so far.
I’ll update this post over time if anything else comes up, and I welcome any and all feedback from you in the comment section below if you’d like to share your experiences using the Daiwa BG reel with the community.
See Cross-Brand Reel Review [Insider Club]
Conclusion
At the end of the day, our goal should be to get a reel that best matches our needs while staying in budget.
This new Daiwa BG has proven to be a quality reel so far after putting it to the test for the past few months.
So far, I have been quite impressed with this reel.
It seems like a good deal at the $100 mark where it typically is listed.
And I just noticed that it is listed on Amazon for just ~$90 which seems to be an extremely good deal.
I’ll continue to use this reel to see how its longevity around saltwater holds up, and I’ll update this post for any notable updates.
Please feel free to use the Comment section below to describe your experience using Daiwa BG spinning reels or if you have any questions.
Fish on!
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I think there is a typo/mistake in the line capacity you listed as:
However the specs states 190 yards for 15 lb. braid
What rod do you recommend pairing with this reel, I’m doing the same fishing you were doing, my budget is 150. Thank you !
My favorite series at that price point is the TFO Pro S rods… choose the model based on what size line/lures you’ll be using: https://fishstrong.com/collections/saltwater-rods/products/tfo-pro-professional-spinning-rods?variant=40649101967534
I was thinking of pairing a BG5000 on. 9’ rod and a BG6500 on an 11’ rod for Stripers. Do you think this is a good idea or would you recommend a different reel? Thanks
Nevermind. I ordered them 🙂
Sorry for not replying sooner… I just now came across your original question.
Yes, that setup seems like a solid option for targeting big stripers from the beach. Those BG reels come a bit big, so you could even go smaller in size. But the 6500 can certainly work too.
No worries. Can I adjust my order? I ordered through fishstrong?
I just checked and it appears as if your order has already shipped. So what I recommend doing is put the reel on the rod and see how it fits and how it balances… the bigger reels may very well fit better so it’s not worth making a change without trying it on the reel. Here’s a tip on balancing a rod that I generally do for testing out combos: https://www.saltstrong.com/articles/rod-reel-balancing/
Thanks
I used to be a loyal Penn guy but the smaller sizes 2500-4500 are not made to well. 1 15 lb cravelle jack and it’s done. I moved to Daiwa Black gold. Very happy. For a 100 bucks very good reel. But I have 2 Penn spin fishers 5500 and love them for offshore fish. Built better.
Thanks for making time to leave the helpful comment David!
About to buy a BG4000 and a 5000 for my family to use on the boat. Any experience with these larger BG’s?
Yes, I use the 4500 for tarpon fishing and it works great. If you’re mostly doing normal inshore fishing, the 3000 and under is the way to go because this line of reels seems like they hold more line than other models/brands of the same class.
Thank you for the quick reply. These reels will be used for tarpon or other offshore fish where I live in Jacksonville. Especially looking to use them for offshore casting in the Keys on vacation for Mahi-Mahi or Black Fin tuna with jigs and cute bait.
Cool! Sounds like those sizes would be a good fit then.
Thank you again sir and thank you for the Salt Strong brand. Y’all provide great information and are always helpful. Have a great summer.
Luke, thanks for the review. What’s your best reel for $150 or less for inshore/ beach saltwater fishing mainly throwing soft plastics, spoons Etc.
Here’s a link to a post showing my favorite reels and rods for inshore fishing that I’ve found so far: https://www.saltstrong.com/fishing-tip/best-inshore-rod-reel-combo/
Thanks
I can’t access it. It says insider only
Our insiders are the ones who fund this company in a way that enables us to stay completely unbiased on tackle reviews like this, so they are the ones who get access to cross-brand analysis like this.
Is there any particular reason you haven’t joined yet? If you like catching redfish, seatrout, snook, and/flounder, then you’re going to be blown away be the exclusive fishing tips we reserve for members in addition to the helpful product reviews that’ll help you make sure you’re not overspending on tackle.
Luke, thanks for the review. What’s your best reel for $150 or less for inshore/ beach saltwater fishing mainly throwing soft plastics, spoons Etc.
I’m buying the bg 2500 and I’m buying a falcon costal XG spinning rod but I don’t know what length to buy. Should I get 7’ or 7’6 I’ll be throwing lures in the surf,maybe flats, and basic inshore application
If I’m looking to throw plugs and various lures from the surf, piers etc because I dont have a boat or kayak and won’t be casting all day Should I go 2500 or 3000
I’d go with the 3000 so that you have some extra line in case you hook into something really big.
I’ve never personally caught a redfish and only one trout which was by accident in a cast net and since I won’t be going on a boat and casting it all day it should be ok to go with the heavier option.
Hi what size is good for pier and inshore fishing? For trout, flounder, drum, shipshead and redfish
The 2500 or 3000 Daiwa BG is plenty big enough to handle those species from a pier (unless you’re targeting bull redfish which could need some more power and line capacity).
Hi no I’m not targeting bull redfish, should I lean towards 3000 for additional line capacity? Seems that 2500 and 3000 have the same body size just different spool size. Does 3500 or 4000 is too much for my application? Thanks
The 4000 is nice for boat and pier but wouldn’t want to cast it all day. Have 2 x the 3000 and a single 4000. Had for 2 years and used almost 250 times in saltwater and still smooth.