There are many fishing companies in the world that manufacture high-quality fishing reels. While many companies still produce their reels in the USA, you might be surprised to learn that some of the most popular fishing reel brands in America manufacture their reels overseas in countries like China, Japan, Taiwan, and Korea.
So, what fishing reels are made in the USA? Many American fishing brands still manufacture fishing reels with domestic or globally sourced components in the USA. Some of the best American-made reels include Abel, Accurate, Aspen, Avet, IRT, Penn, Nautilus, Ross, Seigler, Tibor, Teton, Hatch, Galvan, Lamson, and ZeeBaas.
If you’re looking for quality fishing reels made in the USA, you’re at the right place. Keep reading to learn what manufacturers still produce reels in America.
What Spinning Reels are Made in the United States?
There is no shortage of great American-made fly-fishing reels, but there are far fewer domestically built-spinning reels to choose from.
Although there are not many American-made reels on the market, those made in the USA are a mix of outstanding quality and innovative design. Here are some of the best American-made spinning reels.
IRT Fishing Reels
The history of Innovative Reel Technology started with a deep passion for success and the American dream.
Greg Header, a business owner with a passion for fishing, saw an opportunity to open a fishing company when a local fishing reel store in Hegins, Pennsylvania, closed. His dream was to create a fishing company that manufactures all its reels in the USA.
IRT Reels was founded a year later and has become one of the most popular USA-made brands of spinning reels. IRT spinning reels are suitable for freshwater and saltwater fishing and are renowned for their quality and performance.
Accurate Fishing Reels
Accurate Fishing Products was founded in 1990 by David and Douglas Nilsen in their family’s small aerospace factory in Los Angeles, California. Over the years, Accurate has become famous for its range of high-quality conventional saltwater spinning reels.
Accurate’s high-tech reel series includes seven blue-water models and eight light-tackle models, all of which are popular among serious freshwater and saltwater fishermen.
Penn Fishing Reels
The Penn Fishing Tackle Company was founded in 1932 by Otto Henze, and its headquarters are located in the state of Pennsylvania. This company has been producing high-quality modern-looking reels since its founding days.
The company’s Torque series is among the most popular spinning reels. A few select models of Penn reels are manufactured in Pennsylvania and Philadelphia using domestic and globally sourced components.
Fishing Reels that Are Made in the USA
Many American-based fishing companies manufacture their reels outside the USA only because it’s cheaper. But there are several fishing brands that are based in the USA that are worth considering when shopping for a new fishing reel.
Here are a few companies that manufacture the best fishing reels in the USA using domestically sourced components.
Seigler
Seigler is an American fishing reel company founded in 2009 and based in the state of Virginia. This company manufactures a selection of saltwater and fly reels using domestically sourced components.
Seigler makes level drag and star drag conventional fishing reels best suited to serious fishermen looking for a superior product. Seigler reels might be expensive for an average angler, but there’s no denying their quality and performance.
Abel
Established in 1980, Abel is a premium American fishing company. Abel fishing reels meet the highest standards in quality and manufacturing, and the company continues to improve its designs and technologies.
Abel Fly Fishing reels are among the best fly-fishing reels on the market. All Abel fishing products are crafted by skilled technicians using only the finest high-quality materials.
Avet
The Avet Reel company was founded in 2001 and has headquarters in California. This fishing company manufactures high-end fishing reels suitable for professionals and saltwater fishing enthusiasts.
Avet reels are 100% made in the USA and are designed, manufactured, and assembled in the company’s Chatsworth factory. This brand offers various products suited for anglers looking for high-end reels, as well as those anglers looking for a high-quality but budget-friendly option.
Aspen
Aspen reels are manufactured by Barrel Service Company, a family-owned machine shop located in San Marcos, California. This brand specializes in producing strong, simple, and lightweight fly-fishing reels using only domestically sourced components.
Where are Pflueger Fishing Reels Made?
Pflueger fishing reels are made in China. Pflueger fishing reels were made in the USA, but with the rising production costs, the company decided to move its production to China.
Moving the manufacturing to China hasn’t damaged the company’s reputation or lowered the quality of Pflueger reels. Pflueger reels are still one of the most popular fishing reels used by millions of anglers.
Are Abu Garcia Reels Made in the USA?
No, Abu Garcia fishing reels aren’t made in the USA. Most models of Abu Garcia fishing reels are manufactured in Asia. China is one of the countries that manufacture Abu Garcia fishing reels, and some models are also produced in Korea and Taiwan.
But the most popular Ambassadeur models C3 and C4, 4000-7000 series, are still made in the original Abu Garcia factory in Svangsta, Sweden.
Conclusion
American-made reels are one of the best fishing reels. It comes as no surprise that many anglers choose USA-made fishing reels over and over again.
There are many American-based fishing companies, but many manufacture their reels overseas or assemble their reels with globally sourced components. This doesn’t necessarily make these reels bad, it just makes them affordable to an average angler.
Fishing reel companies that still produce reels in the USA use high-quality components that are, in most cases, sourced domestically. The level of detail, craftsmanship, and skill that goes into manufacturing these reels make them one of the best fishing reels in the world.