The choices don’t ever seem to end when it comes to buying fishing reels. Walk into any retail store that caters to fishermen and prepare to be weighed down with nearly endless reel displays. How does a novice choose what will suit their fishing needs between a variety of manufacturers, spinning reels, bait-casting reels, and numerous variations on reel designs?
For freshwater and light salt water use, determine whether you are going to use a reel designed for bait casting or spinning. Bait-casting reels are a very common choice among bass anglers, in view of the fact that they hold heavy lines and have a lot of cranking power. This is very helpful when you are pulling fish out of hiding. However, bait-casting reels are not normally a good choice when you plan to fish with light lines or lures. You should take some time practicing your cast in the backyard to become skilled at how to cast this kind of reel correctly and to find out how to avoid spool overruns or “birds nests”.
Lighter lines, small lures and small bait work best on spinning reels. If you’re planning on using line that is 10-lb or less, these reels are ideal. These are used for walleye anglers and especially popular among those who love to fish for trout. The use of spinning reels by bass anglers is becoming popular as well. They’ll use these lines for some of the more clever methods of finesse such as drop shooting. The spinning reels are great for this type of sports fishing.
Saltwater fishermen demand lines that will enable them to catch larger fish. Line diameter is almost always larger for this type of fish. Bait casting reels are the most commonly used for saltwater and are often called by the name “conventional reel”. Advancements over the years have resulted in reels that are suitable for bottom fishing or trolling. This negates any need to cast the bait or lures to distances. The bait casting reel offers superior cranking power and enables you to secure that larger fish.
Over time, reel manufacturers have developed specific models to accommodate various rods and line sizes. While spinning reels start (in size) around 1,000 and go upwards of 6,000 the overall size of the reel increases accordingly. The smaller the reel, the smaller the spool and common sense dictates the smaller the spool the smaller the line. Reels are rated for lines right on the labels and almost always have specific recommendation on exactly how much line (and what size) the reel will accommodate.
Bait-casting reels for freshwater and light saltwater are typically numbered with a three-number sequence such as 100, 200, and so on. Higher numbers are frequently used, but the common naming rule is usually a three-digit number. Conventional reels appear to use a two-digit number like 30, 40 and 50 customarily. The same idea that increasing the number increases the size is still relevant. The reel or reel box should be clearly marked with line rating and line diameter suggestions.
These handy tips should help you find the right reel for your needs. Keep in mind that selecting a fishing reel resembles finding the correct golf club. Like you would not choose a 5-wood to do a pitching wedge’s job, mull over what job your reel needs to do in order to make the best decision.
When choosing your reel make sure you do your research, some of the most popular reels include: Penn Fishing Reels, and Shimano Fishing Reel including Shimano Spinning Reels.
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November 19, 2009
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