Fishing reels have become a tackle market in of themselves. For the new fishermen, the variety of reels can be somewhat overwhelming. Not only do you have to contend with a wide range of manufacturers, but if you settle on one you’re still faced with the endless array of spinning reels, bait casting reels and then there are the endless numbers of reel designs. How do you decide which one is best suited for your individual needs?
The first consideration you will want to make is whether to go for a spinning reel or a bait casting reel. They have different features and depending on your needs one may be better suited to you. Bait casting reels are the ones that are generally selected for those who are bass anglers. This is because of the power they have and the option to hold a heavier line. If you’re interested in using a lighter line, you should take a look at bait casting reels first. The best way to determine which one is best for you is to practice – as silly as this might sound you can do this in your own backyard. This allows you to ensure that once you get out on the water fishing you won’t spend time fighting with knots that turn into bird’s nests and spool over-runs. Neither of them is conducive to good fishing.
If you plan to fish with lighter lines, smaller lures, and smaller baits, then a spinning reel is the best choice for you. These reels easily handle smaller diameter lines like 2–10 lb. test. They are very well liked among trout fisherman and walleye anglers for this reason. Bass anglers are beginning to make use of spinning equipment more frequently; particularly with the increased attractiveness of finesse methods such as drop shotting.
For saltwater fishing, the same fundamental rules are relevant, but the line diameter is usually larger seeing as most of the fish are bigger. Bait-casting reels for saltwater are more commonly known as conventional reels. Considering their advancements, conventional reels are mainly regulated to trolling and bottom fishing methods, since you do not have cast the bait or lures as far. Once more, these reels do extremely well in accommodating large diameter lines and offer excellent cranking power for conquering big 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.
Freshwater and light saltwater bait-casting reels are numbered slightly differently. They utilize a three digit sequence generally using 900 to 100 with 900 being the largest; maintaining the higher the number the larger the reel measurements. Finally, there are convention reels which use a two digit system 50, 40, 30 in general. The increasing size is designated by the larger number as with other reel measurements. Carefully review the reel – either the reel itself or the box that it comes in will provide you with information on both line diameter and rating for each reel.
You might find the task of obtaining the right reel a bit overwhelming at first, but remember it is like anything else you do – the right tool for the right job. After all, you wouldn’t use a 5-wood to do a pitching wedge’s job if you were golfing right?
When choosing your reel make sure you do your research, some of the most popular reels include: Penn Reels, and Shimano Reel including Shimano Spinning Reels.
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