Choosing the Right Fishing Reel
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?
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”.
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.
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 Reels Fishing, and Shimano Reels including Shimano Spinning Reel.
