How do you Choose the right Fishing Reel

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 fishing 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?

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.

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.

Many fishing reel manufacturers will produce a specific reel model in numerous sizes to hold diverse rods and lines. Spinning reels are typically sized numerically, beginning with 1000 and going up to 6000. The size of the fishing reel increases accordingly, with 1000 being the smallest and 6000 being the biggest. A smaller fishing reel will have a smaller spool, so it makes sense that you would have to use smaller line diameter. Many reels will have line rating suggestions on the label, and will tell you how much line the spool will hold.

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 fishing reel or reel box should be clearly marked with line rating and line diameter suggestions.

You might find the task of obtaining the right fishing 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?

There are a large number of fishing reels on the market, some of the most popular areDaiwa Fishing Reels and Shimano Spinning Reels.

Choosing the Right Fishing Reel comes with Experience

Tags: Shimano Reels, Spinning Equipment, Spinning Reel, Spinning Reels, Spool, Trout Fisherman