Does choosing a fishing reel to seem confusing to you? It is obvious because there are plenty of options available in the market. But understanding the reels isn't that tough in reality as they seem to be. To help you in this regard, I am going to discuss the right way to choose the most suitable fishing reel for you.
At the end of this article, you will know- what needs to be considered while choosing a reel, types of reel, mechanism of each kind of reel, pros and cons of each type, and more.
What is a fishing reel?
A fishing reel is a cranking machine fastened with a fishing rod. Its work is to hold and spool out fishing lines. They commonly have a brake to slow down running fish, a bracket to get attached with the rod, and a handle to retrieve the fishing line. Modern reels also have other fitting aidings for distance, accuracy, speed controlling, and avoiding line snap or hook dislodgement.
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Different types of reels
The most important and common fishing reel types are as follows:
Spinning Reels
The spinning reel is the most used one all over the world. It is slightly complicated to use but very efficient and durable compared to the spin-cast reel. Both beginners and experienced anglers love to go fishing with this fishing reel.
The spinning reel has an open-face mechanism, with the drag adjustment on top. It even has a metal bail, which locks the line and keeps it unspooled. The bail also works for guiding the line back evenly just in a second. These reels are fastened to the rod from below, which provides a natural holding position along with a nice balance while casting.
To start casting with a spinning reel, first, you need to detach the bail and barely hold the line against the rod with your index finger. Then swing the rod from the side or overhead. Next, locate your target, lower the rod and remove your index finger. That’s it. After making the cast, you should make sure the bail is closed again.
Spinning reels are designed to provide an impressive casting distance. Also, their thin, powerful, braided lines offer great pulling power. They work best with lures and smaller baits. Their price range is also quite reasonable.
Spinning reels are also available in 2 special varieties:
1. Lightweight Surf Reel
Light-weight surf reels are specially built for fishing from the beach. These can handle harsh conditions and deal with saltwater. These are also built well and last long. These are much more expensive than the regular spinning reels.
2. High Gear for Fffshore
For fishing in the offshore area, some spinning reels are also built with high gear. These special reels are heavily built and capable of catching large fishes and dealing with critical conditions and saltwater. These are huge in size.
Baitcasting Reels
The baitcasting reel is very advanced in mechanism, features and design. Most of seasoned anglers prefer this reel for its' unmatched precision and power.
The unique thing you will notice at your first glance is, a baitcasting reel is located on top of the rod handle. This reel's design is semi-enclosed. The drag mechanism is attached beside the reel handle. Its bait caster consists of two additional elements that provide extra customization. The elements are- the braking system and the spool tension knob. Both of these work is to adjust the heading speed of your fishing line. This will allow you to throw the line exactly how far you want it to be.
There is no bail in a baitcasting reel. You have to press your thumb against the spool to stop the fishing line. You can even stop the line at its mid-flight if you want, which gives more precise casting. Just after the bait falls into water, press a clip and lock the line. And you are done with casting.
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Baitcasting reels are powerful reels. They are designed to provide you with a lot of pulling power and also for dealing with heavy lines. The best part about them is, they are extremely customizable. But they demand experience and tricks. They require different settings in the braking system and spool tension for different lure weights. For this, you have to adjust the settings very often and have to be a pro in that.
Offshore Reels
Offshore reels are specifically designed for fishing in the offshore area. Usually, 3 miles from the shore towards the sea is considered offshore here. As this is closer to the coastal water, you will get to catch larger fish.
Offshore reels can be either a spinning reel or a baitcasting reel by mechanism. But they are much bigger in size than the regular spinning or baitcasting reels. These reels are capable of handling big fish.
You need to put some more effort while dealing with the salt; offshore reels can serve that purpose. They are both heavy-built and anti-corrosion. The price range is also quite high.
Overhead Reels
Overhead reels are usually used for trolling or fishing from boats. Their mechanism and look are quite similar to the broadcasting reels. But overhead reels are much bigger in size. For deep-sea fishing, they are the best match. Their spools come with a great capacity for fishing in deep water.
These reels are perfect for using off boats and don't even require a cast. Their drag system is properly designed. You can easily catch large fish with them, as well as smaller ones if you want.
But overhead jigging reels have some positive experiences to achieve fishing success in deep water also. Bottom fishing reels are typically the same as those used for jigging. Overhead reels are ideal for this type of fishing. When you use an overhead reel, you have more control over the spool, which is advantageous when you hook a fish in this situation. An overhead reel's capacity is also better for deeper waters.
Basically, overhead reels are made for trolling purposes, and their design and features are inspired by baitcasting reels. So they are a modified version of baitcasting reels that are used for fishing from boats. They are made capable of- dealing with harsh weather, the deep sea, large fish, saltwater and more.
Conventional Trolling Reel
If you want to catch fish while moving the boat, you need to use a conventional trolling reel. The idea is, the fishing pole and line will stay in place, but the boat will be pulling them along. When you go for such fishing, you need to have a lot of lines to come off. Conventional trolling reels have a machined aluminium structure to provide strength and larger capacity. Another unique characteristic these reels have is- dual speed. You can either fight a big fish or try to pull a fish from the bottom. Make sure to use a trolling rod while fishing with a trolling reel.
Electric Reel
The electric fishing reel is the most advanced and technology-based reel. This reel is used for productive fishing.
The electric reel has an electric motor that automatically pulls the fishing line. It is mainly designed for catching heavy fish from the deep sea. You don’t have to manually reel the line or bear the weight of fish if you use the motor. But you can also operate an electric reel manually if you want to.
Such reels don't require any special trick or arm power, just set it in a place and wait for a fish to be lured. Then the reel will pull the fish out of the water by itself. You don’t have to put an extra effort into it.
As this sort of reel serves a greater purpose, their price range is also pretty high.
Another type is the simplest Spin-cast reel. But as most of the spin-cast reels are not built well and usually do not last long, so this type of reels are not in use now. There are also some other fishing reels available for serving special purposes. Like- fly reels for freshwater fishing, ice fishing reels for ice fishing, and more.
What needs to be considered while buying a reel?
There are few things you need to keep in mind to buy the best fishing reel for yourself. Each of the facts is explained briefly below:
- You must first consider what sort of bait or lures you will be used for casting. As I have said before, spinning reels are the best component for small lures or baits but can't deal with the heavier ones. On the other hand, bait casters are designed to assist you while fishing with heavy lures or baits.
- The second thing is, whether you are a fishing pro or a newbie in this game, it needs to be taken into account. If you are a pro, go for the most efficient one. But if you are a newbie, you should start practising with a simpler one first, and then gradually, you can shift to the complicated ones.
- Another important thing is your budget. It's your choice if you want to spend a lot of money on your hobby or just want to keep it affordable. The price range is mentioned above. Check that to find out which matches your budget.
- You should buy a good quality reel if you want to have a good fishing experience. In Australia, there are popular fishing supplier brands like Shimano Fishing, Okuma Fishing, Daiwa Fishing, etc. Buy from the one you have trust on. You can get fishing reel one sale both online and in-store.
- Last but not least, you need to consider what kind of fishing you are into. You should choose the powerful one to catch large fish, but you can pick a less powerful one if you usually catch light-weight fish.
So, these are some common facts you should consider while choosing your fishing reel. But after all, everything depends on personal preference.
