Using the right fishing reel can break or make a fishing session as it forms the core of the set-up, whatever the person is fishing for. But understanding how to choose a reel can be a blackhole for newcomers with various types available in the market – all designed for a certain task.
But this purpose is usually buried behind reams of technology – smart and waffle acronyms, so we are going to stop the small talks and tell people what to look for when choosing the best reel on the market today. After reading this article, people will know how to choose a reel to suit your fishing style, wherever you go or whatever fish you target.
Spinning versus conventional versus baitcaster
The first thing people need to know is that there are three common types of reels to choose from when talking about the main freshwater and saltwater species; spinning, conventional, and baitcaster reels. Let us run through every model and what they are suitable for picking the category of reels to look at is to prepare yourself with new models.
To find out more about this kind of fish, click here for details.
Penn Reel
There is no debate about it; Penn reels are among the best in the world. I have used Penn fishing products all my adult life. I can also tell you Penn fresh-water fishing reels have little competition in the heavy-duty freshwater fishing market. I can say this with absolute enthusiasm and honesty since this comes from over a decade of experience. The fishing experiences with Penn helped me battle some of the biggest freshwater species in North America. It did not matter what line the Penn model in my hand was, all that mattered was that the name ‘Penn’ appeared somewhere on the reel.
Spinning
Spinning reels are by far the most popular reel and consist of stationary spools with lines wound onto the cylindrical spool by rotating wire arms through the turns of handles. It sits under the rod and has handles that can be changed easily from right- to left-handed (or vice versa) wind operation. It is a factor people need to consider if they favor winding with their left hand since most types come with a standard right-hand-wind.
They are very reliable, simple, and easy to use by folding their metal wire arm or bale arm over to allow the line out and back to the wind line. They are also doodles to manage or detangle. It costs around $10 to $1,000. Generally, these things are very useful for all sorts of heavy to light fishing except big saltwater fishes like game species or river giants such as alligator gar, sturgeon, or huge catfish.
If the person is a beginner in almost any kind of light saltwater or freshwater environment, it is a good place to start because it is easy to use, as well as having a wide price range. Most fishing shop-sold combination consists of spinning device and rod. To find out more about this topic,
Conventional
Conventional ones sit above the fishing rod and work as a circular spool that winds the line back into the circular spool when the rod handle is cranked. A lever or button activates the free spool to let the lines out. Most come with built-in clickers that alert the user to a bite when something takes the line.
The conventional device has two main types: devices that can be caster and are suitable to launch baits off shorelines or beaches using the right rod and devices that are not set up to cast and suited to dropping direct to the side of the pier, jetty, or boat – even trolling.
This thing tends to be more complex and expensive but is very useful in certain situations, particularly when anglers are targeting big fishes like Yellowfin or Bluefin tuna. It is when a two-speed conventional device holding over thousands of yards of braided line is needed, and spinning ones are useless.
Conventional devices are the best choice for people targeting large fishes in oceans or seas, especially when they are dropping lures or baits straight over the side of their jetty or boat. For anglers with some experience of people willing to practice, casting-oriented models are also excellent ways to target bigger fishes from beaches or shorelines – for instance, striped bass or large mouth.
Baitcasting
Baitcasting devices are similar to conventional ones in that it sits above rods and retrieve lines in the same way. Still, it has lower profiles and is usually more suitable for freshwater and light applications, like bass lure fishing. They are harder to use compared to their spinning counterpart and are more likely to experience angling, but they are pretty light. If used by people with tons of experience, it is satisfying and effective to use.
Spincaster is a combination of spinning and baitcaster, but they are unnecessary and can offer little to no advantage. They are sometimes used by starting fishers or beginners, but it is more because they are usually sold as part of cheap kits instead of being an excellent choice. Note that the different kinds of reels need unique rods for every device because of the specialist fitments, as well as the set-ups needed.
That is why if a person is matching it to their existing rods, they need to check what kind of device it is designed for first. Usually, they will use spinning for spinning ones, conventional for conventional, and baitcasting. Specific rods are sold with special grips to help casting and grip.
Saltwater versus freshwater
It is a very important point that people need to follow when choosing what type of reel to use for the job. A good rule of thumb to remember is that saltwater devices will be fine for freshwater use, but not all freshwater ones will survive saltwater fishing. The main difference between the two is usually the corrosion-free materials used. Additional attention is given to sealing these things against saltwater entry to the mechanisms. Without these safety features, these things will quickly rust and be rendered useless after being used in saltwater fishing.
