Archive for the ‘Reels’ Category

Spinning reels have long been the number one choice for the beginning angler as well as experienced anglers. They are easy to use, perform well, and if you are fishing light lures and bait, they are essential. A spinning reel will cast light lure as well as heavier lures and baits as well. There is not the fear associated with a spinning reel as with the dreaded birds nest that are so common for the beginning baitcasters. With the improvement to the modern spinning reels and their drag systems, you will find that a spinning reel is capable of handling almost all of your fishing needs.

From casting, a small 1/32 ounce jig for Bluegill to heaving a 1-ounce steelhead or salmon rig the spinning reel will complete the task repeatedly. A spinning reel today with a front spool adjustable drag system is as smooth and reliable as any other type of reel and they are easy to clean and maintain.

You do not need an expensive spinning reel to catch smaller species of fish; however, you should consider the following when making your purchase:

Size.
Your spinning reel should balance well with the rod you are using; other wise, casting will be a lot more work. As a rule, you will need a reel weighing about 7 or 8 ounces to balance with an ultra-light rod. A 10- or 11- ounce reel is a better choice for a medium- power rod.

A well-balanced rod should be balanced when held just in front of the reel seat.

Line capacity
Is not much of an issue while fishing for the smaller species of fish such as Bluegill, Crappy, Perch and such. However, you may need a high-capacity reel on large western streams and rivers where you are making longer casts for larger fish.

Drag.
When you are fishing for small to medium sized fish, the type of drag is not too important. However, when you hook a big steelhead or salmon, the last thing you want is a sticky drag. A good rule to keep in mind is a front drag is much smoother and more reliable than a rear drag. The drag system works much like disk brakes, the washers on a front drag exert pressure on a large, flat spool surface and this causes friction. The more pressure applied the more friction against the spool and the harder a fish has to pull in order for the drag to let out line. It is important to note here that you should never over tighten your drag for the weight of line you fish. One thing to keep in mind with this drag system is that if you are not taking in line when turning the handle stop turning the handle until you are able to take in line. If you keep turning the handle while not taking in line all you are doing is twisting your line. The next time you go to cast your line will jump of the spool like a coiled spring.

Shape of Spool.
For best casting performance, choose a reel with a wide, long spool. If the spool is too short and narrow, the line will come off in tight coils; this creates friction on the line guides and shortens your casting distance. Another drawback to a short, narrow spool is you have to re-spool more often to keep the line level near the spool’s lip. With a narrow spool, casting performance will suffer when you lose even a little line. To get the maximum casting distance with a spinning reel it is imperative that you keep the spool full. The line should be within an eighth of an inch or less of the spool’s lip. Make sure that you do not over fill the spool, as this will cause problems also.

Have your fishing friends been out fishing you with their baitcasting reels?  Do they seem to have increased casting accuracy and distance?  Have you have been thinking it is time you make the move to improve your fishing success and get yourself a baitcasting reel?  Today’s baitcasting reels are easier to use then ever before, with the ant-backlash systems.  Stop waiting and get a Baitcasting Reel today.

The Baitcasting reel will give you more control over your casting accuracy than other reel.  You will be able to place lures right up next to brush, stumps and logs, or within inches of the shoreline or docks.  Reach those seams out in the river that you friend have been hitting and pulling those trophies from that seam you never were able to reach.  You no longer have to worry about baitcasters reputation for being more difficult to use than other types of reels. 

Once you learn the proper technique, and have the reel set correctly, you can learn to use a baitcasting reel like the pros.

The Five Reasons to switch to a Baitcasting Reel:

1. Added distance to your cast: With a baitcasting reel, you line spools smoothly from the reel.  Unlike a spinning reel that has to uncoil, as the line is being cast.  This causes friction not only against the spool face but also in the air and against the rod guides as these coils wobble their way through you rod.
2. Increased Accuracy:  Once you learn the basic technique you will have greater control over you cast which will allow you to now pinpoint where you lure is going to land.
3. Now Even Easier to Use: Improvements to the baitcasting reel after years of research and development have now made the levelwind “baitcasting” reels even easier to master.  The dreaded backlash has been virtually eliminated with the addition of the magnetic spool braking systems.  Once this is set correctly, you will seldom find yourself untangling a backlash.
4. A Smooth Full Range Drag Setting:  You can fight your trophy fish without having to worry about twisting you line.  If you have ever fought a big fish and did not watch to see if your line was coming in with a spinning reel you know what I am talking about.  The next time you try to cast your line it jumps off the spinning reel like a spring.  This will not happen with the levelwind reel.  Once you have the drag set for you line weight you can simply forget about the drag and enjoy fighting the fish.
5. Smooth Fast Retrieves:  Weather fighting a monster Bass or pulling a plug, you will enjoy the smooth action that the baitcasting reel provides.  These reels work so smooth that you will find yourself feeling the lightest of hits.  This is important if you are fishing species like steelhead that can not only hit hard but also so light that you may not even know you are getting a hit.  Since the line does not have to coil around the spool, you will be amazed at the difference.  You will now be able to feel how you lure is working through the water and any slight difference in its action.

With all the improvements that have been made to the baitcasting reels, there is no reason to fear them.  They are now easy to use and provide the angler with many benefits that will improve their fishing success.  Start making those longer more accurate casts allowing you to get you lure out where the fish are today.