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.

When you mention fly-fishing to people, many times they think you are fishing exclusively for trout. However, there are some amazing spots you can fly fish for trophy-sized bass as well. Both largemouth and smallmouth bass abound in rivers and lakes, so why not try your hand fly-fishing for bass.

Many experienced fly anglers report that bass fly-fishing can be extremely challenging as well as extremely satisfying. Bass have larger mouths than trout, so your choice of lures is much more diverse. They strike hard and fight strong, so when you are fly fishing for bass, expect to be exhilarated by the fight in these fish!

Experts suggest that you use a 6-7 weight rod, but if you are experienced at fighting fish, you can use a 4-5 weight rod. If you choose the smaller rod, you may have trouble casting the larger flies, so be aware of that. You can use a floating or a sinking line with a weight forward taper. You should have a 7½ to 9 foot leader tapered down to a 10-pound test.

Most bass are opportunistic feeders and will bite at anything. In general, however, flies for bass fishing are usually larger and influence a bigger bite. Try big muddler minnows, clousy minnows, wooly buggers, poppers, leech patterns, and crayfish patterns. Size 8 or 10 would be a little on the small side while size 2 or 1/0 would be a little too large, so opt for something in between. The grey, black, and brown patterns seem to be preferred by bass, as this is the natural colors of most of their prey.

Great bass fly-fishing can be found in various locations throughout the United States. In the northeastern United States, try the rivers and streams in the Adirondack Mountains such as the Mohawk or Black Rivers. There are also some prized bass in the Great Lakes region. Southern Ontario in Canada can also provide some great opportunities to catch trophy-sized bass. Do not forget the Western states as well there are many great lakes rivers and streams in the west where bass both large mouth and small mouth abound.

Largemouth bass live in shallow water habitats among reeds, water lilies, and other vegetation naturally found in the water. They are adapted to warm waters in the 80-degree range and are seldom found deeper than twenty feet down. They prefer clear waters with little or no current. They stay active year-round, but tend to stay near the bottom in the winter months. Early spring and mid-fall seem to be the best times for fly-fishing bass although with the right techniques they can be caught throughout the year.

Bass fly-fishing can be a great experience for both the beginning fly angler as well as those with a little more experience. Fly-fishing for bass requires a little bit of finesse and some resolve to make them bite. Stay with the fish and pull a whopper out of the water you can be proud of!