Categories

Pages

Spinning Reels

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.

Written on November 12th, 2008 , Reels Tags: ,
Spinning Rods

A spinning rod is probably one of the easier types of fishing rods to use. Spinning rods are one of the most commonly used rod types do to the fact they are so versatile. They make a great choice for some one just starting out. Should you be planning on fishing with light gear 1/32 to 1/4 ounce in weight they are what you need in order to cast these light lures.

A spinning outfit makes it possible to cast small spinners, baits, lures and other light “fishing gear” that are very difficult to cast with baitcasting gear if you could cast them at all. You can even use a spinning rod too fish with a fly if you like. All you need to do is attach a clear plastic casting bubble that you use for weight.

When selecting your spinning rod, consider these features:

•Material.
The best spinning rods are made of the same material as the best fly rods high-modulus graphite. There are some nice fiberglass models available if you are on a budget, however they are a little heavier. Not only does a high- modulus rod give you excellent casting performance, its lightweight allows you to cast with less effort. You will enjoy this if you plan to spend all day on the water.

•Length.
The tendency in spinning rod selection, as in fly-casting, is towards the longer rods. These longer rods are necessary if you are going to be making longer casts. On large western streams, anglers use spinning rods up to 9 feet long for casting their lures to the opposite bank. However, in most trout streams, long casts will be unnecessary; the average cast will be less than 25 feet. A long rod is simply not realistic on a narrow, brushy stream. An angler will do better with a 5-foot rod that is easier to maneuver under those conditions.

•Power.
An ultra-light to light spinning rod with 2- to 4-pound mono is ideal for casting lures weighing 1/32 to 1/4 ounce. They are an excellent choice for catching trout weighing up to 2 pounds. You will need a medium- power rod with 6- to 8-pound mono to handle heavier lures (1/4 to 5/8 ounce) and land the larger trout. For steelhead and salmon, you really should use a medium-heavy rod that can handle 10 to 20 pound line. Most all Rods have a recommend line size printed on the rod located just above the reel seat make sure this matches your intend use.

• Action.
For casting very light lures, you need a slow-action spinning rod. They flex over most of their length. A slow-action rod is best for casting tiny spinning lures because it loads well on the back cast. If your rod is too stiff, it will not flex, or load, so you will find yourself throwing the lure rather than letting the rod do most of the work for you. A medium-action rod (one that starts bending in the middle) will make the best all-around choice. They will allow you to cast most small lures and they give you a strong hook set along with added control when fighting heavy fish. The medium action rods also handle a wider variety of line sizes or weights as well.

Written on November 12th, 2008 , Rods Tags:
Five Reasons to Upgrade to a Baitcasting Reel Today

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.

Written on November 3rd, 2008 , Reels Tags:
Learn To Use A Baitcasting Reel And Increase Your Fishing Success.

The first thing you should learn before you can be successful at using a baitcasting reel is how to hold the reel properly. Many hold the rod so that the reel faces them, but that is not the correct way to have the reel.

You should begin your cast by pressing the free spool button, and then hold the spool in place with your thumb. Turn the rod sideways so the reel’s handle faces upward. The reel should be kept this way throughout the cast to provide the most efficient use of the reel.

You should begin releasing the pressure on your thump about halfway through your forward casting motion to begin letting the line out. With a Baitcast reel equipped with the anti-backlash system, you can release all of your thump pressure once you reach the end of you cast stroke.

On the older models and even the newer model that have not been adjusted correctly, you control the speed of the line coming off your reel with thump pressure. To prevent backlashes in the line, applying just enough pressure on the spool with your thumb so that the rotating speed of the spool never exceeds the speed of the line coming off it is key to preventing a backlash.

Learning how much thumb pressure is primarily a function of practice. You can greatly reduce backlashes if you have set the reel’s braking system properly. Many baitcasting reels have centrifugal braking systems.

The centrifugal braking system is activated by the spinning action of the reel’s spool. As the spool spins faster, the more tension the brakes apply to it. It works like an automatic thumb.

Setting the centrifugal system brake correctly is an easy process.
1. With the weight or lure, you intend on using placed on the ground press the free spool button.
2. Now turn the brake knob clockwise until you can pick up your lure without line coming off the reel. Your lure should now be suspended from the tip of your rod.
3. By turning the brake knob slowly, counter-clockwise the lure should start to fall.
4. Fine-tune the knob so the lure falls slowly, without having to jiggle the rod.
5. Remember that you must repeat the process whenever you tie on a different lure or a different weight.

Although centrifugal brakes help, the ability to prevent backlashes is limited.
Many of the newest reels have magnetic spool braking systems this system reduces backlashes even better than the centrifugal system.

The magnetic spool braking systems found on the newer reels have internal magnets that exert precisely the right amount of tension on the spool during a cast. These Magnetic brakes are a more effective way of automatically increasing or decreasing drag at different spool speeds. Control the speed and the line has fewer tendencies to get out of control and backlash.

Like the centrifugal brake, magnetic brakes are adjustable. If you are just learning to cast, it is best to set the reel for a high degree of magnetic tension. As you refine your cast skills you can select a looser setting, this will enable you to cast further. If you find yourself using heavy lures or casting into the wind, you may want to increase the magnetic control. Fishing under these conditions, you have more potential for a backlash in your line.

The magnetic braking systems are more advanced and work great for many anglers. There are anglers who still prefer centrifugal brakes under certain situations. Some baitcasting reels feature both systems. With both you can operate the reel’s magnetic or centrifugal brakes independently or in conjunction with each other. With the combination, brake systems now have the option of a tight automatic braking or you can control most of the tension yourself. They give you a setting for every condition and skill level.

It is time to get over your fears of using a baitcasting reel and get the reel that will improve your fishing success. When you have the right equipment, and but in a little practice, you too will be casting like a pro.

Check out these great deals on Baitcasting Reels

Written on October 29th, 2008 , Reels Tags: ,

Steelhead Salmon and Trout Fishing is proudly powered by WordPress and the Theme Adventure by Eric Schwarz
Entries (RSS) and Comments (RSS).

Steelhead Salmon and Trout Fishing

Information and products for your steelhead salmon and trout fishing