Tackle Frenzy - Choosing A Reel

The fishing reel is without a doubt one of personal taste, for instance most people buy a reel on looks - it looks nice! However there are many considerations to take into account when choosing a reel.

If you are new or relatively new to fishing then I would strongly recommend choosing and using a fixed spool reel as these are far simpler to use than the baitcaster reel or multiplier reel. The fixed spool reel is just that, it has a fixed spool and the line is wrapped around the spool. The multiplier reel on the other hand had a revolving spool, this spins as the handle is wound to retrieve the line. The advantage is that the line is retrieved in-line with the rod and does not encounter any twist. A benefit that many say makes these reels more hardy and less likely to break the line.

Another factor is cost. This is normally subject to the amount of ball bearings a reel is fitted with rather than the size of the reel. A size 30 spinning reel with 8 ball bearing is more expensive than a size 60 surf reel with only 1 ball bearing.

As with most items to do with fishing there are different versions of both types of reels as outlined below:

Fixed Spool

Spinning Reel

These tend to be the smaller end of the scale for fixed spool reels being lightweight and only holding small amounts of line as spinning is done close to the shore or boat and most fish caught by this method will not be stripping miles of line off the spool in a big run for freedom. The retrieve rates are also usually in the low end as most spinning does not require a fast retrieve. Spinning reels are usually classed as size 10 to 40 with 40 being the biggest.

Beach Reel

These are relatively new reels being of the same design but larger with faster retrieve rates. The spools are large and handle much more line than a spinning reel as much as 310 yards of 20lb line. This is because the average cast is around 150 yards out to sea and if a large fish is hooked it may well product an 80 yard dash and you do not want to be running short of line. The retrieve rate is also higher to enable faster retrieves if your bait is 150 yards or more away.

Multiplier

Beach / Surf Casting

Small and lightweight these reels are designed to cast small weights (up to around 7oz) long distances using a beachcaster rod. They are smaller and lighter to allow better action when casting and the spools are set to allow line to run off freely from the reel. Most of these reels are fitted with break systems to slow the spool down towards the end of the cast and prevent overspill (birds nesting as it is known).

Boat Fishing

These reels tend to be larger as they are used by boat anglers when fishing for larger species such as Cod, ling, conger or even blue sharks and porbeagles. They are larger as they need to hold large quantities of thicker line as the angler could be fishing in 150 meters of water with a fish that can make a 100 yard dash for freedom. These reels rarely have breaking systems and they are not used to cast, just to allow the line to flow from the spool straight down from the end of the rod.

Ball Bearings

Quick rule of thumb, the more ball bearings the smoother the reel, the finer the drag system can be set, the better the reel, the more money it costs.

What Do I Choose?

If you are reading this go for a fixed spool reel as they are easier to master and choose a size to match your rod. Do not put a size 50 or 60 fixed spool reel on a 7ft spinning rod or a size 30 on your 14ft beachcaster as they will both be out of balance. The longer the rod the larger the reel needs to be to balance it out. The more line required (long casts) the larger the reel needs to be (same for the rod - longer rod longer casts). For boat fishing I would recommend using a minimum of a size 40 reels as you need a reasonable amount of heavier line plus the rod you will be attaching it to may not be long but is probably quite thick at the butt end and will handle a larger reel.

For beach fishing a minimum size 50 reel, for spinning go for a 30 - 40 tops and buy the most amount of ball bearings your budget will allow.

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