Fishing is one of the most favourite pastimes as it can be truly relaxing, and it offers real excitement once you get a bite. Becoming an angler is not hard. With the proper equipment, casting a fishing rod is not that complicated.
However, choosing the right fishing rod and its components is somewhat confusing, especially for beginners. You need a certain type of equipment based on the species you want to catch or where you are going to catch them.
In this post, you will learn more about choosing the right fishing reels, as it is one of the components that you cannot fish without (besides the rod, of course!)
Fishing reel basics
Before going through various kinds of reels, you need to know the basic terms to understand them better. A fishing reel is a set of gears with a rotating handle to help you retrieve the fishing line when you get a bite. These gears are connected to other key reel parts such as the:
- Spool: This is the part of the reel that holds the fishing line. It can be at the external or internal part of the reel.
- Drag adjustment: This part allows you to control the fishing line when you catch a fish that pulls the spool back off. It helps you hold your own against larger fish trying to escape while keeping the fishing line from breaking.
Now that you know the parts of the reel, here are the basic types of fishing reels:
Baitcast reel
Baitcast reels are positioned on top of the rod. Its pool is external, and it allows you to control how much line comes off you cast it using your thumb. When using this reel, you need to remember that you will get that dreaded backlash if you don’t stop the fishing line before hitting the water.
This reel is best with certain types of lures, so you can only use it for catching specific types of fish, such as bass.
Spincast reel
Spincast reels are also called “closed-face reel.” Like a baitcast reel, this reel is positioned at the top of the fishing rod and is controlled by pushing a button behind the reel. Its spool is internal, and it is best for beginners as they are easy to use.
Fly reel
This reel is particularly made for fly fishing and has a large spool. A fly reel is both simple and complicated to use and requires a fishing line specially made for fly fishing, the reason why it has a large and heavy spool.
Spinning reel
This reel is also known as “open-face reels,” and sits under the rod. Spinning reels are very versatile and work best with most types of fishing. Like baitcast reels, these reels are somewhat challenging to operate as you have to flip the bail over by hand and hold the fishing line with your finger to cast. The bail is a metal arm that keeps the fishing line from coming out of the spool.
Retrieve/gear ratio
The retrieve ratio is how much of the fishing line the reel pulls in, wrapping it around the pool with each handle’s rotation. Normally, the retrieve ratio is something like 5.2:1 or 7.1:1, etc. The numbers change based on the reel you have. Fishing reels with a lower retrieve ratio are usually best for beginners.
Choosing the right fishing rods and their components can be complicated. But if you know how to choose the right pieces, fishing and buying equipment is equally fun!
