Beginners Guide to Fishing
Part III
How To Choose A Fishing Reel. A Guide to buying the fishing reel to
fit your needs.
There are many things to consider when buying a fishing reel. There are thousands of different fishing reels available today. And they have all come a long way in terms of technology and quality in just the past few years. Some for the better, and others, not so much. From fly fishing, pan fish fishing, bass, walleye, musky to the salt water fish like flounder, spot, mackerel, and up to sailfish, tuna and marlin. There are fishing reels designed specifically for each type of fish
For the smaller pan fish I recommend for the beginner to start with, once again the
Zebco 33 Spincast Reel
 , especially if you are going to be fishing with live bait such as worms, crickets, and other live baits. The Zebco 33 is a wonderful reel for starting the kids fishing with as well. It is fairly simple to operate, casting is a breeze, no back lashing or birds nests (more on backlash and birds nests when I talk about bait casting reels), and with a small amount of maintenance, they can last a lifetime. Abu Garcia also makes a fine line of spincast reels, and both Zebco and Abu Garcia have
Spincast Rod & Reel Combo Packs
 for a very reasonable price. If you plan to go for the bigger fish like bass the beginner fisherman can try a
Zebco 733 Hawg Reel - Model 733F
 or the 733 Hawg Reel and Rod Combo
For fishing with light weight lures for pan fish, you might want to try a spinning reel as they tend to work better with the lighter weight lures. You can cast further, and have fewer problems with the fishing line. Selecting a fishing reel often comes down to a personal preference. Some anglers will swear a sinning reel works best for one certain fishing situation, another will boast a bait caster for the same thing. Again, your preferences will change as your fishing knowledge and angling experience grows. And remember, as you grow as a fisherman so will the price of your gear.
Below are a few tips to get you started.
- Decide what basic type of fishing reel will best meet your needs. If you are a new to fishing, you'll probably find a spinning reel or a spincast reel easier to cast and fish with than a more advanced type of fishing reel such as a bait caster. Casting with a bait caster takes time and practice to master. As mentioned above, the fishing line is very easy to get tangled up on the spool of a bait caster. The spool that holds the line free spools while casting, and if you don't apply just the right amount of very light tension with your thumb and stop it at the moment the lure hits the water, the spool will continue to spin and the fishing line will "backlash", leaving you with an entanglement of line called a "birds nest". If you are a more proficient caster, you may be ready for a bait caster with an adjustable casting control. This kind of outfit will allow you to maximize casting distance and overall performance.
- When buying a bait casting reel, anglers can choose either a star drag or lever drag system. With star drag, pressure is increased or decreased by turning the star-shaped "wheel" located just inside of the handle. Star drag systems are easy to use and are efficient for most fishing applications, lever drag systems typically have smoother, more consistent fish-fighting performance. Lever drags also allow for drag tension to be adjusted in smaller, more precise increments than star drag systems. If there is a bad side to lever drag reels, it’s their price, they tend to be cost more than star drag models.
- Spinning, spin casting, and bait casting fishing reels all feature either ball bearings or bushings strategically placed within the reel for smoothness, support and stability. Many spinning reels feature a roller bearing within the line roller. When it comes to smooth performance and durability, sealed stainless steel ball bearings are preferable over bushings. Generally speaking, the more ball bearings a fishing reel has, the more smoothly it will perform. Better fishing reels typically feature at least two stainless steel ball bearings. Top-of-the-line models usually boast about four to six ball bearings. However, some of the newer, deluxe spinning reels on the market feature 8 or more.
- Another consideration when purchasing a fishing reel is gear ratio, which means how many revolutions the spool makes with each turn of the reel handle. This partly determines how rapidly line is retrieved as the fisherman turns the handle. Spinning reels, bait casters and spin casters can offer differing gear ratios, ranging from slow retrieves (I.e. 2:1 or 3:1) to high-speed retrieves (4:1 to 6:1). Fishing reels with high-speed gear ratios are better for getting lures quickly back to the boat, or gaining line in a hurry when a fish charges toward the boat. Models featuring lower gear ratios don’t offer as fast a retrieve, but provide the greater cranking power that's great for bottom fishing and trolling applications. Anglers thinking about buying a heavier-duty conventional reel, may want to consider purchasing a two-speed model. While more expencive than the single speed fishing reels, two-speed reels will provide the best of both worlds when it comes to retrieve speed and cranking power with the push of a button.
- Spin casting and baitcasting fishing reels often come with built-in casting control systems that help determine how fast the spool spins when casting. These systems can be centrifugal or magnetic, and are either internally or externally adjustable. While a casting control system can go a long way in helping to maximize your casting distance and minimize backlash, they will not a fix everything when it comes to preventing backlash. It’s important understand that no fishing reel is "backlash-free" no matter how advanced the casting control system. Whether the fishing reel incorporates magnetic power or centrifugal force to help control the spool when casting, the angler still needs to apply light thumb pressure to the spool in order to prevent backlash. Practice is still a must and you will find yourself in the yard with a weight tied to your line practicing casting, and probably listening to people ask if you are trying to catch yard fish..etc. But if you have an outdoor cat it can be fun watching him/her try to catch the wieght on the retrive.
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Zebco Bill Dance 733 Hawg Reel and Rod Combo
Zebco 733 Hawg Reel - Model 733F
Zebco Bill Dance 33 Gold Spincast Rod & Reel Combo
Zebco Original 33 Spincast Reel
 
Shimano Cruxis Baitcast Reel
Daiwa Procaster Tournament Spincast Rod & Reel Combo
Bass Pro Shops MegaCast Spinning Rod and Reel Combo
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