Spincast Reels A Buyers Guide To Freshwater Fishing Gear

Have you ever been terrorized by the thought of buying tackle so you can fresh water fish? I was, my first experience at an online fishing shop was totally confusing. There were 1000's of fishing reels called spincast, baitcast, spinner and more, which one was right for me? Even if I was able to select a reel I would still need to know what rod to choose; graphite, fiberglass or even a composite of both. Fish lines are important as well as the very confusing world of the lure and baits, oh so much to know.

What is the beginner to do when looking for freshwater fishing tackle? Simple, read this series of articles and by the time you are done you will be armed with what you need to know to make an informed buying decision. We will cover fishing reels, fishing rods, lures and baits, fishing line and other fishing gear such as tackle boxes, fishing knives and much more.

We will begin with the most important part in my opinion and that is the fishing reel. There are four categories of reels and each has its place in the freshwater fishing world, there is the baitcast, spinner, fly and the reel we will review today the spincast reel.

The spincast reel is a great place to start you fishing experience. It is also perfect for children or the weekender who is not interested in cast and retrieving their line all day long. It is affordable and very easy to work.

The spincast reel is best when used in smaller bodies of water such as creeks and ponds where you will be fishing for small pan fish such as crappies, sun fish, catfish and bluegills. It can be used for other types of fishing, but this is where it is best.

The Spincast reel is a completely enclosed reel with the line on a spool that wraps perpendicular to the line as it exits the reel and runs up the rod. It is designed to counter the main problems of other reel types which include line twisting, snares and backlash (the loosening of the line around the reel.)

Ease of operation is the key to the spincast reel. Just press and hold the button on the back of the reel, throw your line out and when it reaches the top of its throw release the button. Once your line is settled into the water the way you want just repress the button to set your line. You can now wait for the fish to come and take the bait. When you have a fish on the line just turn the handle to retire line and fish.

The limitations of the spincast reel are two-fold. One is a short casting range caused by the line rubbing against the housing of the reel as you cast your line. This rubbing reduces the energy that is transferred to the bait set and slows things down. The other limitation is in line capacity, the spool is smaller than other reels since it is enclosed in the reel. Since you need to use smaller thickness lines your then are limited in the size of fish you can catch.

A good starter reel is the "Shakespeare Synergy Microspin Reel " Spincast", it is cost effective at only $12.99 and well constructed with a durable polished stainless steel front cone and rear cover.

The most common freshwater reel in use is the spinner reel and this will be our next article in the series which will be titled "Spinner Reels - A Buyers Guide to Freshwater Fishing Gear.