Saltwater Fishing Reel Basics

There are many different varieties of saltwater fishing reels that are out there. Depending on what kind of fish you will be trying to catch will determine what kind of fishing reel you will need. I am going to help you decide what kind of fishing reel will be best for you.

Spin casting reels would be the ideal fishing reel for the beginner, or for a kid that is just learning how to fish. Overall they are the least expensive of the types of saltwater fishing reels, but many of the cheap ones tend to break easily.

Spin casting reels have a closed face, meaning that you cannot see the line on the spool. There are many cons about spin casting reels, one of them is if line gets tangled up you will have to pop the face off to untangle it. There are high quality spin casting fishing reels out there that will last you a long time, but they are also more expensive.

Saltwater spinning reels are made in a design which can hold many types of fishing line. There are small spinning reels and there are large ones, the spool is open and you can see the line come on and off the reel. The line is held onto the reel by a bail, which can close and open and makes it easy for casting.

Some spinning reels might be designed to hold 5 pound test to 10 pound test, while others might be designed to hold a lot more. Almost all types of spinning reels have a drag system, some are better than others and you will get what you pay for in almost every case.

Bait casting reels work by the line coming off of an revolving spool, and they are the most difficult of the fishing reels to learn how to use. They offer a lot more control when casting than the other types of saltwater fishing reels do though.

If you are going after big game fish then a bait casting line will work great for you, since they are designed to hold heavier fishing line than other. You wont find many bait casting reels for cheap, but if you are a serious angler they are well worth the investment as they offer you more smoother control than other types of fishing reels.

Fly fishing reels are another type of fishing reel, and will require a fly rod to use them. They are used to hold the fishing line, and are not used in the casting process. When using a fly fishing reel you pull the line off of the reel and you cast with the fishing rod.

The cost of fly fishing rods can range from a couple of dollars to over a thousand. When saltwater fishing you will need to be careful on what type of fly fishing reel you use. If you are going after big saltwater game fish you will need a reel that can hold a lot of heavy line, and one that also has a great drag system.