Fishing Reels: What You Need To Know Before You Buy A Reel

Fishing reels are not something to be taken lightly in the world of fishing. That is to say, a good fishing reel is as important as the rod, the bait, the line weight and the water the fishing are waiting to be hooked in. In other words, shopping around for fishing reels should not be taken lightly and should be taken very seriously.

This has a lot to do with the fact that the fishing reel holds the line and helps the fisherman cast straight, operate the rod more efficiently and of course last but not least, 'reel' in the fish. A fisherman is only as good as his equipment (to a degree) and having a good fishing reel is bound to be one of the most important pieces of equipment the fisherman will ever own.

Shopping for fishing reels is a lot like shopping for shoes, there seem to be hundreds of different types of reels and thirty different manufacturers all with different reel model numbers and fishing reel styles and so-on and so-on.

The first thing to figure out is what type of fishing reel you need for the job. For example, there are centrepin reels used mainly for fly fishing. These reels are normally manual, single-action designs with a handle on the side that rotates the spool which retrieves the line. Then there is the bait casting reel, in which line is stored on a bearing supported revolving spool. The bait casting reel is mounted above the rod, hence it is also referred to as teh overhead reel.

The spin cast reel is part of the bait casting familiy of reels and it is an attempt to solve the problem of backlash found in certain bait cast designs as it attempts to reduce snares, knots and line twists i nthe line. The spin cast rel operation includes pressing a button on the rear of the reel which disengages the line. The button is released by the fisherman at hte correct time to allow the line to fly of the spool and then the button is pressed again to allow the fishing reel to stop the line from moving. At this point (bait hopefully in the water) the fisherman can crank the handle of the fishing reel to re-engage the line so it can be spooled back onto the reel. These types of fishing reels are great for freshwater stream fishing where the fisherman is constantly casting and re-casting in different types of currents as well as fresh water lake fishing when a spinner is being used.

There are many different freshwater fishing reels and saltwater fishing reels available on the market today.

Some of the better known freshwater fishing reel companies include Abu Garcia, Quantum, US Reels, WaveSpin, Okuma and Shimano.

Some of the better known saltwater fishing reel companies include Avet, Duel, Fin-Nor, PEnn, US Reels, Bluefin, Quanum, Shimano, Van Staal, Daiwa and Everol.

The thing to remember about fishing reels is that they are an important part of the arsenal of tools a fisherman uses to catch fish and more importantly, have a good experience fishing. It is important not to buy an inexpensive fishing reel that does not do the job and leaves you wanting more. The expression 'you need to find the right tool for the job' certainly holds true when it comes to fishing reels. Remember to do your homework and finding out exactly what you like and don't like with certain fishing reels and your fishing experience will be much more enjoyable.