In this article, we are going to explain the four main types of fishing reels, their pros and cons, and what they are best used for. We also include some info about the main brands of fishing reels on the market, including reviews and other details.
Fishing Reel Types Explained:
There are four main types of reels used for most fishing situations: spinning reels, baitcasting reels, spincast reels, and fly fishing reels. We are going to explain the basics of each of these reel types and their advantages and disadvantages.
Spinning Reels
Spinning reels are the most popular choice of reel among anglers.
Spinning reels have a stationary (when winding) spool with a rotating bail arm that lays the line onto the spool as you crank the handle.
The drag on the reel is adjusted with a knob at the front of the spool that applies braking when the spool begins to rotate to release line. The more tension you wind on with the knob, the more force is required to release fishing line.
Spinning reels are easy to use – just pinch the line, flip the bail, cast, and release. They are also durable, dependable, and don’t require much maintenance.
Spinning reels come in a range of sizes from ultralight 1000 size models to 10,000 plus game reels. See our article on spinning reel sizes for a full explanation, along with tips on what sized reel suits particular fish species.
Spinning reels work well spooled with all types of lines: mono, fluorocarbon, and braided line.
Spinning Reel Pros:
- Affordable
- Simpler to use than casting reels
- Low maintenance
Spinning Reel Cons:
- Not as accurate for casting; can’t thumb the spool like a baitcaster
- Drag and winching power less than a baitcaster
- Line twist can be an issue
More Spinning Reel Content:
- Ultralight Spinning Reels Reviewed
- Spinning vs Baitcasting Reels
- Best Line for Spinning Reels
- Spinning Reels Sizes Explained
- Can You Put a Spinning Reel on a Fly Rod?
- How Much Line to Put on a Spinning Reel: Easy Way to Judge
Baitcasting Reels
A baitcasting reel is a great weapon in the hands of a skilled angler. He or she can punch out quick, accurate casts with one hand and stop the lure right on target to fish a variety of structures. And thanks to the baitcaster’s cranking power and strong drag, the fish are less likely to get away.
With a baitcasting reel, the spool lies on an axis perpendicular to the fishing rod so that when you reel it, the rotating spool picks up the line directly. There is a line guide that slides back and forth to ensure even distribution of the line on the spool of the baitcast reel.
As well as being more accurate, if you are casting heavier lures, casting reels can also make longer casts than spinning reels.
The advent of the low-profile baitcaster has made this type of reel a popular choice for freshwater gamefish as well as in the salt.
Baitcasting reels come in a variety of sizes, from ultralight models suitable for stream fishing right up to surf reels and overhead big game reels.
The main drawback to baitcasting reels is they are a little harder to operate than a spinning reel and are suited to experienced anglers. If you don’t have the right technique, you will get bird’s nests (tangles) due to spool overruns, even with the best mechanical or magnetic braking systems.
The casting technique with a baitcaster involves using your casting hand thumb on the spool and releasing it during the cast but keeping it close to the spool to apply a light touch at the end of the cast to stop the spool (which is spinning rapidly at this time) to overrun when the lure has touched down. That’s what generates the infamous bird’s nest.
Casting Reel Pros:
- Accurate; ability to thumb the spool
- Long casting with heavy lures
- Heavy cranking power and drag
Baitcasting Reel Cons:
- More expensive than spinning reels
- Harder to use than other fishing reels
- Can get bird’s nests
RELATED POSTS:
- Baitcasting Reels for Bass Reviewed
- Baitcasting vs Spinning Reels Compared
- Baitcasting Reel Sizes Explained: Expert Guide
- The Best High-Speed Baitcasting Reels Reviewed
Spincast Reels
Spincast fishing reels are cheap, effective, and easy to use for chasing panfish such as crappie and bluegill and smaller game fish such as trout. They are a great option for kids or beginners getting into fishing.
Like a spinning reel, a spincast reel has a spool that rotates on an axis that is parallel to the fishing rod. But unlike the open-faced spinning reel, it has a cover that slips over the spool and no bail arm.
To release the line when casting, the spincast reel has a button at the base of the reel (although some have a lever at the front). See here for our top picks for trigger spin reels.
They can be cast one hand like a baitcaster and are relatively simple to operate with no risk of overruns.
While cheap and easy to use, spincast reels are not great for chasing fish that can pull some line and won’t pack enough punch for bass fishing, larger trout, and walleye or another larger than this.
Spincast Reel Pros:
- Cheap
- Easier to use than a casting reel or spinning reel
- Good for beginners and kids
Spincast Reel Cons:
- Not as durable
- Maintenance issues
- Limited power
RELATED POSTS:
- Best Spincast Reels Reviewed
- Best Line for Zebco Bullet and Other Spinning Reels
- Zebco 202 vs Zebco 33: Which Classic Spincast Reel Is Best
Fly Reels
Fly reels are simple larger-arbor lightweight reels that store the fly line used by fly fishers. They are mostly made of extruded aluminum and have various types of drag systems.
There is no gearing a fly fishing reel, and the reel handle is attached straight to the spool, which sits on an axle perpendicular to the fly rod. Therefore for faster winding fly fishing reels, you have to select a large arbor.
Having a smooth drag can be quite important on fly reels when targeting serious game fish, as they are going to strip line off your reel as you fight to keep the relatively small tippet used in fly fishing from breaking. Various cork felt and synthetic materials are used in fly reel drags to provide this braking effect, and fly fishers also use their long fly rods as well as fly fishing reels to act as a shock absorber.
Fly fishing reels are spooled with braided fishing line called backing first, with the fly line attached to this. That provides additional capacity to allow the fish to run. Fly fishermen know they are on to a decent fish when it has taken them into the backing of their fly reel.
For info on how to spool a fly reel, check out this video below.
Other Types of Fishing Reel
There are a couple of other types of fishing reels that are used and are worth discussing.
A kind of supersized variant of the baitcaster is the overhead type reel used in big game fishing. This type of trolling reel is not used for casting – rather, the lure is hung out the back of the moving boat to tempt large game fish. These offshore reels have a high fishing line capacity and low gearing to tip the scales in the angler’s favor in a drawn-out fight with a big tuna or marlin, or other game fish.
The other type of fishing reel is the centerpin reel used in surf fishing. These very simple surf fishing centerpin reels are similar to a fly fishing reel in that they have no gearing and have a transverse axle that lies perpendicular to the fishing rod.
To cast these surf fishing reels, you rotate the reel clockwise on so that the spool shifts 90 degrees allowing the fishing line to peel off the centerpin reel during the cast. Once the cast is made, the angler can rotate the centerpin surf fishing reel back to its normal position to reel in the fishing line.
Fishing Reel Information and Comparisons
There are numerous topics to consider when it comes to fishing reels, including maintenance, repair, brands, how to use them, and spool them with line.
Check below for some more relevant articles:
- How to a Fix a Fishing Reel
- Where Are Piscifun Reels Made?
- Piscifun vs KastKing: Budget Tackle Face Off
- Are KastKing Reels Any Good?
- Who Makes Kastking Reels?
- Which Reel Brands Are Made in the USA?
- A List of the Most Expensive Fishing Reels And How Much They Cost
- The Best Reels for Catching Catfish: Expert Advice and Reviews
- Are Piscifun Reels Any Good?
- Where Are Daiwa Reels Made?
- Where Are Shimano Reels Made?
- Shimano Sedona vs Shimano Sahara: Reel Showdown
- Where Are Abu Garcia Reels Made?
Fishing Reels Brands
At Tackle Village, we are always trying new gear and swapping thoughts about different reel brands. We’ve published a lot of content on the leading reel brands that you can access below.
- Where Are Pflueger Reels Made?
- Where Are Daiwa Reels Made?
- Where Are Abu Garcia Reels Made?
- Where Are Shimano Reels Made?
- Fishing Reel Brands: Our Views on the Industry’s Main Players
- Best Grease for Fishing Reels
- Are Lew’s Reels Any Good?
Final Thoughts on Types of Fishing Reels
We hope this information helps you choose between a spinning reel, casting reel, fly fishing reel, and a spincast reel. Many experienced anglers will own one of each of these reel types to cater to the full range of fishing options.
As we said, the spinning reel is really the workhorse of the recreational fishing world and is a great reel for a wide variety of fishing situations.
Baitcasting reels are a better choice in some of the situations described. In the right hands, a baitcasting reel can be used to make long, accurate casts with a variety of different types of lures.
A baitcasting reel also has the cranking power to wind a stubborn fish out of heavy structure. And on the other hand, the new generation of high-speed baitcasting reels can be used effectively for working lures such as jerkbaits and jigs that benefit from the ability to crank quickly or wind up slack. This kind of baitcasting reel has a gear ratio equal to or greater than the faster spinning reel.
