Spinning Reels

[chadyp]

I would like people to tell me the different features and technology involved with spinning reels. I don't want people saying buy _____ brand. I want explanations on features and technology.

[Mike Cork]

I'm not a spinning reel guy and don't know that much about their "technology". My biggest factor in buying one is the drag, it has to be smooth. I only use spinning gear for light line and tackle fishing and the drag has to be ultra smooth to prevent breaking.

Not much help but might help jump start the thread, I'd like to hear what a person should look for as well.

Spool depth, bail options, gear technology those kind of things. Is this stuff important to performance?

[bobsquatch13]

I use spinning reels a lot! I also use them only on 7' plus spinning rods in MH and Hvy as I fish Ca. Delta all the time and there is very big fish in there. The 2500 size reels are perfect for me as can handle very large fish with the line I use and any larger reels tend to also be heavier which I don't like. Because I use 12 to 14# FC line only my first thing I look for is a very good drag and has to be smooth, rod & reel has to have ability to cast light lures a long way with control. Where I fish I much prefer ones with shallow spools as simply don't need anything with 150 - 200 yrds. of line on anything I use. Those that fish lakes may but even when I fished lakes I still preferred shallow spools. Since I open/close reel only by hand, never with the handle the reel has to have an excellent bail spring with strength in it, also I upgrade to the best roller bearing I can buy as well as handle knobs have double bearings in them. In general the more bearings in the reel the smoother it will operate overall. Prefer reels with 1 piece forged handles to those that fold - just my preference. I prefer high speed reels on all of my reels no matter what I use them for but that is just a personal preference of mine. I catch probably 95 % of the fish I get on spinning outfits because I fish them 90 % of the time. For me they are far easier to use as I have severe shoulder problems that inhibits casting rods/reels although I do have just 2 casting outfits as spinning outfits are limited in some things a little. Keep in mind spinning reels have tendency for the line to spool out uncontrolled if you do not keep tight and line twist is common. I use reel spray the night before on all reels prior to every trip. Hope this helps somewhat although really no actual technical quotes here. Last line here and sure I will get arguments from many - it is my belief that I can set the hook quicker, faster from any hand/arm position with spinning outfit than I can from casting outfit. Maybe eliminate the arguments by saying that is my firm belief for me. Have been fishing for over 50 years and it works for me.

[Diggy_]

I'm a heavy window shopper when it comes to reels. I read up and read up and pray for a deal until I find one. But in window shopping although I'm not a spinning reel expert, I see much talk of:

the drag material, felt/carbon

the drag being smooth: some people dont even care because they backreel, some companies dont even add the reverse switch on certain models so you'd def want a smooth drag.
the drag being sealed to help if the reel gets wet or dunked

construction: the frame material, gears, rotors...some random technology a company may have

spool material-graphite,(xyz: some space alien tech material), aluminum:marketed to braid, etc
having a spare spool

Bail being heavy duty

One things I look for in a spinning reel when testing is handle play. I had many cheapies and they would wobble even when tightened all the way down...hate that, didn't know better until I used a good reel. I actually never even realized it until I used a decent reel. Ive been looking into these new okuma rtx and helios reels based on weight and cost. Im also looking for some inshore setups.

I can tell a big difference with casting reels smoothness easily over spinning. Once you get to about 50 bucks or so, many of the spinning reels feel the same, barely any noticeable difference. I used my buddys stradic ci4, I cant say I was blown away by the initial feel of the reel. Even upon testing the display way before I expected more from what I read online. It wasn't like hopping into a stock mustang then into one with a supercharger with 700hp to the wheels. I didn't use it long enough to say, this is a reel I need in comparison with my ora s reel based on feel. On paper its a much better reel than my ora is and cost 130 dollars more. Once the drag comes into play or the rigidity of the reel is tested, then a better idea is had. I do feel its a great reel based on the feedback from thousands of people that use them.

The best thing I can say to do is goto a site like TW,bps, etc(heavily traveled retail sites)....look at the brands, reels, read the reviews. Reviews in my opinion are the best thing to read overall. I almost bought an okuma trio, everything looked great on paper, the marketing video was great, I was sold! Then I read tons of reviews about the gears breaking inside for many people, that saved me time and money wasted. I usually take recommendations from forums then research on my own because that removes some of the diehard fanboyism from the product.

[Pferox]

I fish mainly salt water now, and some of the big innovations are long cast spools, I feel they work much better especially with braids.

Corrosion resistance, They have come a long way with that, some of the composite frames are as strong as metal.

Drags have probably come the farthest, and the Penn slammer drag system is the best in my opinion for the wide range of fish I hook up on.

Gear ratios are changing also, I used to get 3:1, 4:1 in just about all the styles and brands, now they are getting harder to find.

I am also finding old good technology in inexpensive reels, making them a better buy sometimes for what I use them for. There was a time when paying less than $100 for a reel meant you were getting sub caliber products, now you can get some good quality reels for around $40 bucks, sometimes less.

Continuous anti reverse is getting better, you still find the old ratcheting dog system on reels targeting larger fish, but the AR bearings are holding up much better than they used to.

I think the biggest innovation to spinning reels (fishing in general) is braided line, it is allowing you to go smaller, lighter. I can spool up 300 yards of 30 to 50lb on a reel that is more than half the size compared to what I used few years ago. This is forcing reel manufacturers to make stronger more robust reels in smaller sizes.

[Oldfart9999]

There are lite weight reels with aluminum frames, the strongest, the better quality name reels and some store brands have quality drags, and they have good bails, Quatum's bail is magnetic and works very well and you don't have to worry about springs breaking. In the better grades from all the bearings are good quality. Frankly, the best thing to do if you can is to pick them up and feel them in your hands, on a rod if you can. Buy the best you can afford and you'll be happy.
Rodney