Top 10 tips for choosing a spinning reel

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There are three main types of coils: inertial, inertialess and multiplier. It was in this order that they evolved, but inertial models are still in demand in certain situations. Each type has its own advantages and disadvantages:

Coil type	pros	Minuses
inertial	Low price; Simple construction; High reliability; Maintainability.	No braking; The line is often tangled; Not the most comfortable shape; Not suitable for jigging, trolling and many other types of fishing.
Inertialess	A wide variety of shapes and models; Ease of use; Suitable for all types of fishing; Large price range.	Lots of low quality items Requires knowledge in the selection; Small amount of power.
Multiplier	Big power; Ease of management; Great for jig and trolling; Lots of additional options.	High price; Low maintainability; Requires handling skills.

Multiplier reels are the pinnacle of evolution, but they cannot be called the most popular. Most often, these reels are used by professional fishermen and athletes. They care about the speed of reaction and the ability to fine-tune. Inertial models are taken by lovers of winter fishing. There is no need to make long casts, and the amount of line is often only a couple of meters. Inertialess models are the most popular and we will mainly consider them in this article.

Coil size is measured in thousands. The range is from about 1000 to 5000. This figure indicates how much line the spool will hold. For example, a 1000 spool holds 100 meters of line at 0.1mm thickness. Accordingly, if the fishing line is twice as thick, its amount will be half as much. Since few people would think of winding more than 200 meters, this parameter is used to determine the thickness of the thread.

If we take as a basis that there should be one hundred meters of fishing line on the reel, then with a thickness of, for example, 0.3 mm, we need a size of 3000 units. And so on. In simpler terms, spools from 1000 to 2500 are enough to catch small fish. Medium trophies require from 3000, and reels for 5 thousand units are mainly used in sea fishing or when catching very large trophies. You should also look at the test of your rod. Ultralight and hard spinning require different reels. An example spread would look like this:

Fishing rod test	Line thickness	The size
12-16	0,12-0,22	1000
21-28	0,2-0,25	1500-2500
30-50	0,25-0,35	2000-3500

And then on the rise. That is, the thicker the fishing line, the larger the size of the reel. This is what should be taken as a basis.

Technology does not stand still. New materials are constantly emerging and coil manufacturers are using them. So, the most budget model will be made of plastic. It is fragile and breaks easily, but if you are a beginner fisherman and you have an ultralight spinning rod, then this is quite enough. More expensive models are made of graphite or composite. These are very durable materials that can easily withstand heavy loads, but the price is appropriate.

You should also look at the material of the spool.The reel itself may well be plastic, but it is better to take an aluminum spool. This is if we are talking about inexpensive options. For example, Shimano, one of the most popular brands of fishing accessories, uses several materials at once, which is why its products are very reliable and durable.

If you have ever tried to pick up a coil in a Chinese online store, you have probably seen models with 15, 17 and even 20 bearings. If you are a beginner, such numbers could well mislead you. There is a stereotype that the more the better. This is not so, and it should be immediately abandoned. In fact, any number of bearings can be placed in the coil body, only they are not needed there at all. Five pieces do their job quite well. In some expensive models they put 7-9. For fun, you can just look at the coil in section to understand where and how the bearings should be located. For 20 pieces there is simply no work. The mechanism is not that complicated.

The gear ratio indicates how fast the reel will wind the line. That is, how many revolutions will the spool make if we turn the handle once.For example, we see the value 1:5.7. This tells us that in one revolution the spool will turn 5.7 times. This is already considered a speed model. Such reels are used on ultralight spinning rods when quick response and speed of bringing fish to the shore are needed. The universal gear ratio is the range from 1:4.5 to 1:5.6. Slow reels with less than 4 turns are used for trophy fishing. They are slow and, as a result, very powerful.

Here the answer to the question of which coil is better to choose lies on the surface - the lighter, the better. The mass of the product depends on many factors: design, materials used and size. Budget reels tend to be very heavy. Even with a size of 2000, they can weigh up to 400 grams. Heavy plastic does the trick. The aluminum spool will facilitate the construction, and the composite will make the reel as light as possible with the largest dimensions.

There are no universal tips here. You need to take the weight that you are comfortable with. Fishing often consists of simply standing with a fishing rod in your hands, and how comfortable you will be at such moments depends on the performance. Before choosing any coil, it is advisable to test it. If you are a beginner fisherman, just take any budget model and see how comfortable it is for you to work with such a weight.

Friction - a mechanism that protects your fishing rod from increased impact. For example, you came across a trophy pike. As soon as she feels the hook in her mouth, the struggle begins. The first blows are very strong, and if the friction clutch is set incorrectly or it is not there at all, as on inertial models, then the pike will simply break the line or break the reel stopper. Feeling the increased load, you release the clutch a little and thereby exhaust the trophy. When it weakens, the clutch spins again - and you can bring the fish ashore.

This mechanism can be front or rear. There is no big difference here. Again, a matter of personal convenience. Most low and mid-range models use a front clutch. Structurally, it is easier to do. Rear-mounted reels are most often used on large models designed for trophy fishing.

If you buy a reel from Shimano or Daiwa, you can not check it at all. Their quality is guaranteed by the manufacturer. With nameless brands, everything is more difficult, and it can be very difficult, and often completely impossible, to determine the quality by eye. Before choosing any model, be sure to study it. Spin in your hands. Check backlashes. All mechanisms should sit tightly in their places.If there are backlashes, then the product will serve you very little.

Separately, you need to pay attention to the handle. This is the weakest part of any reel. The most common design is a spring mechanism. You simply pull back on the handle and it folds. It is very convenient during transportation, but it is this system that is the weakest. Screw connection is the most reliable. If there is an opportunity to choose such a coil, take it and do not hesitate.

On some coils you can find such strange inscriptions: bytranner, Continuous anti-reverse or Anti twist. All these are additional features. The first is the baitrunner. A special mechanism that automatically releases the latch when biting. It significantly affects the performance, since the fish, having tried the bait, does not feel the tension of the fishing line and continues to swallow the tackle. Continuous anti-reverse - protection against breakage in the event of a hook. The mechanism determines the degree of load on the reel and will not allow the line to break. Anti-Twist - a function that prevents the fishing line from twisting at the time of casting and reeling. Very convenient, and many spinning reel owners will understand why.

It is worth noting that the presence of any of these functions significantly increases the cost of the product. Therefore, if you see an inexpensive coil and it has at least one of the options, then either they are trying to deceive you and in fact it is not there, or it is of very low quality, and this will affect the reliability of the entire coil. If you are a beginner, these options will greatly facilitate your fishing process. The only question is whether you are willing to pay for such a coil.

There are a huge number of brands on the fishing reel market. Among them there are world-famous manufacturers, and small-town companies, whose products also deserve attention. If we talk about leaders, then this Shimano, Daiwa and Mikado. Not far behind them are brands such as Kosadaka, Ryobi and Okuma. Most of the names are from Japan. This country is the leader. But here you need to understand that, for example, Shimano very rarely pleases buyers with budget models. He has them, but, as a rule, from old collections. New items are very expensive, and often the price tag exceeds 50 thousand rubles.

In the middle price segment, one can distinguish RUBICON and Kaida. Their coils are very high quality, but they are several times cheaper than top brands. Also popular among fishermen are reels from the Russian brand Volzhanka. This is the most budget segment, but not because of low quality, but due to focus on the Russian market and local production. For a beginner, these reels will be the best option. In addition, the coalition has many models with very different functionality. There is always the opportunity to pick up something for yourself and not empty your pockets.