Spinning Reels
Spinning reels have their place in saltwater fishing. They are easier to cast for the novice and one can usually throw lighter baits farther that a baitcaster. Instead of a spool turning to retrieve the line, a bail assembly will rotate around the spool to do the retrieving.
Reel Drags
They have a drag tension setting much like a baitcaster, but some are front drag (forward of the spool) and some are rear drag (at the rear of the reel). The front drag systems are much more reliable and effective than the rear drag for one simple reason. The front drag typically has larger diameter drag washers and they are usually stacked as opposed to a rear drag that has considerably smaller drag washers. Larger drag washers equate to more surface area, more heat dissipation and thus a better drag system.
Newer reels (baitrunners or baitfeeders) are equipped with 2 drag systems (front and rear), which give the reel better fishability. On these reels, the front drag is the main fighting drag like other front drag reels. While the lever engaged rear drag is a separate lighter drag used for freelining bait. It has adjustable tension and allows the fish to run with the bait with very little resistance. With a single drag reel, the main drag had to be loosened up to get the same effect. Then when you got a bite, you had to crank down the drag before you could attempt a hookset. The drag had to be just right for the fight or else you had to re-adjust if it was too loose (soft hookset), or too tight (breaking the line). Either way it can be problematic. With the 2-drag system, the fighting drag can be set to a certain weight and then left alone. Only the baitrunner drag has to be adjusted for conditions. Then to disengage the rear drag, either push the lever down or start turning the handle. Its that easy.
Spooling
Spooling or putting line on a spinning reel, while not hard to do, can present problems if not done right. I will explain this in the spooling section below.
Which reel?!?
When choosing a spinning reel, you want to take several things into account; most important is what size line you will be using. Other things like target species, line capacity, drag size, reel weight, what the reel is made of (plastic, graphite, aluminum, stainless steel...etc.) and price tag are all factors that can affect your reel choice.
Most reels (spinning or casting) have printed on them somewhere the recommended line weight and corresponding spool capacity for that line weight. There is usually a range of 3 line weights/capacities on any given reel (20/270 25/240 30/200 (#test/yds)). This tells the angler what line sizes the reel was designed to handle and thus what weight class of fish can be easily brought in with it. You can go with any of the line weights but as you can see the heavier the line, the less capacity you have.
If you are targeting a species that is notorious for running, like Bonefish, Jack Crevalle, or Wahoo, then a reel with large capacity, aluminum spool (for braid), excellent drag and SS gears would be the best choice. If, on the other hand, you are a weekend warrior and want to target less aggressive, smaller species then one with medium capacity, aluminum or graphite spool, average drag and regular metal gearing would do just fine.
One thing to keep in mind though, is that just because a reel has a huge price tag, doesn't mean it’s the best reel out there or for your situation. As far as reels go, do your homework, check them out and ask around on the fishing message boards. But be prepared to spend some money if a high-end reel is what you need. I say it like that because there are guys out there that will send a Rolls Royce out to do the work of a Jeep 4X4. The more realistic you are about what your needs are, the more successful you will be in choosing a reel. ,
Bait Casting Reels
Baitcasting reels are a totally different animal than a spinning reel. Casting reels require a bit more practice to use effectively. On a casting reel, the entire spool turns either clockwise to cast, or counter-clockwise to reel in. The typical casting reel has 2 side plates with bars running between them on their perimeter. Some reels have the bars integrated into the side plates (one piece frame) and others have actual bars with screws mounting them to the side plates. The spool sits on a main shaft running slightly offset from the center of the reel. The handle and drag are mounted in one side plate. Handles on some models can be switched for either higher speed or more power during the retrieve. The beefier models also have a rod clamp, which ensures the reel stays attached to the rod even under great stress.
Reel Drags
All casting reels have a drag (refers to the mechanical pressure applied to the main reel gear or spool to resist turning and paying out line during a fight). It is a single or stacked set of larger diameter SS washers sandwiched with Teflon or some type of composite discs giving it a good to excellent drag system. The drag is adjustable to achieve higher or lower pressure and is measured in pounds or kilograms. As more pressure is applied, the turning resistance increases and more weight has to be applied to the line in order to turn the spool.
There are 2 drag systems available. The "star" drag and the "lever" drag. Most smaller casting reels have a star drag while medium to large reels can have a star or lever drag.
The star drag works by turning a "star" shaped rotating wheel between the handle and side plate to increase the pressure or drag gradually and is adjustable during a fight.
The lever drag however has only 2 drag states, "strike" and "full". It is pre-adjusted with a tension knob on the side of the drag. When the lever is down, the reel is in "free spool" (no tension). When the lever is moved up to "strike", the pre-adjusted drag setting is applied to the spool. There is usually a spring-loaded "stop" button at the "strike" drag setting. When pushed in, this stop allows the lever to be pushed to "full" and an increased drag setting is applied. But unlike the adjustable star drag, the lever drag is either "on" or "off". Therefore pre-setting the lever drag spool tension to match the target species is important. Too little tension can result in the fish taking all the line off the reel during an extended run ("spooled"), or too much tension can cause the line to break or possible reel damage to occur. The advantage of using a lever drag reel is that a much higher drag setting can be applied to the spool as opposed to a star drag.
Baitcaster Types
Bait Casters come in 3 different configurations. The closed top - level wind, the open top - no level wind and the larger trolling reel which may or may not have a level wind.
The first 2 types, closed and open top refers to the reel frame. The closed top has a bar running across the top of the reel, while the open top has no bar.
A level wind is a small line gude that travels back and forth on a worm gear at the front of the reel. As you reel in, it keeps the line even (and level) on the spool. These are used every day to cast with, but when trying for distance casting, the level wind causes drag on the line and can reduce distance.
For general surf or distance casting, The open top reel is the reel of choice. It is easier to thumb the spool and there is no level-wind. Generally the drag washers are upgraded by the user and quite often are magged to reduce the chance of back lashing. Reels used for surf are also subjected to a very harsh environment (salt and sand) so they require a fairly high degree of maintenance to keep them clean and performing well.
For shark fishing in the surf, casting is not a factor because the baits are carried out to the desired location (usually 200 - 500 yards out or more) using a kayak (yakked), small boat or jet ski. Being that larger sharks are usually targeted, heavier rods (50# class to 130# class) and larger (traditionally trolling) reels (6/0 or larger) are typically used. Reel type and drag system are a matter of choice. The reels can range in size from 6/0 to 19/0 and/or 50# - 130# class lever drag reel.
Some may think that using a full-blown 130# class combo in the surf is overkill, but there are sharks out there that have the potential to spool even that combo. It has happened.
Line
The third part of your combo is the line. While there are many lines to choose from on the market, I will cover 4 basic types, braided Dacron, monofilament (mono), braided spectra and fluorocarbon. All 4, used correctly, will do a perfectly good job, but each has its advantages and drawbacks. Line typically has 5 attributes, weight, diameter, abrasion resistance, color and stretch.
Dacron
As far as uses, Dacron was widely used on reels up until the 80's when spectra really hit the fishing industry. It was and still is used as the main line on a reel. While it has fairly good abrasion resistance and strength, its diameter is relatively large which equates to lower capacity on a reel and is very visible under water. This traditionally meant that in order to have a lot of yardage available, the reel had to be very large and have a lot of capacity. Also Chrome plated bronze spools and rod eyes or roller guides were a necessity.
Monofilament
Mono has been around a long time. It has gone through a lot of changes over the years. The mono we have today is a mix of polymers and co-polymers designed to be tough, UV resistant, low memory and visually appealing (to the fisherman, not necessarily the fish). Even though it is now high-tech, it still has its shortcomings. It has a medium diameter, decent abrasion resistance, medium visibility under water, shorter working lifespan, but is a good all around choice as a main line for most anglers. Cut-off and re-tying is a must when regularly using mono in most situations making it a somewhat disposable line.
Braided Spectra
Braided spectra is a relatively new line in the fishing community. Its claim to fame is its strength and small diameter. It is great in open water, but has poor abrasion resistance. It also has almost zero stretch to it and while that equates to extreme sensitivity over distance, it can also work against you. If it gets hung up, it can break a rod in half and has done so many times during a brutal hook set. It does work extremely well as backing for a mono or fluorocarbon topshot which I will go over in more detail in the spooling section. It provides high capacity of larger test line on smaller reels. It can also wreek havoc with smaller reels that are not built for braid.
Fluorocarbon
Line Attributes
We'll start with the most well known.... Line weight, which is measured in pounds or kilograms. I say the most well known, because a lot of times the other 4 attributes are not taken into account when choosing a line.
Weight
The line weight refers to the pounds or kilograms the line will withstand before it breaks. IGFA rated lines are required to break at the rated strength + or - 10%. Non-IGFA lines typically break at upwards of +20 to 30%. This attribute is pretty much the same across all 4 line types.
Diameter
The next one is diameter. It is a measurement of the average cross section of the line or simply put, the thickness of the line. Now, for any given weight, the 4 line types will have different diameters. The spectra will be the thinnest, followed by the mono and fluorocarbon then the Dacron.
Abrasion Resistance
Then comes the abrasion resistance factor, which is not really measured. It is the durability of the line against outside forces that can eventually cause the line to fail or break. Fluorocarbon is the best at resisting abrasion, followed by Dacron, mono and spectra.
Color
It is really a matter of choice. However, of the two translucent lines (fluorocarbon and mono), mono is made in several colors including clear. The fluorocarbon while only in clear is said to be less visible under water that clear mono. The spectra and Dacron are not translucent because both are braided so diameter determines visibility. Dacron, being of a much larger diameter than spectra will be more visible at any given line weight.
Stretch
The last factor that is very important is line stretch. It can be the deciding factor when choosing what goes on your reel. Spectra has almost zero stretch to it which means that it is very sensitive to strikes, but if you are hung up, it can and will break rods on a vicious hook set. Dacron is next in this category because it has some stretch to it. Fluorocarbon has a bit more than the Dacron. Then comes the mono, which has the most stretch of all 4. Some monos because of this stretch can develop memory. That means that if it is put on a reel tightly, then when it comes off it retains the reels spool shape and is coiled to a point. It also means that if stretched hard in a fight, it can lose some of its elasticity and strength.
The one factor that makes mono so appealing and widely used is the cost. It is very cheap to use. Dacron is higher in price than mono then comes fluorocarbon and spectra.
Spooling Reels - (installing line)