Saturday, December 7, 2013

A Review of Surf Casting Reels

How to Select the Best Surf Fishing Reel

Casting a a fishing reel

Will your fishing reel reach the big fish in the deep water?

Do you have what it takes to surf cast out to where the fish are?

What type of  fishing reel should you use for surf fishing? How to select the best surf fishing reel can be a matter of personal preference.

There are 2 basic types of surf casting reels that fishermen use to accomplish this task, and this article will look at both types of fishing reels, the spinning reel and the bait casting reel.

So c'mon along and I'll try to help you out with your fishing reel decision making.

Photo Credit: ingridtaylar

Types of Fishing Reels


As I mentioned there are 2 types of fishing reels that can be used for surf fishing.

The Surf Casting Reel, or bait casting reel as it is known, has a spool that is mounted in a housing that holds the spool and allows it to turn on bearings.

When you cast a bait casting reel the spool that holds the line spins very fast as the line is pulled off of it and it takes a lot of practice and finesse to learn how to stop this spinning motion and avoiding the dreaded "birds nest" that can occur when the line backs up on the spool as shown in this photo.

Even though the photo is not my birds nest, it could have been as I have never mastered the bait cast reel.

Bait Casting Reel Birds Nest



Bait Casting Reels


Bait Casting Reel
There are a number of things to be considered when buying a fishing reel.

1. What weight line do you intend to use? The size line you use will determine the length of the line that will fit on the reel. The heavier weight the line, the less length that will fit. However, keep in mind that reels come in different sizes so that they can hold different amounts of line. Most reels are sold with a certain recommended weight line.

2. Reel weight. The weight of the reel itself needs to be considered. The heavier the reel, the harder to handle.

3. Durability is also a factor to consider. Saltwater is very rough on fishing equipment. Because of that you need to take special care when stowing your surf fishing reels. You should rinse your equipment in fresh water before putting it away. This helps reduce the corrosion from the saltwater by washing off all the salt.

4. Number of bearings. Normally the more bearings the smoother the casting reel will operate and to some extent the more durable it will be.

5. Gear Ratios. Gear ratio on fishing reels in essence refers to how quickly you can reel in a fish. For example, if the gear ratio is 10:1 it means that for every one rotation of the handle the spool will rotate 10 times. So would think think that the higher gear ration the better, but that's not really true. As the gear ratio gets higher the torque decreases. The ideal is to balance the two aspects of gear ratio and settle at a bout a 6:1 ratio.

6. Drag. What is drag? It is resistance to being pulled. When you cast bait out into the water you don't want any resistance from the reel so the line will freely flow off the spool. However, once you've hooked a fish you don't want the line to be free flowing off the reel. You want some resistance for the fish to pull on so it will get tired and you can reel it in. Drag is this resistance and most modern fishing reels allow you to adjust the drag to increase or decrease the resistance. What determines the level of drag you use depends on the line weight you're using and the size fish you catch. However, in the long run it is really just a matter of feel.

Photo Credit: Amazon



How to use a Bait Cast Reel.




Surf Spinning Reels


Surf Fishing Spinning Reel
The second kind of surf fishing reel is called a Surf Spinning Reel.

The spinning reel does not use a spool that spins when casting. On the spinning reel the fishing line spins off the front of the reel. The reel itself only turns when you are reeling the line in.

This type of reel solves the problem with the "birds nest".

Guess which type of reel I prefer. You guessed it, the surf spinning reel. I've tried the bait casting reel, but after a couple of birds nests I decided it was more trouble than it's worth.

I do however, use a bait casting reel for bottom fishing, which of course doesn't require any casting.

Like the bait casting reel, the spinning reel has some things you need to consider when making a purchase. The list is pretty much the same as the bait casting reel.

1. My number one recommendation is don't use an inexpensive fresh water spinning reel for surf fishing. A fresh water reel is too lightweight for use in surf conditions.

2. What weight line do you intend to use? The size line you use will determine the length of the line that will fit on the reel. The heavier weight the line, the less length that will fit. However, keep in mind that reels come in different sizes so that they can hold different amounts of line. Most reels are sold with a certain recommended weight line. In addition, the spinning reel has a great advantage over the bait casting reel in that you can easily change the spool if you want to put on a different weight line.

3. Reel weight. The weight of the reel itself needs to be considered. The heavier the reel, the harder to handle.

4. Durability is also a factor to consider. Saltwater is very rough on fishing equipment. Because of that you need to take special care when stowing your surf fishing reels. You should rinse your equipment in fresh water before putting it away. This helps reduce the corrosion from the saltwater.

5. Number of bearings. Normally the more bearings the smoother the reel will operate and to some extent the more durable it will be.

6. Gear Ratios. Gear ratio on fishing reels in essence refers to how quickly you can reel in a fish. For example, if the gear ratio is 10:1 it means that for every one rotation of the handle the spool will rotate 10 times. So would think think that the higher gear ration the better, but that's not really true. As the gear ratio gets higher the torque decreases. The ideal is to balance the two aspects of gear ratio and settle at about a 4.5 to 5.0 :1.

7. Like bait casting reels, spinning reels also have an adjustable drag.

Photo Credit: Amazon




How to Surf Cast With a Spinning Reel

This is a long video, but the first 5:30 have the most value and is well worth watching.




My Surf Fishing Reel Recommendation

I can't really suggest what reel you should buy because I don't know where you'll be fishing or what you'll be fishing for.

I have an Okuma graphite rod and a Daiwa spinning reel and also a Fenwick fiberglass rod and a Shimano spinning reel and am quite pleased with the performance of all of the products.  

Here's two links to Amazon if you want to see what they offer.

A Word of Caution: Be sure you select a fishing reel suitable for salt water conditions.

Surf Baitcasting Reels

Surf Spinning Reels

If you want to learn more about surf fishing rods I have an article on them at: Best Surf Fishing Rods.


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