Buying freshwater fishing tackle can be an intimidating experience for the beginning angler. One can get totally lost when browsing an online web store such as Bass Pro Shops, there are 10's of thousands fishing reels, fishing rods, lures, line types and fishing accessories to choose from.
What is the beginner to do when looking for freshwater fishing tackle? Simple, read this series of articles and by the time you are done you will be armed with what you need to know to make an informed buying decision. We will cover fishing reels, fishing rods, lures and baits, fishing line and other fishing gear such as tackle boxes, fishing knives and much more.
There are four basic reel designs; spincast, spinning, baitcast and fly. This article will cover the spincast reels which are the Chevy's of the fishing world, they are affordable, easy to use and relatively maintenance free.
Spincast reels are best for beginners, children and anglers who just want to get a line in the water and sit back with their favorite beverage of choice. The spincast fishing reel is best used for light-weight "throw it and wait" type of fishing in ponds, creeks and other locations that do not require long or accurate casts.
Due to the light lines used the preferred fish are bluegill, sun fish, catfish and small trout. Anything larger and you run the risk of your line breaking as you try to land the monster.
The Spincast reel is a completely enclosed reel with the line on a spool that wraps perpendicular to the line as it exits the reel and runs up the rod. It is designed to counter the main problems of other reel types which include line twisting, snares and backlash (the loosening of the line around the reel.)
The spincast reel has a button at the back that you press and release as you cast your line, click the button again to set your line in place, then turn the handle on the side to retrieve your line (hopefully with a fish at the end.)
The primary drawback to spincast reel is shorter casting distances caused by the drag on the line as it rubs against the side of the reel as it leaves the opening. Also due to the limited line capacity of the spool you are limited to lighter lines, this limits the size of your hook and bait setup and ultimately the size of fish that can be successfully landed.
A perfect example of this type of reel is the Shakespeare® Synergy® Titanium Ti14 Spincast Reel, it is affordable at under $15, is dependable and a nice feature is the handle that coverts to left or right handed.
The next article in our "Buying Freshwater Fishing Tackle" series will feature the spinner reel, the most commonly used reel in freshwater fishing.
About the author: Bill Keller writes about outdoor activities in North Texas from his blog at TowersOverTexas.com. To purchase Spincast Fishing Reels or to see more articles about Freshwater Fishing Tackle just click on a link.
