Reels
Products found: 1495 · page 1 of 50
The size number printed on a reel body describes spool capacity rather than strength. The catalogue lists 1,495 reels in a narrow size band. The three most common sizes sit in the middle of the scale and make up close to a third of the range, with the neighbouring sizes just behind them and only a small group left at the extremes.
Size follows the rod's casting weight rather than standing alone. Each casting weight band pairs with its own reel size band, so a light lure rod takes a small reel and a rod for heavy sinkers takes a large one. Every rod's casting range is listed on the rod pages. Line capacity, weight and max drag all rise with the size number.
Gear ratio and max drag
Gear ratio sets the line retrieve speed, from slow conventional models to fast baitcasting models. Max drag spreads just as widely, up to heavy conventional reels. Bottom fishing for sea bream and jigging from a boat both call for a higher minimum drag than light shore casting does. Ball bearing count is listed too, though bearing count alone is not a measure of build quality.
Drag type across the range
More than two thirds of reels use a front drag. All five drag types appear, in this order from most to least common.
- Front drag
- Star drag
- Lever drag
- Free spool (baitrunner)
- Rear drag
Median reel weight runs well above median rod weight. A heavy reel on a light rod shifts the balance toward the butt and makes casting harder to control. Every reel with a line counter is listed under conventional reels.
Brands, compared on specification rather than price
Several brands appear across the range, with no single manufacturer dominating the shares. The comparison runs on measurements alone, size, gear ratio, max drag, weight and ball bearing count.
Rod and reel are judged as one outfit
Choosing a reel and a rod separately and fitting them together afterwards rarely balances well, since weight and casting range both need to match. Spinning reels form the largest group by far, while surf reels for long rods on the beach and conventional and electric reels for deep water from a boat keep their own ranges.