Fishing Reel FAQs

By Johann  

Johann is a keen outdoors man, an avid fisherman, and native Saffa with a passion for all things wild. His favorite fishing survival tool is the Kershaw knife.

Q: How much should I pay for a good quality reel?

When it comes to price you have to pay for a decent reel, the permutations are legion. With the variety and different brands that are available in the market today, the question of making a choice can be quite daunting, even bewildering.

Eventually it will come down to personal choice, but, I would recommend a base figure of $100 in order to ensure that you buy a quality product which are pretty much guaranteed to provide you with high performance service for many years to come.

Q: How often should I clean my reel?

In order to ensure its durability and effectiveness it is very important to properly clean and maintain your reel. First and foremost, don’t give your fishing gear a blast of high pressure water from a garden hose after returning from a fishing trip. This is a common mistake made by quite a few anglers which can really damage your equipment in the long run.

Saltwater is probably enemy number one of a fishing reel followed closely by dirt and sand. That’s why saltwater anglers need to clean their equipment, especially the reels, after every fishing trip compared to freshwater anglers can get away with a thorough cleaning session every week, month or so.

Q: What are the best ways to clean a reel?

After each fishing trip you can take warm, soapy water and, using a sponge or cloth, wipe the reel as well as the fishing line thoroughly. When this is done you can rinse your equipment off with fresh water. Be careful not to use a high pressure blast of water when doing this.

When cleaning a fixed spool reel with a front drag you undo the drag knob, remove the spool and clean its underside. You can also grease the main shaft before replacing the spool drag knob and spool.

Make sure you use a high-grade reel oil for lightly oiling the handle knobs, bail arm springs, line rollers, folding handle. Any excess should be wiped off. Remember, less is sometimes more when it comes to applying oil to outside parts.

Q: How do I protect my reel when the line get stuck underwater?

One of the common mistake made by novice anglers which I have witnessed through the years is when their line gets stuck under water. First they try to snap off the line by performing a series of quick jerks with the rod.

When that doesn’t work, they either start walking backwards until the line snaps or wind the line a couple of times around the handle of the reel before doing the same. Big mistake, because the tension applied by this action can put the sensitive parts of the reel under immense pressure.

Rather take a metre or so length of line, wind it a couple of times around your arm, thereby taking the pressure off your delicate equipment, and then proceed by snapping the line.

Q: How do I cast with a trolling reel (multiplier reel)?

As I’ve mentioned above, these type of free spool reels are very popular amongst the South African rock and surf community because of their robust nature, dependability and ability to withstand the corrosiveness of salt water and sand. They are also sturdy enough to take quite vicious bangs against rocks if you are into a bit of extreme fishing.

But, this is also a type of reel that needs a modicum of skill to handle, because they are notorious for the overwind or “bird’s nest” which means a mass of tangled lines if you get the cast wrong.

To avoid that you first have to find a balance between your terminal tackle (baited hook and sinker) and your drag system. Make sure your drag is not set too loose while casting, because that will result in line stripping off your spool much faster than the actual line speed of your terminal tackle ending up in that dreaded overwind.

Also, while casting, put your thumb lightly on either the spool of your reel or the line to add further drag, thereby ensuring a smooth release of line.

Final Thoughts

Fishing reels are truly awesome pieces of equipment and as you have read they come in all sorts of shapes and sizes iwith differing brands catering to different uses. I hope we have gone some way to explaining the basics to any potential new anglers out there. 

If you have any thoughts to add to the conversation then please feel free to comment below. I hope you found much of that useful. Adios!