Baitcasting Reels Compared

Advantages of Baitcasting Reels

Baitcasters give much more control over the line while casting and when retrieving. They often have more stopping power thanks to their more robust drag systems and the one-piece construction of many higher-end models.

The spool on a baitcaster usually has a drag system, a braking system, and an anti-reverse ball bearing working to keep tension on the spool and prevent the line from coming off the spool. With the use of a thumb bar, the spool can be allowed to spin almost freely at critical points in a cast, allowing the lure and bait to be cast further.

Most casting rods are built to work in tandem with the reels to handle heavier line and lures. Baitcasting reels are so often seen as the more professional model because they can handle different kinds of gear and fishing styles.

Choosing a Quality Baitcasting Reel

Type of Fish & Environment

There are plenty of saltwater casters even if they're more commonly used in freshwater applications. Tons of different types of lures can be used with a baitcaster, from jigs and Texas rigs to spinnerbaits and crankbaits. Just about anything will bite on a baitcaster, but you have to know how to work your lure, present it to the target, and reel in the fish.

Reel Features

Reels can be heavy enough to affect the balance of the entire rod set up, or they can be so lightweight that the rig is only suitable for featherweight lures. Their size can be larger because they are meant to hold large lines, or they can be sleek, so they don't wear out anglers using them all day.

The gear ratio indicates whether lots of cranking will be needed to get the line moving on retrieval or not. Solidly constructed one-piece body reels can create more durable reels and also give the reel more staying strength when faced with energetic fish.

Profile

Low-profile baitcaster reels are some of the slickest pieces of angling gear around, aesthetically speaking. That slimmer body shape also makes the reel more portable and more comfortable in your hand during a long day of fishing. The modern low-profile look has replaced the majority of the old-style round baitcasters without a doubt, but there are still some round models that are so well-known that they haven’t stopped being built just yet.  

Drag & Brake System

The brake system is essential for controlling the speed of the spool when it's in free-spin, which is helpful during casting. They can range from the highly sophisticated to the rudimentary but are almost always adjustable to suit different preferences and situations.

Drag is a reel's resistance to fish that are trying to get away. Like the braking system, the drag is adjustable through either a front or a rear dial or a star-shaped one on the side of the reel. Larger reels have larger drag, but the design of a reel's interior gears can affect the drag level as well.

Ball Bearings

To reduce friction between moving parts, ball bearings are used at various places in a reel. While the number varies, there is almost always one (written +1) that works as an anti-reverse ball bearing to keep the reel from moving backward.

Some reels use bushings rather than bearings and have similar smoothness. It's not essential to have tons of ball bearings, but some reels use them to greater effect, for instance, supporting the pinion gear with two ball bearings. They are sometimes shielded or double-shielded to prevent damage from outside debris.

Spool Size & Style

If the spool flexes or experiences friction, all the other positive merits of a reel can be undermined. Construction and size are two of the most essential characteristics of the spool. The best baitcasting reel for bass will have a durable spool made out of brass or aluminum to make sure the reel can stop a fish.

The size of the spool dictates line capacity, which we'll talk more about in the next section. To keep a well-built spool working correctly, many manufacturers make their spools with guards to keep out debris. This is called a skirted, or flanged, spool.

Line Capacity

In addition to the rod you use, the line capacity of the reel determines what strength test you can use. That, in turn, affects how you go after fish and what fish you target. If you want to go after large target fish, you'll need a reel that has enough room on the spool to carry enough line. This requires some forethought. Many anglers try to spool as much line as they can onto their reel despite a low line capacity, but this can lead to malfunctions and huge birds' nests on a baitcaster.

Price & Warranty

The cost of a baitcasting reel is naturally going to be one of the determining factors. Less reputable companies will harp on the number of ball bearings in their reels and jack up the price on a reel that underperforms. Make sure all the performance factors are there before you invest in a reel.

Almost every reel comes with a 1-year limited liability warranty that protects against defects that arose during manufacturing. It's actually fairly hard to find a reel with a more reliable guarantee, so if you do see one, it's a special case.

1. Daiwa Tatula

Daiwa has crafted a superb baitcaster here. As you can tell from this Daiwa Laguna 100h baitcast reel review, the Daiwa Tatula baitcasting reel stays true to their style but makes significant improvements. The original Tatula was groundbreaking, but this Type-R is even better.

The spool is narrower and fits better in the palm of your hand without sacrificing any line capacity. The spool itself is lightweight aluminum that’s both sturdy and lightweight. The star drag is made of carbon tetraiodide (CI4 carbon they call Zaion) similar to many Shimano reels.

8 ball bearings, one of which is the anti-reverse, make the operation of this reel very smooth all around, but what really makes a huge difference in the reel action are the two ball bearings that are attached to either end of the aluminum spool. These two bearings, the ones the spool actually turns on, are corrosion resistant, which is useful not only for the feel of the reel but also for its longevity.

The gear ratio and the line retrieval rate both come in right around where you would expect them to. In fact, most of the performance indicators on this reel aren’t leaps and bounds above other reels from other manufacturers. But you’d be hard-pressed to find a reel that does so well in every category without sacrificing somewhere. There are even other reels in the HD-Types of the Tatula series that have more drag and a higher line capacity if you need some extra power.

One thing that definitely stands out on our top pick Tatula is the T-wing system, which is becoming more common across the product line. It may sound like something out of Star Wars, but the T-wing system is actually a very cleverly designed way to prevent backlash effectively. Rather than a small circle like traditional levelwinds have, the TWS has a wider opening at its top and a narrow bottom.

The narrow base is for re-spooling when you reel line in, while the wider top allows the line to cast out freely for more distance. It helps with line control and preventing backlash. The only folks who may not like the TWS are those who want to use this reel for surfcasting and don’t want a levelwind of any kind to interfere with casting those shock leaders out long distances. It is great for pitching, though!

2. Shimano Curado K

3. Lews Fishing Tournament MB

The number of ball bearings will probably catch your eye first. As you might expect, the motion on this reel is super smooth. There's an external lube port to keep it that way without having to sit for hours deconstructing the whole reel and putting it back together again.

Lew's seems to want to make the multi-setting brake system the star on this reel, and it is clear that they have put some thought into it. It's a centrifugal brake system that can be adjusted with a click dial on the outside. With as many options as there are on the brake system, you can plan on a long cast to go with that smooth reeling action.

20 pounds of drag stopping power is great for targeting larger fish. The grip on the handles and the thumb bar ("combat" grip) is easy on the hands and doesn't slip much. The pinion gear is supported by a ball bearing to lessen friction and allow it to both move more efficiently and last longer.

It's got a much higher gear ratio than the competition, which is great for quickly getting a hook moving fast but does lessen retrieval power and might take some getting used to.

4. Abu Garcia Jordan Lee Combo

This baitcaster rod and reel combo pair together to form a straightforward setup. The 7-foot, medium-heavy, fast-action graphite rod is just what you need for the vast majority of fishing, and the lure rating of 3/4-3/8 is perfect for the most common bass fishing lures. Any test from 10-20 lbs is suitable. It may not be tailor-made to any particular application, but it embodies the median for all kinds of different fishing styles.

The Jordan Lee reel, quite similar to the Silvermax Low Profile, is equally as versatile as the rod. With 6 ball bearings, including the anti-reverse one, it has really smooth motion. The drag system nets a slightly better-than-average 18 lbs. of resistance to fish.

It operates with a star-shaped wheel rather than a dial, which is always preferable in my eyes, at least. The reel is made out of aluminum, which might add a little bit to the weight but will be preferable for most anglers who primarily want to have a durable reel on hand that will last them a long time. 

The only thing that might give you trouble from this reel is the levelwind, which is unlikely to handle heavier test line very well. If you really think it makes a difference in the length of your cast outs, you can always remove it, but it really doesn't make a huge impact, and it's convenient to have when you're reeling the line back in.

5. KastKing Royale Legend/Whitemax

If you're looking for the best budget baitcasting reel, this is the one for you. You're not likely to find one with nearly as many ball bearings as this one has, and you can really feel the difference on the reel-in. The 17.5 lb. drag is better than average. Its low-profile size makes a day out on the lake quite easy on the wrist and hand.

The interior of this reel has a few additional surprises beyond the impressive number of ball bearings. Precision brass gears help the winding action of the handle. The carbon fiber drag system operates with four discs, which helps give it the stopping power it has but could theoretically lead to more frequent breakdowns over the life of the reel since more parts means more parts can break.

KastKing reels are famous for offering effective performance at surprisingly low prices. It's honestly just nice to have options like magnetic dual braking, star drag, and 12 ball-bearing smoothness on a reel for this price. The look of this reel is sharp, but if there's one complaint to make, it's that there are tons of plastic parts on it. The thumb bar and all the exterior facing parts are plastic, and even though the performance is great, those plastic parts just never seem to last long on any reel.

6. Cadence CB8

 For the best baitcasting reel under 100 dollars, the Cadence CB8 can't be beaten. It's more sophisticated than you'd think a cheap baitcasting reel would be, and it just feels good to use. This Cadence can handle a gamut of powerful fish and casting techniques that would be the ruin of lesser reels. It's still lightweight enough to keep from tiring your hand and wrist out, but it can stand up to the elements and gives stiff resistance to large ornery fish. 

Most of the interior moving parts are made of sturdy aluminum apart from the carbon fiber braking system and the hard brass pinion. The frame is made from graphite, which makes it both stylish and sturdy. If you aren't used to using a lightweight reel, it may take a few dozen casts to convince yourself that the reel isn't going to break, but it can stand the test without a doubt.

It may not have the line capacity to let tons and tons of line out, but it holds enough to get through most fishing situations. The drag system offers more power than most of the competition, and all of its ball bearings are double-shielded and corrosion-resistant to make sure it continues to last a long time. It comes with a standard 1-year limited warranty and also includes a 90-day trial so you can try it out to see how it feels.

7. Abu Garcia Ambassadeur

8. Pflueger President XT

The worst thing for somebody just stepping into the challenging world of baitcasting is a reel that locks up, breaks, or backlashes so often they feel like they'll never be able to get the hang of the caster.

Pflueger baitcasting reels aren't usually thought of as training wheels for baitcasting, and the President XT wasn't designed to suit the purpose. Still, it nonetheless works exceptionally well for learning the method thanks to its low profile and levelwind.

A whopping nine corrosion-resistant ball bearings ensure that the operation of this reel will be smooth and not discouragingly tricky to use. The max drag is a bit low, but for beginners who aren't likely to be pulling in massive fish when they first start out anyway, there's plenty of power in this reel.

The braking system is great for easy casting and the levelwind, as mentioned before, is great for avoiding backlash. Folks who don't fish tons of hefty line or complicated leader setups won't have any problem using this reel.

The gear ratio is higher than some competing models but not so high that a beginner will find themselves cranking the handle more than they have to or losing power on retrieval. Cork on the handle makes it easy to keep at it for an extended period.

9. Shimano Tranx

It’s becoming more and more common to see anglers using baitcasters on saltwater, which used to be a no-go because of how tiresome it was to take apart a caster to get all the salt off it after a fishing trip.

Spinning reels have often been the rule, but that’s changing now. The Shimano Tranx is one of the best saltwater baitcasting reels because it’s built with water-resistant technology and cross carbon drag that can pull in feistier saltwater fish.

The pinion on this reel is supported by ball bearings to reduce friction and give the angler more cranking power. The gears should also last longer since they don't connect like they would on other reels.

Shimano has also done a lot of work on the interior of this reel. The gears, frame, and both side plates have been designed to prevent flex in the gear train, adding more power in tandem with the drag. The gears are larger, and the frame is all a single frame.

The bearings in this reel are all double-shielded to operate more smoothly and prevent debris from entering as easily and gumming up the works. The drag offers more resistance than most of the competition. Some may balk at the price tag, but this Shimano baitcasting reel is a perfect example of what you can get if you invest a bit more.

10. Okuma Komodo SS

This baitcaster reel ticks all the boxes. From useful features that are frequently left out on competing models like the bait clicker to performance aspects like the very high max drag, anglers can get a whole lot out of this model.

The construction of the reel was designed to be durable and last a long time. You can tell from the machined aluminum frame and sideplates and the stainless steel main and pinion gears that the most important parts of the reel were well-considered in the Okuma drawing room.

Seven ball bearings and one anti-reverse one help to make the reeling action on the Komodo SS really smooth. But the main goal with this reel seems to be to get all the strength and stopping power they possibly can into the design.

It was designed for saltwater, but all the power in the drag can be used in freshwater as well. What they call a Velocity Cast Control System is pretty much just a standard brake system that controls the speed of the spool when it's free, but it does a great job of that.

Overall for power, castability, versatility, and performance in general, this reel is sure to please anglers with intermediate to professional levels of experience in all kinds of different locales with just about any target fish they can think of.

Comparing Baitcaster vs. Spinning Reels

Many anglers are skittish about entering the baitcasting world, but there are tons of advantages. For one thing, baitcasters can handle heavier line. The braking system helps them cast out further, and the drag systems are generally more potent than spinning reels. Most freshwater applications call for a baitcaster before a spinning reel.

Spinning reels are more comfortable to use at first, and they can cast light lures a reasonable distance. They are also easier to clean, making them better for catching smaller fish in saltwater. Baitcasters are better for all-around fishing and scenarios where you'll be casting out many times.

Choosing the Right Gear Ratio for a Baitcaster Reel

Baitcasting Reel Sizing Guide

For the majority of anglers, the slick low-profile baitcasting reels are perfect. They perform great on mid-sized bass and walleye. Smaller reels around the 300 size are typically used for catfishing. Larger reels have more drag and hold more line, making them better for larger targets.

Match the size of the reel with the size of your target fish. If you want to throw out some big bait on a heavy line in open water, get a large reel. For finesse jigging, try a smaller one. For most fishing trips, those mid-size reels are going to be the sweet spot.

How to Use a Baitcaster Reel

Don’t panic! It’s not so complicated. If you want to know how to cast a baitcaster reel, follow these steps. Here’s what you should do to get the line on the reel:

It's a good idea to bring some backup spools or reels with a line already on them so you can keep fishing in the event of a line break.

People Also Ask (FAQs)

Are there any special care and maintenance steps for baitcasting reels?

Cleaning a fishing reel is the best thing you can do to keep it in working order. All the moving parts of a baitcaster will need small amounts of oil to prevent damage from friction. Using alcohol to wipe away grime and salt after a fishing trip will go a long way keeping the reel working the way you want it to. You can store a baitcaster with the line still in by tying off the line to a small object and keeping it in a dry place.

What are the best baitcaster brands?

What should I do to prevent backlash when throwing a baitcasting reel?

When you first start, you need to feather the line for the duration of the cast. Eventually, you won't need to, but in the beginning, it will help keep the line under control. It's also imperative to learn about using a braking system and the spool tension dial. When that spool is in free motion, the line is going to want to explode off of it and go every which way. Using the features of your baitcasting reel the right way is the best way to stop backlash.

How do left handed baitcasting reels differ from right handed?

The handle is on the other side of the reel. Don’t think that anglers only choose left- or right-handed reels based on their own dominant hand. Some got used to casting with their right hand and reeling with their left to avoid moving the rod from hand to hand. Others do prefer to switch hands.

What is the best line for my baitcasting reel?

It depends on what kind of fishing you're going to do. Braided line with a mono backing is probably the best bet for all-purpose angling. It's thin enough to escape a fish's notice, and it won't gum up the baitcaster with a backing in place.

How do I put fishing line on a baitcasting reel?

At the risk of repeating ourselves, it's a straightforward process. Basically, you just need to crank your reel backward to bring the line onto it after you've tied the end of the new line around your spool. You'll have to repeat this process if you're going to use a mono backing. Remember not to fill the reel all the way to its edges!

Should I use mono or braided line on my baitcaster?

Braided line is always getting better. It's stronger and lighter. Long ago, the consensus was that braided line would mess up a baitcaster or slip off the spool, but if you use about 10 feet of mono backing, you can avoid that problem entirely. Of course, there's nothing wrong with using just mono, but a braided line has lots of advantages in our opinion.

Where can I buy these baitcasting reels and baitcaster reel parts?

Thanks to the wealth of anglers sharing their knowledge and reviewing reels on the internet, it's really easy to pick up these reels on Amazon. You can usually get a good deal fairly regularly, and there's nothing simpler than getting the reel delivered straight to your door.

Conclusion