What Size Reel Should I Use For Bass Fishing?
In order to catch bass, you need use a fishing reel of a certain size.
Has it been just a few weeks since you advanced from bluegill and channel catfish to largemouth bass? If that’s the case, you’re undoubtedly concerned about your reel. After all, the size and style of your reel have a significant impact on the kind of fish you can catch.
Despite the fact that both smallmouth and largemouth bass are strong fighters, many smaller reels are incapable of handling the big monsters. You should not, however, believe that you can just go out and buy the most powerful reel available.
Bash fishing is one of the most difficult kinds of fishing in the United States, and if you want to get the most out of the experience, you’ll want to invest in the best bass fishing reel money can buy. The next sections will teach you all you need to know about choosing the correct reel for Bass fishing.
Choosing the Appropriate Reel Size
To begin, you’ll need to choose the sort of reel that you’ll be utilizing before deciding on the size of reel that you’ll use. To begin with, I’m going to direct your attention away from your father’s Zebco 33, which you used to capture less feisty species while growing up. It’s not going to work here.
It’s unlikely that spincast reels will work well if you’re attempting to catch anything that weights more than a few pounds. They just do not generate enough drag to be able to manage it.
Spinning reels and baitcasting reels, on the other hand, are excellent choices for this kind of fishing. Allow me to inform you about each kind and how each type may assist you in your fishing endeavors.
What Size Reel Should I Use For Bass Fishing?
Spinning Reels are a kind of reel that spins back and forth.
Those spinning reels that your grandfather referred to as “open-face” reels when you were a child are what you are talking about now.
Their modest weight and tiny size make them ideal for tossing soft plastic bait and smaller lures. Even though they are not designed to handle heavier lures, the only reel that is capable of throwing lightweight lures more effectively is a fly reel.
The size of the lure you’ll want to use for bass fishing will be discussed further down. For the time being, all you need to know is that they work best with lighter lures and are capable of bringing in monster bass if you choose the correct size.
Baitcaster Reels are reels that are used to cast bait.
Baitcaster reels have the appearance of something you’d see in a science fiction film. The devices are exquisitely built and highly powerful, but they are sleek and unassuming. They are, on the other hand, more difficult to operate than your standard spinning reel.
These are excellent for throwing heavy lures long distances, and they are unrivaled when it comes to fishing in ponds with a lot of moss and other impediments to contend with. Because they are so powerful, they will just tear your lure straight through all of the muck and muck you will have to battle with.
What size fishing reel should you use for bass fishing is a personal preference.
So, now that you know what sort of reel to use, you only need to figure out what size reel to use as well. That all depends on the sort of bass you’re looking for, and we’ll go over the specifics of that in more depth in the next parts of this guide.
If you just want the quick answer, you’ll be pleased to hear that if you’re looking for a general-purpose reel, you’ll want to look for something in the center of the broad variety of reels that are available.
Using a reel that is too light can result in a very difficult battle, and you may even burn out one or two reels in the process. Using a strong reel will result in you slapping big bass all over the bottom of your boat or all over the side of a bank. It will seem as if you are skipping rocks at times, but it is just not a difficult task.
Size of a Spinning Reel for Bass
The weight of the lures you use to capture bass on spinning gear must be balanced against their size in relation to the size of bass that you are attempting to catch while fishing for bass on spinning gear.
If you’re going to target smaller bass with lightweight lures, you’ll want to keep your spinning reels in the 1000 to 2000 pound range. Those reels will enable you to cast lightweight line and lures over long distances with ease, and they will readily pull in smaller bass as well.
They will suffer, though, if you hook one of those 15-pound monsters that most fisherman are after.
If you’re after trophy-sized bass, you’ll want to stay with reels that are in the 3000 to 5000 dollar bracket. Don’t even think about going any farther. The majority of reels larger than size 5000 are intended for far more demanding applications.
It will be much easier to reel in those half-ounce spoons and swimbaits with a heavier spinning reel, and you will be able to reel in many larger bass with it. If you want to have a reliable all-purpose reel, you should look for one with the number 2500 written on the outside.
When it comes to spinning reels, that’s the middle of the road, and it’ll provide you with the most alternatives. When using a 2500, you can dependably throw the vast majority of lures, and it won’t burn out even when a monster bass bites your line.
How Big Should a Baitcaster Reel Be for Bass?
If you want me to tell you the truth, you don’t need a very strong baitcaster to get the job done. For dedicated fishers, a big baitcaster will skip nice bass over a pond like they’re smooth pebbles, which is just not enjoyable.
Baitcasters are far stronger than spinning reels, and for recreational bass fishing, I suggest staying in the 100 to 200 pound range. That’s more than enough power, and reels in that price range aren’t too hefty either.
If you decide on a round baitcaster, seek for reels with the numbers 1000 or 2000 stamped on them. They’re about the same size as low-profile baitcasters with the numbers 100 and 200 on them.
A 300 or 3000 reel will enough if you want to throw really heavy swimbaits, depending on whether you go for a low-profile design or a spherical one.
When utilizing these bigger baitcasters, the advantage is that you may use the same reel for fishing for catfish and muskie of modest size. The 300-series reels aren’t going to help you catch 50-pound flatheads on your next fishing excursion, but they are excellent if you prefer to swap up your targets in the midst of a fishing session.
Concluding Remarks
The sort of fishing you want to perform will influence your decision on the appropriate size of reel. We hope we were able to demonstrate this in our guide.
If you need a fast refresher, you’ll want to use smaller reels for throwing light lures and capturing smaller bass, and larger reels for larger fish. If you want to go for the large fish with massive swimbaits, you should go for something a little heavier.
Additionally, you should think about the sort of task you would want to take on. If you’re feeling extra daring, you could try using a lighter reel and line to reel in trophy-sized fish to test your mettle. It’s an exciting task, and you’ll lose a lot of fish in the process, but each capture will be tenfold more fulfilling.
