We continue our series of articles on Freshwater Fishing Tackle with part two, “The Spinning Reel.” With this series we are hoping to remove the fear of buying fishing tackle from the beginning fisherman.

We will address a wide range of fishing tackle from reels, rods, lures, baits, jigs, lines, and knives. It is hoped by the end of the series you can go online and buy the right gear and within budget.

We commenced our review on freshwater fishing reels with the spincast reel, the best reel for novices and the casual fisherman. This review will cover the spinning reel, and will continue with the baitcast reel and finally an article on the fly fishing reel.

Spinning reels come in many varieties and are utilized by youngsters, occasional hobbyist and enthusiastic fishermen alike. When it comes to fishing reels, the spinning reel is the most well-known and best-selling. It is mainly used for light-line fishing and rules in terms of performance and simplicity of use.

The spinning reel is perfect for landing just about any fish out there; whether it is racing rivers, local creeks, mountain lakes or your favorite hidden pond. You can catch small pond fish such as bluegills, catfish, trout and bass; it doesn’t matter, if you have strong enough line your spinning reel will land the fish.

The spinning reel has a very recognizable look with the large wire bale around the open-faced line spool and a line roller to help control the line as you retrieve it. The reel handle or “crank” can have either one or two knobs, both work equally well at preventing line friction as you retrieve it, with little or no snarling. This type of reel is mounted on the underside of the rod.

There are few negatives to the spinning reel. It is only limited by the thickness of your fishing line, when compared to the baitcast reel it holds less line. This means you will need to use a smaller, lighter line to guarantee you have enough line to get to the point you want. The lighter the line the smaller fish you can land. The spinning reel is also not as accurate at casting as the baitcast reel

A good example of this type of reel is the Daiwa Opus Spinning Reel. Priced at under $38 it is an affordable choice for general-duty fishing, well-equipped and geared for extra power.

Look for our review of the baitcast reel in the next article in the continuing series “Freshwater Fishing Gear Beginners Guide.