Types of Fishing Reels: Pros, Cons and a 30-Second Reel Picker

There are four main types of fishing reels: spincast, spinning, baitcasting and fly. Each one releases and controls line in a different way, so the right choice depends on the fish you want, the lures or bait you use and how much practice you want to put into casting.

Below you will find what each type is for, a comparison table, the quick way to choose, and how we keep a reel working on the Caribbean coast, where salt and sand are the real enemies.

Which type of fishing reel do you need? 30-second picker

Three questions, one answer: the reel type, the size and the line to start with. The ranges come from Take Me Fishing, Pinfishing and our own saltwater setup.

Types of fishing reels at a glance

Take Me Fishing, the U.S. recreational fishing foundation, groups reels into four main types; surf and trolling reels are variations built for one job. This table puts them side by side.

Type	How it works	Best for	Learning curve	Salt water
Spincast	Closed face with a push button; line leaves through a hole in the nose cone.	Kids, first casts, ponds and small fish	Easiest	Basic drag and short casts; rinse inside the cover after salt water
Spinning	Open face with a bail; the spool stays still and hangs under the rod.	Almost everything: light lures, bait, inshore and shore fishing	Easy	Large sealed models are a standard for the coast and the surf
Baitcasting	Sits on top of the rod; the spool turns during the cast and your thumb controls it.	Heavier lures, accurate casts, bass in cover	Needs practice	Popular in salt water too, once you control backlash
Fly	Stores fly line and backing; you strip line by hand before casting.	Trout streams, rivers and saltwater flats	Casting is the skill	Saltwater models need sealed drags for fast fish
Conventional / trolling	A large revolving-spool reel built for heavy line and big fish.	Offshore trolling, bottom fishing, big game	Moderate	The reel on the charter boats that chase billfish

The main types of fishing reels and their uses

Spincast reels

The line sits under a closed cover. You press and hold a button, swing the rod and release the button to cast. Everything is enclosed, so tangles are rare and the reel is cheap and simple: a good start for children and occasional anglers. The trade-off is shorter, less accurate casts and a basic drag (Ontario learn-to-fish guide).

• Best for: kids, first casts, ponds and small fish close to shore.
• Pros: cheapest and simplest, very few tangles.
• Cons: short, less accurate casts, small line capacity and a basic drag.
• Salt water: not its strength; sand and salt get under the cover, so rinse inside it.

Spinning reels

The most popular reel. It hangs below the rod, and you open a wire bail, hold the line with a finger and release it as you cast; the spool does not turn, so light lures and bait cast easily. Small models suit trout; large ones are a standard for salt water and the surf because they cast a long way (Take Me Fishing). It is also the reel we use: one coastal spinning outfit for both the shore and the boat.

• Best for: almost everything: light lures, live bait, lakes, piers, rocks and inshore boats.
• Pros: easy to learn, handles light lures, sizes from tiny to offshore, handle on either side.
• Cons: line twist if you reel while the drag slips; less comfortable with very heavy lures.
• Salt water: the standard choice from the shore; pick a sealed or saltwater-rated model.

Baitcasting reels

A baitcaster sits on top of the rod and its spool turns during the cast, while your thumb controls it. That gives precise, low casts and more control with heavy lures and thick line, which is why many bass anglers prefer it. The price is practice: if the spool spins faster than the line leaves, you get a backlash, and the brakes need adjusting when you change lure weight.

• Best for: heavier lures, accurate casts, bass in cover, inshore species.
• Pros: precision, control and cranking power with thick line.
• Cons: backlash while you learn, harder with light lures, handle usually fixed to one side.
• Salt water: widely used inshore once you master the thumb and brakes.

Fly reels

Fly reels are different from the rest: you strip line off by hand before the cast, and the weight of the fly line, timed with the rod, carries a nearly weightless fly. The reel stores line and backing and gives drag when a fish runs. Saltwater fly reels need strong, sealed drags.

• Best for: trout and bass on the fly, saltwater flats.
• Pros: simple and long-lasting; the drag only works when a fish runs.
• Cons: needs a fly rod and line and a casting technique of its own.
• Salt water: choose sealed drags for bonefish and other fast fish.

Conventional and trolling reels

These are big revolving-spool reels for heavy line, deep bottom fishing and trolling behind a boat. Off La Guaira, in Venezuela, the charter boats that chase blue marlin, white marlin and sailfish fish this kind of tackle; Marlin Magazine describes a crew practicing with 20- and 30-pound outfits for a local tournament. Surf reels, finally, are large spinning or conventional reels with long spools and extra protection against sand and spray.

• Best for: offshore trolling, deep bottom fishing and big game.
• Pros: huge line capacity, strong frames and powerful drags.
• Cons: heavy and poor for repeated casting.
• Salt water: built for it; star and lever drags are standard on charter boats.

Other types: electric, centerpin, underspin and surf

• Electric reels: conventional reels with a motor that retrieves line, for deep dropping and very deep water; they need battery power and cost more (J&H Tackle).
• Centerpin reels: free-turning spools for drifting a float down rivers for steelhead, salmon and trout; they take practice (Pinfishing).
• Underspin (trigger spincast) reels: spincast reels that hang under a spinning rod and release line with a trigger instead of a top button.
• Surf reels: large spinning or conventional reels with long spools and extra corrosion protection for long casts from the beach.

Spinning vs. baitcasting vs. spincast

• Easiest: spincast. Press, cast, release. Fine for small fish and first days.
• Most versatile: spinning. Light lures, bait, fresh and salt water; little risk of backlash.
• Most control with heavy lures: baitcasting. Accurate in cover, more line and lure weight, but a learning curve.

The rod has to match: a spinning reel goes on a spinning rod with large guides underneath, a baitcaster on a casting rod with guides on top. Our guide to the parts of a fishing rod shows why.

Which type of fishing reel should you choose?

• Kids and first-timers: spincast, or a small spinning reel for older kids.
• Most adult beginners: a spinning reel. It covers lakes, rivers, piers and the coast.
• Rocks, jetties and the shore in salt water: a spinning reel loaded with 15–40 lb monofilament or medium braid. That is our setup on the Caribbean coast, where we fish mostly from rocks and rocky piers.
• Heavy lures and cover: add a baitcaster once you are comfortable casting.
• Offshore trolling or deep bottom fishing: a conventional reel, usually supplied by the charter boat.
• Fly fishing: a fly reel matched to the line weight of your rod.

Then check the size. Reels list their spool capacity for one line, such as 230/6 lb, meaning 230 yards of 6-pound monofilament; heavier line is thicker, so less of it fits (Take Me Fishing). The most common beginner problem we see with any reel is a tangled line: do not cast with all your strength, and if a knot forms, pick it apart slowly with something pointed.

Our picks by type of fishing reel

One reel per job, chosen from the specifications and the type of fishing it is built for, not from a lab test. If you fish salt water from the shore like we do, start with the first one.

Saltwater care: keep your reel turning

Salt and sand ruin reels faster than fish do. After every trip we wash the gear with fresh water, and manufacturers add a few details worth following:

• Tighten the drag before rinsing so water does not get into the drag washers, then loosen it before storing the reel (Daiwa).
• Rinse with a light spray or mist, not a jet, and never with high pressure, which pushes salt and grit inside (Texas Parks and Wildlife).
• Do not dunk the reel. If it falls into salt water, rinse it and have it serviced; on a spincast, also rinse inside the cover.
• Keep it off the sand. Cradle the outfit instead of laying it on the beach, and let it air-dry out of the sun before you store it.

The rod needs the same routine; we explain it in the saltwater care section of our rod guide, together with a few places to fish the Caribbean coast of Venezuela.

Types of fishing reels: frequently asked questions

Sources

• Take Me Fishing: A Brief Guide to Fishing Reels (four main types; spinning for salt water and surf).
• Take Me Fishing: How to Choose a Fishing Reel (types, sizes and spool capacity).
• Take Me Fishing: How to Cast (casting spinning and baitcasting reels).
• Government of Ontario: Learn to Fish guide (spinning, spincasting, baitcasting and fly for beginners).
• Daiwa: General reel maintenance (manufacturer; rinsing and drag after salt water).
• Texas Parks and Wildlife: Fishing gear maintenance and repair (angler education; saltwater cleaning).
• Marlin Magazine: Red-Hot Bite off La Guaira (billfish tackle off Venezuela).
• Pinfishing: Types of Fishing Reels (reel sizes and line ranges by type; centerpin reels).
• J&H Tackle: Types of Fishing Reels, Pros & Cons (electric reels).