Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Level Wind Fishing Reels

Spinning reels suck when you have to let the lead roll on the bottom to get a bite. And they suck even worse when free lining a live bait. Spinners work great for anything that you don't have to free spool line to get a bite.

If you're close to Sprit Lake, Iowa, the Fisher Man's Factory Outlet has rebuilt reels for as little as five dollars. I have one with a button to release line.

I can't fish with anything but a baitcaster.
Lexa.
Shimano Curado.
Lews.

The drag, the accuracy, the control.

All the magnetic brake baitcaster reals suck imo. They’re easier to cast but the distance always suffers. I cast old 4600cb Garcias with the standard friction brakes removed and a single lighter brake installed. I’m fishing in front of the guy in the bow from the stern . If you can’t handle a baitcaster then a spinning reel is the way to go. I use both. Plugs and heavier lures are all baitcaster and light jigs and lures are spinning. I would dump all baitcasters if the spinning reels didn’t twist the line up into knots.

The distance casters use conventional reels without the levelwind, in the smaller sizes like 15s and 30s. I have a couple Penn Fathoms in the 15 size, one with adjustable magnet and the other with internal magnetic braking that is not adjustable on the outside. I'm not that good, and can throw a 6 oz weight over 100 yards easily. With my Lews light setup I can't get near the distance I can with a spinning reel, using the same light lure. Simpler to teach the ladies to not crank while a fish is pulling drag, or line is not coming in.
Baitcasters are great for trolling, and heavier lures. I can't make them work with real light lures and lines.

Shimano makes good casting reels. They're not cheap however. The mid priced ones like a Curado are $200+ but good quality. Daiwa also makes good reels. But it takes some practice to cast well with a casting reel. Definitely more difficult to master than a spinning reel.

Garcia C4 reels. casting musky bucktails, jerk baits, stick baits, rubber baits. Power Pro 65# braid. Only time I'll lash one is not paying attention. Power Pro is fairly painless to un-backlash.

C4 has a good reliable drag too.

Grew up on bait casters, although not best quality models. If it is certain that she will use rolling spool instead of a spinning reel, I would say two things:

if using a magnetic anti-backlash brake and level wind moves on cast, get it adjusted/set as explained by someone above and carefully control the fluidity (movement) of the rod after cast starts - avoid tip whip.

if using a bait caster with level wind only on return (my pref), learn to use slight thumb pressure on spool once cast is underway.

Not much, but what I have learned.

What am I missing. My spinners free spool with a click of the anti reverse button.

Level winds for trolling/mooching, spinners for fishin..

Not nearly as intuitive as pushing the thumb button. Plus you can’t use your thumb as a brake to keep the line tight but still paying out as the fish runs. You also have instant engagement of the anti reverse by making 1/8 of a revolution with the handle.

The only thing I use spinning rigs for is jigs for crappie and spinners for trout, both too small to be effectively cast with a baitcaster.

For bass fishing the pinpoint casting accuracy of the baitcaster is a necessity for fishing in the brush and junk, same goes for pike and I presume musky fishing.

My catfish rods all wear saltwater levelwinds from Penn and Daiwa. I can cast the same setup half again as far as a spinning setup user. Generally the drags are superior as well. I have been thinking I might grab a couple Avet conventionals for catfishing, I know from saltwater experience they are excellent reels.

I don’t have a specific model to recommend. Most low profile casting reels come with mag setups and are pretty easy to use. I do know that the mid to low level Abu, Lews, and 13 Fishing reels are junk. If she’s going to use it and you want it to last buy Shimano.

Thanks for the information.

But this 67 year old has invested enough time trying to cast the Lews. It ain't happening. I will just stick to my spinners. It sounds like most turn to spinners when they fish as I do anyway.

The only time I ever had on more than a 1/4 oz lure was sportfishing off the Oregon Coast. The boat supplied us with spinning gear with 30 lb mono.

Another vote for Shimano Calcutta. If not, try one of these:

If money is no obstacle get a Lews Tournament Pro.

Someone mentioned controlling the cast once you get it started/no tip whip and that is a good tip. Another thing that is important for me personally is to rotate the wrist during the cast so that the spool of the reel is stacked vertically and not running horizontally. If I hold the reel level and take it back and try to cast forward with the spool being basically level across I can promise you a backlash that would make any anarchist proud of his work. However, holding the reel with the spool up and down vertically orientated is trouble free 99.98% of the time.

Sharks ,sail fish and tarpon as well.

I have a garcia ambasadeur winch. It has the magnetic brake adjustment on it. It works really well. Shimano makes some awesome reels. Around here Lee's are almost impossible to find.

Modern baitcasters work very well, 3/8s oz baits and larger, Gimme a bait caster every time,

Avoid the bottom level models and you’l do fine,

Love my Daiwa Tatulas, and Shimano makes very good reels also. Lews is also very popular.

Tackle warehouse currently has a 15% off sale.

Calcutta have a very smooth drag, but they're slow on the retrieve.
I've caught a ton of big fish on them.
I was a lot happier with a Chronarch when I burned up the drag on the Calcutta.
Since then, I've had Multiple different reels and all were 7:1 retrieve which is a true bonus.

Learned to cast with a Pfluger back in the mid ‘50s. 20# Dacron line, silver spoons, Creek Chub Darters and Jitterbugs. First bass I caught was 2.5# with a silver spoon at the age of 6…with a steel rod. Still have the reel, albeit on a fiberglass rod. Thumb friction makes it work.