Spinning Reels

Spinning reels come in a variety of sizes and styles, each designed for specific fishing techniques and target species. Before going out and grabbing the best fishing reel off the shelf, it's important to make a few considerations to help guide your purchase, this will help you catch more fish in the long run. For a comprehensive look at which spinning reel might best meet your needs, check out this spinning reel buyers guide.

Choose a spinning reel that suits your target species. For smaller fish that require a lighter fishing approach, spinning reels in the 1000-4000 size range are an ideal choice. Successfully chasing bream, bass, trout and whiting requires light rods, leaders and line, and your spinning reel plays a major role in casting this finesse gear and landing fish on downsized tackle. On the flip side, fishing for snapper, kingfish and mulloway will need a larger spinning reel that can hold more line, has a quicker retrieve ratio and heavier drag pressure. This reel could range from anywhere between a size 5000 to 25000. As a general rule, when your target species increases in size so should your fishing gear, including your spinning reel.

Most spinning reels have a line capacity measurement printed on the spool, indicating how much line (and what type) will fit onto the reel. Use this to guide your line purchase, or head into your local BCF and speak to one of the experts.

Spooling monofilament lines: Feed the line through the guides of your spinning rod and onto the spool. Flick up your bail arm and let the line roll under your line roller bearing. Tie your line onto the spool and cut the tag end right down to the knot. With someone holding your spool under medium tension (usually performed with a pencil through the spool), begin winding the line firmly onto the reel.

Spooling braided lines: Most spinning reels will require monofilament backing spooled onto the reel before adding your braided line. Backing is important for two reasons:

1. Backing fills the spool and maximises casting distance with braid. In many cases, using braid without backing will result in an under spooled reel.
2. Monofilament line 'grips' onto the spool and prevents the braid from slipping when the drag is engaged.

Using the line capacity measurement on the spool, add the correct amount of monofilament backing onto the spool using the same steps as above. Once the backing is spooled, connect your braid to the backing using a leader knot, trim the tags and wind the braid onto your spool under medium tension.

If spooling up your favourite reel seems like a daunting task, don't stress! Take it into your local BCF and speak to one of the friendly experts for the best fishing line advice and recommendations. Line spooling is also a service offered in all BCF stores, and is free with the purchase of any rod, combo or packaged line. For further details on in-store spooling, click here.

Keeping your spinning reel in tip top shape will help you catch fish for years on end. As with most fishing gear, it's important to give your spinning reel some TLC after every session.

1. Tighten the drag and rinse the reel using freshwater on a gentle hose setting. This will help remove any saltwater, sand, or dirt that's on the body of the reel.
2. Gently wipe down the spinning reel using a clean cloth or rag, looking for any excess sand or dirt that's still on the reel.
3. Apply a small amount of non-corrosive lubricant or reel oil to all moving parts. Loosen the drag, wipe away any excess and keep it stored somewhere out of the sun ready for your next session on the water.

As new spinning reels are introduced each and every year, the benchmark in quality and innovation is only getting higher. There's now a number of several quality reel brands in Australia, each aspiring to bring you the very best spinning reels to help you land more fish.

• Shimano Spinning Reels: Highly regarded as one of the best fishing brands around the world, Shimano leave nothing on the table when it comes to their spinning reels. Japanese inspired, the Shimano reel range covers everything from finesse spinning reels right through to heavy offshore models.
• Daiwa Spinning Reels: If you're looking for a reel marked with quality, precision, and high performance, it's hard to go past a Daiwa spinning reel. Another market leader in the reel industry, Daiwa reels are used by some of the best fishos around the country!
• PENN Spinning Reels: Founded in the States in 1932, PENN spinning reels are as tough as they come! A go-to reel choice by the most serious offshore fishos around Australia, PENN reels won't let you down in the heat of battle.