Salt Water Fishing

Choosing The Right Salt Water Reel

Finding a reel to go salt water fishing starts with three basic considerations: your experience, your preferred way of fishing and the type of fish you're after. You then have a choice of several styles of reels to get the job done.

How to Buy Salt Water Reels

Types

There are basically two types of reels to consider, each with advantages to weigh: baitcasting and spinning.

• Conventional reels
  • Baitcasting reels are typically preferred by more experienced anglers, especially when using heavier lures and lines designed for bigger fish
  • The reel works with the weight of the bait or lure as it pulls on the line and turns the spool to release more line. The heavier the lure, the longer the cast.
  • With practice, this style of reel also will allow you to cast more accurately
  • Many fishermen also prefer baitcasting for fighting bigger, stronger fish over an extended period, especially big game fish in salt water
  • The line retrieves directly on the spool making the baitcasting reel equal to the challenge
  • Baitcasting reels are offered in one-piece designs, which lessens the corrosive effects of salt water
  • Most baitcasting reels now incorporate a drag system designed to adjust the resistance--or drag--on the spool to control how much resistance is needed to pull the right amount of line off the spool
  • You can also select a baitcasting reel for your particular style of fishing
    • Offshore reels are designed to fight large fish from a boat
    • Trolling reels allow you to drag live bait or a lure as you troll in a boat
    • Jigging reels allow you to cast a lure near the bottom and then pull the lure in an up and down motions
    • Casting reels give you the benefit of precision casts
    • Bottom reels, as their name sounds, allow you to fish from stationary boats and go down deep
• Spinning reels
  • Spinning reels are open-faced
  • Your line is released from a stationary spool by flipping a bail wire, a piece of metal wire across the spool called a bail
  • This stationary spool keeps the line in place and helps prevent snarls and tangles
  • The weight of your lure or bait propels the line forward
  • Spinning reels can handle smaller baits but today's spinning reels are designed for light fishing to heavier fish
  • You also need to ensure that your reel is a left- or right-hand retrieve, or can be adapted for either hand
  • Spinning reels use an anti-reverse, a simple mechanism you set by letting go of the bail wire after casting. This keeps your line from spooling off once you get a strike from a fish.
  • In salt water spinning reels, you may prefer a skirted spool
  • The skirted spool increases line capacity, allows longer casts and reduces tangles
  • It also protects the reel's inside workings from the salt water and moisture

Materials/Construction

There are a number of options available in salt water fishing reels.

• Spools
  • The spool is the part of the reel that holds the line
  • It is a detachable component of the reel
  • Spools are made of either graphite or aluminum
  • Graphite spools are designed to be lighter than aluminum spools
  • Aluminum spools generally cost more and some consider aluminum to be more durable; it's worthwhile to pay for anodized or machined bronze aluminum to fend off the corrosive effects of salt water and moisture
  • Either material is designed to resist corrosion from the water
• Frames
  • The frame is what gives the reel its shape
  • Frames can also be either made of graphite or aluminum
  • Metal frames will keep the reel's components in alignment and improve performance.
• Line capacity
  • Line capacity is a key consideration in selecting a reel
  • Some reels can handle as much as 900 yards
  • The amount of line you'll need depends on your type of fishing
• Gear ratio
  • Gear ratio tells you how quickly a reel will retrieve line per revolution of your reel's crank
  • Lower ratios provide more power for bringing fish from deeper depths, while higher gear rations benefit when pulling fish from closer to the surface
• Ball bearings
  • Ball bearings are used to help reels work more smoothly by supporting the moving parts
  • Generally speaking, the more ball bearings, the smoother the reel works, especially under pressure
  • As more ball bearings are added to a reel, the cost goes up
• Level winds
  • A level wind makes it so that when you reel in your line it is distributed evenly over the spool
  • Level winds found on baitcasting reels will evenly guide the line back on to the spool after casting

How To Buy Combos

• If you are new to fishing, combos are a great way to start. Manufacturers match the right reel with the right rod.
• All you need to do is determine the type of fishing that you want to do and then find the combo that best suits your needs
• Like anything else, the more features in a combo, as well as the more quality components, the more you will pay. A good combo, though, can provide a lifetime of fun.

Choosing The Right Salt Water Rod

Finding a rod to go salt water fishing starts with three basic considerations: your experience, your preferred way of fishing and the type of fish you're after. You then have a choice of several styles of rods to get the job done.

How To Buy Salt Water Rods

Types

There are two main types of rods--casting and spinning. The type of rod you buy depends as much on the reel you buy as the type of fishing that you plan to do.

• Casting rods
  • Casting rods take a baitcasting/conventional reel
  • The reel and line are seated on top of the rod
  • A trigger grip, a grip that looks similar to a trigger on a gun, lets you hold the rod securely while releasing the thumb bar/line release
• Spinning rods
  • Spinning rods use a spinning reel
  • These rods have three main differences from casting rods:
    • The reel hangs from the bottom of the reel seat, and the line guides are on the bottom as well
    • The handle length is balanced against the rod's length
    • Triggers are not used on spinning rods

Length & weight

Length and weight depend on the type of fish that you want to catch and your fishing style. For casting situations, choose a longer rod for longer casts. For boat fishing the rod should be chosen to accommodate line weights that are appropriate for the fish you intend to catch.

• Bottom-fishing
  • Bottom-fishing rods run about 7 feet long and normally take 15 to 60-pound test line
  • These rods also usually take conventional reels
• Boat
  • Boat rods run about 7 - 8 feet long and they handle 50-130-pound test lines
  • These also usually are for baitcasting reels
• Surfcasting
  • Surfcasting rods come in lengths from 6 to 15 feet
  • The length you need depends on how far you want to cast and what weight of lure you may be casting
  • A 10-foot surfcasting rod will allow you to throw a 2- to 4-ounce lure 200 feet easily
  • These rods work mainly with spinning reels

Action

• Action basically describes the way a rod is designed to perform when casting or reeling in a fish
• It also relates to the lure or bait you need and the strength of the reel that should be used
• The smaller the fish, the lighter the action that you'll need; the heavier the fish, the heavier the action that you should buy
• Most manufacturers use terms such as ultra-light, light, medium-heavy or heavy

Lure/Line weight

• Lure and line weight also play into rod selection. The heavier these are, the longer and heavier the pole that you should buy.

Materials/Construction

Most rods today are made from either graphite or fiberglass, or a composition of these two materials.

• Graphite
  • Graphite has been refined over the years to provide lighter, more flexible rods that give you "sensitivity," a big plus in feeling when a fish begins to nibble on your bait
• Fiberglass
  • Fiberglass provides more durability than graphite but sacrifices some sensitivity and is heavier than graphite
• Composites
  • Composites give you the best of both graphite and fiberglass-- the durability of fiberglass combined with the lightweight, power and sensitivity of graphite

Grips

• Pistol grip
  • A pistol grip is the shortest type of grip
  • It is contoured to the shape of your hand with a hook for your index finger
  • This hook helps in casting more accurately
• Triggerstick
  • A longer triggerstick is used for two-handed, longer casts
• Materials
  • Materials come in two general styles - cork or EVA foam
    • Cork is a traditional material that has a good feel and solid grip
    • EVA foam offers more durability because it is more resistant to temperature changes and water wear

Guides

• Line guides can be made of plastic, metal or ceramic, listed from least to best quality. These circles are positioned close to the rod's shaft to control fishing line.
• In casting rods, line guides are positioned along the top of the rod. They are smaller to reduce the play in the line and allow for easier casting and quicker retrieve.
• Spinning rods place the line guides along the rod's bottom. These guides get larger toward the base of the rod.
• The number of line guides is determined by the rod's length as well as by the quality of the rod

How to buy combos

• If you are new to fishing, combos are a great way to start. Manufacturers match the right reel with the right rod.
• All you need to do is determine the type of fishing that you want to do and then find the combo that best suits your needs
• Like anything else, the more features in a combo, as well as the more quality components, the more you will pay. A good combo, though, can provide a lifetime of fun.