10 Best Baitcasting Reels Reviewed

Heavier Lures and Lines

By nature, baitcasting lures are meant to cast heavier lures than spinning reels.  

1/8th ounce lures are about as light as I've ever heard being cast from a baitcaster.

The revolving spool requires a certain amount of weight to get it spinning.

Increased Power

The spool layout and gear design in baitcasting reels also have greater power and torque than spinning reels.The spool lies directly in line alongside the handle and gears.

Spinning reels by contrast have a 90 degree turn from the crank to the rotor.

Braking System

Most baitcasting reels come equipped with a braking system. These are usually centrifugal or magnetic. Some baitcasting reels have both.

Centrifugal braking systems use the spinning of the spool to push brakes against the spool raceway.

Magnetic brakes use small magnets. Some are on the side plate and others are on the spool.

You increase the braking force by turning a dial that moves the magnets on the side plate closer to the spool magnets.

Turn the dial in the opposite direction and the magnets move away from each other. This reduces braking action.

Reduced Line Twist

Baitcasting reels are also known as baitcasters or revolving spool reels.

There are a few key components in a baitcasting reel which are different from spinning reels.

Often times manufacturers may have additional features that only their reels have.

These can be anything from an oil port to a microchip for backlash control.

Here you'll find the basic types and functions of a baitcasting reel. If you learn the details below, you should be able to make an informed buying decision.

They type of fishing you're going after will also play a large role on your reel selection.

A very popular use for baitcasters is Largemouth Bass fishing.

You could say that the whole low profile baitcasting reel market was created for going after Largemouths.

Keep this in mind if you intend on using a baitcasting reel in saltwater. You'll need to pay close attention to maintenance after every use.

There are baitcasting reels designed for saltwater use. However, cleaning and corrosion prevention are still something you'll need to do.

Low-profile and Round Reels

​Baitcasting reels started out a round reels that had no brakes. Back in the day, you have to prevent brake the spool with your thumb.

Round reels are still made today. They now come with advanced braking systems. But using your thumb to slow down or stop a lure is still something you should learn.

With this mind, some of the advantages of round reels are as follows:

 Catfish anglers, salmon and saltwater anglers often opt for round reels. The extra line capacity can help deal with fish that make long runs. The all metal construction can also be a benefit in salty environments.

Low profile reels are a favorite with bass anglers. Here are some of the advantages of low profile reels:

Low profile baitcasting reels are extremely popular. They're usually made with graphite composite shells that help keep weight down.

Below, we'll look at some of the features that are common and what you should look for.

Gears

The gears in a baitcasting reel are commonly made out of brass. There are also reels with gears made out of duralumin.Duralumin is a lightweight alloy of aluminium and copper and other elements.

The distance between gear teeth can be a factor that impacts how smooth are reel operates. Shimano has introduced micromodule gears with very short distances between teeth. This leads to a smoother and more powerful feeling retrieve.

Spool Tension

The spool tension knob is usually found on the side of the reel where the cranking handle is.

Turned clockwise, it is tightened and places tension on the spool. Turned counter-clockwise, it releases tension on the spool.

So, as you can see, it works kind of like a screw.But why would you want to apply tension to the spool. Well spool tension works with the braking system to prevent backlash.

A backlash happens when the spool spins more quickly than the lure leaving the reel requires.

The result is that the line keeps leaving the spool and piling up. Unfortunately instead of going out with the lure, the line stays in the reel and creates a backlash.

Some reels come with a clicker in the spool tension knob. This helps you get a good feel for how much tension you're putting on.

You want to set your spool tension when you tie a lure on and are getting ready to cast.

Click the spool release bar and let the lure drop. Be careful with a spool that has too little tension on it as it may backlash just from the weight of the lure.

If the lure drops too quickly, you want to add more spool tension by tightening the knob. Do this by turning it clockwise.

If the lure does not drop at all, you have too much spool tension on. You want to release some of it by turning the spool counter-clockwise.

Ideally, you want to have the tension set so that the lure drops slowly to the ground.

Weight

While it may not be all that important if you're fishing for a short while, you may want to think about weight if you're going to fish for long periods of time.

Most low profile baitcasters will range anywhere from 5 to 10 ounces.  There may be some exceptions to this, but that is the general range for most freshwater and light inshore fishing.

Gear Ratio

The gear ratio measures how many times the spool revolves during one turn of the handle.

When you turn the handle on a baitcaster, you're turning a large gear. This large gear meshes with a smaller gear that is inline with the spool shaft.

When you turn the large handle gear once, the smaller shaft gear turns more than once. This ratio is what is known as the gear ratio.

Higher gear ratios mean that more line is retrieved in a shorter amount of time. Lower gear ratios are suitable for reeling bait in slowly, and they will produce more torque.

Conversely, higher gear ratios are all about speed. If you need to reduce slack and bring the line back quickly, you'll want to look for higher gear ratios.

A middle of the road gear ratio would be something like 5.5:1.  That means that the spool turns 5.5 times for every 1 handle turn.

On the low end you'll find reels with ratios in the 3.x to 1 range. On the high end, you'll find ratios as high as 8 to 1.

Brake System

Having an efficient brake system can drastically increase your ability to cast with precision. Brakes are especially useful when casting directly into the wind, as this causes the spool to spin faster than the bait.

The braking system on your reel will be key in preventing backlashes.

Reels usually come with a centrifugal or a magnetic braking system. Some reels come with both.

Centrifugal braking systems work by using the spinning of the spool to apply pressure on the raceway.

This means that as the spool accelerates, small blocks move outward. As they move they apply pressure on the inside of of the reel housing. This creates friction and helps prevent the spool from over spinning.

Anglers normally prefer centrifugal brakes to magnetic.  Many report that that they're more effective at preventing backlash.

However, magnetic brakes have improved and many anglers use them.

Digitally Controlled Brakes

The latest braking technology introduced by Shimano. It uses a digitally microchip to control the activation of the braking system. What's really great about this system is that it's powered by the spinning of the spool. So, no batteries are required.

It makes one thousand corrections per second so it can really make a difference. I've noticed longer casts with digitally controlled baitcasting reels. Most users report the same.

Centrifugal Brakes

These brakes are usually adjusted by opening the side plate on the reel. Once opened, there are often times 4 switches that you turn on or off.

You need to ensure that they're activated with the correct symmetry. This means that of you turn on the upper right switch, you should also turn on the lower left switch.

Magnetic brakes

Magnetic brakes work with magnets on the side plate and on the spool.

There is a dial on the side plate that you turn to increase or decrease the magnetic force. This force slows down the spool to prevent backlash.

The dial on the side plate has numbers on it. This helps you remember the correct setting for the lure you're using.

Reels that have both types of brakes are adjusted by combining both techniques mentioned above.

Spool Size / Line Capacity

The size of  a baitcaster's spool will determine how much line it can hold. But that's not all.

You see the larger a spool is, the heavier it will usually be. While manufacturers have lightened spools by drilling holes in them. All things being equal, a larger spool is a heavier spool.

So, if you're looking for a light tackle baitcasting reel, you'll want to consider this.

Lighter spools are much better for casting lighter baits. The reason for this is that you need more force to accelerate a heavier spool. This open results in the spool being late and also over spinning. 

The result?

A lure that travels a very short distance and at the same time causes a backlash.

Companies make reels specifically for casting light lures. These are often called BFS or Baitcasting Finesse Systems reels.

Bearings

The ball bearings in your baitcasting reel are there to help reduce friction on moving parts. This mainly pertains to the spool and handle.

Many anglers think that the more ball bearings your reel has the better. This is not necessarily the case. What really matters is the quality of the bearings. 

A common way bearings are rated is called ABEC. This stands for the Annular Bearing Engineering Committee. You can learn more about it here.

Most anglers won't want to go into such a deep study of bearing quality. Just keep in mind that cheap reels will most likely not have highly rated bearings in them.

Another important aspect is corrosion resistance. If water gets into your bearings, It may be difficult for it to get out. This can lead to corrosion. 

There are ceramic and stainless steel bearings on the market. These will greatly reduce the chance of corrosion.  There are also manufacturers that protect the inside of their bearings with shielding. However, it's still important to occasionally disassemble your reel clean and lubricate it.

What's A Flippin' Switch

Any enthusiastic bass fisherman is going to relate to this particular feature. They are particularly productive but not all of them are made in the same way.

The main purpose of a Flippin’ Switch on a baitcaster is to conveniently re-engage the reel’s spool.

Some of these devices are designed to be on throughout the entire time once they are actually triggered. However, there are other types which enable you to simply push down the thumb-bar and release the spool conveniently.

Big Game Saltwater Baitcasting Reels

So, you want to be fishing in heavy, saltwater conditions. Maybe you're going after mahi mahi, sailfish or grouper and you want something you can cast long distances with.

There is a distinctive difference between regular baitcasting reels and big game reels.

Big game casting reels are not designed for quick and repeated casting. They are commonly set with specific lures which are used for open water.

They're usually made of metal and can be heavy. These types of casting reels are often used for casting heavy saltwater jigs.

Some companies do make low profile baitcasters designed for saltwater. We will include at least one of these in our review.

Surely, these are far from being the only details to consider. Right-handed reels are usually the preferred and, hence, most common configuration.