Have you ever float fishing? I do, sometimes, and I enjoy the feeling of sitting to wait and watching the float bobbing on the surface of the water. And not long after that, I experienced the amazing and exciting feeling as it vanished in front of me and sank into the water. That is also the time to signal a fish in my hand.
As with any type of fishing, the performance of your fishing trip depends on your suit, reel included. Therefore, choosing the proper one is always difficult for most new anglers.
Perhaps the things that you should note about reels for float fishing is that there isn’t too much drag on the reels, allowing the spool to spin freely and letting the lure drift naturally on the water and high accuracy when you drop the float. The longer the drift, the larger the total amount of fish you will catch.
I will try to share the information I know to help you choose a suitable reel. You can refer to the article below.
What reel for float fishing?
A few decades ago, I asked my dad how many reels he could use for float fishing, and he told me, “damn, so many, I don’t even remember.”
Indeed, there are many, and choosing which reel is most suitable for floating fishing is also a challenge. You need to observe them and decide which reel can help you throw a float with super lightness and high accuracy.
A compact design, everything you set up on your float reel should be as light as possible. I will have an article that sums up the best reels for float.
2½lb, 3½lb, or 4½lb are the main lines that I usually use.
Open-Faced vs Closed Faced Reels
It is not difficult to distinguish between these two reels; you just need to understand that you can see the line from the outside for open-faced and not for closed-faced. In closed faced reel, you will press a button to allow the line to pass through a hole in the shell during casting.
If you don’t have much experience with float fishing, then closed-faced reels might be something you can choose. In turn, casting distance and accuracy will not be optimal on this type of reel.
Small vs Large Reel
When it comes to fishing reel size, the type of fishing and lure you use are all you need to consider to choose it. However, looking at that float bobbing in the middle of the water, you can also somewhat know what size to choose, definitely a small reel.
Casting distance isn’t your goal; it’s all about accuracy, the ability to throw something super light. For that reason, a compact setup, as light as possible, including a light float rod with a light float and light line, is your best bet.
Can I use a spinning reel for float fishing?
Fishing is definitely yes; you can use a spinning reel in float fishing. It is possibly the reel of most interest from float anglers. Why? Probably because it’s easy to use. However, you won’t be able to get maximum performance when using it in float fishing, there are many better reels for this type of fishing, and it’s not expensive, so why insist on a spinning reel?
Other things to keep in mind when buying a float reel
Besides the things I mentioned above, there are some issues you need to keep in mind when choosing to buy a float reel. You can look here for reference and form an ideal model.
- A Shallow Spool: You need to select a spool that allows the line to flow freely during the cast; otherwise, casting distance and accuracy will drop significantly.
- Capacity: a suitable capacity on the spool, ensuring enough current during fighting with the fish.
- Drag Control: You need to choose reels that allow light float casting.
- Fast Retrieve: You will have more time to do other things by minimizing retrieve time.
- Anti-twist technology: A good reel will minimize these annoying problems for you.
- Anti-Reverse: Not much is needed; having the standard anti-reverse feature is enough.
Conclusion
I’ve shared everything I know to help you navigate your way through choosing a reel for float fishing. Reading this far, do you already have your ideal type of reel in mind?
I hope this article is helpful to you. Do you have another idea?
Further reading:
- Other info about fishing in Fishingandhuntingsports
- Centerpin & Float Reels