Baitfeeder
Also called bait runner, free spool reel, live liner
What is a baitfeeder reel?
A spinning reel with a second, much lighter drag you can switch on, so line leaves the spool almost freely while the rod sits in a holder.
A lever or a dial at the back of the reel engages a separate drag stack set very light. With it on, a fish can pick up the bait and swim off against almost no resistance, which is exactly what you want when the rod is propped in a holder and you are not touching it.
Turning the handle instantly re-engages the main drag at whatever you set it to. So the sequence is: bait out, baitfeeder on, wait. When the line starts moving, pick the rod up, turn the handle, and you are fishing at full drag.
It solves a specific problem. Without it you either fish a tight drag, in which case a catfish feels resistance and drops the bait, or you leave the bail open, in which case a run turns into a bird's nest around the spool.
Catfish and carp anglers are the main users, and it turns up on European-market reels far more than on American ones.
Set the baitfeeder just heavy enough that wind and current do not pull line off. Too light and you come back to a spool half empty on the bank.
Where this comes up
The guides that use baitfeeder and show it on real gear.
Last reviewed . Baitfeeder is one of 222 terms in the fishing glossary.