Spinning reel
Also called open-face reel, spinning gear
The reel that hangs below the rod with an open spool and a wire bail. The most common and most forgiving freshwater reel.
A spinning reel does not turn its spool to release line. The spool stays still and the line peels off the front of it in coils, so the reel can throw a very light bait without the weight of the lure having to overcome anything. You open the bail, hold the line against the rod with your index finger, cast, and let go.
That design is why it dominates freshwater. There is no way to backlash it, light lures cast fine, and a beginner is fishing properly within about ten minutes. The cost is line twist, since every turn of the handle puts a twist into the line, and a spool that will throw coils if you overfill it or crank against the drag while a fish is running.
Sizes run from 500 up to about 6000. A 2500 on a medium rod with 8 pound line covers almost everything a freshwater angler does.
If you are buying a reel and do not know anything else about the setup, buy a 2500 size spinning reel. It is the safest guess in fishing.
Common questions
What size spinning reel is best for freshwater?
A 2500 covers most freshwater fishing. Drop to a 1000 or 2000 for panfish and trout on ultralight gear, and go to 3000 or 4000 for catfish, pike and heavier line.
Related terms
Where this comes up
The guides that use spinning reel and show it on real gear.
Spinning reel is one of 206 terms in the glossary.
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