I became a devotee of fly fishing about the same time I became a teenager. Then and now, I truly enjoy the proficiency necessary and the pleasure enjoyed from properly presenting just the right fly pattern to fool, then fight, a fish. I also learned early on that at certain times of the season, during specific weather and water conditions, many species of game fish won’t respond well, if at all, to a fly. And while it’s true that I’d prefer to hook and play fish on a fly rod, some action on a spinning or bait casting rod is always preferable to no action at all.

Take a quick inventory of Maine rod racks, hall closets and back porches, and it will soon become apparent that fly rods are approximately a 3 to 1 underdog. Youngsters, neophyte anglers, most bass casters and many salt water fishermen depend on bait or spin- cast outfits for their pleasure and success. Since rod length, weight and action are generally a matter of personal preference based on the size of the game fish quarry, the big question is what type of casting reel should you be using.

The selection of manufacturers, sizes, shapes and features of the three basic styles of reels: open faced spinning, closed face spinning and bait casting, can be mind boggling. Prices, which range from $15 to more than $500, must enter into consideration as well. Quality costs money and you get what you pay for with most fishing equipment, but there is a limit unless you’re on the pro circuit. Simplicity of operation, size and type of baits, lures and plugs to be cast, and distance of casts needed to be productive are also salient selection guidelines.

It’s important to face the fact that one casting reel just isn’t going to meet all the needs of a diverse angler. A reel appropriate for spring trolling won’t work for ocean casting to blue fish and stripers, and a reel perfect for throwing small bass lures or a bobber and worm combo on the local brook isn’t going to cut it as a bass reel for buzz baits and tube jigs. Start the selection process by determining what type of fishing the new reel will be most used for, and purchase accordingly. It will only take a couple of outings to determine how well the reel works for its intended purpose. Then when it’s time for a second casting reel for larger or smaller fish or a different style of fishing, you can just buy a heavier or lighter action model of the one you own and like, or change to a different design altogether.

Spinning reels

I’m partial to spinning reels for all of my lure, plug and bait casting trips, but also use these open face reels exclusively for my shallow trolling outings. I still have and use my very first spinning reel, a 40-something year-old Mitchell 300 workhorse that my Dad used and then gave me in my teens. About 20 years ago I bid on and got a Zebco 6040 at a Trout Unlimited banquet, and these two spinning reels are my choice for medium to heavyweight size trout and salmon.

Open face spinning reels are favored be many sports for casting light plugs and lures on light monofilament because the line flows off the spool with little resistance. Open face reels provide more distance and better accuracy with baits and lures in the 1/3to 1/4-ounce range or less. Reels with skirted spools prevent line from slipping under the spool and tangling, and those with an internal bail trip also lessen such problems.

The incorporation of aluminum, graphite and other high tech metal and synthetic combinations make modern spinning reels lighter, more durable and provide extra sensitivity to strikes and when playing a fish. Gear ratios range from 3.2 to 1 up to a blazing fast 6.1 to 1, which really gobbles up lines when retrieving certain lures or playing feisty fish. I suggest at least a 5 to 1 gear ratio.

Top quality bearings yield extra smoothness in reel operation as well as prolonged reel life, and are well worth the extra cost. Being able to convert a reel for left- or right-handed use is also a worthwhile feature. If the reel is to be used on various species, this often requires changing line strength, so models with a quick snap-out spool and an extra spool are a great advantage. Large, hard metal line rollers prolong monofilament life, drag adjustments on the rear of the reel are easier to manipulate while fighting a fish and anti-reverse is also a great asset.

One of the newer features on certain models of spinning reels that I’ve found really enjoyable and beneficial is a bail trigger. With just the flick of the index finger of the casting hand the bail is opened and held while the cast is made. This convenient addition speeds up and smoothes the casting motion yielding more casts per outing, more water covered and more fish caught. Mitchell, Daiwa, Shimano and Quantum spinning reels have all proven smooth, dependable, comfortable and affordable in my personal experience.

Splendid spincast

For youngsters, novice anglers and occasional casters, the closed face spincast reel is a splendid choice. This product is simply a spinning reel with a cover enclosing the line spool and a thumb controlled push button line release. Although accuracy isn’t as good as a bait casting reel, nor is distance as long as a spinning reel, for beginners the ease of operation allows more time fishing and less time mastering more complicated reels.

Coils of line can’t slip from the spool of a bait-cast reel as they can with a spinning reel, thanks to the cover, which also serves to keep dirt and debris out of the spool and reel mechanism. Spincast reels offer the versatility of being top mounted and used with bait- cast rods or bottom mounted and used with spinning rods, whichever is available.

Spincast reels are often more compact than spinning reels, generally less expensive, but usually not as durable over the long haul. Spincast features that enhance performance include: stainless steel ball bearing drive and rotor, revolving line pickup to eliminate line twist, and an oscillating spool to prevent line bunching and possible jams. An easy-adjust disc drag, convenient anti-reverse switch and a convertible left or right handle are extras that are worth a bit higher price. Daiwa, Pfleuger, Zebco, Abu Garcia and Shakespeare offer a wide variety of spincast reels priced from $20 to $50, and some come pre-spooled with a premier line to match the reel size.

Long and strong

Glance at the dozens of rods strapped into any serious bass angler’s boat and most of them will be rigged with bait-casting reels. For pin-point accuracy, far-reaching casts and loaded with strong mono and a beefy drag to haul fish out of vegetation, bait-casting reels do it all. Using a thumb on the line spool to slow or stop the flight of a lure, practiced casters can execute hard, low trajectory casts and land the bait with soft, quiet precision. This is crucial when working over, under and among and around stumps, submerged logs, overhanging limbs, shoreline rocks and other fish holding structures.

Bass anglers aren’t the only devotees to bait-casting rods either, many salt water caster and trollers in hopes of hooking a trophy striper or doing battle with a few dozen bluefish depend on these long casting units with their strong drag. Fresh water fishermen using downriggers for large salmon and togue often rig rods with bait casting reels as well. Another asset of bait-casting reel is that they can handle heavy and otherwise cumbersome lures, plugs and baits, regardless of wind, and they maintain cast length and accuracy. While these reels require a higher level of skill to cast then spin-cast or spinning reels, their attributes are worth the effort.

A novice bait caster must overcome the backlash problem, which creates frustrating birds nests of line due to improper thumb pressure on the spool. Reel builders have added mechanical and even magnetic anti back-lash systems within the reel to reduce this problem. The downside of these devices is that when used at high settings they reduce cast distance and diminish line control and accuracy. The answer is to set the backlash control on low and learn to use your thumb properly, so practice and more practice, and therefore more fishing is the way to go.

Other bait-casting reel attributes include longer line life since the line retrieves directly onto the spool, and fewer kinks and twists. They also handle heavier lines especially well particularly 14-pound test and up, which makes them unbeatable around cover. Unlike the older ungainly models, newer units are sleek, slim-lined and much lighter, but with more backbone and space age features.

Some high-tech and expensive bait-casting reels even have minicomputers that measure casting distance, rate of retrieve, depth being fished and other data. Amateur anglers should select features such as easy spool change, heavy, a quick-adjust drag system, anti-reverse, magnetic anti-backlash control, permanent lubrication system and at least a 5.5 to 1 gear ratio. Prices range from $50 to more than $400 for dependable name brands such as Daiwa, Shimano and Quantum, but a durable, dependable bait-cast reel for the everyday angler should run around $100.

Talk to fishing buddies and try out the various styles and different brands before spending any money. Discuss features and options with reel specialists in the stores or with regional tournament circuit pros before making a final selection. Over the years I’ve amassed eight non-fly reels; two bait casters, two spincasters and four spinning reels. They are a montage of sizes, shapes, manufacturers and features, and every single one has a particular niche for which it’s perfect, and not one broke the $100 barrier in price. Maine anglers who wish to fish from ice out through the first day of partridge season and enjoy action on a variety of fresh and salt water game fish even when flies aren’t working need to consider bait, lures and plugs, and check into the reel deal.

Outdoor feature writer Bill Graves can be reached via e-mail at bgravesoutdoors@ainop.com