Feeder reel

Feeder is a type of fishing that does not place high demands on reels, rods and other gear that are not cheap. But how not to make a mistake with the choice? Is it possible to choose a reel that will work on any fishing as it should? Yes!

General requirements for coils

Anglers have many requirements for feeder reels. The main ones are the following:

• Line laying. The coil should not throw off loops and make beards, especially with a cord.
• Sufficient traction. Should be good at pulling out a heavy feeder dragging along the bottom through the grass.
• Fast winding. With frequent bites, you want to maintain the highest possible pace.
• Convenient clip. When fishing, this is one of the most important requirements, since an uncomfortable clip leads to both loss of time and nerves.
• Comfortable handle. It all depends on the preferences of the angler, some like the knob, others like the foot, others just like the pin.
• The ability to work with both fishing line and cord.
• Replaceable spool available.
• Reliability and durability.
• At least partial protection against water and sand.

It is almost always recommended to use large reels, but not all of them are suitable for feeder fishing. On the contrary, often not even a very large coil will work normally even with heavy loads, and a large one will quickly begin to whistle and break.

How to choose a coil

Still, when choosing a model, it is necessary to dwell on the traditional large sizes of coils, from 3000 and above. These are reels that have a drum diameter of about 4.5 cm, and according to the Szyman classification, they can hold about 100 meters of 0.3 line. They have larger and more reliable parts of the gearbox, a feed mechanism in the form of a backstage or an endless screw, and a higher line winding speed. If a suitable model was not found, only then should one proceed to consider smaller models.

The first thing to do is look at the numbers. The main thing you should pay attention to is the pulling force of the coil. For feeder fishing, it is worth choosing samples with a maximum force of at least 10 kg. And better – 12-18 kg. Such a reel is suitable for ordinary fishing with a feeder with loads weighing up to 100 grams, it is possible to fish on a rocky bottom and tear out a feeder from a thicket. Even if fishing is planned for relatively thin fishing lines or cords, it is always worth taking with a margin. Most reel manufacturers quote pull figures with the assumption that the reel will only work sometimes at these values, and when about a hundred pulls with a force of 6-8 kg are made per fishing, this can kill a weak reel.

The second point is the details of the gearbox. It is highly desirable to get acquainted with its device, or at least watch a video analysis of the desired coil on YouTube. It is worth discarding all possible options with gears made of plastic or aluminum alloys. In feeder fishing, the work of the gearbox is strenuous, and you should always choose with bronze gears. Some manufacturers are tricky by pointing out that they have steel wheels. In fact, good steel hypoid gears of this type are very expensive to make. Reels with steel gear wheels have a steel hub, and all the teeth and rim are pressed onto it and are made of aluminum. It is not recommended to take these.

Gear ratio is another important detail. It shows how much line with a given rotor diameter is unwound in one revolution.

For example, a 3000 reel with a gear ratio of 5.2 winds out about 70 cm of line per revolution, and with a ratio of 4.8 only 60. However, even small changes in ratio make the reel less reliable and durable, and the higher the gear, the worse. When buying, you should choose a reel of size 4000, but with an ratio of 4.9, instead of 3000, but with an ratio of 5.2.

Rod Choice: Front or Rear Drag?

The front clutch allows you to adjust the coil more precisely, it is more reliable, and it costs less. However, for beginners, a reel with a rear friction clutch will be more convenient.

Anglers often prefer reels with a baitrunner, for many this model is the most convenient. The dual clutch adjustment system allows you to adjust the tackle so that even a novice angler can easily cope with a trophy of 10 kg or more.

Backstage or endless screw?

The eternal dispute of anglers about the mechanism that lays the line better, here it is still worth resolving in favor of an endless screw. Firstly, the link will experience uneven loads at the beginning and end of the stroke, which sooner or later will lead to its faster wear. Secondly, the endless screw provides a more even winding, and the yoke, even a very good one, will make a very small gap in the center of the winding. That is why they try to set up reels with backstage so that they wind the line with a slightly reverse cone. But if you use a large volume of fishing line and backing, all these dips will be compensated by its elasticity.

Another thing to note when choosing a reel with an endless screw is the price. A good endless screw costs good money. It must be made of high quality bronze or brass, precisely made. Such a coil immediately goes for a price tag of $ 100. You can buy a coil with a screw cheaper, but still it will be less reliable than with a rocker mechanism. Therefore, if the wallet does not allow, get what you can afford, and do not chase show-offs like a screw in a coil – a small bird is better than a big cockroach.

The line laying mechanism itself can work in different ways. It depends on how often the feed direction changes. Some coils work so that the direction changes almost every turn of the handle. Others change it less frequently. Frequent change of direction is more typical for rocker mechanisms and is referred to as “sinus stacking”. It is suitable for spinning fishing, when the bait is driven by twitches and the tension during reeling is uneven. By the way, in spinning, the twitching technique is fully feasible only with multipliers. In the feeder, the so-called “sinus” laying is unnecessary, since the tension during winding is almost the same. You can choose a cheaper coil with a more reliable, but simple styling.

Mass is usually an argument that is expressed when justifying a price. As a rule, more expensive coils have less mass for the same characteristics. Is this characteristic so important for feeder fishing? The fact is that in the hands of the angler there is a fairly heavy rod, more than three meters long. He holds it with both hands. At the tip, when casting, a hundred-gram feeder dangles. Definitely, even if the reel is light enough, it will not give the feeling of a feather in the hands, as when fishing with an ultralight spinning rod. Even when fishing with a picker. Therefore, you can buy relatively inexpensive Saubers and Arctics, which have a significant mass, and catch them as comfortably as on the top-priced lines from Shimano. Well, of course, Shimano is still better, but the choice may not be worth the money invested.

A pen is an element that is given little attention when choosing, but in vain! The handle is under heavy load during operation. Therefore, it is worth choosing one that will be as durable as possible. It should also be as simple as possible. For example, when choosing between a handle with a button and a monolithic handle, it is easier to choose a regular one. She is more reliable. The material of the handle usually matches the material of the body.

The handle is a personal matter

This is the place where the fingers hold when working with the coil, through which contact occurs most often. Some prefer a knob, others prefer a pin. Luckily, most reels allow you to change the handle at will. Spare parts can be purchased online. The author prefers a knob, and it is easier to twist with great effort, and it is easier to catch it without looking. The arguments in favor of small pins are not clear and are due to some hardened views on the coils.

The body material for the feeder coil can be special plastic or metal. Expensive coils are made of titanium. Most anglers should opt for metal reels as they are both stronger and more durable. In plastic, the seats for the gears of the gearboxes wear out quickly enough, the shape is distorted, and they begin to work worse. But if it is expensive plastic, this may not be the case. In any case, a cheap metal coil is better than a cheap plastic one.

Spool and rotor

For good fishing, you need a spool made of metal. This will allow you to catch both with a cord and with a fishing line. It is also necessary that it has a hard coating on the border of the spool, in order to avoid wear from the cord. When purchasing a reel, you should inquire in advance about the availability of an additional spool, and if possible, buy two identical ones. Why the same – it’s easier to wind the line and backing. And in some cases, it is worth buying not two, but three or more. The feeder reel is a fairly versatile thing, and is suitable for several rods. One can cover several types of feeder fishing at once, but more on that later.

Line stacker and clip

These two small details affect fishing no less than the handle. The clip should be comfortable. It should have a large size so that you can easily get a fishing line behind it. It is best to use a spool with a metal round clip. Unfortunately, most reel manufacturers, even those specialized for the feeder, miss this point. It is beneficial for them to make a small, weightless clip so that it does not affect the balance of the spool, for which it is very difficult to start a fishing line, especially with fingers numb in the cold. If there is a reel with a suitable clip on sale – take it without hesitation, usually it is the one that is most suitable for the feeder.

The line layer must have a good hard surface to work with both line and thin lines. It works under constant high tension, so it needs a bearing. When reeling in, the angler often forgets to close the bail, so you need to pay attention that it closes effortlessly and does not jam. Whether the bracket is hollow or made from a single piece of wire – it doesn’t matter, because the mass of the coil is not the most important characteristic in feeder fishing.

Rating of budget feeder coils

The criteria for choosing a reel for a feeder are clear; for carp tackle, the same characteristics are needed as for fishing in the current. The TOP 5 budget reels compiled by us are based on a survey of professional English donks, as well as amateur anglers.

RYOBI

For the feeder, Riobi with a 3000 spool is most often used; this option is recognized as the best tandem in terms of price and quality.

Shimano

The Ultegra coil is recognized as the most promising novelty on the market.

DAIWA

Many Daiva models have proven themselves to be reliable and compact products, a special place is given to the Fuego coil.

Psalm

The Elite baitrunner model is recognized as the best budget option of this type, many say that Salmo outdid herself here.

Preston

Preston PXR will be an excellent option for fishing in strong and moderate currents, the manufacturer claims that the model can compete with products in its price range and much higher.

Some Chinese reels can compete with the above, but low-quality goods can also fall into your hands. It is better not to take risks and use products of already proven brands.

The number of bearings in the coil is the last thing you need to pay attention to. Of course, the more the better. But this is often a publicity stunt, manufacturers shove a bunch of bearings where necessary and not necessary in order to sell at a higher price. At the same time, they often save on the quality of gears, other parts, housings, handles. The main condition is that there should be bearings on the rotor, the feed mechanism and the line stacker, that’s all. The rest is at the request of the manufacturer.

Rod selection

Usually anglers first buy a rod and then a reel. When choosing, pay attention to how the coil leg and the first ring fit. If the first ring is very low, it may be worth either replacing it or looking for a smaller coil. Otherwise, there may be loops with poor quality laying of fishing line and cord.

Easier to replace the ring on the rod

Front or rear clutch? As a rule, the front clutch allows you to adjust the coil more precisely, it is more reliable, and it costs less. However, for beginners it will be more convenient to work with the rear clutch. However, this is a personal matter for each angler, the rear one allows you to change the effort in the process of playing or pulling out the feeder, when you have mowed a lot of grass and you need to tighten the clutch.

What to Look for in a Store

First of all, these are backlashes. When buying an expensive reel, it is not uncommon for an expensive copy to have unforgivable backlash. Three types of backlashes are checked:

1. In the pen
2. Rotor play
3. Spool clearance

You can just take the coil and twist it in your hands, touch it, whether the handle is wobbly in the seat. Then – to shake the rotor, where the line stacker and the bracket are located. Backlashes in the spool are the least critical, but they should also be paid attention to. It is also worth paying attention to extraneous noise during operation – they simply should not be at all, the new coil should work silently.

Keep your receipt after purchase. Arriving home, they wind the fishing line on the spool and watch how the reel wound it. If the quality of the winding is not satisfactory, and it winds unevenly, they simply take it to the store and change it or take the money. It is definitely worth the time spent, you can even try to replace it with another coil of the same brand – it happens that this is just a small marriage in the batch.

It is also worth paying attention to other details – the length of the handle, the friction clutch and the quality of its work, the slamming of the bracket and other points. If you have a rod, it is advisable to come to the store with it to see how the reel holds on it. If the ceilings are high, even try to wave. Of course, the final sensations will be clear only when fishing, when a heavy feeder is cast with a reel.

Shopping on Ali

Buying a product without looking, when you can’t feel it with your hands, you always take a risk. The same with Ali. You can buy a good copy for a penny, but you can not. You should not believe the advertisement that someone bought it and everything is fine. You may be less lucky. But if there is a desire to take a risk – why not? Nowadays, even store sellers resell goods from Ali Express, and you can do this without intermediaries.

Universal reel for feeder fishing

As already mentioned, you should not chase after a small weight in feeder fishing. The rod is two-handed, the long feeder is heavy, the lever from the feeder negates the feeling of a “feather” in the hand. Therefore, we can recommend fairly heavy coils for both the picker and the universal feeder. And only for heavyweights it is worth making an exception and putting special coils on them. For most fishing, you can use the same reel by simply changing the spools on it.