in a reel is increased sensitivity. “As I said before, weight is the direct nemesis of sensitivity,” he explained. “That means you have to reduce the weight to increase sensitivity and that is why I prefer to have a reel with lighter materials, even if the cost is higher.”
The $99 Symetre weighs in at 9 oz. At a little more than double the price the Stradic comes in 7 oz., which equates to nearly a 20% reduction in weight and thereby offering increased sensitivity.
“When mounted on the same rod, a 2 oz. difference in a reel is noticeably different,” he said. “If you fish a lot of bottom baits (like an 1/8th dropshot in 60 ft of water), sensitivity is critical. If your using your spinning gear to fish a lot of moving baits (like lightweight crankbaits or soft jerkbaits) sensitivity may not be as important.”
MAX DRAG
Variations in drag may also need to be considered. “The Stradic and the Symetre offer 15 lbs of drag while the top-end 300 Stella has a max drag of 20 lbs,” he explained. “Having that extra power in the drag system helps you land bigger game fish. The extra five pounds can make the difference in a fish smoking your reel. For me, this isn’t as big of a consideration, because I like to back reel instead of using the drag; however this may be something some anglers may want to consider.”
USE
Commonly used line sizes are also a consideration when choosing a spinning reel. “If you are mostly going to use 4 to 6 lb test, a smaller spool reel would work, but if you are going to fish a larger diameter line (like 10 lb), you want to have a larger spool to reduce the effect of line memory,” explained Mah. “Once the
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memory sets into that 10 lb line, it will pigtail and it won’t get through the guides smoothly, making casting difficult. There will be less memory with a bigger spool.”
POSSIBILITIES
As with many consumer products, there is a crossroads of comfort and function. “What I feel is comfortable may not be the same thing as others feel, which is why individual preference plays the biggest factor in the comfort category,” he said. “Try out the weight and the size in your hand and see what is comfortable for you.”
CONCLUSION
Cost typically determines the amenities of a product - a fully-loaded Ranger Boat boasts significantly more bells and whistles than a base model and obviously costs a bit more. Of course, it is a similar situation with fishing reels.
Spending more money can make you a better angler, because you can pay for less fatigue, increased comfort and higher sensitivity. Higher sensitivity can increase an angler’s ability to detect bites and in the end that means they catch more fish. Only you can decide which factors hold the biggest value to you and which features you can and want to pay for.
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