| Spinning | Baitcasting | |
|---|---|---|
| Spool | Stays still on the retrieve and the cast while the rotor wraps line around it; turns only when the drag slips | Turns as line goes out / comes in |
| How line leaves | Spirals off the front of the spool | Pays straight out as the spool turns |
| Mounting | Under the rod (spinning rod) | On top of the rod (casting rod) |
| Backlash | Basically never, but prone to line twist and loose loops | Yes; needs brakes and thumb control |
| Light lures | Excellent; even lures of a few grams cast far | Fair; dedicated BFS models can cast 2–7 g |
| Accuracy & efficiency | Requires finger control of the line and flipping the bail | Thumb controls the line at all times for pinpoint accuracy and fast cast-to-retrieve transitions |
| Power | Depends on size; big spinning reels can have huge drag, but at the same size they're less comfortable for working heavy line and heavy lures all day | Depends on size; the straight line path and greater cranking torque make heavy line, heavy lures and pulling fish out of cover easier |
| Basics | ★★★★★ | ★★★ |
There are also round baitcasters (round-frame reels with large line capacity and rugged build, for big lures and saltwater) and spincast reels (push-button reels with a closed face, rarely seen in China).
| Size | Typical line capacity | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| 500–1000 | PE #0.3–0.6 · 100–150 m | Small stream fish, stocked-pond trout |
| 2000 | PE #0.6–0.8 · 150 m | Drop shot, neko and other finesse plastics; light mandarin fish |
| 2500 / C3000 | PE #0.8–1.2 · 150–200 m | All-round freshwater: bass, mandarin fish, topmouth culter |
| 3000–4000 | PE #1.0–2.0 · 150–200 m | Sea bass, long-cast topmouth culter, yellowcheek |
| 5000–6000 | PE #2–3 · 200 m+ | Shore jigging, light boat fishing |
| 8000+ | PE #3–5 · 300 m+ | Heavy saltwater (big metal jigs, floating pencils) |
The number indicates spool size; Shimano and Daiwa (LT series) numbering roughly correspond. Line capacity varies by brand and spool depth.
| Suffix | Meaning |
|---|---|
| C (e.g. C3000) | Compact: a compact body (same class as 2500) with 3000-class line capacity; whether spool diameter, stroke etc. match the 2500 depends on the model |
| S | Shallow spool, suited to thin braid without needing backing |
| D | Deep spool (Daiwa) |
| PG / P | Low gear ratio (Power Gear) |
| HG / H | High gear |
| XG / XH | Extra-high gear ratio |
On the cast, the lure pulls the line and spins the spool. In the air the lure is constantly slowed by drag and gravity, while the spool's inertia wants to keep it spinning at the same speed. When the spool releases line faster than the lure can take it, the extra line balloons up and tangles on the spool: that's a backlash (bird's nest). It's most likely at release (the spool is suddenly accelerated), into the wind (the lure slows faster), with light lures (little inertia, quick to slow) and at splashdown (the lure stops suddenly).
Brake blocks inside the spool slide outward under centrifugal force and rub against a brake ring. Centrifugal force rises with the square of spool speed, so braking is strongest at high speed and almost nothing at low speed.
Strong control early in the cast, then it lets the spool run, so it casts far with smooth line flow. You adjust it by opening the side plate and switching brake blocks on or off (some also have an external dial).
Magnets near the spinning metal spool create eddy currents, producing drag roughly proportional to spool speed. The external dial changes the distance between magnets and spool.
It works through the whole cast, still braking at the end and just before the lure lands. Forgiving and easy to adjust; great for beginners and light lures.
The spinning spool generates power; a chip reads spool speed in real time and brakes through an electromagnetic coil, applying different braking curves at different stages of the cast (e.g. Shimano's DC system).
Best at handling headwinds and preventing backlash; you pick modes for the lure and conditions. Expensive.
The digital brake curve is only illustrative; actual braking curves are set by each manufacturer's control program.
Immediately stop the spool with your thumb → press the thumb bar, hold the line on the spool with your thumb, and slowly pull out the loose line → find the loop that's “biting” and pick it loose. If a loop is buried deep, hold the spool, reel in a few turns, then make a gentle cast; that often pulls it free.
| Type | Use |
|---|---|
| BFS / micro baitcaster | Ultralight spool that casts 1–7 g lures; streams, finesse plastics |
| 70–100 size (common) | All-round freshwater, 7–30 g lures; the workhorse for bass |
| 150–200 size | More line capacity and power: heavy braid, heavy lures, snakehead frogging, big baits |
| Round baitcaster | Big swimbaits, saltwater and big fish |
Left/right-hand retrieve refers to the handle side: with a left-hand reel you crank with your left hand and cast with the rod in your right, so you don't switch hands after the cast. Very common in China.
Gear ratio (e.g. 7.1:1) is how many times the spool (the rotor on a spinning reel) turns per turn of the handle. What really determines retrieve speed is line recovered per turn: gear ratio × π × effective spool diameter. Spinning reels have wider spools, so their gear ratio numbers are lower (typically 4.x–6.x), but they don't necessarily recover less line per turn.
| Class | Gear ratio (baitcaster) | Per turn | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Low gear | 5.0–6.2 : 1 | ~50–65 cm | High-resistance lures like deep crankbaits and big-blade spinnerbaits; less effort, slow and steady retrieve |
| Medium gear | 6.3–7.2 : 1 | ~65–75 cm | All-round: minnows, VIBs, most hard baits and soft plastics |
| High gear | 7.3–8.x : 1+ | ~75–90 cm+ | Texas rigs, jigs, frogs, etc.: pick up slack fast, set the hook fast, drag fish out of cover |
The drag is a set of friction washers inside the reel: when a fish pulls harder than the setting, the spool slips and gives line so it doesn't break. Spinning reels adjust it at the front of the spool (front drag) or the back of the body (rear drag); baitcasters use the star drag next to the handle. The “max drag” in the specs is only an upper limit; in practice you'll use far less.
For what line size to use, see 03 Line.