Best Baitcasting Reels For Bass Fishing

Buyer's Guide for Baitcasting Reels

Baicasting reels are more advanced than ever and they're adapting to all kinds of lure weights. This type of reel is generally better for casting lures that have a bit more weight - rather than spinning reels which are suited to virtually any lure weight. Baitcasting reels do require a bit more experience, but once mastered, they're a weapon to covering loads of attractive water and hitting strike zones.

There are many components to consider before purchasing a baitcaster and some of these components are more important than others when it comes to performance. However, a lot of these features come down to personal preference and relate to comfort - such as the rubber handles, or the thumb bar.  

Here is a list of the key components and features to consider before buying a baitcaster, for each we will provide an in depth summary of how each component will impact the performance of the reel and how they play a role in improving the experience for the angler:

• Low Profile or Round
• Gear Ratio
• Breaking Systems
• Frames
• Ball Bearings
• Spools
• Line Guides
• Handle

Low Profile or Round?

There are two different kinds of baitcasters, and you’re going to find both kinds in any store you go into. The first kind is the low-profile baitcaster, these reels have a palm side and a handle side and are designed to fit the contour of the hand.

Low profile baitcasting reels

The primary advantage of the low-profile baitcaster over the round baitcaster, is the comfort in the hand. These reels are built for an efficient wrist action, while being more ergonomic - focusing on comfort and performance. Low-profile reels are known for accurate and precise casting, which is so important in bass angling.

These are the most popular baitcaster reels when it comes to bass fishing - which is what we specialize in, so you’ll see us chatting a lot about low-profile baitcasters.

Round baitcasting reels

Round reels are built less for comfort, but more for handling more and heavier line. These reels help with casting larger baits and are better suited for long runs during the larger fights. Round reels are used more for other large freshwater species or for saltwater angling.

Gear Ratio

All reels have a specified gear ratio. Essentially, this is the speed of the reel. An example of a gear ratio in a baitcasting reel is 5.4:1. What this ratio means, is that the spool rotates 5.4 times for every 360 degree turn of the reel handle. The gear ratio will be specified on all reels.

Baitcasting reels offer a wide variety of gear ratios and the higher the first number in the ratio is, the faster the reel is going to be when it comes to retrieval. Gear ratios on casting reels usually range from 5.0:1 to 9.1:1 and we've even seen faster.

Slower gear ratios (5.1-5.4:1)

Reels with a slower gear ratio have a greater amount of torque, which essentially means less effort in retrieving your bait. This reels are suited for lures that pull a lot, such us:

• Deep crankbaits
• Deep diving spinnerbaits
• Bigger, slower lures
  

A slower gear ratio is also better for winter bass fishing, as slower lures are more attractive to bass in these conditions. A slower gear ratio will also keep the lure in the strike zone for longer.

Medium gear ratios (6.1-6.4:1)

These reels are more versatile when it comes to lure presentations, meaning you can use a variety of different lures and presentations comfortably. This essentially means you can either use this reel for deep water lures, or even topwater lures in the shallows. Here are some ideal lure types for this gear ratio:

Reels with a moderate gear ratio are better than slower gear ratios when it comes to fishing in heavily covered areas and you need to retrieve your lure a bit faster. Faster lures will also work better in the summer months.

Fast gear ratios (7.1-8.1:1)

Faster gear ratios are best when you need to take up line quickly. This helps with getting a better hookset while avoiding any threat of slack line.

Here are some techniques that suit a fast gear ratio:

• Frogs
• Texas rigs
• Jigs
  

For a beginner, or a lesser experienced angler, it would be wise to look into a low to medium gear ratio, ranging from 5.4:1 to 6.4:1. One will be able to fish any technique with this ratio and the retrieval will be more controlled.

A lot of bass fishing lures require a slower retrieval and experience is required in order to fish slowly with a high gear ratio. Having a low to medium gear ratio will give novice the chance to work slow, and fast moving baits more easily.

Once anglers have more experience in working low to medium gear ratios, one should experiment with faster gear ratios and try understand the benefits they bring about.

Braking Systems

Each casting reel will come with a braking system. The ‘brakes’ are responsible for slowing down the rotation of the spool during the cast. Without this system, backlash would be a common result when casting and this is never a pleasant experience.

Backlash is when the lure slows down after hitting the water but the spool does not - resulting in the mess (bird’s nest) of line in the spool area. Backlash often scares people away from baitcasting reels, but modern reels are being designed to help anglers avoid the dreaded backlash.

Baitcasting reels will generally have a specific braking system, that is either centrifugal or magnetic. Modern reels today may also have dual systems, combining both braking mechanisms which will provide greater fine tuning for different lure weights.

Centrifugal brakes

Centrifugal brakes do most of their work during the first part of the cast. Often what happens is that when anglers cast, the spool will rotate at a faster rate than the lure is travelling, causing the line to get loose - a huge factor that contributes to backlash.

The centrifugal brake is a control that ensures the line to feed off the spool at a similar rate of speed as the cast itself. Most reels will have 6 brake pads, which can be turned on and off by the angler.

If all 6 brakes are turned on, it will slow down the spool faster, while if less are on, the spool is able to rotate faster - leading to a further cast, but a greater chance of backlash.

The one negative of centrifugal brakes, is that you are required to remove the side panel of the reel in order to adjust them.

Magnetic brakes

Magnetic brakes are used in some reels, and they have a flat circular dial on the opposite side of the reel compared to where the handle is. This dial is adjustable in terms of the distance of the brakes from the spool.

Magnetic brakes work slightly differently to centrifugal brakes, as they impact the cast at a later stage rather than the first part of the cast.

This braking system works on the principle that the closer the brakes are to the spool, the faster the spool will slow down within the cast. While the further the brakes are to the spool, the slow the spool will slow down.

One advantage of magnetic brakes over centrifugal, is that the dial is easily accessible and easily adjustable.

Dual systems are a combination of both the centrifugal and magnetic braking systems. For this system, the centrifugal brakes play a bigger role in the beginning of the cast, while the magnetic breaks play a bigger role at the end of the cast.

This braking system is more beginner-friendly and will benefit novice anglers with avoiding backlash. However, it is advised to get either a solely centrifugal or magnetic casting reel first up, as this will help you learn the true technique of thumb control and casting.

If you’re struggling with backlash, your first action will probably be to adjust the spool tension knob - a circular knob located just above the handle of the reel. Tightening this knob will essentially apply greater ‘brakes’ to the spool when casting and will stop the spool sooner once the lure has hit the water, helping to reduce the chance of backlash.

Anglers will also generally tighten the knob when they are working with heavier lures - as it’s easier to gain distance with a heavier lure.

The limiting factor of tightening the spool tension knob, is that you’ll lose distance in your cast.

If there is a greater degree of confidence in casting with a baitcasting reel, anglers will look to loosen the spool tension knob, which will essentially reduce the ‘brakes’ on the spool - leading to greater casting capability. Loosening this knob will however increase the chances of backlash.

Frames

The frame is the material which outlines and covers the spool. This is usually made out of aluminum or graphite.

Aluminum frames tend to provide more rigidity and durability, which is often why they’re used in high-end, more expensive reels.

Graphite frames are more advanced than ever these days and provide a lighter feel while having solid durability. Graphite is impervious to rust, making it a good option for saltwater fishing. Graphite is usually used for lower end casting reels when it comes to bass fishing, as it isn’t quite as durable as aluminum.

Ball Bearings

Ball bearings are stainless steel, cylinder shaped rings which are responsible for creating an ease of motion inside a reel while reducing friction and increasing speed while angling.

Bearings are vital for the smooth running of your real and they also play a massive role in the results of your casting. Having more friction will lead to a less smooth cast, meaning a loss in distance. This is where the bearings play a helpful role in reducing friction.

Many people believe that more bearings automatically means better quality in smoothness and better motion, however, this is certainly not always the case. You can find up to 14 bearings in a reel, but if these are low quality bearings, you may not get the desired results in the running of your reel.

The kind of bearings you’re looking for are “shielded”, “double-shielded”, and “sealed” bearings. These kinds of bearings are highly durable and will lead to consistent performance of your reel. So, rather than looking for the number of bearings, rather focus on the quality of the bearings the reel is providing.

Other bearings which should be regarded are ARB (anti-rust bearings), or CRBB (corrosion-resistant bearings).

Spools

This is the part of the reel where the line is held. This is an essential part of the reel, and is definitely something to consider when looking at your next reel.

The majority of baitcasting reels come with an aluminum spool, while higher-end reels come with a forged aluminum spool. Less expensive reels will be die-cast aluminum. Forged will be stronger than die-cast and it will be harder to damage the surface of the spool. Anodized aluminum is another commonly used build for a spool.

Another common trend in today’s spool includes drilled holes within the spool. These spools are lighter in weight and are easier to stop and start spinning. Most modern baitcasters will have these drilled holes.

Lighter spools are better when it comes to casting lighter lures, as line will come off more easily. Often finesse angling can be tough with a casting reel, which is why spools are constantly being improved in order to aid the casting of all lure weights.

Line Guides

The line guide is the mechanism within the reel which enables the line to move freely out of the reel during the cast and come back again smoothly during the retrieve. The line guide plays a large role in reducing line twisting as well as minimizing friction.

When looking at line guides, more expensive reels will usually have a titanium made line guide, as it provides high durability. Lower priced reels may have a ceramic line guide, which is still quality - but may crack or deteriorate from alleviated u

One of the most popular line guide systems is called the T-Wing System and it was designed by Daiwa. This system features on most of the Tatula casting reels.

Handle

This is the main interface between the hand and the reel itself, where the working of the line is done.

Personal preference with comfort comes in for this component, as anglers will be looking to get a reel with a handle that they can use for long periods of time.

Aluminum handles with soft, large knobs are usually the standard for baitcasting reels and do a great job in holding up for long sessions. Reinforced metals in the handle are on the higher-end of the reel market and provide a very rigid and dependable material for advanced anglers looking for something more heavy duty.

Based on feedback collected from reviews and top retailers, and reviews left by our users, these are the top ass fishing with their associated ratings.

The 10 Best Baitcasting Reels for Bass Fishing:

Based on collated feedback from leading retailers as well as feedback left by our website users, these are the 10 best baitcasting reels for bass fishing.