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gear · beginner · 6 min

spinning reel: setting up, adjusting and caring for it

From a properly filled spool to drag set with a scale: the basics for the reel to work for you and last for years.

parts of the spinning reel

Knowing each part's name makes adjusting and maintenance easier.

tips

  • Foot: fits into the rod's reel seat.
  • Spool: holds the line. On most models, the drag knob is on its front.
  • Rotor: turns around the spool and wraps the line.
  • Bail (arm): opens to cast and closes to retrieve.
  • Line roller: the small roller at the tip of the bail where the line runs. It must spin freely.
  • Handle: switches sides on most spinning reels.
  • Anti-reverse: stops the handle from turning backwards.
  • The front drag (on the spool) is more precise and stronger; the rear drag (knob behind the body) is easier to adjust.
  • Gear ratio: rotor turns for each handle turn (e.g., 5.2:1). The higher it is, the more line reeled in per turn.

filling the spool the right way

Badly wound line twists, forms loops and shortens the cast. Three things matter: direction, tension and level.

  1. Attach the spinning reel to the rod and run the line through the guide closest to the reel.
  2. Open the bail, tie the line to the spool with an arbor knot and trim the excess. Close the bail by hand.
  3. If you use braided line on a smooth spool, first wind a few turns of monofilament (joined with a Uni-Uni knot) or some tape, so the braid doesn't slip. A spool with rubber or its own lock doesn't need this.
  4. Lay the new line spool on the ground, label facing up.
  5. Hold the line with a cloth between your fingers, with firm, steady tension, and turn the handle about 20 times.
  6. Loosen the line between the rod and the new spool. If it forms coils and twists, flip the new spool (label facing down) and continue.
  7. Fill until the line sits 2 to 3 mm below the spool edge.

tips

  • Braided line needs firmer tension than monofilament so it doesn't dig into the layers during the fight.
  • To save on expensive braid, use cheap monofilament as filler underneath.

common mistakes

  • Spool overfilled: the line jumps in loops and forms backlash.
  • Spool too empty: the line rubs the edge and the cast gets shorter.
  • Winding without tension: loose coils give way and tangle in the first fight.

setting the drag

The drag lets line out before it breaks. Rule of thumb: set it to about 25% to 33% of the line's or weakest link's strength (leader or knot). 20 lb line (about 9 kg) calls for a drag of around 2.3 to 3.0 kg.

  1. Rig the rod with the line running through all the guides.
  2. Tie the end of the line to a hand scale (spring or digital) fixed to a solid point, or have someone hold it.
  3. Step back a few meters and raise the rod to about 45 degrees, as if fighting a fish.
  4. Pull steadily with the rod and read the scale the moment the line starts to slip out.
  5. Tighten or loosen the drag and repeat until you reach the desired value.
  6. Mark the knob's position with a pen so you can repeat it later.

tips

  • The more line goes out, the smaller the line diameter left on the spool, and the stronger the drag feels in practice. If the fish has already taken a lot of line: don't tighten any more.
  • The rod's bend and friction at the guides add resistance. That's why measurement is done with the rod bent.
  • Fishing around submerged timber and rock calls for heavier line, not just a tighter drag.

common mistakes

  • Setting it by pulling the line by hand, by eye.
  • Tightening the drag in the middle of the fight while the fish is running.
  • Storing the spinning reel with the drag tight: the washers deform. Loosen it at the end of the day.

casting and retrieving

Casting with a spinning reel is the easiest to learn. Control comes from the index finger.

  1. Hold the rod with the reel's foot between your middle and ring fingers.
  2. Let the lure hang 20 to 30 cm from the rod tip.
  3. Pin the line with the tip of your index finger against the grip and open the bail.
  4. Look at the target and bring the rod back to the 1 o'clock position.
  5. Bring the rod forward, accelerating, and release the line from your index finger around 10 o'clock.
  6. Control the distance by touching the spool edge with your index finger before the lure lands.
  7. Close the bail by hand and take up the slack before reeling in.

tips

  • Closing the bail by hand instead of with the handle reduces twist and loops.
  • In the fight, pump: lift the rod slowly and reel in line as you lower it.

common mistakes

  • Turning the handle while the drag is giving: it only twists the line.
  • Releasing the line too early (the lure rises) or too late (the lure hits the water nearby).

maintenance after fishing

A spinning reel dies from salt, sand and lack of oil. Ten minutes after fishing are worth years of use.

  1. After saltwater: tighten the drag so water doesn't get into the washers, and rinse with a light spray of fresh water, without a strong jet and without submerging it.
  2. After freshwater: wipe with a damp cloth to remove mud and sand; rinse only if it picked up mud or sand.
  3. Dry it in the shade and then loosen the drag completely.
  4. Put a drop of spinning reel oil on the line roller, the handle shaft and the bail joints.
  5. Turn the handle to spread the oil.
  6. Once a season, service it: clean it and grease the gears.

tips

  • Also rinse braided line with fresh water after saltwater fishing.

common mistakes

  • Pressure jets or submersion: pushes salt and sand inside.
  • Penetrating spray in place of proper oil and grease: strips the lubrication.
  • Storing it wet in its case.
  • Stuck roller: the line drags, heats up and weakens. Check that it spins freely.

checklist

Check off what's ready. Saved on this device.

sources and references

  1. technical Take Me Fishing (RBFF) — How to Set the DragScale and bent-rod method for setting the drag. This source recommends 1/3 to 1/2 of the line's strength, above the 25–30% used in this guide.

keep reading

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What the numbers and letters engraved on the rod mean, and how to match rod, line, lure and reel for each kind of fishing.

knots

essential fishing knots

Nine knots that solve almost everything: tying hooks and lures, joining lines, connecting braid to leader and making loops. Step by step, what each one is for and how strong it is.