Best Japanese Fishing Reels – ZenMarket.jp

How To Choose A Japanese Fishing Reel

The reel is first and foremost a complex mechanical object with detailed construction (ball bearing, anti-return crank system, etc.).

In the field of Japanese fishing reels, we generally consider two main categories:

The Spinning Reel

The Spinning Reel is by far the most popular option, and for good reason: it is extremely versatile and adapts to many styles of fishing. Despite its various advantages such as casting distance, size and weight, the price of spinning reels is often very reasonable.

The Casting Reel

Casting fishing is precision fishing for pike and other large fish. Casting reels allow you to cast your lure with pinpoint accuracy by stopping the cast with a simple press of your thumb.

Beyond that, the other intrinsic characteristics of each reel that must also be evaluated. Here are the main ones:

Height and weight

The most obvious criterion and which will also be dictated by your type of rod. The idea is to find the right balance to match not only your other equipment, but also the type of fishing practiced. You don’t choose the same reel for trout and carp! Generally speaking, the larger the dimensions of the reel, the stronger it is and the stronger the drag.

Be careful though, a large reel is not “all-purpose”. If you aim too big, your entire balance will be impacted, which can throw everything off. Most manufacturers have adopted a code to indicate reel sizes.

In general, this type of notation helps you find your way around (though be careful, as some manufacturers might use other special codes).

• 1000 or 10 = fish of 1 to 2 kg
• 2000 or 20 = fish of 2 to 3 kg
• 5000 or 50 = fish of 5 to 7 kg
• And so on

The Brake

The brake is generally found in one of two places, namely above the spool or at the back of the reel, with each orientation having its own benefits and downsides. The brake should not be neglected, because during your fight with the fish, it is the brake that facilitates optimising the line and adjusting the tension.

Also Read: Top 5 Japanese Reels from Daiwa

The Spool

When fishing, you never neglect the spool. Its capacity is expressed in meters and it will add a lot of fluidity to your throw or rewind while avoiding knots as much as possible.

You can find two reels of equal size, but with radically different spool capacities! The spool size also plays a big role in the rewinding speed, so check the diameter carefully.

Recovery and Ratio

Recovery is the number of revolutions that the spool will complete with one turn of the crank; for example, “4” will mean that a coil will complete four revolutions per revolution of the crank.

Regarding the ratio, let’s assume it is 6.4:1. “1” means that for one turn of the crank the spool makes 6.4 turns. If we add a recovery of 69 cm, this will mean that we recover 69 cm of line with each turn of the crank.

The recovery and the ratio are therefore vitally importnat if your fishing style requires you to recover your line quickly.

Also Read: Top 5 Japanese Fishing Reels

The Handle and the Crank

These elements may not seem important at first, but never forget that these are the parts you will interact with the most! The comfort they offer is therefore essential for long fishing trips: do you prefer flat, cylindrical, round, made of rubber, plastic, metal, etc.?

It is also not unusual to make your choice based on style. After all in fishing, like everything else, there is an opportunity to express yourself and use what you like!

Finally, note that in addition to all these characteristics, the type of fish caught, in what water, in what environment, and the frequency of fishing are also major elements to take into account when choosing components.