Which reel to choose for spinning for pike: detailed analysis

Therefore, 1 high-quality bearing in a reel from a well-known manufacturer, even from a Chinese factory, is preferable to 10 bearings in a reel made in a barn near Guangzhou.

When choosing a stick for catching a spotted predator, you can simply be amazed at the variety of forms presented in stores. Here you will find famous Americans and equally famous Japanese, here you will find Germans and humble Koreans. And an absolutely incredible rampant of Chinese companies and brands, half of which go under their own brands, copying famous brands, and the other half modestly copies brand names too.

But if you need a spinning reel for pike fishing, your choice is practically limited to a couple of Japanese brands made in Malaysia and a couple of American brands made in China. That's all.

Perhaps only Shimano da Daiva in our stores can still be guaranteed to be used for pike fishing, the rest is pure China.

I don’t take into account those Chinese reels of unknown purpose that have flooded the fishing market lately.

After all, if you buy a Chinese stick, then it is clearly positioned - this one is for fishing with wobblers, this one is for fishing with a jig, and this one is for drop-shot fishing.

And if you buy a reel for a spinning rod, then there is complete chaos and confusion among Chinese recruits. What is this reel for? Just for pike fishing? Or maybe it’s for throwing spoons and catching burbot? What about this one? Is this reel for pike? And for me, it’s for sending feeders filled with porridge to the middle of the river and sitting and waiting for the fatty bream to bite.

Well, tell me - where can I use this coil? It definitely won’t work like a reel on pike.

This is such an interesting situation. And in order to deal with these points, you have to make a list of important characteristics that a pike reel should have in order to choose a product that is suitable specifically for pike fishing. Because sometimes a Chinese cartoon called “PIKE HUNTER” is not suitable for this purpose at all, no matter what its name promises.

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The most popular reel for pike fishing among anglers on spinning rods has always been the Nevskaya. It is suitable for different types of gear.

Models of spinning reels

Before choosing a spinning rod and its accessories, it is recommended to study reviews of fishing equipment and ratings based on quality and price.

Among the budget models we can highlight the products of the following companies:

Minfine (China), from 170 rub.
“Volzhanka” and Aqua (Russia), from 800 rub.
Daiwa (Japan), from 800 rub.
Ryobi (Japan), from 1500 rub.

Of the expensive models, experienced fishermen definitely recommend the following spinning reels:

Daiwa Megaforce - 4000 rub.;
Ryobi Zauber - 7500 rub.;
Daiwa Sweepfire and OKuma Octana - 3000 rub.

The ranking of expensive and high-quality reels is topped by Shimano Ultegra and Okuma Artics RTX models. For them you will have to pay from 9,000 to 15,000 rubles.

A real fisherman chooses gear for himself, taking into account the type of reservoir and the characteristics of the pike’s character. A competent choice of spinning rod and its components is an important component of successful trophy production.

Rating of spinning reels for pike

For a correct orientation when searching for a suitable model, we advise you to familiarize yourself with the rating of spinning spinning reels presented below in the form of five products preferred for purchase.

Will open the list of Shimano Stradic . After all, this is an impeccable and reliable model in a case made of innovative ultra-light material, where the high-quality bearings used in the mechanisms guarantee smooth operation and long service life, despite the highly dynamic operating mode.
the fast Daiwa Sweepfire the second line in the rating. The model achieves speed balance and traction thanks to the increased size of the spool. The sealed housing with ceramic surfaces of the receiving and traction elements of the fishing line is also one of the advantages of the accessory.
The top three is completed by a representative from Mikado, its brainchild Crystal Line . The graphite body significantly distinguishes models of similar design from other manufacturers in terms of weight. Crystal Line is positioned as a tool purely for jigging. Reliable metal bearings in this pike reel guarantee long service life without breakdowns.
Fourth place for Kosadaka Blaze . The reel models are ideally adjusted to the uniform wiring of spinners and wobblers. The manufacturer guarantees smooth running and fine adjustment of the friction brake, which is exactly what a spinning angler needs in extreme pike fishing.
An honorable fifth line in the rating will be given to the budget, but fairly high-quality, inertia-free Ryobi Zauber . It is distinguished by the density and evenness of the cord laying and low weight. A spare spool adds interest to the product along with the low cost of the product.

Tips for a newbie

What to look for when choosing a particular reel:

Price. Don't blindly chase brands. It's better to take a budget model. Understand the principle of operation, get your hands on it. And only then, you can take the one you like best, taking into account the characteristics you need.
The line should be wound smoothly, in an even path. Nothing should interfere with her. Extraneous sounds or crunches are a sign of poor quality.
It is better to prefer the inertia-free type.
The reel material must be durable and of high quality, otherwise it will not last long.
It is advisable to choose a reel with a replaceable handle in order to place it on the side from which it will be convenient to fish.

Any spinning reel is not suitable for pike fishing. This element is subject to a minimum set of requirements, without which the fisherman simply will not be able to assemble a good pike tackle.

Subtleties of choice and rating of models

It’s no secret that 2-3-3.5-meter blanks are suitable exclusively for coastal fishing when using medium and heavy baits. The reel for such gear must be selected with special care, paying attention to the spool reserve (from 2500).

Rods for ultralight fishing with ultralight baits, as a rule, have a length of 2.7 meters. It’s much easier to make a choice here, because very thin fishing line is used for fishing, so a spool volume of 1500-2000 is enough.

To make the right choice, pay attention to the list of popular models from Shimano, Ryobi and Daiwa.

The most popular models are from Shimano, represented by a rich variety of models in a wide price range . Some really good offers include the following:

Shimano Exage is a popular budget model, characterized by good quality and low price.
Shimano Catana is also an affordable invention from a leading fishing tackle manufacturer, priced under $50.
Shimano Twin Power is a professional premium reel costing from 12 thousand rubles.
Shimano Ultegra is a multi-size product with spool sizes 1000-6000. Costs about 5,000 rubles.
Shimano Biomaster is a representative of the middle class, which will cost the buyer about 7,000 rubles.
Shimano Nacsi - belongs to the budget price segment and is available at a price of 3,800 rubles.

The Daiwa company also produces a large number of interesting offers for both beginners and more experienced fishermen. Despite the significant difference in price, all the models presented below have high quality and functionality :

Daiwa Regal is an excellent budget-level inertia-free model. You can buy it for only 1.5 thousand rubles.
The Daiwa Exceler is a multi-size model whose quality and functionality have stood the test of time.
Daiwa Crossfire is a model from the budget price segment, costs only 1,900 rubles.
Daiwa Certate is a professional model costing from 17,000 rubles.

Types of reels for pike

Catching toothy predators is possible using different types of reels. These are inertial, inertial-free and multipliers. The most common are inertialess.

This popularity of “meat grinders” is due to the fact that it is easier for new spinners to learn how to operate this particular type of reel.

And having already become seasoned fishermen, few decide to switch to casting gear, not seeing the need for it or not wanting to incur additional financial costs for purchasing expensive fishing rods and bait.

The advantages of spinning reels are:

Easy to learn.
Ease and convenience of use.
Availability of budget models.
Ability to use light baits and thin fishing lines.

Today, inertial coils have faded into the background, since they are in many ways inferior to modern inertia-free coils.

Another thing is multipliers, which benefit from power and the ability to catch with large minnow wobblers, heavy spoons and jerks.

In essence, a multi is an improved inertial coil. However, it costs a lot, and learning to fish with it is not easy, especially for beginners. Therefore, a baitcasting reel rarely finds its application in pike fishing.

Medium gear ratios - if you have no idea what exactly you will use the reel for, then we recommend that you choose universal reels with a gear ratio from 5:1 to 6:1. Such reels are suitable for most types of fishing and animation of all baits.

Fishing with a baitcasting reel

But the real strengths of the multiplier appear when fishing for large trophy fish with a spinning rod. After some training with a rod with a weight test of 30 g or more, you will beat any “long-range” spinning reel. However, care should be taken when working with light baits equipped with additional weight. While a spinning reel is generally forgiving of long casts, on a multiplier this leads to nasty beards. Americans call them "bird's nest." It sounds more beautiful than it looks.

The fact is that in the first phase of casting the spool reaches its maximum rotation speed. Then, when the bait (due to air resistance or due to mutual braking of the bait and additional weight) slows down its flight speed, the spool continues to rotate at the same speed. At the same time, the line runs off the spool faster than the bait pulls it out. Within a few fractions of a second, a beard forms, which is usually accompanied by rather strong expressions from anglers... In such cases, experienced spinning anglers slow down the line with their thumb, trying to somehow correct the situation, and when untangling the line, beginners have enough time to think about their mistake .

During a strong headwind, even when casting heavy baits (wobblers or large spinners) that experience significant air resistance, you should always keep an eye on the spool and, if necessary, “connect” your thumb.

Smooth casting of bait

Casting with a multiplier reel is not just a short wrist push, but a smooth, evenly accelerated movement of the rod performed by the whole hand. The lighter the bait, the more delicate the casting should be.

I prefer to cast from the side, but casting overhead is also easy. Only casting from below requires training, which sometimes has to be done on banks overgrown with dense vegetation. If the bait hangs on a branch and the spool continues to rotate, then even the fastest thumb will not help you. For multipliers, parabolic rods are often recommended. I absolutely disagree with this. My large pike spoons and wobblers, for example, are equipped with large tees. If the long-awaited seasoned predator finally bites, then I strongly prefer a short, sharp hook rather than a long stroke, which is required by a parabolic rod. Relatively stiff rods with a moderately flexible tip are better for this. Only when using braided fishing line does it make sense to choose a softer rod (sometimes this is even necessary if at the end of the fishing too many fish come off due to the hook breaking).

About

Types of spinning reels

Technically, the term “spinning reel” applies only to spinning reels—“meat grinders.” Inertial reels, although they can be installed on a spinning rod, are now almost never fished with archaic inertial reels like “Nevsky” ones, and for modern multiplier inertial reels there is a separate class of rods - casting rods, which have a special finger trigger and a special ring design. You can read more about them in this article.

Spinning reels

Most fishermen use the term “spinning reel” to mean spinning reels. Having appeared at the end of the 19th century, spinning reels gained enormous popularity, first in Europe, and then throughout the world, with the exception of the United States, where at that time a long-standing culture of using multipliers had already developed.

Inertia-free casters are easy to maintain and inexpensive, and their most outstanding quality is their long casting range and ease of casting, as well as effective work with small baits and thin tackle. Further in the article we will talk specifically about the choice of inertia-free coils.

You can read about other types of reels that you can install on a spinning rod at the end of the article.

• Shimano Sienna Spinning Reel
, a lightweight, inertia-free reel, designed for catching pike weighing up to 4 kilograms. The reel spool has a conical edge, which is responsible for the friction of the line during winding and provides longer casting.

Pike reel for spinning - dimensions

Here, it seems, everything should be extremely clear. The size of a spinning reel for pike fishing should be selected according to the size of the trophy itself and the test form on which this reel will be placed.

If you prefer fishing with UL baits, your spinning reel size is 500-1000. This size will withstand the load quite well when landing a small predator and will allow you to work correctly with minimal bait weights. Test the blank on which the reel is placed, with from 0 to 8 grams (up to 13 grams for microjigging blanks).
Catch laces and grass weighing up to 1 kg and use wobblers and spinners from the “folk” range of 7-12 grams - your spinning reel size should be 1500 - 2500. Such a reel will be able to store a sufficient amount of fishing line and will not weigh down your form with dough 5 -25 and 10-30 grams.
Catch larger toothy ones, the weight of the trophy is up to 5-7 kg - please, your spinning reel should be size 3000-3500. It is placed on the form 10-30 and 15-45, and sometimes 15-60.
Well, if you are a trophy fisherman and catch mothers weighing more than 10 kg with the most catchy spoons, then you are supposed to have a reel ranging in size from 4000 to 6000, and such beauty is placed on forms of 15-60, 20-80 and 20-120 grams. It’s hard, inconvenient, but when fishing for a trophy there is no extra power of the form. The same as a reserve reel on a spinning rod designed for trophy fish.

Or take a multiplier of 300-400, or even 600 – that’s where the reserves are.

Top 10 reel models for pike fishing

Models of reels for pike fishing differ in the traction mechanism, the ability to make long casts and the weight of the fished trophy.

Rating of reel models from the Top 10:

• PennBattle 2 Spinning Reel

, a lightweight, inertia-free reel with a smooth screw stroke, used for extreme fishing. The reel is powerful, so it can catch trophies up to 12 kilograms. The reel body is made of carbon fiber, the spool and reel bearings are made of durable steel material.

• Okuma AvengABF SpinningReel

, an inertia-free reel model, has a very durable body and a strong internal mechanism. Excellent for catching large pike and working with heavy equipment.

• KastKingSharky 2 Spinning Reel

, an inertia-free reel, made of durable carbon fiber, lightweight. The internal mechanism is hermetically protected from dirt, dust and water. The reel is used in difficult fishing conditions, in deep waters.

• Penn SpinfisherV Spinning Fishing Reel

, inertia-free type coil. Suitable for beginners and more experienced fishermen. The reel body is made of modern impact-resistant composite materials, the reel mechanism is protected from moisture and dirt.

• Okuma Trio High Speed Spinning Reel

, inertia-free reel, with a high-speed mechanism. The reel is designed for catching large trophies of pike. The body, rotor and handle of the reel are made of carbon.

• Shimano SprexRG Spinning Reel

, an inertia-free reel, has a smooth screw stroke, and is made of lightweight, durable carbon fiber. The reel is suitable for fishing in calm waters and catches trophies up to 6 kilograms.

• Shimano Sienna Spinning Reel

, a lightweight, inertia-free reel, designed for catching pike weighing up to 4 kilograms. The reel spool has a conical edge, which is responsible for the friction of the line during winding and provides longer casting.

• Pflueger PresidentSpinningReel

, an inertia-free reel, is used in deep water bodies and for fishing large trophies of pike up to 10 kilograms. The reel uses braided fishing line for fishing and has a reverse friction brake.

• Penn Pursuit 2 Spinning Reel

, an inertia-free reel, great for beginners in fishing. The reel is lightweight and makes long casts.

• Kast King SharkyBaitFeeder

, a lightweight reel, has an inertia-free type of mechanism. The reel is used in calm waters. Catches small pike, but is not suitable for large trophies.

If you intend to catch a trophy fish, take a baitcasting reel, but a spinning reel is suitable for both small and fairly large pike.

Which reels are suitable for pike fishing

For pike fishing, inertial, inertial-free and multiplier reels are used.

• Inertia-free reels have a fairly powerful mechanism capable of catching large pike trophies. Inertia-free reels have a friction brake, which ensures timely damping of pike jerks when biting and controls the entire fishing process before retrieving. Inertia-free reels cannot be overloaded, so you should always know for what fishing method the reel is being selected.

Inertia-free reels are suitable for pike fishing using jig, twitching and wire fishing methods.

• Multiplier reels, more modern ones, have a lockable housing. Multipliers are more powerful and have a stronger braking system.

Multiplier reels for pike fishing are suitable for trolling fishing, as they have good traction and can easily withstand overloads in equipment and when fishing.

• Inertia coils are of the drum type and are rarely used. Inertia reels are not reliable, so when fishing for a large pike they will create a lot of discomfort; they do not have a brake system setting. The only advantage of an inertial reel is the ability to wind a large amount of fishing line of any diameter.

Coil characteristics

Fishing should bring not only a rich catch, but also joy, a feeling of complete comfort and satisfaction. All this can be ensured by a properly selected fishing rod with all its components, in particular the reel. And it must meet all the parameters for successful pike fishing.

Secondly, the selection of the number of bearings is important. For pike fishing, spinners take models with a large number of bearings. But it is worth paying attention to their quality. Most reels with low-quality liners do not withstand the first fishing trip. It is important that there are two bearings on the handle axis, one under the line roller, one under the cylindrical core, and one roller bearing on the rotor rod.

Thirdly, the brake installed on the reel is important. It is necessary if suddenly a very large fish comes across the bait and the spinning rod jerks sharply. In this case, it is very difficult to hold it in your hands. And here the friction brake comes to the rescue, stopping the spool and straightening the line. There is also a choice in this category of brakes. There is front and rear brake. The front one is famous for its reliability, and the rear one will allow you to hold a pike of more than 10 kg.

It is unlikely that you will be able to catch a toothy fish using a spinning rod using a simple fishing line. In such a case, a braid is needed. It will withstand the needle-sharp teeth of a pike. And for such fishing line, its own category of reels is selected.

If you choose the right one, the roller will not jam. This pike reel is made of very hard metal so as not to break while hunting fish.

You need to pay attention to what the reel body is made of. The material can be made of plastic, aluminum, graphite and so on. It affects the strength, weight, and ease of use of the reel. Here, too, you should rely on the genus of pike.

You can measure the balance of your tackle by placing the blank of the rod, equipped with a reel, on your finger at the peak of the spool.

How to choose a spinning reel for pike

Each line of individual products has its own strict operating parameters, most suitable for the style of fishing the bait and the size of the rod. To correctly select a tool, a spinning angler needs to navigate the main parameters, choosing exactly those that will help implement high-quality fishing. You can choose a reel with the greatest efficiency for pike based on the following values and functions, which we will describe in detail.

Size

The size of the accessory is marked with numbers that are multiples of 1000 and is based on the size of the spool, which can accommodate a certain amount of cord of a certain diameter. This parameter is the easiest to navigate when choosing spinning rods for your existing fishing rod and fishing method based on the weight of the bait.

Important! For example, marking 1000 indicates that the spool will accept 100 meters of cord with a diameter of 0.1 mm. The number 5000 will include the same piece of fishing line, only with a diameter of 0.5 mm.

For ultralight, take mechanisms marked from 500 to 1000. For grass, a range of 1500–2500 will do. If you plan to catch 3–5 kg of pike, then select a product marked 3000–3500. For trophy fish, you also need a massive, powerful unit with spool parameters of 4000–6000. The selected inertia-free motor must correspond to the capabilities of the form on which it will be installed.

Gear ratio

The gear ratio of the reel characterizes the amount of fishing line reeled onto the spool per revolution of the accessory handle. A high gear ratio allows you to reel out the cord faster, and therefore increase the speed characteristics of the bait being pulled. As a rule, for pike spinning fishing, the optimal gear ratio is 5:1. But to catch trophy pike, you need to make an exception and use a product with lower speed characteristics, which at the same time increase traction forces, and therefore the power of the mechanism itself.

Important! It is more convenient to fish with slower, inertia-free versions using large and heavy baits. High-speed ones provide advantages when working with small and ultra-light imitators.

Friction brake

A friction brake is necessary to effectively distribute the increased load when fishing a trophy. This device protects the tackle form from destruction, absorbing jerks from overloads by dropping the fishing line. In pike spinning hunting, the fineness of the clutch settings plays an important role. After all, optimal balancing allows you to reliably hook a fish that has taken the bait and at the same time guarantees a successful outcome in the fight against a trophy that significantly exceeds the test loads on the rod, which in excess arise from its resistance. According to the design and control, friction brakes can be in front or rear variations. This design feature does not change the essence of the role of the function itself; the choice of its location is made based on the preferences of the spinning player.

Important! A multi-disc friction brake system is preferable, which allows you to make adjustments to the parameter in finer settings.

Line laying quality

It is equally important that the reel in the spool has even turns of fishing line that do not overlap each other. High-quality laying makes casting long-range, and the cord used for fishing, being less subject to structural deformations of the material, lasts much longer than with chaotic winding, which can result in the formation of both knots and increased wear on the surface of the line. A properly functioning mechanism lays the turns exactly along the diameter of the spool, tightly pressing the resulting line rings one against the other.

Important! When purchasing an accessory, you should definitely make a test reel (read more about how to tie a fishing line to a reel).

To do this, you can use monofilament or fluorocarbon cord together with braid, which will also clearly show the quality of laying materials with different rigidities. It is especially worth paying attention to this nuance when choosing Chinese coils, which often suffer from even and dense laying.

Line thickness

One of the key selection parameters is the thickness of the fishing line used. After all, based on its material, the side surface of the inner part of the spool, as well as the surface of the line roller, are subject to loads from frictional forces, and their premature wear leads to a decrease in the breaking loads of the cords, which directly affects the reliability of catching fish.

Important! The use of small diameter braids greatly cuts the surface of the roller, making micro-scratches on it and when planning to fish with such cords, choose models where the surface of the spool and the roller itself are made of ceramic material.

Choosing a rod

Build

First of all, spinning rods differ in structure:

fast
average
slow

In the image above you can see that the faster the action, the faster the tip begins to bend.

Video about choosing a spinning rod. What you should pay attention to when choosing:

Length

with the length of the rod . 210-240 cm is quite enough. If you choose a longer and heavier rod, the rate of hand fatigue during fishing increases.

You can measure the balance of your tackle by placing the blank of the rod, equipped with a reel, on your finger at the peak of the spool.