A lot of Steelheaders in the Northwest use level wind reels for all of their Steelhead fishing. I use them too, especially during winter months on large rivers when water is high and when I want a change of pace. However, a quality spinning outfit can do some things that are difficult for a level wind to do. Thus, this tutorial. If you are experienced you will note that there is little new here. Others have written on these things. I write for the newbies and for those of us who have become sloppy in our practice. I have spent over 20 years flyfishing nearly exclusively. Returning to the spinning and casting rod over the past several years is like returning to my youth. I've spent some time getting re-oriented and dialed in. I've caught some fish to the extent that my spin fishing is now getting to where I think it should be, though I can still improve. After reading this, your (kind) comments are appreciated.
Spinning outfits shine in several important areas:
1. They are superior in tight quarters with restricted casting space. Small, brushy streams requiring short casts are a case in point. A casting outfit takes some room to operate. It must be swung in an arch (overhead or sidearm) in order to get the spool moving. A spinning outfit need only be flipped, using the rod action as a catapult. (A spinning rod can hold its own on a large river, too, in my opinion.)
2. They are superior with tiny baits and lures. More simply put, a spinning outfit can cast lighter objects. Often the misnomer of "bottom bouncing" in drift fishing would be better replaced by what some today call "gliding." The weight only ticks bottom occasionally (every 6-10 feet) rather than dragging or plowing the river floor. This requires a lighter weight in many applications, handled well by a spinning outfit.
3. They are superior when finesse is called for. Light lines, tiny lures and weights call for light rods with quite a bit of give. This is especially true with summer fishing in low flows. So-called "soft" rods lend themselves better to spinning reels. With more flex in the rod, lighter lines are cushioned against breakage. The so-called "one knot" method used by summer float and jig fishermen (line goes through center of a fixed float and is tied directly to the eye of the jig using no special leader material) is best practiced with the light touch of a spinning outfit.
The biggest objection to spinning reels among casting reel fans is line twist. Of course, that's the nature of the beast. After all, it's "spinning," right? Yet there are ways to rectify the problem. If you'll practice these things and make them second nature habits, you'll seldom be troubled with line twist.
1. Be careful how you put line on the reel. Place your line spool on the floor. Put your reel on the lower half of your rod, run the line through the large collection guide, attach the line to the empty spool on your reel, and point it toward the spool containing your line. Hold the line between your fingers or a towel to provide a tight pull from your reel. As you crank the handle, the line should come off the filler spool in the same direction as it goes onto your reel spool, looking from the back of your reel. On my reels the line comes off in counter-clockwise direction. Matching this direction will minimize twist. By all means, don't get it reversed or you'll be untangling line all day when you should be fishing!
2. When fishing, always stop your retrieve 7 or 8 feet short of your rod tip, raise your rod, and pause, letting any twist in your line unwind. When using spinners and spoons or other terminal tackle that can cause line twist, use a high quality swivel. Ball bearing type swivels are best, provided you aren't fishing the lumber yard where snagging and breaking off begins to break your bank account. Regular barrel swivels work for me provided I'm practicing the other things mentioned in this tutorial. I like to build swivels right into my spinners and spoons when assembling them, eliminating the snap portion found on most swivels and cutting down on the overall profile of the lure.
3. Right after casting and seeing your lure hit the water, flip your bail and raise your rod tip a few feet before you begin your retrieve. This will take up the slack between you and your lure and keep the bail from throwing a loose loop onto your spool as you begin your retrieve. Such loose loops get trapped under additional line as you retrieve causing the spin fisherman's version of the bird's nest on the next cast. Other line gets wrapped around the loop and pulls off too soon, causing a tangle. This is one place where spinning reels get a bad rap for line twist. It will never happen if you take up the slack before you start your retrieve. Some spin fishermen actually flip the bail by hand after casting. This both reminds them to take up the slack and prevents any forward retrieve until the line is tight. Try it. You might like it.
4. If you use mono, consider using a limper or "softer" line on your spinning reels. Of course there is a trade off when you do this. Limper, softer lines cast better but wear faster. They're not as resistant to abrasion as "harder" lines. You'll need to change them more often. I've switched to the newer braided lines (20 lb. PowerPro or Tuffline for Steelhead fishing). These lines have almost no memory and come off the spool in very limp coils. They are very slick and go through the guides with little resistance. Just remember that they have no stretch when it comes to setting the hook. Hook sets made with force sufficient to yank an anvil from the river and kill three men on the bank might be nice for clearing some space to fish but they can also leave you with a broken rod. If your hooks are sharp, a firm but much lighter hook set is all that is needed when fishing with braid.
Part 2
5. When fighting a fish, don't reel while the drag is letting out line. Instead, pull up on the fish when he isn't pulling, using your rod without moving your reel handle, then wind down on the line as you return the rod to its lower position. In essence you are "pumping" the fish in.
6. If you really want to get radical you can occasionally take off all of your terminal tackle and let your line slip downstream in the current or behind the boat. This will unwind any twist. I seldom do it unless things are really slow and I need a break. Just be sure there's nobody below you when you do it. By practicing the other things in this tutorial, it should seldom be necessary.
Some additional spinning pointers...
1. If you use mono rather than braided line, it helps to dunk your spool in the water from time to time. Monofilament absorbs water, which relaxes its tendency to jump off the reel spool. Some spin fishermen dunk their entire reel. When using mono, I prefer to dunk only the spool every few hours. I want to minimize the potential of water entering the innards of the reel.
2. Fly fishermen are conscious of "balancing" their reel weight to their rod. They do this by choosing a reel that places equal weight in front and behind the point where they grip the handle. Such balancing provides a much more pleasurable day on the water as it does not tax the hand and wrist muscles holding back the torque of a tip heavy (or butt heavy) rod all day. A spin fisherman can do the same thing, though the mechanical aspects involved are a bit different. On the rare rod that mounts the reel by rings over cork, this is simply a matter of moving the reel forward or backward until there is equal weight in front of and behind reel's mount point. On a rod with a fixed reel seat (most every rod made today is this type) the same can sometimes be accomplished by moving the hand forward or backward until it grips the handle at the point of balance. Like many others, I was taught to grip the handle with the reel trapped between my second and third finger. This was probably good advice on the rods I used for bass and trout fishing when I was a kid. But the long rods used for Steelhead fishing are typically tip heavy. This necessitates moving the grip hand forward. If your fore grip is sufficiently long, this will solve the problem, provided you can re-learn how to grip the line properly for your cast. A helpful solution if you cannot move your grip hand far enough ahead to find the balance point is to weight the butt of your rod. Provided you don't have to add too much weight, this can be done by wrapping some solid core pencil lead around the butt of your rod until the desired balance is affected. Be sure to put down a soft, protective layer of cloth or other protective material to keep from discoloring the cork. Or, if you want to get fancy, you can buy something designed for just this purpose. A "The Balancer - Rod Balancing System" can be purchased from Bass Pro Shops. (I think Cabelas has them, too) that features a removable butt cap that can be filled with the three ingots that come with the system. This can be supplemented with quarters from Uncle Sam if it's not enough. (And just think, you'll always be able to afford parking if you have to run to town for some last minute purchase. You'll also increase your net worth.) Here's a picture:
Here's a link to the Bass Pro page (though I just noted that it is in the "Clearance" section of the site so you better hurry.)
http://www.basspro.com/servlet/catalog.TextId?hvarTextId=16515&hvarTarget=search&hvarAID=&cmCat=2222206If you ignore everything else in this tutorial, do try balancing your rod. Use the pencil lead wrap at first, until you know whether or not you like it. You'll find it lessens fatigue and there is a great bonus besides. Your rod will become much for "sensitive" and able to feel ticks and bumps (and bites) on the business end. Who knows, maybe you might even get away with passing on the purchase of a top end "super-sensitive" graphite rod.
(Note: Be sure to read zonker's additional post ("Additional Notes on Rod Balancing) below if you are considering balancing your rod.) 3. Read the manual that came with your spinning reel and learn how to properly oil and lube it. A spinning reel is a finely tuned machine that functions much better when kept in tip top shape. It will last longer when you keep it properly maintained, too. Keep it ready to go at a moment's notice.
4. I prefer a larger diameter spool on my spinning reels when I can find it. The larger the diameter, the looser the coils of line coming off and the less line twist. That's an old flyfishing trick too, what with the "large arbor" reels.
4. Learn to back-crank skillfully. The level wind aficionado can "freespool" line to extend his drift when drift fishing or using a float. It is often said that a spin fisherman can't do this but that's baloney. Once your line drifts past you and begins to tighten up below you, simply throw the anti-reverse lever into "off" position. As your line comes tight downstream, back reel, paying out line, being careful not to reel faster than the line moves out. Its a two handed approach but only if you decide to back crank. Some guys flip their bails over and let line out with their fingers. While this works for some great anglers, the extra time necessary to click your bail over when you get a strike may cause you to miss fish. Your line will always be tight and ready for the hook set if you back reel properly.
Additional Notes on Rod BalancingThere is a trade off that you must consider when balancing a rod. The more "tip heavy" the rod is (or the longer it is) the more weight you must add to counter-balance it. This can quickly run you into the law of diminishing returns. Said another way, your rod just weighs too much with the added weight.
We usually pay big bucks for high end rods for at least two reasons. One is lighter weight, which reduces fatigue. The other is "sensitivity" (i.e., the ability to "feel" what is going on at the business end of the line.) Balancing a rod affects both of these. It reduces forward torque fatigue, but if you must add too much weight to get that result, it may cancel out the good effect because you have more to lug around and hold up. Balancing a rod also increases perceived "sensitivity," probably because you are not already exerting force with your hand to keep the tip up. Any weight on the business end is more readily noticed ("felt") because your hand is more relaxed and "sensitive." (We speak of "sensitive" rods but really, an important and sometimes overlooked issue is a "sensitive" hand. You have a living thing on one side of the rod -the fish- and a living thing on the other side -your hand. A graphite rod is really just a collection of dead carbon fibres. A good rod will transmit the vibrations from the one living thing to the other. If your hand is fatigued, it will not be as "sensitive.")
Pro rod builders spend hours discussing the merits/limitations of rod balancing. What it boils down to is personal perception and preference. This is a highly subjective human issue that can only be answered through experience.
If you want to experiment with balancing your rod, here is a strategy.
1. On a spinning rod, experiment first with moving your grip hand forward (on a tip heavy rod) to see if you can find a comfortable spot where the rod is balanced. What you are doing is moving the fulcrum of the lever forward. Sometimes moving your hand forward (if there is room on your foregrip) is all the balancing you need. (BTW, this should be done with your reel mounted. Also, since you only have one position for gripping a casting reel, you can't achieve balance by moving your hand with your level wind outfit.)
2. If the above does not yield a good result, wrap some plastic sandwich wrap around the handle of your rod as far aft as you can (toward the butt) then put a few wraps of pencil lead over the plastic. Hold your empty hand out like you were about to shake someone's hand and balance the rod on the side of your index finger. The balance point should be where you grip the rod when fishing. Add or remove weight until it balances. Now fish with it for a day. You may like the balance and may find that the price you pay in added weight is a good trade off. You may not like it and may want to return to fishing an unbalance rod. (If the thought of being "unbalanced" bugs you, just forget you ever read this tutorial and you'll be fine.)
3. If the added weight is a concern, remove some of it and try again. Fishing with an "unbalanced" rod (or a "less balanced" rod) that weighs less overall may be what you decide you like.
To balance or not to balance. That is the question.
Here's a picture of the commercially available rod balancer on one of my spinning rods. This rod is a 10.5 foot, medium light action, rated for 6-10 lb. line. It was always a little tip heavy, in my opinion, causing me to prefer another rod that was a foot shorter. With the counter balance mounted, it is now very pleasant to use.
The three ingots that came with the "balancer" were just right for this rod. Oh, and that blue band around the butt is a plastic cable tie that I added. It holds the thing in place and keeps it from slipping off, while not discoloring the cork by using tape or glue. Can be quickly removed with a knife if necessary just by cutting the tie.
Happy "balanced" fishing.
zonker
