Randy has a discussion on things you should look for and not look for when purchasing a spinning reel…#spinningreels #bassfishing #fishthemoment #fishing #bass 
Final update: this little reel is the little engine that could ru-vid.comUgkxSlytCJqozTF7EbdP4LWP-HUXf9WRDJ0e . It performed flawlessly and was easy to adjust drag in the moment while I was battling a 35lb bat ray behemoth. Mind you, this reel is spooled with only 25 lb braid and 25 mono topshot. It's paired with the kastking telescopic heavy power rod and the two work well together. This has now earned my respect and confidence when traveling and fishing. If you have ever hooked into large rays and sharks, you know they pull extremely hard and can run forever! This thing clamped down on the fish and was easy to adjust during the fight. It has a nice decently fast retrieve as well. Twice the fish went on mad runs and I was able to gain back line quickly to avoid spooling.
A tip I got from a guide in Louisiana: keep your drag fairly light, and when you get a pretty big fish on with a spinning reel and he's making a run, point your rod at the fish. Not up in the air. Line will come out easier and won't break. Have done this for years without issue.
Love all the tips and advice Randy. I’ve been fishing spinning rods all my life and I haven’t used the back reel method. You’ve definitely peaked my interest on controlling the fish better with back reel. If possible can you show us how you do it with a live fish catch. Thanks again for all the tips and advice. Good luck in all your tournaments this year!!
ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-UjuUTIBdwKM.html Here is a video I found where he addresses back reeling a little more made a lot more sense after I watched it Good Luck ✌🏼
Thanks a bunch and good luck down there. I remember back feeling with a 309 Garcia and zebco cardinal on big carp from sac river, not long ago, like 1973, it's went fast folks!
.. Great tips. Another plus- When comparing reels with the same gear ratio, say, 5:1, the larger diameter spool obviously has the greater circumference, therefore when making one turn of the reel handle you will be taking up more line per turn than smaller spools equaling faster retrieves when reeling in to make another cast or taking up slack line. I believe some/most manufactures are listing the, "inches per handle revolution", now on their spec sheets. For those that do not keep full spools, your, "inches per handle revolution", will be less than if it was full. . Jeff .
Tip for Shimano reels: 2500 and c3000 spools are absolutely same. The only difference is drag and amount of line they hold, if you use braid you will be better off with a 2500, so you don't need that much backing.
Hey randy…., Thanks for sharing theAwesome memory of your good friend! Maybe you can share some more stories about him…what did he teach you about fishing that you still use today?
I usually buy at least a 2500 size reel, but most often they're 3000 or 4000 size. The main reason I use the larger reels is that I still fish with monofilament line and there is less memory with a large spool. I always use front drag reels rather than rear drag. I've never had a problem with the drag seizing up or malfunctioning.
@@erichildreth7562 It's a great technique to know in case something happens to your drag. I'm sure that I'm older than you are, I'm 62 and learned back reeling years ago wading for trout and smallies.
@@TN-Vols-Fan yea it really does seem like a good way to go and I am a few years behind you as I just turned 51. The older that I get the more that I enjoy fishing and being blessed to learn from Randy and other fisherman!!
I am one of those people who use a 2000 size reel . Your info makes sense to me . I am going to replace one of my reels with a 3000 size reel and make the test myself. I am one of those guys that use braid or mono for backing before finishing loading the last half of the reel with 10# floro.
I think this is one of the best videos put out on using spinning reels for Bass fishing. 100% agree with the 3000 size reels and run Daiwa 3000 on all my spinning set ups.
Thanks Randy for always providing interesting tips and no BS commentary. I would be interested in hearing more from you about back reeling instead of relying on drag systems. It's honestly something I've never really considered, always assuming that any decent drag system that is adjusted properly can react to a fish surging much faster than I can. Would love to hear more about this.
That was my thought too if a fish is strong enough to break the line seems like the drag would be better suited to slipping under sudden shock like a big unexpected run, turn, or head shake which is when line breakage would be most likely to happen. I just don’t think the reaction time of a person would be quick enough reliably
ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-UjuUTIBdwKM.html Watch this one cuz I was curious also Randy talks about the back reeling a little more ✌🏼good luck
If your going to backreel on fish i dont see a reason in buying a 200-300$ reel. We buy expensive reels for the drags and to be honest ive never had a fish come off or the line break while the drag was running and backreeling has always just seemed to me that you end up giving more slack than needed and if the fish turns to run at the boat you have to gain back a ton of line. Even with a baitcaster freespooling in my opinion ends up loosing you fish because its just one more thing you can mess up when you could just let the gear do the work.
Wish I would have known your friend, sounds like a great guy, I had a buddy like that when I was military, fishing truly is a great way to spend quality time with pals,proud of you randy and good luck pal! Think positive thoughts, and put that trolling motor on high!!
Good stuff you are most certainly right take that spool off an remove one of them Teflon washers looking at that spool the way the line is laying on it the spool is a tad to high. It will lay more evenly an you can get away with putting a little more line on them for a longer cast. I like mine to taper just a tad towards the top nearly no wind knots an a further cast. Good luck this week I’m pulling for you ur on my home lake
I'd like to show this video to at least 100 people I have had to explain my gear to while on the lake, dock or at the ramp.. You are common sense gospel. Thank you for the content.
bass are spawning so i would think the shallow bite is good. Randy just stay positive and do what is in your gut dont doubt yourself. go out there fish shallow and win the tournament, each lake is a new beginning so go get em. God Bless and tight lines
Thanks for the advice, Randy. I bought a nice Shimano reel last year and it does not have anti-reverse switch. I've always back reeled my fish just like you talked about, and as nice as this reel is, I don't think I will buy another reel that I can't back reel with...I do miss that option. Best wishes in the tournament, buddy!!
Had not seen all the comments, but to maximize distance on your 3000 size spool or any other measure the spool lip diameter and be sure that the stripper guide (1st guide)is no less than 50% of that diameter if smaller will compress the loops too much and cut distance, ie 50mm spool diameter needs a 25 mm stripper guide
Thanks for the tips on a spinning real. I might start using one a little more. I probably been using it about 15% of the time. Good luck on your tournament.👍🏻
All ya gotta do to keep line twist down is get in the habit of catching the line with your fore finger at the end of cast pullit up tight to spool and engage reel...or cut the bail off and you have to grab line with your finger....also keep handle in your hand when you set the hook and you can keep anti reverse off ready to back reel
I think the rod you use dictates what size spinning reel you need. Daiwa makes a 3000C size which is the 2500 body with a 3000 sized spool. I don’t like anti reverse switches, it’s just one more thing that can fail.
I use a spinning setup quite a bit. I love finesse fishing. I have 5 main setups. One for weightless plastics and lightweight Texas type rigs. One for shakyheads and drop shots. One for ned rigs. One for heavier shakyheads and neds, and one for jerks. I use them for other lures too but not too much. I also have one spinning setup for lightweight hair jigs with a bobber, lol. Everything else gets thrown on baitcasting setups.
I have a mixture of 2500 to 3000 series spinning reels and you get what you pay for, I have learned that spending the extra money on a higher end with quality parts and bearings really does make a difference. I was out walking a gravel bank one afternoon and slipped and dropped my rod and the reel hit the ground, after picking it back up there were some minor scratches but nothing was damaged at all so I have no issues buying a higher end spinning reel plus they are easy to take apart, clean and lube and if you do need parts they are easy to find and get. Thanks for these great tips and good luck tomorrow!!!
Thanks for all the little tips, Randy. I never knew what the anti-reverse button was for until just now…. Been fishing for over forty years, and no one ever told me :0
It really depends on where you're fishing... for example, the creek I fish in at it's widest points is about 25-30 yards, but mostly it's a lot smaller than that. Don't need a huge reel for that size area. Now, a lake on the other hand...
Great advice Randy; you are spot on! The 3000 size spinning reels handle fluorocarbon line so much better than the 2500 size reels and they weigh just a fraction more. I was recently at a big name sporting goods store and the salesman was telling people all they needed were the little bitty 1000 reels for fresh water and the 3000 size were for salt water. It makes me wonder if he every really went fishing?
I always use my drag, I set it loose after I hook up so they can run and I’ll turn it up just a little to get some line back then the fight begins. I have never tried to back reel, I’ll have to find a video on it.
I’ve tried fluorocarbon a few times on spinning reels and it lasts about .5 seconds before I start getting line twist and wind knots like a sob. Like a video of how you avoid that if you haven’t already
I agree with most of the points made. I would just second a comment basically talking about application/where you fish. If most or all of your fishing is done on creeks, ponds, or small lakes especially from the bank then something like a 2500 series is plenty. Not saying you couldn't use something larger, but you wouldn't get much benefit from it. Just my two cents.
@@19empire85 I understand where you are coming from. I was more or less referring to fishing in areas where you can't cast very far due to the size of the water you are fishing on and/or obstacles in the way.
True, but it comes down to personal preference and opinions, I have been using 2500 size reel like forever and doesn’t really bother or matters to me at all, so I don’t find how this a mistake, but 3000 size reel does hold more lines I’ll give you that, anyway this tips is relative not absolute
Will argue about the back reeling. Todays reels with oiled felt or greased carbonex drag washers are so smooth that back reeling should be a thing of the past. Back in the day I did this with my Mitchell 300’s. (Backreeling) Drags we’re herky jerky. Mechanical ar’s were noisy. With todays drag washers and instant ar’s back reeling is totally unnecessary. BTW, try back reeling with saltwater fish. I double dare you! JMO.
Hello Randy - Good Tips. Love the back-reeling method. Watch Jerry McKinnis do this method on his show "The Fishin Hole" back in the 80's and have been doing it since then.
Hmmmm. Always nice to hear different perspectives…… How do you manage straight flouro on a spinning reel? It’s never (ever) worked foe me and I always end up going back to good ol’ mono. May I ask which flouro you use in a medium action spinning setup? Cheers!
My problem with spinning reels is the accuracy of my casts is just completely out the window. I probably just need more practice, but I took a spinning reel with me to my last tournament to give it a try and my casts were just going everywhere other than where I was aiming lol I was surprised at how far I was able to cast my weightless bait... too good. I kept overshooting my mark and getting up in the trees or a bush or something... which just completely ruins that spot when you have to go up to a tree and pull ur lure out of it. The biggest advantage to me seemed to be how soft the bait would hit the water. If I'm pitching and flipping a jig, sometimes it feels like I'm just throwing rocks in the water and scaring anything that might be there away. The good casts I had with my spinning reel were very quiet. I realistically will only use it for throwing a weightless senco. I like my baitcasters too much for basically every reason. That could change with practice though.
So, you can use your free hand to feather the line as it comes off the reel to help slow down an over cast. Kind of similar to using your thumb on a bait caster, but not as precise. However, when I realized that one simple trick it made my casting accuracy much better. Obviously it will take practice to learn the timing for releasing the line (for left/right accuracy if you side arm cast), but that’s not much different than when you learned on a baitcaster (just no drag from the spool). Try placing an open palm right over the spool and just barely letting it touch the line and you will see what I’m talking about.
I disagee, Shimano Or Diawa. If you have to the right rod and guides, the setup then, you don't have to have a big spool, And if you own a reel for 10years and you know how to cast a spinning reel you become familier. Useing the best equipment makes you a better fisherman. Knowing your equipment is a big deal.
So how do you net or land fish when you have the back-reel on? You would have to turn it off right before landing the fish and if the fish makes another run, then your line breaks.
Right, you turn it off at the end, and with normally the fish being tired out enough at that point there's no issue--just make sure your drag is set well enough to account for that possible last-second run. I back-reel all the time now and really prefer it. I just click the anti-reverse back on when I'm ready to reach for the fish with one hand.
I recently added a 3500 Pflueger to my line up for that exact reason. I wanted to buy a Pflueger Arbor model, but I don't think they make them any more, unfortunately. They were the model specifically made with a large diameter arbor- I love the one that I have!
Randy, you surprised me here... would have thought you'd pick a reel that's the right size to properly balance on the rod... I think a 3000 series is too heavy and throws the balance off on a lot of rods
So you'll take a balanced set up that casts like ass over a set up that isn't balanced by a few ounces? Does a few ounces really twist your panties that much??
Back reeling.... Love it, been doing that 30 plus years. Always makes me laugh a little when i hear someone down play it. Thanks for the vid, good luck in your Tournament.
I usually use a 6 1/2' medium rod and a 2500 reel with 15# braid to a 10-12# short leader for Senkos, NED, etc. 3500 just feels to heavy and balance is not as good for me.
Randy, thank you. I get tons of sh** for running spinning equipment. I started on a Max STX spinning combo. Fell in love. My casters are only for very specific uses. My spinners are for everything else. I'm like you. I've got a spinner in my hands at least half the time. We just love you here on Bull Shoals Lake. When do you come here again?
Most good crappie fishing will go with a 2500 or 3000 due to line management. Most of the time the 3000 is same weight as a 2500, just has a bigger spool and handle.
Best spinning reel for short money.....Shimano ix4000r .... absolutely the best I've tried. I buy them whenever I see them. Lasts a couple of years and costs no more than $13. Unbelievable when you compare any reel that costs triple or more.
I don't think I have anything that casts further than this tiny 30-year-old Shimano I have, it's probably the equivalent of a 75 or 100, on a 4'6" ultralight.
Here's why people will never even try to learn how to back reel - you'll lose a bunch of fish trying to figure out how to do it. Guys would rather just use drag than ever even consider losing a fish for any reason.
I'm surprised you didn't mention the rotation of the line coming off of the spool. My dad taught me 60 years ago NEVER to buy a spinning reel you want to cast accurately with that comes off of the spool in a clockwise direction (looking at the reel from rod tip to spool). Why? Because you can't "feather" the line easily as the cast is progressing. If your lure is going too far to fast, you can gradually slow it down with your index finger and possibly have it land exactly where you desire. If it's coming off the spool clockwise, it will hook your finger and abruptly stop the lure. Of course, the opposite would be true for people who cast with their left hand.
Most spinning reels load clockwise looking from the tip to the spool. Very few exceptions to that would be the old Mitchell 300s. I know this from winding hundreds of spools with new line on the machine at the shop where I work.
When you use back reel as your drag. Do you have the anti reverse engaged and switch to allow back reel when you hook up or do you have anti reverse off all the time?
I probably agree with you on the back reeling. That’s on your cheaper spinning reels, for the drags aren’t that hot. You buy a good Daiwa or a good Shimano the drags are so good they’ll out do back reeling in a heartbeat. Just saying.
Hey randy I really think you should buy a high end spinning reel try the newest shimano exist or even sustain. If you want the best try the new stella or new diawa exist. The drag on those reels is so good back reeling is completely un needed. Give one a try and let us know if you agree. I think you still do it cause the drag on that lews reel and others in its class just are not even comparable to the drag on better reels. Thier is a reason the top spinning reel manufactures are no longer putting antireverse on thier reels. It is a common point of failure when it slips and is not needed if the drag if of great quality. I've landed many 5lb class smallies on 4lb test and can not ever remember a time a fish broke line due to anything other than user error on my part. I'd be interested to hear your opinion on this if you got some higher quality reels to see if you maby would think those drag systems are good enough to not have to back reel.
lol I've sold every shimano reel that I've ever owned and swapped them all for Lew's. Don't knock things when you have literally no idea what you're talking about.
It’s not about the drag system and how smooth it is. That doesn’t have anything to do with what I’m talking about. When you back reel you can instantly put as little or as much pressure as you need to on the fish. If you have a drag you don’t have the ability to do that as precisely as back reeling. You always have to make some adjustment on the drag Midway in the fight .The only reason pros and other people use a drag is they haven’t spent enough time Perfecting the art of back reeling . If they would have they would never go back to using a drag again
I view and like pretty much every video here and comment alot because I know that grows the channel. If I don't agree with everything Randy says, which I don't, I still can't stop watching and finding out how good Randy and his techniques/tactics are and how much me and my ways and everybody else's ways suck 🤣 now he's talking about his method is perfect with a capital p. I'm sure of it...I suck. How you say it?
I still fish a Mitchell Garcia 408 and 300 that are the French Mfg ones (Mfg in the 70’s) I’ll put these up against any of the new stuff out there. Too much plastic and short cuts in Mfg today
No. Using a drag is a fad that people picked up on because they have not perfected the art of back reeling. There’s no comparison to how you can instantly react to a fishes movement Between the two
@@randyblaukatintuitive Yep. That's exactly right. That's why Fishing Facts magazine advocated back reeling instead of using a drag system way back in the 1970s - because manual back reeling was so superior to any reel's drag system. I do a similar thing on my bait casting reels. Instead of using the drag, I simply push the cast button and use my thumb as the drag on the reel. I've caught bass up to 15 pounds, plus Snook, Tarpon, Redfish, Stripers, plus freshwater Northern Pike, and Catfish using this method.
@@randyblaukatintuitive I agree. I back-reel all the time now on bigger fish and find I can quickly respond to the fish's movements or change in energy. And then I don't have to question the setting of the drag when I suddenly realize I have a larger fish on.
@@thomasmartin8202 I’ve never had a problem using the drag on a spinning reel. From trout on ultralight gear to big saltwater fish. If it works for anyone, not a big deal, I’ll let you know when I loose a big one by not back reeling😎
I'm honestly shocked and appalled that Lew's hasn't struck up a sponsorship deal with you yet. You have a larger following than the majority of their pro-staff, and you talk about the quality of their reels in your videos A LOT. Mark Zona, let's get this shit done!
It takes an old soldier to fold something that irregular, in the military the only thing that's square is your bedding. After thirty five years, I still can't sleep past 5am.
Randy you should probably tell people not to teach themselves how to back reel on tourny day if they aren't good at it. I'm sure to be skilled at back reeling takes some experience.
I'm not Randy but I click it off after hooking what feels like a big one. Otherwise I just leave it on. I back-reel all the time now. Works great. If you have it off when not fighting a line-peeling fish, the handle can inadvertently spin backwards and screw up your fishing.
