To have a perfect fishing trip, it is essential to have the right gear. This includes choosing the right fishing reel. So you go out, go to the fishing shop, and get overwhelmed with the many spinning reel sizes available!
Deciding on reel size can be a daunting task, especially for beginners. Do not worry! You will get something that works for you through this spinning reel sizes guide.
What Size Spinning Reel Do I Need?
Choosing a spinning reel size depends significantly on the type of reel you want to handle. In addition, you will need to consider the following factors:
- How big of a fish are you going to catch?
- Are you going to fish in saltwater or freshwater?
- What line strength will you use?
In most cases, you will need larger reels for saltwater fishing as they need to handle larger fish and stronger lines. Furthermore, robust saltwater species tend to run long after being hooked. This will exceed the endurance of a small reel.
Of course, you will need a more enormous reel to handle the larger fish. For example, if you want to catch bluegill or crappie, a size 1000 reel is perfect. Also, it is essential to choose a much larger reel to handle tuna, such as a 10,000-size reel.
The easiest way to determine the right reel size for your purposes is based on the reel size chart we provide below.
Spinning Reel Sizes Guide Chart
1. Small Spinning Reels (1000 – 3500)
This reel size is perfect for 6- to 8-foot rods. You can use them to handle small-sized fish up to about 15 pounds. These reels work well with 4-14lb braid or 2-10lb monofilament. Experienced anglers often use them for freshwater fishing.
| Reel Size | Recommended Applications | Recommended Braid Line Strength | Recommended Mono Line Strength | Recommended Species (North America) |
| 1000 | Ultralight fishing in bays & harbours, estuaries, or freshwater. | 4-8lb | 1-2kg (2-4lb) | Trout, Bluegill, Crappie, Yellow Perch, so on. |
| 2000 | Ultralight fishing in bays & harbors, estuaries, or freshwater. | 4-8lb | 2-3kg (4-6lb) | Trout, Bluegill, Crappie, Yellow Perch |
| 2500 | Light fishing in bays & harbors, estuaries, or freshwater. | 5-12lb | 2.5kg-4kg (5-8lb) | Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye, so on. |
| 3000 | Light fishing in bays & harbors, estuaries, or freshwater. | 6-14lb | 3kg-5kg (6-10lb) | Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye, Catfish, so on. |
| 3500 | Light fishing in bays & harbors, estuaries, or freshwater. | 6-14lb | 3kg-5kg (6-10lb) | Bass, Northern Pike, Walleye, Catfish, so on. |
2. Medium Spinning Reels (4000 – 5500)
This reel size is perfect for 7- to 8-foot rods. You can use them to handle medium-sized fish up to about 30 pounds. These reels work well with 10-25lb braid or 8-14lb monofilament. Anglers often use them for inshore saltwater fishing or freshwater applications.
| Reel Size | Recommended Applications | Recommended Braid Line Strength | Recommended Mono Line Strength | Recommended Species (North America) |
| 4000 | Medium-size fishing in inshore saltwater or freshwater | 8-20lb | 4kg-6kg (8-12lb) | Catfish, Snook, Muskie, Redfish, Snapper, so on. |
| 4500 | Medium-size fishing in inshore saltwater or freshwater | 8-20lb | 4kg-6kg (8-12lb) | Catfish, Snook, Muskie, Redfish, Snapper, so on. |
| 5000 | Medium-size fishing in inshore saltwater or freshwater | 10-25lb | 5kg-7kg (10-14lb) | Catfish, Snook, Muskie, Redfish, Snapper, so on. |
| 5500 | Medium-size fishing in inshore saltwater or freshwater | 10-25lb | 5kg-7kg (10-14lb) | Catfish, Snook, Muskie, Redfish, Snapper, so on. |
3. Large Spinning Reels (6000 – 30000)
These heavy-sized spinning reels are the perfect pick for offshore boat fishing, rock fishing, or surfcasting. They allow you to handle species that weigh 150 kg or more and work well with 24-100 lb braid or 12-60 lb monofilament. They are good choices for the most significant models or heavy saltwater applications.
| Reel Size | Recommended Applications | Recommended Braid Line Strength | Recommended Mono Line Strength | Recommended Species (North America) |
| 6000 | Medium-fishing in inshore & offshore saltwater | 12-30lb | 6kg-8kg (12-16lb) | Redfish (Red Drum), Snook, Salmon, Striped Bass, etc. |
| 6500 | Medium-fishing in inshore & offshore saltwater | 12-30lb | 6kg-8kg (12-16lb) | Redfish (Red Drum), Snook, Salmon, Striped Bass, etc. |
| 7000 | Medium-fishing in inshore & offshore saltwater | 15-40lb | 7kg-9kg (14-18lb) | Redfish (Red Drum), Snook, Salmon, Striped Bass, etc. |
| 7500 | Medium-fishing in inshore & offshore saltwater | 20-50lb | 8kg-10kg (16-20lb) | Redfish (Red Drum), Snook, Salmon, Striped Bass, etc. |
| 8000 | Medium-fishing in inshore & offshore saltwater | 20-50lb | 8kg-10kg (16-20lb) | Wahoo, Dorado, Barracuda, Roosterfish, Amberjack, etc. |
| 8500 | Medium-fishing in inshore & offshore saltwater | 30-50lb | 9kg-11kg (18-22lb) | Wahoo, Dorado, Barracuda, Roosterfish, Amberjack, etc. |
| 9000 | Medium-fishing in inshore & offshore saltwater | 30-50lb | 9kg-11kg (18-22lb) | Wahoo, Dorado, Barracuda, Roosterfish, Amberjack, etc. |
| 9500 | Medium-fishing in inshore & offshore saltwater | 30-50lb | 10kg-12.5kg (20-25lb) | Wahoo, Dorado, Barracuda, Roosterfish, Amberjack, etc. |
| 10000 | Medium-/Heavy-fishing in inshore & offshore saltwater | 30-60lb | 10kg-12.5kg (20-25lb) | Tuna, Dorado, Wahoo, Shark, etc. |
| 10500 | Medium-/Heavy-fishing in inshore & offshore saltwater | 30-60lb | 11kg-13.5kg (22-27lb) | Tuna, Dorado, Wahoo, Shark, etc. |
| 12000 | Medium-/Heavy-offshore saltwater fishing | 30-60lb | 14kg+ (28lb+) | Tuna, Dorado, Wahoo, Shark, etc. |
| 14000 | Medium-/Heavy-offshore saltwater fishing | 30-60lb | 14kg+ (28lb+) | Tuna, Dorado, Wahoo, Shark, etc. |
| 16000 | Medium-/Heavy-offshore saltwater fishing | 40-70lb | 16kg+ (32lb+) | Tuna, Dorado, Wahoo, Shark, etc. |
| 16500 | Medium-/Heavy-offshore saltwater fishing | 40-70lb | 18kg+ (36lb+) | Tuna, Dorado, Wahoo, Shark, etc. |
| 18000 | Medium-/Heavy-offshore saltwater fishing | 40-70lb | 18kg+ (36lb+) | Tuna, Dorado, Wahoo, Shark, etc. |
| 20000 | Heavy offshore saltwater fishing | 50-80lb | 20kg+ (40lb+) | Sailfish, Tarpon, Tuna (large-sized), Giant Trevally |
| 25000 | Heavy offshore saltwater fishing | 50-80lb | 25kg+ (50lb+) | Sailfish, Tarpon, Tuna (large-sized), Giant Trevally |
| 30000 | Heavy offshore saltwater fishing | 80-100lb | 30kg (60lb+) | Sailfish, Tarpon, Tuna (large-sized), Giant Trevally |
How Do You Match a Spinning Reel With a Rod?
First, you need to read all the manufacturer’s parameters printed on the rod. For example, it gives details about the rod’s length or the recommended strength of the line. Based on those numbers, you can use the charts above to choose the spinning reel that suits you best.
For example, if your weight fishing rod ranges from 10lb to 20lb rating, and you prefer surf fishing and rock fishing, you should choose a 5000-size spinning reel.
On the other hand, if your rod rating is 10,000 to 20,000, and you plan to go offshore boat fishing to catch tuna and other heavy fish, choose a 10,000+ sized model.
What Size Fishing Reel Should You Get if You’re Starting?
If you are a beginner, the chances are high that you have not identified your preferred fishing style. So, trying a few different sentence styles is best to determine your preferred one.
Of course, we don’t recommend spending much money on several different reels, at least not initially. Hence, your perfect pick is a medium-sized reel that will help you fish lighter fish in freshwater, estuaries or heavier species in the ocean.
What Is the Best Size Spinning Reel for Bass Fishing?
Bass is one of the favourite targets of anglers. Unfortunately, the best reel size for bass fishing is not fixed to a single size. Instead, it would be best if you referred to the chart below:
Spinning Reel Size for Bass Chart
| Reel Size | Recommended Mono Line Strength | Recommended Braid Line Strength |
| 2000 | 2-3kg (4-6lb) | 5-10lb |
| 2500 | 2.5-4kg (5-8lb) | 5-12lb |
| 3000 | 3-5kg (6-10lb) | 6-14lb |
| 3500 | 3-5kg (6-10lb) | 6-14lb |
Choosing a reel size for bass depends more on your technique. For example, for finesse fishing, you should choose a size 2000 reel, which works well with ultra-light lures.
On the other hand, if you prefer larger lures, like a crankbait, choose a larger size, like 3000 or 3500. If you are unsure which size to choose, you should choose 2500 or 3000.
Spinning Reel Sizes Guide for Surf Fishing?
The ideal size for surf fishing is usually somewhere between 5000 and 8000. The most common choice is the 6000-size reel
So, why does the surf fishing reel need to be larger?
The reason is that they require a large spool with an extensive line capacity to allow for more considerable casting distances.
They allow you to handle fish of various sizes, such as small snappers, striped bass, or even medium-sized sharks.
Generally, making specific recommendations for the surf fishing reel size that works best for you isn’t easy. So, it is best to adjust the reel size according to the species you want to handle.
What Is the Best Size Spinning Reel for Rock Fishing?
Similar to surf fishing, reels for rock fishing have to withstand salt spray and some rough treatment, like being dropped on the rocks multiple times.
In general, 5000 is a wise size to handle larger fish.
Always remember that rock fishing can be a dangerous task. Therefore, safety should be a top priority. We recommend using a PLB when fishing on small rock platforms. It allows you to activate a distress call in case of an emergency.
What Size Reel for a Telescopic Fishing Rod?
In most cases, you will want to apply a small-sized reel to your telescopic fishing rod. The most significant advantage of this rod is the ease of movement, So it would be unreasonable to attach a giant reel to it.
What Size Spinning Reel for Kayak Fishing?
Regarding Kayak fishing tips, you should choose a reel size of 2000 or 2500. It is small enough to attach to the lightweight rods needed for kayaking. You’ll have the perfect Kayak fishing trip by bringing a 6-7ft spinning rod and this medium-sized reel.
What to Consider When Choosing a Fishing Reel?
Saltwater vs. Freshwater
Reels used for freshwater fishing do not require perfect protection against solid corrosion caused by exposure to seawater. In comparison, reels intended for saltwater fishing are, no doubt, more expensive as they come with corrosion-resistant materials, such as steel or anodized aluminium.
Bearings vs. Bushings
Inexpensive models often use bushings on their rotating parts because they are easy to manufacture and cheap. In contrast, high-quality reels come with ball bearings, resulting in significantly smoother action.
Pick the Correct Spinning Reel Sizes Guide
Choosing the size of the fishing reel is as easy as determining the line size you intend to use. Specifically, the lighter the line you intend to use, the smaller your fishing reel will be.
For example, if you prefer smallmouth walleye and bass, you’ll want to use an 8-pound test fishing line. So, it would be best to choose a medium-sized fishing reel rated for 6, 8, and 10-pound lines.
Adjustable Drags
The drag system is another critical edge factor to consider. Without a smooth, quality pull, your line will break, and you will lose fish. So, ensure that the reel you choose comes with a non-constrictive, smooth drag. Then, depending on the fishing reel, you can adjust the drag with a star gear, knob, or lever.
Spool Capacity
When choosing a fishing reel, ensure its weight and capacity are appropriate for the species you are after.
Skirted, deep, or V-shaped spools can take the sustained or long line. Meanwhile, shallow spools are easier to cast as the fishing line comes off easier.
How to Care for Your Fishing Reel?
Getting the reel size best suits your rod and fishing style will help you have the best fishing experience.
To improve the lifespan of your reel, it is essential to clean it thoroughly after every fishing trip, especially dirty freshwater, brackish, or saltwater fishing trips. Also, you should remove the spool and handle and oil any moving parts from time to time.
Conclusion
Hopefully, you’ve got some ideas on how to choose spinning reel sizes. In general, this requires some testing. Then, once you know which style of fishing you prefer, you will know which reel size is right for you through the charts mentioned above.
If you have any questions, please leave a comment. We would love to clear your queries. Also, please share this article with other anglers. That means a lot to them and us. Thank you for reading, and see you in the following updates.
Related Post: Best Spinning Rod And Reel Combos (Top 10 Fishing Rod And Reels)
