What We Consider When Selecting a Trolling Reel with a Line Counter
Gear ratio and IPT
A reel’s gear ratio is nothing more than a measure of how many turns of the spool one turn of the cranking handle creates.
For instance, a gear ratio of 5.0:1 means that each turn of the crank spins the spool five times.
Gear ratio and spool size work together, delivering IPT or “inches per turn,” a reliable metric of how fast or slow a reel is.
Reel speed matters for one reason when trolling: when a fast fish like a salmon decides to run straight at you, you must keep your line tight or risk your hook coming loose. And on the west coast, salmon anglers aren’t allowed to run barbed hooks, making this even more essential.
But it’s not just a problem for salmon; a big walleye, monster lake trout, or Leviathan-like muskie can do the same thing, and you better be able to keep up with it!
That’s why we detail the retrieval speed of each reel on our shortlist.
Drag
Drag quality makes or breaks a reel, as this mechanism is essential for protecting your line from sudden shock and tiring a fighting fish.
The drag on a conventional reel places direct pressure on the spool, making it harder to turn. Typically, you set your drag to roughly ⅓ of the test strength of your line to protect it, allowing the drag to function as a high-tech braking system for any sudden surge of power from your fish.
But the drag also makes the fish work harder during the fight, and it'll need to use more energy to run with your line.
To perform these tasks well, your drag should provide a smooth, reliable release with no sudden starts and stops.
Capacity
Capacity matters, but it’s not a deal-breaker for most telling situations.
And it definitely takes a back seat to speed and drag performance.
Construction
Lake trout, muskie, and salmon will place enormous stress on your spool and reel body, testing both strength and rigidity.
Keep in mind that the reel acts as your line’s anchor to your rod, and though mitigated by the rod’s action and power, line stretch, and your drag, each big fight is a test of every component comprising your reel, from the teeth on the gears to the discs in the drag to the frame that holds everything together.
Most offshore anglers prefer a solid metal body. It’s simply stronger, stiffer, and more durable than graphite. Graphite cuts weight as effectively as a college wrestler, but it just can’t offer the absolute stiffness or durability of machined aluminum.
But salmon, walleye, and most Big Lakes fishing aren’t going to be as hard on a reel as pelagic species like tuna, grouper, and shark.
That’s why graphite is increasingly the material of choice for precision trolling.
Line counter
Modern precision trolling requires that you know exactly how much line you’re dragging, and the proper use of a downrigger demands a careful accounting of every foot.
Reels that are purpose-built for this technique may offer a line counter that keeps track of every foot that leaves the reel.
Of course, you can run metered line as a stop-gap, and plenty of anglers do. But you’ll appreciate a line counter if precision trolling is your go-to technique.
The general problem for line counters is reliable performance. Cheaper models tend to skip numbers, fail altogether, or not reliably reset.
And to make things even worse, they’re pretty fragile.
The best line counters on our shortlist are worn by Shimano, Daiwa, and Penn reels, and this is definitely a case of you get what you pay for.
Levelwind
As Garry Brummett explains, “Level wind reels feature a moving line guide that sports a pawl which runs back and forth across the front of the reel upon a worm shaft. As line is retrieved back onto the reel, the moving line guide ensures that the line is evenly distributed onto the spool, from side to side, without any large build-ups of line in any one spot on the spool. Open style conventional reels have no line guide and the distribution of the line back onto the spool is the responsibility of the angler.”
Mono is particularly prone to bunching on the reel, and care must be taken to avoid this. You’ll need to direct the line with your thumb as you retrieve, helping to disperse it along the full length of the spool.
If you don’t, bunching will impair casting--which may not matter, depending on your application--but in extreme cases, it can lock the spool via direct contact with the body.
Braid tends to lay flat, self-distributing well, so if this is your preferred main line, a level wind may not be something you need.
Finally, level winds are a fragile component and often break. As Brummett warns, “On a final note, as a repair shop owner, I would be remiss if I didn’t tell you that the level wind feature is at the top of the repair parade of reels we see each year. This is exclusive of manufacturer. All level winds from all manufacturers are susceptible to failure. It’s just the nature of the designs. A very small pawl runs across an equally small worm gear. When fighting a large fish with 15-20 pounds of drag, the line guide system is under a tremendous amount of pressure. Then we throw in some salt and some sand, and maybe we don’t clean and lube the reel like we know we should. All of these factors can increase the potential for a failure. Open faced conventional reels know no such failure.”
Should you use a level wind reel?
If you regularly run mono main-line, I think it’s worth it.
Final Thoughts
Whether you’re chasing walleye on the Great Lakes or trolling for salmon in the Pacific, there’s a reel for you on our shortlist.
For walleye fanatics, it’s almost impossible to beat the smooth, reliable performance of the Shimano Tekota 500. Fast enough for the walleye of a lifetime and equipped with more than enough monster-taming drag, the redesigned Tekota A is ideal if a large capacity spool is something you can skip.
For larger fish like salmon and lake trout, I’d reach for Penn’s Squall II. With capacity to spare, an excellent drag, and plenty of torque for hard fights, the larger size would be my pick when the fish are big and mean.
And anglers on a budget aren’t left out in the cold. Okuma’s Cold Water series won’t break the bank, but they will deliver performance that’ll keep a smile on your face.
Whichever you choose, you’ll be happy with your purchase.
As always, we’re here to field your comments and answer your questions, so please leave a comment below.
