I looked at a bunch of spin reels tonight that varied in quality. I noticed something, none of them had a switch to turn the “clicker” or anti reverse off. I like that feature because I use it if the line is reeled in too far, etc.
Why did they stop doing this?
That has been a while on the ones I buy.
I think most people dont back reel (we got used to the drags) and so it was just one more think to strip away.
I buy a lot of tackle, haven’t seen it on anything in the last 4-5 yrs.
I actually was surprised it took that long to be rid of that feature, as the last old timer who back reeled instead of using the drag, died in 1993!
Ha. Teasing- sort of.
Now, they really need to make it so Spinning Reels can only be reeled left handed!
Left Handed ? i would have to quit fishing ! lol
As Jared said, it’s been a few years since I’ve seen the back switch. I miss it as sometimes, if you reeled too much, you could just hit the switch as opposed to flipping the bail.
@Oletimer you an me both. I’m a casting reel guy, so all my spinning rods(which I very seldom use) are all “backwards” but I can’t work jig heads or hookset with my right hand, or cast with my left..
Yep, just one more “cost saving” feature eliminated by manufacturers offshore in a world where each penny might be the difference between profit and loss… Where that feature is invaluable was never for “back reeling”, although some freshwater anglers used it for that, is when you’ve got a bad tangle in your line spool that really needs the ability to reverse wind to be able to clear it… There are still some smaller reels by Daiwa that retain the feature- and like I said - it’s very handy when faced with a line problems inside your reel’s spool and you’re hoping to be able to fix them without cutting line…
Me too. Actually I’m a fly rod guy. When that’s absolutely out of the question, I’m a casting reel guy. When the lure is just too light, as a last resort, I’m a spinning reel guy.
Man I can’t hit the broad side of a barn with a spinning setup..lol.. These days I’m Fly first, Casting second, Spinning when I have no other options
I came up into a competitive fishing club environment in the mid seventies (the Tropical Anglers Club where you competed in various categories - spin, fly, plug, lure only, and general line class categories). I was a pier angler and bridge angler until I could get my hands on a small skiff - then anything went, using heavy gear all the way down to 4lb spin (4lb line, spinning gear, lures only…) so you were encouraged to learn it all. Like most saltwater guys I only took up the fly rod - after I’d learned every other way of chasing fish… In fact, I built my first fly rod (a Lamiglass, s-glass rod) before I knew how to use it…
Each type of gear has its strengths and weaknesses and you’re smart to use what works in a given situation. As a side benefit - you’re employing different muscle groups with each type of gear so when that plug rod has your wrist hurting… you can switch to spin, etc. Chasing fish in really shallow waters? That’s when a fly rod shines…
While I am kinda joking about the backreeling (it was the primary reason for that design before drags if my understanding is correct) and not really needed with modern drags IMO, I never thought to use it to get wind knots out. I may try that on some of my older spin gear.
That said- to Lemaymiami’s post- the reason I do spin on left and casting rods on right is to allow exactly what he mentioned above. I used to fish all day about every day, and the diversity of reeling hand helped.
Now, I fish fly and spin left hand- and those are about 95% of my fishing- so it is not helpful- but just habit.