It’s a fairly regular occurrence in my shop – an inshore angler (saltwater) will drop in and ask for our assistance on purchasing a reel. Many want our guidance on whether to purchase a level wind conventional reel or an open style conventional reel. These products are completely different – the open style conventional reel doesn’t have the level winding features. While both styles of reel have definite benefits, they both also have their unique challenges.
The decision of what type of reel to purchase requires that you not only consider your personal preferences, but also how you intend to use the reel (what type of fishing) and what type of line that you normally fish with. Each factor must be carefully weighed and once you have accounted for them, you can make the best possible decision about which reel works best for you.
Let’s consider the level wind reel first – simply stated, this features a moving guide that helps your line run smoothly back and forth across the reel and helps ensure your line rewinds as neatly as if it were factory wound. This is accomplished by the use of a pawl that runs back and forth across the front of your reel on a worm shaft. In comparison, an open style conventional reel has no guide line and it’s up to the angler to ensure the line is spooled back correctly.
While part of deciding which reel is the right one for you, the overwhelming factor in the final decision will almost always be personal preference. I have had many surfcaster anglers tell that there is no way they would even consider a level wind reel. The factor they take into consideration are dual – first level winds are far more susceptible to damage – even a few grains of sand can clog up a good reel. The other reason has to do with casting ease – many surfcaster anglers feel that even these tiny level winders have a negative impact on their casting prowess. It’s almost impossible to argue with the first – there’s little doubt that a line guide provides one more surface that contacts your line – this is a hindrance that an open faced conventional reel simply doesn’t have. There is no doubt that the fewer moving parts that make up an assembly will result in fewer failures. It’s important to keep in mind when talking about and to surfcasters that they often tend to wander off on foot to remote areas to cast – and they carry only one rod and reel. Under these conditions the last thing you want to be concerned about is reel failure.
Various types of fishing lines are discussed in another article, but for the purposes of reels, you will want to review the line you use most often. If you’re more likely to use monofilament line, you’re more likely to lean towards a level wind reel. Frankly, a level wind reel is best for monofilament line because of the problems that trying to rewind the line manually using your thumb for a guide. Monofilament line tends to bunch up and will literally pile up near the frame and get high enough to interfere with proper reel functioning. If you’re using braided line you’re unlikely to run into these problems as it simply winds better without a lot of help from the angler.
Most people still use monofilament line – it’s inexpensive, it’s lightweight and it’s readily available. It’s not however without its drawbacks especially when you’re fishing an area that offers an abundance of large fish. If you’re using an open wind conventional reel with monofilament line, you’re going to need to control your line when you’re reeling it in. Monofilament line tends to pile up on an open wind reel and is more prone to being high enough that it interferes with the operation of a reel. The overall problem comes when the line piles up at the back of the reel, binds the spool against the frame and ultimately causes you to miss an opportunity to land a great fish.
It is probably this single characteristic that means that an angler has to learn how to use their thumb to guide the line back and forth on an open reel. This allows the line to spool nearly evenly back on an open, non-level wind reel. This does take some practice, and unfortunately when you’ve got a fish that is destined to become one of your best catches, chances are pretty slim you’re going to be considering how evenly your line is rewinding.
For anglers who use braided line, this typically is not an issue. Because of the additional weight and its overall construction, braided line doesn’t tend to bunch up on an open wind reel. In fact, braided Dacron line tends to go back on the reel as nearly perfectly as one could expect with very little attention from the angler. For those who prefer braided Dacron lines, an open wind reel is definitely the one to purchase.
If you talk to any repair shop owner (and I can testify to this) the incident of repairs for open wind reels is well below that of level wind reels. There is not a big mystery here – the additional moving parts put pressure on a line, a grain of sand gets caught up in a gear and failing to ensure that the entire reel is thoroughly cleaned and lubricated means that the level wind reel has a higher chance to break down. There is not a single level wind reel manufacturer that is excluded from these breakdowns so just spending more money on a higher end level wind reel won’t result in a lower likelihood of breakdown. Open faced conventional reels with fewer moving parts are the simple answer to reel breakdowns.
While your personal preferences are certainly going to play a significant role in your final decision, also take into consideration your line type and your fishing habits – rigging or casting – and you’ll be able to make a sound decision between the level wind conventional reel and open conventional reel.
With all the different types of reels out there things can get confusing. Doing your research before hand can save yourself a headache. Some of the most popular reels include: Seaborg SB300FB, Daiwa Viento, and Shimano Stella FD.