How it works
A baitcaster is a reel with a spool that turns as the line runs out, and it sits on top of the rod. The first view shows it from above; the second from the handle side.
Read the full guide
From above, then the handle side
Numbers 1 to 7 are on the reel seen from above, its front at the top. The spool sits between the two side plates, and the frame joins them. In front of the spool the line guide rides on the worm shaft; behind it is the thumb bar. The handle is on the right. Numbers 8 to 10 are on the handle side: the star drag behind the handle, the spool tension knob on the plate and the reel foot underneath.
- Line guide or worm shaft? The guide is the small block the line passes through. The worm shaft is the grooved bar it slides along.
- The star drag and the spool tension knob are both on the handle side. The star is the large one, right behind the handle.
Questions and answers
What are the parts of a baitcaster reel?
A frame, two side plates and the spool between them. The line guide rides on the worm shaft in front; the thumb bar is behind. On the handle side are the handle, star drag and spool tension knob. The reel foot is underneath.
What does the star drag do on a baitcaster?
It is the star-shaped knob behind the handle that sets the drag. The drag slows a fish that is pulling line off the spool.
What is the level wind on a baitcaster?
The mechanism that moves the line guide from side to side as you wind. It lays the line evenly across the spool, so the line is not trapped under itself on the next cast.
What is backlash on a baitcaster?
Backlash, or overrun, happens when the spool turns faster than the line is leaving the reel. The thumb on the spool controls it, and modern reels add centrifugal or magnetic brakes to help.
How is a baitcaster different from a spinning reel?
A baitcaster's spool turns during the cast and the reel sits on top of the rod. A spinning reel has a fixed spool, so the line leaves it freely and the reel is easier to use.