Barbel Fishing Reels

[Elton]

Posted on behalf of carftycarper690. Please add all replies to this thread:

 

Hi can anyone advise what reel would be best for barbel fishing?

[Worms]

Posted on behalf of carftycarper690. Please add all replies to this thread:

That rather depends on what style of fishing you want to do. Float, ledger/feeder, freeline? What the river is like. Deep, shallow, snaggy, a mix? What rod are you matching it to? What's the average size of fish? How much money do you want to spend? Skill levels? How long's a piece of string?

[Rob Ward]

For general use you won't go far wrong with a 4000 size fixed spool reel.

 

I've been using those and Shimano 5010 baitrunners for as long as I've been fishing for Barbel.

 

Some people prefer a centre pin for trotting or smaller rivers.

[watatoad]

I use early Mitchell 308's for preference or a pin...but I may be a bit old fashioned..hehehe

[chesters1]

reels dont really do anything they are merely line holders so any reel is fine if its the right size

[weirwulf]

99.9% of my barbel fishing is in a tight snaggy river and I use 1 rod with a Shimano Exage 4000 with fighting drag and the drag really helps to control the fast decisions and react to changes very effectively I sometimes use 2 rods and when I do the upstream rod is usually baited using a hair rigged bait of some sort so I use an old Shimano Aero 4000 baitrunner. The Exage is the one I would always reccomend purely on the basis of the fighting drag which has helped me out of countless situations. Line lay and long casting is seldom the issue but good gears and smooth drag could prove to be a good friend.

[George387]

I use early Mitchell 308's for preference or a pin...but I may be a bit old fashioned..hehehe

Like yourself mate Ive been using a set of mitchell 440A for the last 3 seasons for my feeder work and they have coped with everything I have thrown at them including a new Yorkshire PB of 10lbs 11oz, for my float tactics I dont use anything but one of my pins.

Edited January 8, 2010 by George387

[Brian Carragher]

I can't tell you what the best reels are as thats quite a personal and subjective preference but I can say what I use, and thats a pair of Shimano's 5000 size with 11lb Stren mainline

[Tigger]

I use the shimano 5000 gte's and the 5010's but I've just got some of the shimano DL 2500 mini baitrunners today. I've not used them yet but they look and feel great.

[Dick Dastardly]

Ive used Mitchell 300's,300S's, ABU Cardinal 55's,ABU C5's and both Shimano 4010 and 5010's nothing between any of them.