Pike fishing is a lot of fun and a great way to spend your free time. However, picking out the best pike fishing reels for you can often be very confusing. There are so many different styles with a variety of features to choose from that it can be hard making a decision. Nevertheless, there are a few things that you can do to help you make a good decision and pick out a reel that you’ll be happy with.

The first thing that you need to realize is that all anglers are different. Therefore, the reels that your buddy uses and swears works the best may not be the right choice for you. This is something that you’ll need to buy based on the way that you fish, your experience and the area where you do the most fishing. You need something you feel comfortable using not something that someone else likes.

The next thing that you should do is get familiar with the different types of reels so you know how each one of them works. There are three types of fishing reels available which are called the spin cast reel, open-faced spinning reel and the bait casting reel.

Each one of these are listed and discussed below:
* Spin Cast Reels- These reels are the most common because they are the easiest to use and they’re very affordable. This is the perfect reel for the inexperienced angler because the push-button line release system makes it easy to cast your line. These are placed on the top part of the rod for easy access. They’re strong enough to support most any average size species of fish depending on what size you buy but they’re recommended for small to medium sized fish. The main problem anglers run into with these reels include small line capacity and the drag system is not the best.
* Open-faced Spinning Reels- These are designed in a wide variety of sizes making it possible to catch a wider variety of fish. The ultra-light versions can be used for some of the smaller species while the larger models work well for larger species. They are harder to use than the spin cast reels but they’re not very complicated to learn. The line capacity is larger than what you’ll find on the spin cast reels and the drag is usually smoother. These work well for the intermediate or experienced anglers.
* Bait Casting Reels- These are the most difficult reels to learn how to use but they are also considered the best by experienced anglers. When it comes to bait casting reels, you’ll find the largest selection available and they’re recommended for medium sized to large fish species. They’re an excellent choice when you use heavy line and they are the strongest of all three reels. These are mainly recommended for the experienced angler due to the possibility of back-lashing where the line can become tangled. However, once you learn how to use them correctly, it may be the only reel you ever want to use again.

When fishing for pike, the open faced reels are highly recommended because the fishing line won’t tangle up as easily as it does in the closed face reels. These can save you a lot of time and energy when out fishing so you don’t have to spend so much time straightening out your gear instead of actually fishing.

After learning all you can about the different types of reels available the next step would be to learn as much as you can about pike. You need to know where they live, what type of foods they eat and when the best time to go fishing would be. The more you know about this species, the easier it will be to pick out your gear.

Here are a few things that you need to consider when picking out your Pike fishing reels:
* A rear mounted drag works the best for this species.
* Reels with interchangeable spools make changing the weight of your fishing line much easier and faster.
* The reel should hold at least 100 yards of fishing line.
* The backlash resistance feature is a nice addition that will make using the reel easier.

Since pike fishing reels fall into a wide price range it’s a good idea to set your limit before you start looking. Otherwise, you may end up spending a lot more money on your reels than you originally intended.

Once you make a decision and choose a pike fishing reel to match your fishing rod, make sure the rest of the tackle is suited for that particular type of rod and reel set up as well. This is very important because miss-matched gear won’t be as effective and it will greatly hinder your ability to reel in the fish. Having the right pike fishing reels and gear will greatly enhance your fishing experience.