A Brief Guide to Electric Fishing Reels

If you are like me, you might be thinking, “Why would anyone need an electric fishing reel? Isn’t reeling part of fishing fun?” And of course you would be right, but after further investigation, there are a few types of electric fishing reels which can assist anglers who are disabled or elderly. Other electric fishing reels are designed to handle what lurks in the ocean, far offshore, especially when jigging to great depths and when the goal is harvesting fish for the cooler. A guide to electric fishing reels can be explored by a reel’s two primary functions.

Line out

While researching electric fishing reels for saltwater fishing, you may be surprised to learn that these primarily baitcasting reels are not built for traditional lure chucking. The only casting recommended for plug-in, motorized reels may be a moderate pitch type cast for a small distance to clear the boat or other lines. The smaller electric fishing reels for freshwater fishing can be used to cast but they are not plugged into the boat’s batteries. The electronic component for freshwater casting reels may be an internal battery-operated line counter. This can be useful for trolling when fish are suspended at a specific depth.

Line in

Initially, the motor of a plugged-in marine electric fish reel can be used to help spool an exact amount of evenly distributed line. Once actually fishing, some of these reels may have a “jigging mode” which can bring in line, stop, and then resume repeatedly to trigger bottom fish to bite. Once a hit is detected, a variable motor can be used to retrieve the fish to the surface. Releasing fish that have been reeled up from great depths rapidly can be problematic as these fish commonly suffer barotrauma, or “the bends.” For shallow freshwater, there are a few electric devices that can assist with line retrieval for spinning reels, allowing for operation with one hand.
 

One question that might complete a guide to electric fishing reels is: are electric fishing reels worth it? For a non-commercial, able-bodied angler, it may not make much sense to spend hundreds or even thousands for a device that seemingly takes much of the fun out of fishing. Plus, with the bigger marine versions, there is some programming involved, similar to that of a trail camera control panel and often the goal of fishing is to “unplug.” However, if an angler is physically limited, a device that would assist with connecting with fish would be extremely valuable.