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 best answer to this question is simple – take into consideration how you fish, your personal preferences and finally, what kind of line you intend to use most of the time.  These factors will help you make an informed decision about which reel type is best for your needs.

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.

Another article will take on the differences in fishing line types, but it is important that you consider this when you’re purchasing a reel.  if you are primarily fishing with monofilament line, you’re probably more likely to need the benefits offered by level wind reels and if braided line is your preference then you’ll be better off with an open wind conventional reel.  Dacron braided lines and monofilament lines have significant differences in how they reel back in after that big catch.

 Monofilament is a great line – it’s cost effective, it’s lightweight but it does have some downsides. One of them which can be problematic when you’re reeling in the catch of the day is this lines tendency to pile up in one spot on the spool when you’re reeling it in.  Let us face it – we all understand the mechanics of reels – the more line that piles up the more likely it is to get high enough to interfere with proper reel operation.  Worse yet, this line can bind the spool against the frame which creates even more problems.  It’s a bit ironic – these types of issues almost always occur when you have a fish headed right for you – the line piles up at the back of the reel and you’ve missed your opportunity.

Anglers can guide monofilament line with their thumb, ensuring an even wind. However, if you’re using a braided line, you’re unlikely to need to learn this trick.  Braided Dacron line for some unknown reason rewinds onto the reel nearly perfectly with little interference or help from the angler.  This means that you’re not going to have to worry about your line when you’re bringing in a large fish.

If you are a braided line user it’s inevitable that you have noticed that braided line simply doesn’t have the issues of monofilament line.  While braided line doesn’t have the memory of monofilament, it somehow winds back perfectly on a reel without you needing to guide it with your thumb.  If you’re using braided Dacron line, chances are that you will not need to consider purchasing a level wind reel.  If you are fishing monofilament line, the level wind conventional reel is most likely worth purchasing.
I will tell you, and you can confirm with any repair shop owner that far more level wind reels come in for repair than open wind reels. The reason for this is very obvious – an open wind reel has far fewer moving parts which result in far less opportunities for failure.  It’s important that anyone purchasing a reel is aware of this issue, and understands that there is no manufacturer that is spared these additional repairs.  The fact is that the overall construction of the level wind reel with its additional small parts will result in more breakdowns.  The additional pressure resulting from a large fish, minute grains of salt and sand all combine with the pawl to put additional pressure on fishing line.  Throw in failure to properly clean and lubricate a reel and the end result is that the reel is going to fail at some point.  Open faced conventional reels simply do not have these drawbacks.

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.

Making sure you have the best fishing supplies will make sure you have an enjoyable fishing experience. Some of the most popular fishing supplies out on the market include: Daiwa SLD 30 and Penn 965.