Fishing Reels

Walleye fishing asks two different things of a reel. Casting and jigging want a spinning or baitcast reel that's light enough to fish all day, with a smooth drag for light line and soft-mouthed fish. Trolling wants line capacity, a line counter if you're running segmented lead core or copper, and a drag that stays put under a planer board's constant pull.

Abu Garcia's Ambassadeur round reels are the long-standing trolling and casting standard in this category — simple, durable, and sized from the 5500 for casting up to the 7000 class for heavy trolling duty. Penn covers the spinning side for jigging, casting and slip bobber work, alongside Pflueger.

Whatever the style, match the reel to the rod's line rating and the technique's line — braid for jigging and casting, mono or braid with a counter for trolling — and the setup stays balanced instead of fighting you.