There are so many fishing reels out there that it can be overwhelming and leave you wondering if they all, including SPOD reels, can even be used for fishing. SPOD fishing is a specific technique used to catch fish, and a SPOD reel works better with it than other reels do.
Can you use a SPOD reel for fishing? You can use a SPOD reel for fresh water fishing, and it can be especially effective when fishing for carp, but in most cases, it does not provide an advantage. SPOD reels should not be used in salt water or in situations where you only need to cast short distances.
Now that we know you can use a SPOD reel for fishing, what does it do? Why is it special, and what should you use it for? We’ll cover these questions and give an overview of what SPOD fishing is in this post.
What is a SPOD Reel?
A SPOD reel is a reel specially designed to be used with a SPOD, which delivers a plethora of bait to tempt in carp and other similar fish. The SPOD is a rocket shaped bait delivery system, which you drop into the water to release a large about of bait to draw in fish.
A SPOD reel is designed to pull the line in more quickly with less strain on your wrist, as it requires fewer rotations to draw the line in. This is because, with SPOD fishing, you’re attempting to catch a large amount of fish quickly, before they consume the bait and leave.
SPOD fishing can take a lot of practice to master. With the appropriate SPOD rod, you can drop the SPOD rocket in the water accurately, and a SPOD reel will help you bring the fish into you as quickly as possible. While you can simply hope for the best and toss the SPOD in, using these tools will help you master it quickly.
Can You Use a SPOD Reel for Freshwater Fishing?
Obviously, the SPOD reel’s main purpose is to be used SPOD rockets. But you may find yourself wondering if you can use it for other purposes, as SPOD reels can be expensive to purchase, and you may not always enjoy SPOD fishing. SPOD reels are also heavy, requiring a heavy-duty rod to support the reel.
Can you use SPOD reels for fishing aside from SPOD fishing? Yes! As we said earlier, you can use SPOD reels for fishing, but now we’ll expand on that to include many kinds of fishing.
Nearly any kind of freshwater fishing can be done with a SPOD reel. While a SPOD reel is designed to be used with a SPOD rod and SPOD rocket to quickly catch a multitude of fish, the reel itself can be used with any rod you can mount it to.
The one kind of fishing to avoid with SPOD reels is saltwater, as we cover below. Most others, especially your daily angling at your local river or lake, work just as well with SPOD reels as any other kind of reels.
How is a SPOD Reel Different?
Earlier, we covered how a SPOD reel helps you with SPOD fishing. But what exactly about a SPOD reel is different from your typical, cheaper reel you may find in the fishing store?
- As mentioned earlier, it has a large spool, which allows you to hold more line. This can be helpful not only because you’ll have more line at your disposal, but you can also use a thicker line without running out of space to hold in on your spool.
This can be a great asset when you’re going for heavier fish, and you need tougher line. Smaller, average reels don’t always have a spool large enough to hold a decent amount of heavy-duty line compared to SPOD reels.
- SPOD reels also pull line in more quickly by having a higher gear ratio than your average reel. The higher gear ratio means you have more gears to line inside your reel, which helps each crank of handle bring in line more quickly.
- Some SPOD reels also have extra line clips for line of vary distances. This can also be a great tool not just for SPOD fishing but for any type of angling, as it can help you get the right distance that you are looking for.
What Can You Not Do with a SPOD Reel?
Many people have heard the saying, “You can do anything once!” Reels are, more or less, the same way. You can fish any way with any reel once!
However, whether you get anything out of it or not can be a very different discussion. For instance, you can take a freshwater spool such as SPOD reel saltwater fishing sometimes, but it will wear out much quicker than if you were only using it in freshwater.
When can you not use a SPOD reel?
- In saltwater, unless it is specifically made for saltwater. SPOD fishing isn’t commonly done in saltwater, so saltwater SPOD reels can be very difficult to find and expensive to purchase. However, your freshwater SPOD reel isn’t intended to be used in salt water, as it will corrode quickly.
- Casting short distances. SPOD reels are designed to give you lots of line, both when putting out and bringing back in. If you’re only going to be casting your line out in short distances, a SPOD reel isn’t what you need.
- Check your rod’s weight limit. If your rod isn’t capable of pulling in multiple fish, you will want to skip using a SPOD reel.
Obviously, there are many more specific situations you may encounter that you don’t want to use a SPOD reel during. They can be larger and bulkier, which can be a pain when you just want to take a quick trip. However, they can be used in most situations; it just isn’t always ideal.
What is SPOD Fishing?
SPOD fishing is using a SPOD rocket to launch a catch of bait into the water to attract fish, usually carp or similar fish, to a central location around the bait from the rocket. You then can quickly fish a multitude of fish, instead of having to drop your line into the various places fish may be.
SPOD fishing can quickly increase your catch count but isn’t used for competitions. It’s usually just for sport or recreation or for profit, not for competing, as it’s hard to regulate SPODs.
SPODs can be launched a fair distance, up to or even past a hundred yards. This takes some practice, as you have to carefully load the bait and learn to properly cast it out on your SPOD rod, which we’ll touch on in a following section.
While SPOD reels are perfect for catching fish after you’ve launched a SPOD rocket, they’re also great for casting your SPOD rocket out. After all, you’ll be using this rod and reel to catch the fish, so you’ll be sure you’re casting your SPOD into a feasibly reachable location with your rod and reel.
What Do You Use SPOD Fishing for?
SPOD fishing is most frequently used to catch carp and other fish similar to it. Any fish that is a far enough distance out that you can’t accurately get a catapult to launch a batch of bait to, you may be able to SPOD catch if you can’t go out on a boat for them.
When you launch a large amount of bait at a specific area, you’ll attract a gathering of fish to that spot. This is useful when you can’t go out on a boat or your traditional catapult, which is what’s traditionally used to deliver a batch of bait, isn’t up for it.
SPOD fishing is unique from other large bait delivery methods in that it goes out on a line cast from a rod. This makes it ideal for when you want to be able to clip your line to your rod and accurate cast every time, even if you struggle to cast accurately.
What Are SPOD Rods?
Reels only work with rods, so we have to touch on what SPOD rods are and how they work with SPOD reels, as they cannot work one without the other effectively. SPOD rods are heavy-duty, as they’re designed to cast the SPOD rocket, which can weigh over half a pound, far out into the water.
SPOD reels are also heavier than your average reel, as they’re very large to accommodate the size of the spool and the higher gear ratio. You’ll need a rod strong enough to support that reel, as we touched on earlier, and is also able to handle the large amount of fish you’ll be hauling in.
SPOD fishing is all about catching as many fish as you can, so you don’t want to mess around with a weak rod. The added weight of the reel with the constant reeling in fish as quickly as possible can be too much strain on a lighter duty rod.
You want to look for rods specifically for SPOD, or for heavy-duty usage if you can’t find SPOD rods. Unless you go online or have a large fishing store near you, you may have to simple settle on a generically standard heavy-duty rod.
How Do You Use SPOD Rods?
You may be wondering if you need to use SPOD rods any differently. The simple answer is, only when you’re casting out your initial SPOD rocket into the water should you adjust your SPOD rod from your standard casting strategy. Even there, all you need to do is factor in the weight of the SPOD.
The SPOD will weigh significantly more than you are used to, which may make it difficult for you to make your first cast. You need to prepare yourself before trying to cast your SPOD rocket, or else you may simply end spilling the bait all out! The end will be much heavier than just a bait and hook.
Keep the SPOD rocket from spilling. This means prep it beforehand, as we cover below, but also be aware there is an opening the bait can spill from. After all, you can’t deliver bait to the fish if you don’t have any way for the bait to come out of the rocket.
The opening where the bait may escape will change from rocket to rocket. Keep the rocket moving in a way that the bait will stay inside, or keep it right side up till casting, when you’ll want to quickly cast it far out. Speed is the key here. Read below for help on SPOD fishing.
What Other Rods Could You Use Instead of SPOD Rods for SPODing?
SPOD specific rods can be difficult to find unless you order them, which can be a hefty shipping charge, or have a local fishing gear store. They’ll be especially hard to find if you don’t live somewhere that carp fishing is popular, as carp is what’s traditionally caught. However, you have another option.
You don’t have to purchase a rod that’s advertised as a SPOD rod. Yes, SPOD rods work so well for SPODing because they’ve been specifically made for it, but purchasing a more generic, heavy-duty rod won’t ruin your trip. In fact, it will work nearly as well if not as well or better as a SPOD rod.
SPOD rods are designed with heavy, wide butts that taper into a fine point. Usually, the bottom two-thirds of the rod are heavier rods, with the top third narrowing to the point. This gives you the support of the heavy bottom when you’re casting your SPOD and as you’re hauling fish in.
Not only should you be looking at the shape of the rod, but also how much it can support. Remember, SPOD reels are bulky and heavy, which not all rods are made for. You’ll also be casting out that rocket and pulling in a lot of fish, so check the weight capacity on your rod before purchase.
Tips and Tricks on SPOD Fishing
Don’t be too hard on yourself if you don’t get it at first. Some tips and tricks on how to successfully cast your SPOD are below, but remember, the true way you’ll learn is through practice. You won’t be perfect the first time, but it will become a muscle memory after long enough.
Until then, read through our tips and tricks we’ve collected from various anglers, both professional and recreational, on how to successfully SPOD for fish, carp, or otherwise. These include casting your SPOD rocket out, catching from a SPOD bait area, and using a SPOD rod and reel effectively.
Prep Your Rod, Reel, and Rocket Before Going SPOD Fishing
This is essential, as an improperly rigged rocket may open and spill the bait too early, as we talked about in the previous section. We can’t give you instructions on your rocket, as each are slightly different, but we can remind you to check the directions and follow them well!
Before you go fishing, you should always check your gear, including your rod and reel. Check for any damages that may have happened that you didn’t notice or make any repairs you may need to do. Alternatively, you could do this after every SPOD fishing trip.
Use Your Line Clips on Your SPOD Rod if You Have Them for Accurate Casts
Many of us struggle to land the perfect cast, but many SPOD rods have an answer for that.
Because you’re casting your rocket out to a location you’ll be fishing from, you can clip your line to your rod when you make your initial cast for an accurate cast to the SPODed spot every time. This is especially useful for beginners or anyone who struggles with casting accurately.
How to Use Your Rod and Reel Effectively When SPOD Fishing
Here’s a little assortment of tips for using your rod and reel when SPOD fishing. Many of these were found on the American Carp’s Society’s page on SPOD fishing. Read through and see what thoughts you may encounter and use later.
- Take advantage of the higher gear ratio in the SPOD reel. Just because it works harder for you doesn’t mean you can slow down. Keep going on it just as hard as you would a regular reel for extra fish.
- Make sure you buy the workhorses of the rod world. Heavy ended butts with a gradual taper are your best friend, but make sure that’s still made of quality, with a name to back it up, or else you’ll still struggle with your rod.
- Purchase line clippers if you don’t already have them. We mentioned these before, as they come on some SPOD rods, but if you don’t already have them, you should get some. They’re well worth the money unless you’re a pro caster, as they help your accuracy.
Finally, use decent line with your reel. There’s no reason you should invest in a high-quality reel and rod if you’ll only use line that will break and can’t hold up to what you need done. Go ahead and get the line that will last you longer and is thicker quality, as your reel is designed for that.