Bluegill fishing can be as serious as you make it, but it is always fun. If you’re looking for the best spinning reel for bluegill fishing this list will help you find the right reel for you.
Best Spinning Reel for Bluegill
- Shimano Sienna – Our Favorite
- Kastking Centron – Best Price
- 13 Fishing Source K – New Kid On the Block
- Daiwa Revros LT – Great Quality
- Abu Garcia Max X – Great Looking
- Lew’s American Hero – The Strongest Reel
- Pflueger President – The Lightest Reel
Best Reel for Bluegill
Finding the best spinning reel for bluegill fishing can seem excessive, but when you want to step your bluegill game up you need specific equipment like rods, line, and of course reels. This list will show you the best options available right now. We are looking at price, gear ratio, line capacity, drag, and weight.
Shimano Sienna – Our Favorite
Shimano Sienna 1000 Spinning Reel
Buy Now Disclaimer – This website uses affiliate links and get a small commission at no additional cost to you.| Price | $29.99 |
| Line Capacity | 2/270 4/140 6/110 |
| Weight | 7.2oz |
| Max Drag | 7 lbs. |
| Gear Ratio | 5.0:1 |
The Shimano Sienna is our favorite because it checks off all the boxes. Price? Check! gear ratio, line, drag? Check, check, check! Weight? CHECK! It’s super smooth and reels in great. The drag adjustment is super sensitive too.
For around $30 you can have a reel that performs like a $50-60 reel. It has an amazing drag system of 7 lbs. and a gear ratio of 5.0:1. At only 7.2 ounces it is light as a feather. It also looks great paired with any neutral colored rod. It’s well balanced and sits great on most ultralight rods.
If you’re looking for a dedicated ultralight reel and a great reel for bluegill fishing, the Shimano Sienna is the best one on this list.
KastKing Centron – Best Price
KastKing Centron
Buy Now Disclaimer – This website uses affiliate links and get a small commission at no additional cost to you.| Price | $24.99 |
| Line Capacity | 4/240 6/155 |
| Weight | 6.9oz |
| Max Drag | 11 lbs. |
| Gear Ratio | 5.2:1 |
The KastKing Centron comes in a the best price point at around $25. It’s a great reel if you aren’t looking to spend as much as these other reels and it looks cool. The matte black color with metallic blue accents pair really well with most rods.
The drag is another great feature with 11 lbs. of drag and a solid 5.2:1 gear ratio. You’re also going to be able to hold a ton of line on the reel with line capacity of 240 yards of 4 lbs. test mono line. It also does occasionally go on sale so you can get it for cheaper if you time it just right. If you’re looking for a reel that looks good, has strong drag, AND is very affordable, this is the reel for you.
13 Fishing Source K – New Kid On the Block
13 Fishing Source K
Buy Now Disclaimer – This website uses affiliate links and get a small commission at no additional cost to you.| Price | $31.99 |
| Line Capacity | 4/160 6/130 8/90 |
| Weight | 8.5oz |
| Max Drag | 8 lbs. |
| Gear Ratio | 5.2:1 |
13 Fishing is coming with the heat probably one of the coolest looking reels on this list. The Source K comes in at 8.5oz and feels really sturdy. The action of the reel is really smooth and the bail works like a dream. One of my favorite things that has nothing to do with the function of the reels is on the reel seat it says “more than luck.”
This reel performs well has an anti-reverse switch and a great drag system. If you’re looking to try out 13 Fishing this is a great reel to start out with.
Daiwa Revros LT – Great Quality
Daiwa Revros LT
Buy Now Disclaimer – This website uses affiliate links and get a small commission at no additional cost to you.| Price | $49.99 |
| Line Capacity | 2/220, 3/160, 4/110 |
| Weight | 7.4oz |
| Max Drag | 11 lbs. |
| Gear Ratio | 5.2:1 |
The Daiwa Revros LT would be our favorite if the Sienna didn’t beat it out on price, but this is a really solid reel. At $50 it really feels more like a $70 reel and thats what you want when you buy anything really, a reel that feels like it should cost more.
It has an amazing drag system and maxes out at 11 lbs. It has so many adjustment levels that you can fine tune your drag to your taste. Solid gear ratio of 5.2:1 and is pretty light weight at 7.4oz.
If you’ve got a little more extra budget, we recommend the Daiwa Revros LT.
Abu Garcia Max X – Great Looking
Abu Garcia Max X Spinning Reel
Buy Now Disclaimer – This website uses affiliate links and get a small commission at no additional cost to you.| Price | $39.99 |
| Line Capacity | 4/140 6/110 8/80 |
| Weight | 6.9oz |
| Max Drag | 7.5 lbs. |
| Gear Ratio | 5.2:1 |
Abu Garcia has bene around for a while and they have taken all that experience and packaged it into an affordable package. The Abu Garcia Max X is a great spinning reel for bluegill.
It’s one of the lighter reels on the list so you can cast this thing all day and it balances well on any ultralight rod. The action of the bail is super smooth and the drag system is pretty nice as well. If you are looking for a bold looking reel this is the one for you.
Lew’s American Hero – The Strongest Reel
Lews American Hero
Buy Now Disclaimer – This website uses affiliate links and get a small commission at no additional cost to you.| Price | $39.99 |
| Line Capacity | 4/150 6/120 |
| Weight | 8.7oz |
| Max Drag | 13 lbs. |
| Gear Ratio | 6.2:1 |
The Lew’s American Hero is a power house! It is built like an ultralight tank! If a power fishing ultralight reel ever existed, this is it. 6.2:1 gear ratio which is super fast at this size and 13 lbs. of max drag. The Bluegill wont know what hit them.
Now all of this does come at a cost of 8.7oz reel weight. It is the heaviest reel on this list, but also in our opinion the sturdiest. If you’re hard on your gear and want something that will handle abuse this reel is a great option. And it looks cool too!
Pflueger President – The Lightest Reel
Pflueger President
Buy Now Disclaimer – This website uses affiliate links and get a small commission at no additional cost to you.| Price | $59.95 |
| Line Capacity | 2/200 4/100 6/80 |
| Weight | 6.2oz |
| Max Drag | 6 lbs. |
| Gear Ratio | 5.2:1 |
Last but not least on the list is the Pflueger President. This is the most expensive reel on the list, but it is worth the price if you have the budget. It is the lightest reel on the list making it a dream to cast. It is also a classic.
If you see someone with a Pflueger President you know this angler knows what they are doing. They are built to last and they are made with quality components. If you’re looking for something more pricey and light weight this is the reel for you.
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What Makes a Good Bluegill Reel
There are 4 things that make a good bluegill spinning reel. Reel size, max drag, line capacity, and cost.
Reel Size
When you’re fishing for bluegill and have a dedicated set up you want a reel that can throw ultralight line. You can fish for bluegill on heavier tackle, but a bluegill fight is way more fun on an ultralight rod and reel. Generally you want to go smaller with spinning reels for bluegill. We like to stay around the 1000 size reels. They are small enough to handle even 2 lb. line. You can size up for 2000 size as well, but we recommend you use 4 lb test line if this is the case.
Drag
While you don’t need strong max drag for bluegill fishing you do need one that is super adjustable. Small micro adjustments really help you fine tune your drag so you can make sure you have just the right of drag set when the fish decides it wants to go on a run.
Line Capacity
A bluegill will probably not spool your reel, but you want to be able to handle light line. The bigger the reel the harder it will be to cast light line so capacity is important. Also when you are ultralight fishing for bluegill there is a chance you hook into something bigger as a by catch and that might spool you. Our happy place is 2/200 yard line capacity.
Cost
This is probably the biggest thing I look at. You don’t need to go too expensive for a good bluegill spinning reel, but you don’t want to go too cheap either. The $25-$60 range is where we like to play and test reels to make sure they are worth the cost.
What size line should I use for bluegill?
This really depends on the lures you are throwing. The lighter the lure, the lighter you are going to want to go with your line so you can cast it well. We know you can catch bluegill on 10 lbs. test line, but that wouldn’t be much of a fight. 2-6 lbs. test is where we like to play
Berkley Trilene Sensation Fishing Line
Buy Now Disclaimer – This website uses affiliate links and get a small commission at no additional cost to you.We like to use Mule Fishing lures and jigs and those are really light. Our favorite set up is the Donkey Tail Jr with a 1/64oz Mule Jig. Since they are super light lures we throw it on 2 lbs. test line. If we are fishing in current we opt for 4 lbs. test line.
Mule Fishing Donkey Tail Jr.
Buy Now Disclaimer – This website uses affiliate links and get a small commission at no additional cost to you.What Other Species Can You Fish For with Bluegill Spinning Reels
- Redear Sunfish (Shellcracker)
- Warmouth
- Pumpkinseed
- Green Sunfish
- Crappie
- Rockbass
- Largemouth Bass
- Smallmouth Bass
- Flier Fish
- Catfish
- Trout
Best Spinning Reels for Bluegill
Hopefully you have found a reel or two you are interested in trying out for your next bluegill fishing trip. Get fishing and catch some donkeys!
