Today, there are several brands that offer accessories and customization for your spinning reel. Most of them come from Japan. It is almost possible to modify everything on your reel to get better performance, adjust some details or simply customize your fishing tool.
Most of the modifications do not require great mechanical skills. It is however essential to check the compatibility of the parts with the reel you wish to customize. Not all brands are customizable either. Shimano and Daiwa offer a lot to satisfy the fans of fishing tuning. Abu Garcia also offers its share of customizable parts. For other brands, it is almost impossible.
Which parts to modify on your reel?
Almost everything can be modified and customized within the limits of what the custom brands offer. This goes from the spool to the crank, the bearings or some aesthetic parts. Let's see what you can change and what it brings.
The coil
Changing the spool allows you to change the line capacity. Most of the time, it is to choose a lower line capacity which is by default relatively high on an original reel. Shallow spools allow you to fill the spool with more fine line for optimal casting performance. Overall, there are few fishing techniques that require more than 150 meters of line. More rarely and especially for exotic fishing, it is possible to choose a larger capacity to be able to put more line.
The crank
The length of the crank allows to play on the amplitude of the movement and the lever arm to put in rotation the rotor. The longer the crank, the less effort is required to push the crank, but the greater the range of motion. On the other hand, the shorter the crank, the smaller and more precise the amplitude of movement, but a little more force is needed because the lever arm is smaller.
Except on specific fisheries, the change of crank is rarely relevant. You can also simply play on the look of the reel!
The brake
The brake of high-end reels can be modified. This usually involves changing the carbon or Teflon discs and modifying the grease. The goal is to have a smooth and progressive braking in addition to gaining in precision and accuracy of adjustment.
Bearings
To gain in fluidity and to limit the "noises" (term to indicate parasitic vibrations), it can be judicious to modify certain bearings with balls or with cylinder. This is a relatively delicate step that requires disassembling the reel and having the right bearings for each reel component (roller, rotor, pinion...). Professionals can perform this step to maximize the comfort and fluidity of your jewel.
Aesthetics
All the possibilities mentioned allow you to adjust some technical details, but also to customize the aesthetics.
Crutches
There are reel stands that allow the reel to be placed on the ground without scratching or damaging other parts of the frame. The stand is screwed opposite the crank. It also makes it easier to pick up the rod left on the ground. Some people even say that the crutch helps balance the reel by compensating for the weight of the crank. Some crutches are equipped with a convenient lure hook.
The pebble
The roller, not to mention the bearings, can be modified. The material can be changed, but it is especially the color that can be customized.
The handle
The handle can be modified to give a unique look or to adjust the comfort of use. There are many handles to suit all tastes and colors and the type of fishing practiced. Most of the time, a small kit is provided to disassemble and reassemble the handle properly, a simple screwdriver is enough for this step.
