Glossary

39 terms from the plates and the lab. Follow a part back to its drawing, or explore a concept in its own guide.

Actionalso rod action: Where along the blank the bend concentrates: fast near the tip, slow toward the butt.1 2 3Explore: Rod action explorerSee: Power
Anti-reverse: The mechanism that stops the handle and rotor turning backwards, so a pull works against the drag.4 5Drawn on: Spinning reelSee: Drag
Arboralso large arbor: The core of a fly reel spool that line is wound onto; a large arbor recovers more line per turn.6 7Explore: Fly reel mechanismSee: Spool
Bailalso bail arm, bail wire: The wire arm on a spinning reel that guides line onto the line roller and spool when closed and frees it when opened.4 5Drawn on: Spinning reelSee: Line roller · Rotor
Blankalso rod blank: The blank is the rod's main structural length. Its construction helps determine how much it bends and where the bend develops.1Drawn on: Casting rod · Spinning rodSee: Action · Power
Bodyalso housing, gearbox: The housing that holds the gear train.5 8Drawn on: Spinning reelSee: Gear ratio
Brake systemalso casting brakes, centrifugal brakes, magnetic brakes, brake dial: The system, usually adjusted on the side plate opposite the handle, that slows a baitcast spool during the cast.9 10 11 12Drawn on: Baitcast reelSee: Spool tension knob · Overrun
Butt capalso end cap, butt: The cap that closes the end of the handle.13 14 15Drawn on: Casting rod · Spinning rodSee: Rear grip
Dragalso drag system: The adjustable resistance that lets the spool yield line under a pull stronger than its setting.8 16 17Drawn on: Spinning reelSee: Star drag
Ferrulealso joint: The joint where the sections of a multi-piece rod fit together.14 18 19Drawn on: Casting rod · Spinning rod
Fore gripalso foregrip, front grip: The short handle section ahead of the reel seat.15 20Drawn on: Casting rod · Spinning rodSee: Rear grip
Frame: The structure that carries a baitcast or conventional reel's spool between its side plates.8Drawn on: Baitcast reelSee: Side plate
Free spoolalso free-spool, disengaged spool: The state in which a revolving spool is released from the gears and turns on its own.8 21 22Explore: Conventional reel mechanismSee: Thumb bar
Gear ratioalso retrieve ratio: How many times the rotor or spool turns for one turn of the handle, written like 6.2:1.8 11 17 23 24Explore: Gear ratio calculatorSee: Line per turn
Guidealso running guide, eye: A ring on a frame, wrapped to the blank, that holds the line along the rod so the whole blank shares the load.25Drawn on: Casting rod · Spinning rodSee: Stripper guide · Tip top · Guide wrap
Guide wrapalso winding, thread wrap, wrapping: The thread windings, sealed under finish, that hold each guide's feet to the blank.15 18 26Drawn on: Casting rod · Spinning rodSee: Guide
Handlealso crank: The crank the angler turns.4 5 27Drawn on: Baitcast reel · Spinning reel
Hook keeperalso keeper ring, lure keeper: A small loop above the grip for parking the hook when the rod is not in use.15 18Drawn on: Casting rod · Spinning rod
Level windalso line guide, worm gear guide: The guide that walks line back and forth across a baitcast reel's spool as the handle turns.8 28Drawn on: Baitcast reel
Line per turnalso inches per turn, IPT, line recovery, retrieve rate: How much line one turn of the handle winds on. Depends on spool diameter and fill as well as gear ratio.17 24Explore: Line per turn calculatorSee: Gear ratio
Line rolleralso roller: The small wheel on the bail arm that line runs over as it is wound on.28 29Drawn on: Spinning reelSee: Bail · Line twist
Line twistalso twist: Twisting of the line along its length, which can make it leave a spinning reel in loose coils. Incorrect spooling and a binding line roller are possible causes.10 11 28Explore: Spinning reel partsSee: Line roller
Overrunalso backlash, bird's nest: Loose line piling on a revolving spool when the spool keeps turning faster than line is leaving.9 11 30 31Explore: Baitcaster overrunSee: Brake system · Spool tension knob
Pickup pinalso pick-up pin: The pin inside a spincast reel's cover that catches the line and winds it onto the fixed spool.16Explore: Spincast mechanismSee: Spool
Poweralso rod power: The load needed to flex a rod. Compare power labels within their stated rod series and application; the physical mass of the rod is a separate measurement.1 2 3 28 32 33Explore: Rod power explorerSee: Action
Rear gripalso handle, butt grip, butt section: The main handle behind the reel seat.15 34Drawn on: Casting rod · Spinning rodSee: Butt cap
Reel footalso foot: The flat plate on a reel that slides into the rod's reel seat.4 5Drawn on: Baitcast reel · Spinning reelSee: Reel seat · Stem
Reel seatalso seat: The reel seat secures the reel foot to the rod. The screw-locking example uses hoods and a locking ring; other seat designs differ.25 34Drawn on: Casting rod · Spinning rodSee: Reel foot · Trigger
Rotor: The part of a spinning reel that revolves around the spool, carrying the bail and line roller.5 17 28 35Drawn on: Spinning reelSee: Spool · Bail
Side platealso sideplate, palm plate: A cover beside the spool. On the baitcaster shown, one side encloses gears and the other supports the brake assembly.8Drawn on: Baitcast reelSee: Frame
Spool: The drum that stores line. On a spinning reel it does not rotate during normal casting or retrieval, but can turn when drag pays out line.5 16 28Drawn on: Baitcast reel · Spinning reelSee: Rotor · Arbor
Spool tension knobalso cast control knob, tension knob: The knob on the handle side of a baitcast reel that sets how freely the spool shaft turns.8 9 10 11 12Drawn on: Baitcast reelSee: Brake system
Star dragalso drag star: The star-shaped wheel behind the handle of a baitcast or conventional reel that sets the drag.8 22Drawn on: Baitcast reelSee: Drag
Stemalso reel stem, leg: The arm joining a spinning reel's foot to its body.4 5Drawn on: Spinning reelSee: Reel foot
Stripper guidealso butt guide, first guide, gathering guide: The first and largest guide after the reel on a spinning rod, sized to gather the coils that leave a fixed spool.34Drawn on: Spinning rodSee: Guide
Thumb baralso clutch bar, clutch, free-spool button: The bar pressed to disengage a baitcast reel's spool from the gears for the cast.8Drawn on: Baitcast reelSee: Free spool
Tip topalso tip guide, top guide: The last guide on a rod, fitted over the end of the blank; the point where line leaves the rod.14 15 18Drawn on: Casting rod · Spinning rodSee: Guide
Triggeralso trigger grip: The finger hook under a casting rod's reel seat that lets the hand hold the rod with the reel on top and the thumb on the spool.34Drawn on: Casting rodSee: Reel seat
Winding checkalso trim ring: A winding check is a trim ring fitted where a grip or reel seat meets exposed blank; its position depends on the handle design.26 36Drawn on: Casting rod · Spinning rodSee: Fore grip

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