As the name suggests, overhead reels are paired with overhead rods and made to sit on top of the rod blank. While overhead reels can certainly be cast, they take a little more practice to master than their spinning reel cousins, so the majority of overheads on the Australian market are lumped into two catergories; jigging or trolling/livebaiting. These two categories are rather open to interpretation, as some of these reels are easily capable of both fishing styles.

Both jigging overhead reels and trolling overheads come in star drag and lever drag configurations. Star drags reels are distinguished by the star shaped drag knob attached to the main gear shaft at the base of the handle assembly, this allows the angler to alter the drag pressure conveniently throughout the fight, having the star drag at their fingertips enables additional drag pressure to be put on or taken off by rotating the star drag in either direction.

Lever drags are the number one choice for big game overhead reels, and are also available in many smaller models these days. The internal drag pressure is regulated by a thumb or finger driven lever on the side of the reel. As the lever slides up from the free spool position, drag pressure is gradually applied until the lever reaches the strike or fighting drag position. The pressure at this position is dictated by “pre-setting” the drag before fishing has started. This allows an angler that may endure a long, stubborn fight, to know exactly what drag pressure they are applying to a fish without risking line breakage.

The main overhead reel advantages are the larger line capacity to alternative reels, and generally having a lower gear ratio which can aid in gaining headway on stubborn, heavy fish.
Whether you are game fishing the blue water for Marlin, Tuna or Swordfish, jigging the depths for Kingfish and Dogtooth Tuna or simply dropping a bait down to chase sand flathead, snapper or pearl perch, overhead reels allow you to do so with confidence and ease. Check out our ranges from Shimano, Daiwa, Maxel, Penn & Abu Garcia today.