Gear Housing
The gear housing contains the various gears and ball bearings that allow the reel to function in a smooth manner. The handle of the spinning reel used to turn and retrieve the fishing line attaches to the gear housing, as does the support arm and the foot of the spinning reel. The support arm is the bridge between the reel's main body and the foot. The foot simply slides into the part of the fishing pole known as the reel seat, where the angler can secure the entire reel to the pole. Gear housings have a composition of graphite, aluminum or plastic.
Spools
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The spinning reel's spool holds the fishing line. The spools on modern spinning reels will be either graphite or made from anodized aluminum. The Bass Pro Shops Outdoor Library site notes that the spool may be an internal spool that does not detach from the reel body, or it can be the much more common skirted spool. These skirted spools are removable, allowing an angler to pop them out of place when line entangles under it on occasion.
Drag System
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The drag system on a spinning reel is typically a series of washers that the angler can tighten or loosen to make the spool turn harder or with less difficulty. The drag system on a spinning reel allows an angler to play a large fish by applying pressure, while at the same time letting line come off the reel. The drag system on a spinning reel is one of two different types---the rear drag control and the front drag control. The front drag control type of spinning reel is better able to handle large fish, while the rear drag control has a handier location for the angler to access, but may be lacking when it comes to landing that huge fish.
Anti-Reverse
The anti-reverse mechanism on a spinning reel prevents the handle of the reel from rotating backwards when you deploy it to the on position. This will make it much easier to set the hook, as there will be no give in the handle when you jerk back on the fishing pole when a fish strikes. The anti-reverse has a small switch that you can push to the on or off position. When in the off position, you can reel backwards and let a fish take line as you try to tire it out, rather than depend upon the spinning reel's drag system.
