Baitcaster 101 please

[Socal Pat]

After being mainly a High Sierra trout fisher guy for the last 30 years I have decided to try learning this bass fishing game. I have a good selection of spincast reels, but I know nothing about baitcasters. I was looking at Wallmart and my local sporting goods stores and I see two kinds. The "barrel" type and the "bullet" type. So for small water flippin' and crank baits what is a good all-around starter reel?

 

[JB]

Re: Baitcaster 101 please

First: The "starter" reels are a lot harder to use than the premium reels. . .just like fly reels.

With any of the better reels (we never agree on what is the best reel) you will get a little "User Manual" type document that will explain the purpose and correct use of all features.

Personally, I prefer the "barrel" type reels from ABU Garcia, all descended from the famous Ambassaduer 5000, which revolutionized bait casting. I have the "Pro Max" in 3 sizes and the Morrum in a medium size. I also have an Ambassaduer 7000 for heavy fresh and light salt water work.

Other premium reels that I admire are made by Shimano.

If you can tell us what type fishing you plan we can make more specific recommendations.

 

[Socal Pat]

Re: Baitcaster 101 please

Thanks JB. As I said I will be fishing small lakes the biggest is 4 miles x 2 miles and the next is maybe 1/2 that. I'll be learning bassin' so I expect to be flippin' and throwing crank baits, swim baits etc.

 

[bkwapisz]

Re: Baitcaster 101 please

Thanks JB. As I said I will be fishing small lakes the biggest is 4 miles x 2 miles and the next is maybe 1/2 that. I'll be learning bassin' so I expect to be flippin' and throwing crank baits, swim baits etc.

Hi Pat, I'm doing the same thing you're doing, starting adn learning. I just bought a Shimano Curado reel as a start point. I actually did some research and found some interesting tutorials on youtube as to how it works. Maybe others are similar, but this one has an adjustable braking system for us newbs that will stop the cast short until we get used to the thumb action for preventing the overspin that usually deters guys like us. I plan on spending a lot of time with a casting lug this spring. I also picked up a quality spinning reel by Pflueger because I can already use one of those fairly well and I see a lot of pros using them from time to time.

The Lindner boys and In-Fisherman makes a couple of really good videos on Bassin' and fishing for other fish. I'm spending my winter researching. Good luck!

Brian.

 

[MRS]

Re: Baitcaster 101 please

It's all in the thumb control plus start with mono on the reel and make sure you wet the line first. If your lure hits the water and your thumb is not on the spool the lure stops and the spool is still spinning=birds nest. It is all timing with thumb and spool I love the casting reels because the drag systems are much better for bigger fish and work so much smother than spinners do. I know others will not agree with this but this is why I use them plus I did learn to use casting reels ocean fishing when I was just a young kid. Now I am and old kid and every now and then still get a tangle or two.

 

[oldskool7_11]

Re: Baitcaster 101 please

one thing that helped me was to start with the brake too tight so it is limiting the cast. then when you are comfortable start easing it off a little at a time. i to prefer bait casters and love the garcia's. they are cheap easy to use and hold up well. as mentioned before start with mono, braid makes some pretty nasty backlashes.

 

[fishrdan]

Re: Baitcaster 101 please

I like the round baitcasters too. I've had a bunch, Abu's, Daiwa, Shimano and the ones that seem to cast the best for me are the Shinamo's, Abu's are pretty good darn too. I really like my medium sized (200 I think) Shimano Corvalus, moderate price, casts smooth and nice drag. Last time I took the Corvalus's out I only backlashed it once, and I was casting all day long, 12 hours. For a first time baitsacter I'd look to spend $75-100, that should get you a decent reel. Get a name brand, not a store brand (BassPro, Cabelas, etc) as those can be of questionable quality.

To get proficient with the bait caster, read the manual as they will have a little spiel on how to use it. Then set the reel with all the brake blocks on and take your rig to the local park, cast it until you feel comfortable with not backlashing it, then deactivate (or remove) 1 brake block, cast it until you don't backlash, then deactivate a brake block, and so on, and so on. I usually cast with 2 brake blocks on, sometimes 1, depends on how fast the reel is.

I've read a lot that it's advised to set the spool tension knob, so that when you release your lure, straight down, the spool stops when your lure hits the ground. This is a good tip for the beginner, but I don't like it as it side loads the spool bearings. I always have the spool tension control set so I can feel just a touch of spool play side-side, moving it left to right. Not sloppy loose, just enough play so you can feel it. For starting out though, set it so the spool stops when the lure hits the ground.

The best tip I can give you is don't back your thumb completely away from the spool, keep your thumb close so you can lightly touch (feather) the spool if you notice the line starting to fluff. Oh yeah, only fill the spool 3/4 full when starting out, that will help reduce backlashes. Ooops another tip, after you make a nice long cast, place a small piece of tape on the spool, tape the line down. This will prevent a backlash from blowing up past that spot.

 

[mars bar]

Re: Baitcaster 101 please

Here's my 2 cents, I start by adjusting the spool tension till there's no side to side play in the spool. Then put your choice of lure on and place your rod on a 45 degree angle, press the button to release the line and let the lure drop to the floor. If the spool still rotates, tighten the magnet or spool tension knob till it doesn't happen. That's one way, as you get the feel of your outfit you'll be able to adjust it finer. remember that you'll have to do it every time you change lure weights.

 

[Socal Pat]

Re: Baitcaster 101 please

Interesting... most of the new reels I've been seeing are the newer bullet type, but you guys like the classic style. Reel tension.... got it. Magnetic brake.... got it. Mono line.... check. Practice, practice, practice..... Thanks guys.

 

[DKennimer]

Re: Baitcaster 101 please

The round baitcaster's are a "tougher" reel, and the bullet reels generally have a higher gear ratio. It's all a personal preference... I use to only use the round baitcasters because of their reliability, but with the technology of today's reels, the bullet shape are very durable and alot more comfortable (to me). I have found that if you are going to buy a reel, get a good one. Jump from the $100 range to the $169 range if possible. You will be happy you did! As far as brand, all the brands listed above are great, again a preference. I like the Abu Revo SX personally.

 

[leer94]

Re: Baitcaster 101 please

After being mainly a High Sierra trout fisher guy for the last 30 years I have decided to try learning this bass fishing game. I have a good selection of spincast reels, but I know nothing about baitcasters. I was looking at Wallmart and my local sporting goods stores and I see two kinds. The "barrel" type and the "bullet" type. So for small water flippin' and crank baits what is a good all-around starter reel?

Well...you do not need a baitcaster to Bass fish. If you like the spinners, use them. My wife would not touch a baitcaster with 10 foot pole and she outfishes me fairly regularly.
I use baitcasters about 50% of the time. There are times when a spin is the better choice.
What was said about the baitcasters is true...the cheaper they are, the harder they are to use IMO. The size and shape does not seem to make all the much difference to me....keeping in mind all of my baitcasters have the settings all the way OFF...I run them ALL open and as free as the settings will allow. At least not as much difference as the quality.

 

[robert graham]

Re: Baitcaster 101 please

I agree with JB, the Abu Garcia Ambassaduer 5000 is just a great reel that you can keep for many years and land about any fish that you're likely to hook. After you use it a while and get your spool tension screws set just right they're just as easy as a spinner! Hard to beat! Good Luck.

 

[riverkeg]

Re: Baitcaster 101 please

All good points above. I too prefer the classic round baitcasters and the Abu is hard to beat. I've always set my brake to where the lure will barely pull line out on it's own for casting. For pitching, that's another story. I guess it's as loose as I can get away with without getting backlash. Like everyone says, it's a matter of practicing. That said, I almost never bass fish anymore and was thinking about selling some of my collection. One in particular is a ABU EON Sport with the low mass spool. I have it on a heavy 7' lightning rod and it is perfect for pitching into heavy cover. You can flick the spool with your finger and it will free spin for 2 minutes. We've timed it. I also have several other baitcasters I'll be parting with soon. EDIT

 

[Socal Pat]

Re: Baitcaster 101 please

Hey guys, thanks for all the input. I went out yesterday and bought an Ambasadeur 5600 C4. Nice piece of equipment. Rain started the same day so I haven't tried it yet.
Leer94: I have 6 or seven spinners in various sizes and I won't be giving them away anytime soon
I figured I'd use this ABU for pitching and flipping and for shorter casting until I feel really comfortable with it. If I decide that a baitcaster is realy right for me then I might look into a more fancy contemporary reel with more bells and whistles. (read expensive).

 

[Tim.1]

Re: Baitcaster 101 please

Here`s a good tip for anyone just starting to use a baitcast reel should you backlash (birdnest) leave your thumb bar down and put your thumb on the spool with a little pressure and turn your retrieve handle eight to nine times then remove your thumb off spool and reel in your line at this point you might still see a little bit of backlash still on your spool just cast your line out again this should get rid of your backlash,if it doesn`t it only means you had a really bad birds nest repeat these steps again one to two more times and it should come out this will save you lots of time not having to reline your spool,and don`t fell bad even the pro`s make this mistake from time to time,LOL

 

[Socal Pat]

Re: Baitcaster 101 please

HEY Tim, you mean like this? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDI5kwR5zjc&feature=fvsr

 

[fishrdan]

Re: Baitcaster 101 please

Here's a tip on picking out a stubborn backlash. Push the line through the levelwind so you have the line coming out the back of the reel, pull the line free from the spool from the back of the reel until you have solid line on the spool, then pull the line back through the level wind.

Most of the time I strip the line out fromt he front of the reel, through the level wind, but if it stops because it's caught under a loop, working the backlash free from the back of the spool will get the hung up line straightened out. You might have to pick a loop to free the line, but this usually works.

 

[dingbat]

Re: Baitcaster 101 please

Still trying to figure out what a level wind and a thumb bar are I have a bunch of Abu's and none of them have these features.

I'm also confused about the tensioning of the bearing caps. I've always been taught that the longer your reel free spools the better the distance. After reading this it sounds like I want the spool to stop when the bait hits the ground which would imply no respool at all.. Most of my reels are setup to free spool for 10-15 seconds, some longer. Is this the wrong way to set up a reel?

 

[tpcowfish]

Re: Baitcaster 101 please

Hey,, Once you use baitcaster and get it down you'll luv it, No line twisting for one. Most of my reels are Shimano, I think the bullet type are for comfort palming all day, rounds are more a bigger fish heavy duty type. You got some good advice here as far as birds nest, which we all get time to time. I think you can get a little heavier line on a bait caster without much trouble with the memory of the line. I just about quit using spinning reels, but to each's own. Just remeber each time you switch lures,(weights) to adjust spool so you get no over run, , Good luck Tim P.

 

[Mark_VTfisherman]

Re: Baitcaster 101 please

Still trying to figure out what a level wind and a thumb bar are I have a bunch of Abu's and none of them have these features. I'm also confused about the tensioning of the bearing caps. I've always been taught that the longer your reel free spools the better the distance. After reading this it sounds like I want the spool to stop when the bait hits the ground which would imply no respool at all.. Most of my reels are setup to free spool for 10-15 seconds, some longer. Is this the wrong way to set up a reel?

I am not a baitcaster expert. In fact I only have one true casting reel. The other four casting-style reels are actually line-counter trollers.

However, my friend -who was a semi-pro bass tournament guy- when instructing me would say no, you don't want unlimited free-spool. The bearing caps should not be overly loose either. The thumb-bar can either refer to a "twitching" bar or (usually) to the release bar, which on a baitcasting reel is not the lever like on a troller.

I suspect (from reading your bay-fishing posts of the past) that you have trolling reels which are very different from casting reels. Some saltwater casting setups are like trolling reels in size and accoutrements, but have no line counters and function as long-distance shore-casting tools.

Hopefully that helps.