Looking to get a good quality, user friendly bait cast to replace my day to day spinner. Have looked a lot at the Revo. Seems to be decent bang for buck. Any other ideas?
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Looking to get a good quality, user friendly bait cast to replace my day to day spinner. Have looked a lot at the Revo. Seems to be decent bang for buck. Any other ideas?
I got one on sale at CTC, not sure of the make, as it was my first bait caster, 6ft medium action rod. I will use nothing but from now on. It does have a learning curve and the rats nests can be frustrating, but once mastered it is a great combo for bass and pike. I only use braid line, which means I had to learn braid knots.
That's as far as I got...spent most the aft sort out the 'nests', so it now it collects dust...Ha Ha..Quote:
Originally Posted by line052
Might be too big for your needs but I've had great luck with my Abu Garcia ambassador on my musky setup! It was my first successful baitcaster setup, not sure if the 100lb braid has anything to do with it but it will out cast all my spinning rods. It's mounted on a 8'6 shimano musky rod.
My first baitcaster was a bill dance special from bass pro, absolute garbage!!! Rats nested almost every cast and it didn't cast very far. After one ruined outing it's been sitting on my rod rack completely rats nested. Moral of the story, absolutely DO NOT cheap out on a bait casting reelhttp://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...5a645e5f2a.jpg
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That exact set up except okuma rod is my musky caster. I don't want things quite that large for bass pick and pike castingQuote:
Originally Posted by SIRsleeper
Abu Revo and daiwa lexa are both great baitcasting reels.
The larger the braid you use, the better it will be for your 'learning curve' using them.
I suggest moving up 10-20 lbs from what you need the first year, and work your way back down.
A lot of people have an easier time with musky gear, because you're using 80 or 100 lb line.
Those are my suggestions....
I ve had great luck with the top of the line Quantum Tour baitcasters ... also bought a couple Abu Garcia Revo (X's ??) and found those to be very good as well ... I think I paid $ 169 - 15% at Sail ... the Quantums were $259-$299 if I recall correctly ... I d save the cash and get another Abu Garcia next time ....
I bought an Abu Ambassador Record a couple of weeks back but couldn't get it to set up right. I'm thinking there was a brass or two missing behind the knob....swapped up for a Shimano Curado 301. Infinite adjustments with it.
A lot cheaper with similar versatility, maybe have a look at the Shimano Caenan 101
Have 2 of them........Abu STX and Shimano Citica both great reels. I suggest starting with mono until you get the hang of it......cheaper to scrap and easier to untangle. I still keep mono on one of them and braid on the other.
As always lots of opinions no basis. You cannot simply go by any baitcaster and have it fit your fishing requirements. There are many good reels available today. What will you be casting? How heavy of baits? Baitcasters come in a variety of gear ratios. Too simply say I want to fish a baitcaster or try one is like saying I'm going hunting pick me a bow. Give some details as to the species of fish you are targeting and type of baits you want to cast and the size and weight of baits. From there you can get some feed back on a reel size, line size and type and reel options. Otherwise you will be making birds nests and be like most others whom try out a baitcaster. They are awesome in the right situation when dialed in correctly.
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Attachment 33066
Watch for backlash
Ha ha ha... how the heck did you get a picture of my reel?Quote:
Originally Posted by M_P
my two cents worth
the best advice advice is go to your local tackle shop and talk to someone who uses the reel type and can give you the best idea based on what type of fishing you are going to do
but be forwarned baitcasting is a slippery slope
i stared baitcasting last spring with one reel
i now have 5 reels and still looking for more lol
Curado I series is a great reel. Only 200 dollars, but not a cheap piece of junk. I would give any of the Curado's a look, they would be a good fit for you.
As Monks mentioned there are some questions to be answered. Having said that I use my Shimano Caenan paired with a Abu-Garcia Veritas 6'9" med-heavy rod and 20lb mono for everything from trolling crankbaits to tossing frogs and wacky rigged worms. Mostly for bass and pike but I have caught perch and rock bass with it as well. It's a very good general purpose setup. I also have a more specialised setup for big cats. That one is a Ambassadeur C4 reel on a Browning Six Rivers 8'6" med-heavy rod loaded with 20lb Power-Pro line. It will handle everything from small mudcats to 20lb channel cats. My Shimano setup would be a good one to start with and if you find you like it you can get more specialised gear later.
The biggest thing is to either carefully read and follow the reel instructions or get someone to show you how to use it. Mine is very easy to set up and adjust to various weights of lures. TC
I picked up an Abu-Garcia Ambassadeur several years ago. There was a learning curve to it, sure, but I like it now.
Something to think about, I am right handed, and my rod stays in my right and I reel with the left on my spinning reel. I saw no reason to change and start switching hands between casting and reeling and blight a left hand model.
My only real complaint is that the diameter of the crank is smaller than on my spinning reel, so I need to crank faster, or so it seems anyway.
get yourself a small crochet hook from the craft/hobby store. It will help greatly in untangling the inevitable bird-nests
i also practiced on my street with a suitable sized sinker to the line. I got several strange looks, but who cares? I used old line until I got the hang of things, then swapped it out for fresh line before hitting the water.
i bought mine for throwing larger like baits and trolling for other species in shaggy areas or lake trout with dipsey divers, so it is a suitable size for that. If you're throwing bass cranks, a smaller size will probably work better for you.
Well it's been well over a 1000 casts now between my musky with braid and my tatula with mono and I can NOT make a single free loop of line appear even into a 30 klik wind. Must be something I'm missing
Just a few things to consider to increase your chances of success.
Always get the best tackle you can afford. This need no explanation.
Balancing the bait casting reel, with a proper rod and terminal gear is paramount to success. You'll never throw a 1/16 jig and grub on a bait casting rod rated for 1-2 oz. If anything, a lot of problems occur because the rod is over powered on the cast , thus a faster start up speed on the reel and then the dreaded backlash if you're not good at thumbing the reel.
The recommendations above from this forum are all good.
One piece of advice to help with the backlash problem. Follow the manufacturer's recommended settings of the magnets for the anti-backlash. You're going to have to master the feel of thumbing the spool because conditions (wind, lure weight, fatigue) change and thumbing the spool becomes a "feel" thing. Just like driving a standard shiftier in a car.
Here is a tip that will eliminate almost all backlashes for a beginner. I used this for both my son and daughter when they were each about 12 years old and they wanted to use a bait caster. After a couple of outings they didn't need this any more. Here is what you do. Go somewhere (back yard, soccer field) and attach a lure (minus the hooks, or tape the hooks to the bait body with electrical tape and then cover all exposed hooks with tape, this is only to set up the reel). Take a few practice casts. Once you got one good distance cast out, pull off 5 or 6 arm lengths of line from the reel. Now take a piece of electrical tape (black) and wrap once around the line on the reel spool, do NOT over lap the tape. This is the maximum distance that you will cast plus about 15 (or so) feet more. Now reel in the line under a little tension. On a worst case scenario, any birds nest will NOT dig into the line below as the tape is protecting it, and all you have is a 5 or six pulls on the line to free and unravel the backlash. If you do get a monster on the line that pulls out line, the tape will fly off because the line under it will lift it off. Take the tape off at the end of the day.
A couple of sessions with this set up and and you soon get the "feel" of thumbing the spool and the tape trick won't be necessary. I've used this method for a lot of beginners and they all could cast very well, very quickly without the frustration of the constant backlashes, by using the "tape trick".
Just my 2 cents......muddler
brilliant!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by muddler
Actually my biggest problem is understanding why everyone's having such major issues with BC outfits. I think everyone should have learned to drive cars b4 they had all this assistance crap and everyone should have learned on a BC from the 60's which basically had NOTHING for adjustments. I ended up wit a daiwa tatula xsr and a 6'8" St croix tournemant caster. They pretty much cast themselves
I could never figure out why anyone was using them...no gain worth the additional cost and effort.Quote:
Originally Posted by standup
Same as those fools with fly rods hey. What the he11 you want that for? Green line, bobber, worm. You're golden. I like you Mike ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by MikePal
Yea about as much as you like your Mother-in-Law...she gives you her opinion too...whether you want it or not :)Quote:
Originally Posted by standup
30+ % more lure in water timeQuote:
Originally Posted by MikePal
further casts
More accurate
So line being torqued over a 90 degree bail (of note for larger fish)
A lot more ergonomic in hand for those of us with arthritis
Way more...Well I won't go on, cause that's plenty for me
Personal choice like everything else...pro & cons...I would guesstimate for 75% of weekend warriors it would make no difference what they use, even thought they would believe one is better than the other, like with most things guys do.Quote:
Ultimately, there is no correct answer to the question of whether to use a baitcast vs spincast vs spinning reel. It depends partly on preference and partly on the type of fishing to be done. Beginner fishermen often prefer spincasting reels due to their ease of use, but with a good teacher and a little practice a baitcasting reel can be mastered in a short time for larger catches and precision casting. That said, a good all-around choice for many fishermen - and the most popular reel of them all - remains the spinning reel.
Never see guys using BC's for bass fishing...
Hope you enjoy....
Actually that's where I see em 90% of the time because of their ability to boat in and hammer a bay faster than spinnersQuote:
Originally Posted by MikePal
Exact opposite here...of the two boats I fish on, with 6 different Bass fisherman, no one uses them. Only one boat of the two even carries one as a spare.Quote:
Originally Posted by standup
I don't remember even seeing many at the boat launch when talking with other boats.
It's just another reason to blame the gear when you have a bad day on the water. :)
They're like a Tilley Hat; a true Outdoor Gentlemen's hat, ...superior to the standard ball cap..only 5x more $...shades both your eyes and your neck at the same time..
hardly ever see fishermen wear one, except the Fly guys. :)
My reason for digging-up this old post : I "thought" I might be in the market for a "newly-developed" BAITCASTER . I had heard that the newer types were a cinch to cast with ; obviously I heard wrong . Judging by the posts (ahead of mine) nothing really has changed . During the 60s I used to "play" with a Pflueger (baitcaster) BUT never "warmed up" to it . --- My fault ; no doubt . --- Ever since then I've utilized SPINNING-REELS (Daiwa and Shimano) with excellent results . --- Lately , however, I wanted to branch out a bit and started looking at a number of baitcasting-reels because I'd figured that they would be more suitable for HEAVY-DUTY-applications . --- After reading the above posts it dawned on me that I'd be getting into a can of worms that probably would repulse me again .
Get a Daiwa bait caster with the TWS system and when set properly which is extremely easy to do you can cast let it hit the water without putting your thumb down and it won't back lash. They are amazing!
Just got my Abu garcia Black max and getting my rod this week, looking forward to learning the art of bait casting for the upcoming season.
Hi
You have received a of of advice on bait casters, most of it good, however if you were to ask these fisherpeople if they still use a spinning outfit most would probably reply that they use both often on the same outing. I find it much easier dropshotting with my spinning setup than my bait caster. Don't put all of your eggs in one basket. Practice and become proficient with your baitcaster but also learn when to use a spinning rod and reel and you will put more fish in your boat.
AA
Quote:
Originally Posted by Miller97
Just remember rule 1. Let no more than the force be with you. With spinners you can just hurl line out, over extend as much as you want. Somewhere in that great big hurl will be the power stroke of the rod. Your over throwing will be tamed by the resistance of the line coming off a perpendicular axis. Not so with bcs. Use more than the flick of a wrist iows the power of the rod iows over throw and because the spool is on the same axis off she'll come
Up until recently I had 20 fishing rods and reels, five of which had level wind BC reels. Back then, two of those BC reels were on down rigger rods. I prefer BC reels for down rigger trolling. Two more BC reels are on casting/trolling rods. I have a custom rod that has the line guides spiraled around the rod and makes for the neatest trolling rod with a BC reel. The fourth BC reel is on a Cabelas' pack rod and is great for fly-in trips. The fifth and last BC reel was on an ice fishing rod for pike and lake trout. Of course I grew up before Spinning Reels were the reel-de-jour for all kinds of fishing and I am quite comfortable using one.
Some day I will have to learn to cast with a BC. I never cast for fish anymore so have not even tried to learn. I only use BC no, in different sizes depending on what I'm using it for. I only troll or vertical jig anymore or drift. Having said that I have drift fish for perch and casted for pickerel, so maybe I should learn, or take a SC with me. I do like the tape idea though.
Just got the Abu garcia silver max shich is next one up. my first one so should be interestingQuote:
Originally Posted by Miller97
I've got two cents(I mean nickle) to spare so here goes. I switched to bait casting a few years ago and after a short learning curve, I love it. I bought a Diawa procaster for $150 and loaded it with 20lb mono. I practiced for a couple hrs each day for two days. A couple things to share. First, set up the reel for the weight you're casting. It cuts down on birds nests by not over running. Next, don't get frustrated. Birds nests are inevitable and are not that hard to undo with 20lb.( check youtube for untangling birds nests) Next, don't try to cast as far as possible, cast easy and smooth. If you get a birds nest, it won't be as tangled. Practice, practice, practice. Once you get it, you'll be hooked. I still use spinning gear depending what I'm fishing for.
The other reason I like bait casters are no line twist, it's easier to cast a heavier lure, you can use it in place of a centerpin, (press the button and freespool) it works great . Hope this helps.
Dave
As Gino said, Shimano Curado is what i "entered baticasting" with. Its still my favourite out of all 8 casters i own now. Easy to setup, and great feel. the brakes are easy to turn on/off to your liking aswell as it has an option to adjust without opening the reel.Quote:
Originally Posted by gino
best bang for buck and great to start with! i wish i bought 10 more curados lol
Again the prob is nearly never the reel. I own 6 types from those mentioned to 50 yr old garcias. The prob is always trying to over cast the rod
That is true!Quote:
Originally Posted by standup
Excuse the lack of teeth. Just out for the evening then decided to vid. Not sure they're the important thing anyhoo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0EWin2s__tA
I have been using a baitcaster for nearly 30years. Noting at all wrong with a good spinning reel and I also spend quite a bit of time casting a Centerpin reel float fishing for trout.
Given a choice I prefer a baitcaster for accurate casts, smoothest drag going and the ability to handle heavy weight braid without sacrificing castability. When trolling or bottom bouncing line control when trying to stay on bottom is far easier.
Willy