Note: This is a series I'm starting about straightening your learning curve with a baitcast reel. I purchased my first last year and am hoping to help other beginners gain confidence with an awesome type of reel. This is NOT targeted toward pros and I'm not pretending to have all the knowledge in the world about them.
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Last year, I got my first baitcast combo. I watched thousands of YouTube videos on the subject, did a ton of research, and invested in a nice rod and reel. I am now casting with ease, remaining (relatively ) backlash free, and flipping, pitching, and skipping like a boss. Well, not quite! But I do practice a lot with it and have become decent at using my reel.
There are many people who refuse to use a baitcasting reel. I was one of them just months ago. Here are the two biggest and most common misconceptions about these reels:
They will explode in a birds nest if you take your thumb off the spool during the cast. This is simply not true. If you have your brakes and spool tension set right (I'll talk about this later in the series), you can lightly feather the reel or take your thumb off for parts of the cast, and your reel won't overrun.
They cost you an arm and a leg: Not all baitcasters are expensive. They run in range from $30 all the way to $500+ reels. A happy "medium" (of sorts!) for a beginner is around $100.
So why would you make the switch from spinning or spincasting gear to a baitcaster? Here are my top reasons.
Your accuracy will increase greatly Being able to feather the spool means you can stop the bait exactly where you want it. For picking apart any kind of cover, this is invaluable. You will eventually learn how to flip and pitch (also coming later in the series), and once you get these skills down you can put your bait exactly where you like.
You can cast at much shorter ranges. Ever tried to cast three feet in front of you with a spinning reel? It can be done but it's a LOT easier to do it with a baitcast, especially if you learn how to flip and pitch.
You can handle heavier baits Spinning reels can throw heavy baits, but it starts to get hard and pinch your finger if the weight gets too heavy. This is where a baitcaster excels. With the right equipment, you can throw 3+ oz. baits. Baits in the 3/8 to 3/4 oz. range are more reasonable if you're just starting. Besides, the reels can handle much heavier rods than a spinning reel normally can, so you can easily pull the biggest bass out of thick cover.
You can cover water faster Using a baitcaster, you can cover water much faster than with a spinning reel. Instead of lining up the hinge point, flipping the bail, holding the line, and casting, (as you would with a spinning reel), all you have to do is depress the thumb bar and cast. It may not sound like much but believe me, casting becomes a much smoother and quicker process.
However, I don't want to paint too rosy a picture for you. Baitcasters do have some downsides.
You won't be able to cast light baits with any ease. Weightless plastics and baits in general under 3/8s of an ounce become difficult to control on a normal baitcaster (there are finesse versions, however.). BUT you probably will still have your spinning rod, and that's where a spinning combo excels.
You do get backlashes Your patience will be tested: baitcasters do get backlashes. However, they're not as intimidating as they might seem. Most can simply be pulled right out and reeled up.
You won't be able to cast as far at first. If you're accustomed to spinning reels, which can hurl a bait long distances with ease, you may have trouble at first casting far. But don't worry, you'll soon get over it.
Hopefully this helped you get over some misconceptions you may have had with these reels. In my mind, the pros FAR outweigh the cons for buying a baitcaster. Some money invested and time spent, and you'll be well on your way to casting like KVD.
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Next up in the series: Buying the combo.
