Thinking About Getting A Bait Caster...

[kwaldeier]

Just a few questions i have or things i don't really get. First off i can say that i have always had spinning tackle and i thought it was awesome. I had always wondered about a bait caster but was happy with my spinning tackle. That was until i was told by a friend how a bait caster was the best thing since sliced bread. Now i would like to try it out. Seems pretty straight forward but it seems easy to get backlashes.I plan on buying a 30-40$ combo from walmart. Most of the time i will be using senko's or other plastics. I am not sure how much they weigh, which will have an affect on my selection. The 2 i was looking at were both medium action, one was 6' and the other 6'6". I am unsure of the gear ratio or which one would be for me and my set up.What helped you the most when you first got a bait caster? What hurt you the most when you first started using a bait caster? How does your thumb not get tore up from "feathering" the line all day when using braid? Thank you for any advice!!

[ClackerBuzz]

there are alot of great post for first time baitcasters. the one thing i don't read too much: put braid on it. it will significantly lower ur backlashes and help with ur learning curve (especially since you are buying a cheaper reel--- i'd recommend spending they extra money and buying a BPS pro qualifier for $69 with dual breaking system--they have nice johnny morris reels on sale too). braid hook sets are amazing, u rarely loose lures or break off fish. i tie straight braid for any jig/spinnerbait/buzzbaits in slop/cover applications (65lb), and work ur way down for lighter apps. use the lb test mono/flouro leader you would normally use for ur application. i use 30lb braid with 12lb mono/fouro leader for rattle traps/cranks. i even have 10lb braid with 6 or 8lb leader on my spinning gear. if you have problems tying a leader blood knot, try an albright or uni to uni. good luck

check out this video:

http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/102213-frog-setups/

[NBR]

Unless you don't care abour cost don't start with braid. When learning to bait cast you will no doubt get some big time backlashes and need to cut them out. Brais is too pricey to cut. Start with a soft mono and practice in the yard. Read the instructions with the reel and those in this site.

[Jim_M]

Use the brakes and don't cast 40' until you have completely mastered 20'.

[skyerp]

I would probably suggest a abu garcia silver max for your reel, i picked one up when i started out baitcasting and still use it today. It has a flippin switch which i use onlu to cast now, instead of gaving to start your retive to engage the gears you can just let go of your lil button and the gears are engaged, will probably help eith backlashes as well. I wouldn't start off eith braid like the others have said to pricey to cut. One other awesome thing about a baitcaster and the one thing that always gives nrwcomers to baitcasters is that yiu have to fine tune your bait to the reel, to easy plus you can cast much further and more accurately than a spinning reel. Once you get the hang of a baitcaster you eill very rarley want to use a spinning reel. Best of luck amd tight lines!

[LgMouthGambler]

Dont go cheap, get something that is going to help you learn better. A quality reel will perform better than a Walmart special. I would suggest a Citica to start. Shimano brakes are the best. Just set 2 or 3 and use the spool tension knob to fine tune it. I live by Shimano, they are made to last. As far as rods, there are many companies trying to market the budget rods. Berkley Lightning Shock for around $40. Shimano Sellus for about $50. As for the line, the best bang for the buck is YoZuri hybrid. Strong stuff, handles very good, and very affordable. So you are aware the I practice what I preach, I use all of the above mentioned, and never look back.

[smalljaw67]

If you plan on spending 40 bucks then stick to spinning, truthfully. I say this because the learning curve with a budget casting reel is much higher and I've met a lot of anglers who tried to learn on budget reels and gave up. The problem is you need to start casting short distances with heavy brake, a good reel will have better bearings and require less effort to cast so to get a decent cast with the budget reel you will end up with a lot of arm movment and it will cause you repeated backlashes. If money is tight I say hold on until you can spend at least 100 dollars on a casting reel because you will get a reel that will serve you well learning and once you get good with it you will still have a nice reel.

[ClackerBuzz]

If you plan on spending 40 bucks then stick to spinning, truthfully. I say this because the learning curve with a budget casting reel is much higher and I've met a lot of anglers who tried to learn on budget reels and gave up. The problem is you need to start casting short distances with heavy brake, a good reel will have better bearings and require less effort to cast so to get a decent cast with the budget reel you will end up with a lot of arm movment and it will cause you repeated backlashes. If money is tight I say hold on until you can spend at least 100 dollars on a casting reel because you will get a reel that will serve you well learning and once you get good with it you will still have a nice reel.

x2

Use the brakes and don't cast 40' until you have completely mastered 20'.

x2 if ur gonna go for it and buy one.

[hatrix]

You for sure should spend more for a decent reel. Something with dual brakes would be best to learn with. Also I dont get why people say you shouldn't start with braid. Cutting it is nonsense and you should never need to. Any over run can be fixed by finding the right loop and pulling. Some times it might take a minute to figure out what you need to pull but as far as braid goes its almost indestructible IMO. You can backlash it as much as you want and still be more then fine.

[B@ssCrzy]

Dont go cheap, get something that is going to help you learn better. A quality reel will perform better than a Walmart special. I would suggest a Citica to start.

If you plan on spending 40 bucks then stick to spinning, truthfully. I say this because the learning curve with a budget casting reel is much higher and I've met a lot of anglers who tried to learn on budget reels and gave up.

This is exactly what happened to me 15 years ago. Bought a budget casting reel and hated it, and took it back after one day of fishing with it. Didn't get up the courage to try baitcasting again until about 13 years ago. Decided to invest in a curado e series reel. Now I have 3 of them and don't hardly ever use my spinning combos. The only reason I switched to casting was because I hated how mono twists and gets line memory on a spinning reel. Had I known better I would have just switched to 15lb braid and been fine. So my suggestion to you is go by some braid for your spinning reel. Save up $150 for a nice baitcaster and then learn on that. You won't regret it.

[roadwarrior]

If you plan on spending 40 bucks then stick to spinning, truthfully. I say this because the learning curve with a budget casting reel is much higher and I've met a lot of anglers who tried to learn on budget reels and gave up. The problem is you need to start casting short distances with heavy brake, a good reel will have better bearings and require less effort to cast so to get a decent cast with the budget reel you will end up with a lot of arm movment and it will cause you repeated backlashes. If money is tight I say hold on until you can spend at least 100 dollars on a casting reel because you will get a reel that will serve you well learning and once you get good with it you will still have a nice reel.

Buying a $40 combination is a TOTAL waste of money.

[The American]

Save your money

[Ima Bass Ninja]

.What helped you the most when you first got a bait caster? The first thing that helped me when i got a quality baitcaster is practice. Buy a plug or take the hooks off an old HEAVY bait (above 3/8oz) Dont try to trow a light lure it will only add to your frustration.

What hurt you the most when you first started using a bait caster? Not buying a good one to start. I , like you, had the thought of only spending a few bucks on one to see if i would like it. I bought the Shakespere xterra and that POS almost made me never throw one again. Luckily i got to throw a better baitcaster and saw the differance money can make. I wouldn't suggest dropping $200 on something you are not sure you will like but you can get a decent combo for around $100.( the black max is what comes to mind off hand but there are better deals out there if you are willing to shop around)

How does your thumb not get tore up from "feathering" the line all day when using braid? I rarely have to use my thumb with any line if the settings on the reel are set correctly.

Thank you for any advice!! My Pleasure!!

[iceintheveins]

Suck it up and buy a Pro Qualifier from BPS. Best baitcaster under $150 out there. Once you go more expensive, a Revo or a Shimano Cronarch are the way to go. Cheap baitcasters, especially store brands, blow chunks. A good baitcaster is your best friend though. More accurate and smoother than a spinning reel, and way less line twist/memory.

[kwaldeier]

I think i am going to walmart tonight and getting the abu garcia black max! Seems very well rated and a great deal!

[BassinNY]

Buy the best that you can afford is my first piece of advice. Second if you're gonna be fishing soft plastics I would suggest that you use a rod with a medium heavy rating with a fast action tip. Good luck and tightlines!!

[BassinNY]

Also the basic reel ratio of 6.4:1 is your all around performer. The shortest rod I would buy would be a 6'6 but 7' would be better. For line I would use 10-12lb Yo-Zuri Hybrid and KVD Line Conditioner.

[ctf58]

I started with the Walmart Pinnacle that cost $49 and a $40 6'6" Mh rod. I tighten the brakes until the 1/2oz casting plug barely would drop from the rod tip and the spool stopped as soon as the plug hit the ground. I used 15pound mono and started casting at most 20 feet. Backlashes were frequent but I could always get them out. I practiced in the yard every night for 2 weeks and got to where I could cast 40 feet. Then I went for the long cast and buggered everything up. that was the only time I had to cut things out and started over.

I love the Pinnacle reel and bought another. I also have a black max and a silver max and like them as well. I never regretted starting with a $49 baitcaster and still use them all after 3 years. I started having issues with one Pinnacle where the anti reverse stopped working so I took it completely apart and cleaned and oiled it. It cast farther than a revo I have now and if I broke it trying to clean it I would not have been upset.

As far as casting someone told me it was like a baseball throw and to turn the reel sideways so that the spool is up and down. Both tips seemed to help.

Good luck

[kwaldeier]

I think I am getting a black Max combo tonight

[Michael DiNardo]

Read the manual, then read the manual again.

Mike