VinnieT Posted December 8, 2012 Posted December 8, 2012 1. I have been told that the Abu Garcia reels were good, especially the Revo s, but when I went on Abu's website, I couldn't find the Revo s or the Revo sx. Were these models discontinued? 2. I have heard about "Gen3" reels from Abu Garcia, but their website says nothing about generations of products. Is Gen3 the latest generation? 3. Is a centrifugal brake or a magnetic brake better for someone just starting out with a baitcaster? 4. When learning to cast a baitcaster, how do you set up the brake system and the spool tension? 5. When casting a baitcaster, should you press the button when you are ready to let go of the line, or should you press the button before the cast, and just hold the spool with your thumb until you are ready to let go of the line? 6. Can someone please explain to me what taper, power, line weight and lure weight are when picking out a rod? 7. Are the Abu Garcia reels good for an experienced fisherman, but sort of new with baitcasters? I know it's a lot, but it would be greatly appreciated if someone could answer these questions. Quote
BenBassmaster Posted December 8, 2012 Posted December 8, 2012 I went on Abu's website too a couple days ago, I couldn't find them either. Yes the Revo S is awesome! You can get them on *** however, no they are not discontinued. Gen 3 is the latest, and in my opinion magnetic breaking system is better for beginners then again I like centrifical breaking system. After awhile i started to like them both breaking systems, some reels have them together in one reel. And how to set a Baitcaster's breaking system: http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-videos/adjust-baitcasting-baitcaster.html When casting a Baitcaster: http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-videos/how-to-cast-baitcast.html If you fish heavy cover slop, mats, grass, weeds, etc. You'd want it thicker near the reel seat, line weight is what pound test a line can "properly" handle. I sometimes go over the limit, haha. Lure weight is what the rod can cast with "ease" I go over this sometimes too. Power means means the action of the rod or the how easy it can handle cover/fish/lures. I started with Abu Garcia caught my PB with them, when I just started using Baitcasters. Hoped I helped! Quote
VinnieT Posted December 8, 2012 Author Posted December 8, 2012 Also, does line weight mean the weight in pounds you put on the rod, or the pound test you put on the rod? Quote
VinnieT Posted December 8, 2012 Author Posted December 8, 2012 One more thing, will a 2 piece rod perform any different than a one piece rod? Quote
Super User retiredbosn Posted December 9, 2012 Super User Posted December 9, 2012 Line weight refers to the pound test of the line. 2 piece rods typically are not as sensitive as one piece, also with baitcasting equipment I experienced the top half of the rod coming loose. The cast of baitcasting equipment is much more "violent" than spinning, the rod does all the work when casting, I've tried to throw live bait on baitcasting only to have the bait to be thrown off the hook. I have to be real careful if I'm going to use it for live bait, cut bait or any of the commercial dough baits. Quote
Super User BASSclary Posted December 9, 2012 Super User Posted December 9, 2012 1. I have been told that the Abu Garcia reels were good, especially the Revo s, but when I went on Abu's website, I couldn't find the Revo s or the Revo sx. Were these models discontinued? The older Gen 2 models were discontinued for the Gen 3 reels, Abu is probably just not up-to-date on their website 2. I have heard about "Gen3" reels from Abu Garcia, but their website says nothing about generations of products. Is Gen3 the latest generationey Gen 3 is the latest generation on Revo's from Abu Garcia, they have a wider spool (Which i personally like) and have a smaller profile (which I like as well) 3. Is a centrifugal brake or a magnetic brake better for someone just starting out with a baitcaster? IMO the best braking system to learn on would be a reel with both, but if you can only have one the Centrifugal will probably be easier because It brakes on the inital high speed part of the cast which most newcomers have trouble with. 4. When learning to cast a baitcaster, how do you set up the brake system and the spool tension? Well, the braking system is based off of how educated your thumb is, i.e feathering the spool at the right times to avoid backlash. As a beginner I would set them at 3 for centrifugal and about 60% for magnetic (The numbers vary per reel). Now for your spool tension, you want your bait to fall slowly when lightly shake your rod tip. The spool should stop spinning as soon as the lure hits the ground, with no more than 1 revolution of the spool, As your casting skills progress you can back off the spool tension a bit for less effort to cast and a bit more distance. 5. When casting a baitcaster, should you press the button when you are ready to let go of the line, or should you press the button before the cast, and just hold the spool with your thumb until you are ready to let go of the line? You want to depress the thumb bar with your thumb on the spool, make your backcast, and on the forward cast take pressure off of your thumb, and let the line run freely underneath your thumb, but keep your thumb just off the line so you can feather the spool to avoid backlash. 6. Can someone please explain to me what taper, power, line weight and lure weight are when picking out a rod? Action is a little more confusing for someone just getting into the rod game, but you want to match power, line weight, and lure weight to you are going to be using. As a general rule of thumb a MH with a Fast action will cover most of your bass fishing needs, or you can step down to a M if you mostly fish open water with light cover, with lighter baits. 7. Are the Abu Garcia reels good for an experienced fisherman, but sort of new with baitcasters? All of the brands out there have higher end reels for highly experienced users, and have a more budget "Bang for your buck" reel. If you're set on Abu the Revo S is probably going to be your best bet. I know it's a lot, but it would be greatly appreciated if someone could answer these questions. Quote
Super User BASSclary Posted December 9, 2012 Super User Posted December 9, 2012 Also, does line weight mean the weight in pounds you put on the rod, or the pound test you put on the rod? Line weight on the rod refers to the rods "recommendation" on which size line to use, but thats about it. I have no problem going a bit higher or lower than the rating, but going to low can cause the line to snap, and too high could snap the rod, but for the most part rods can handle higher line lb. tests. I routinely use 50# on my MH, but it's only rated for 10-20 lb, just make sure your not swinging it like a bat, over-exaggerated hook sets are just that, they look good on TV but are not needed. If you really want to get into light line techniques as well with casting gear, another thing to consider is your rods is soft enough and that your reel is capable of tossing such light lures on light line. This usually requires higher end gear with lighter spools. Quote
VinnieT Posted December 9, 2012 Author Posted December 9, 2012 BASSclary Thanks so much! And Ben18 Quote
Super User BASSclary Posted December 9, 2012 Super User Posted December 9, 2012 No problem, if you have any more questions , all of us would be glad to help! Quote
dam0007 Posted December 9, 2012 Posted December 9, 2012 1 piece will have better sensitivity then a multi piece rod. Quote
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