Low Profile Baitcast Reel For Catfishing?

[jbo225]

Catfishing with a low profile baitcaster anyone fishes with one I really dont wanna go out and buy a round baitcaster I catfish right now with spinning reels and have plenty of low profile bait cast reels so what's y'all experience with one...I do have a bait cast spooled with 50lb pp for frogs and tough vegetation would that work??

[WRB]

Depends on how big the cats are and well made your reel is.

Tom

[K_Mac]

Catfishing with a low profile baitcaster anyone fishes with one I really dont wanna go out and buy a round baitcaster I catfish right now with spinning reels and have plenty of low profile bait cast reels so what's y'all experience with one...I do have a bait cast spooled with 50lb pp for frogs and tough vegetation would that work??

 

Yes. Big cats in fast moving water or heavy cover will test any gear. Enjoy.

[jbo225]

I really all depends I catfish mostly the James river in VA

[flyfisher]

What size cats are you catching?  the james has blues in the 100lb range and flatheads over 50lbs.  So if your gear can handle that or if you are going after smaller fish then you should be fine.  Bass gear just isn't up to snuff for that size of fight in my opinion.  I fish for catfish a few times a year but after going out once i decided having a bait runner type reel would be helpful so that is what i bought and don't regret the decision at all.  

[Kevin22]

We've been doing it forever around here. Of course we are just catching eater sized channels and not chasing big flats or anything. 

[jbo225]

I think I'm just going to have to break down an buy a round baitcaster after thinking about what if I snag onto a 50+ PD cat I don't think a low profile can handle it and on the James you never know what might be at the other end of the line right?

[jbo225]

I think I'm just going to have to break down an buy a round baitcaster after thinking about what if I snag onto a 50+ PD cat I don't think a low profile can handle it and on the James you never know what might be at the other end of the line right?

[Tywithay]

I've caught 2 flatheads over 40lbs on low profile reels, one on a Chronarch CI4+, and the other on an Antares. Both were crankbait fish. I never felt like I was losing the battle. I was fishing open water, so little chance of a snag though. I think I still prefer a sturdy round reel, but mostly for the bait clicker than actual power.

[Elwood aka Ted Striker.]

Have you considered the abu revo winch or abu revo toro winch?

Are they in your price range?

 

If not    :

 

What about searching the auction sites to pick one up    ,

for around half the retail price?

[Bluebasser86]

I prefer larger sized baitfeeder spinning reels for catfish, even larger ones and especially for blues. If you're set on getting a round baitcaster though, I'd suggest a round abu with a bait clicker on it. You can find them used for a very reasonable price and they're about bulletproof. 

[timsford]

I dont do a lot of catfishing but i fish for stripers a lot. I use several different low profile reels from cheap shakespeares up to daiwa tatula type r's. almost anything will work as long as you have the drag set right but if im going aftet really big fish in current i use a lexa 300 for the line capacity as ive been spooled a few times on regular sized low profiles. Use braid and that way you can set the drag tighter without worrying about line breakage.

[Bluebasser86]

I dont do a lot of catfishing but i fish for stripers a lot. I use several different low profile reels from cheap shakespeares up to daiwa tatula type r's. almost anything will work as long as you have the drag set right but if im going aftet really big fish in current i use a lexa 300 for the line capacity as ive been spooled a few times on regular sized low profiles. Use braid and that way you can set the drag tighter without worrying about line breakage.

The problem with a lot of them is going to be not enough winching power and inadequate drags. Big catfish like to live in bad neighborhoods that you have to get them out of quickly or you'll lose them. That Lexa would work great I'm sure but you could buy a really nice, and better suited round reel for quite a bit less.