Baitcaster For Bank Fishing?

[Sp032o]

Hello everyone I am new to bassresource. I have been fishing for about a year but have only caught 4 bass and would like to catch more. I am pretty inexperienced when it comes to fishing compared to some of you guys.Mostly I fish on the banks of small lakes. Right now I have a small amount of tackle and s Shakespeare "bass" rod and reel spinning combo. I hear many people on this forum and on youtube talking about using baitcasting rods and reels. I am wondering if it would be a good idea for me to get a baitcasting rod and reel for the type of fishing I am doing. Is it necessary for me to get a baitcaster, or can I throw frogs, crankbaits, jigs, poppers, spinnerbaits, jerkbaits, etc. on my current spinning combo? please keep in mind that I am on a budget and don't have tons on money to spend on fishing stuff. I am open to any feedback and would appreciate your opinions. Thanks.

[WIGuide]

 Welcome to the forum! Although there are advantages to using a baitcaster, there is a learning curve and you also get what you pay for. The more expensive ones are easier and more of a joy to use but I'd say with where you are in fishing right now you don't have to have one. I'd say do some more fishing and be sure it's something you want to do before you go blow a bunch of money something you end up not using.

[Sp032o]

Ok, thanks so much for your input! I'll wait and fish some more to make sure I really want one!

[timsford]

It isnt absolutely necessary i used spinning only growing up and didnt own a baitcast reel until i was 17. In a lot of the small lakes i fish a spinning combo is still what i use most. If you are just learning to catch bass my advice would be to invest in a more sensitive graphite rod and better spinning reel and try fishing small baits until you get confidence and learn where bass are located in the lakes you fish. Then step it up to bigger stuff for bigger fish. Try smaller worms and other plastics and small cranks with bluegill patterns in ponds and small lakes as most dont have shad or minnows so bluegill and frogs are the main forage. During the summer try fishing at night if its really hot during the day and use black spinnerbaits with a colorado(round) blade. Cast out and retrieve it slowly and you will be suprised how many you catch. Go to a fishing or sports store and handle some rods and see what feels good to you in hand and check around online for prices if you have paypal or a credit or debit card. Good luck learning to catch bass and if you have any questions pm me and ill try to help if i can

[Sp032o]

great thaks for the help!

[new2BC4bass]

I hear some people learned to fish with a baitcast reel instead of a spinning reel. 

 

Any baitcast reel can be used from the bank.  More important is the area you will be fishing.  If there are trees and bushes close to the shore, then a spinning reel is definitely the better option.  You need space with a baitcaster...especially when learning.  If you fish in open areas, then a b/c reel presents no problems other than your learning to use one. 

 

There is a steeper learning curve.  I assume you don't want to spend much.  What is your budget?  It has often been stated that a reel with centrifugal brakes (or dual brakes) is easier to learn on then a magnetic only reel.  I wouldn't know.  I learned on Daiwas.  You can only learn once so I have no comparison! 

 

If you don't mind round reels, the Abu reels are pretty good when in comes to backlashes.  I've got 3 of the older Black Max 1600 reels, and they also handle fairly light baits quite well as well as windy conditions.  They aren't nearly as popular as low profile reels in the bass fishing world.  However, they do provide a quality reel at a reasonable price that will last you a lifetime with any amount of reasonable care.  Plus there are a lot of parts available for upgrading and personalizing the reels.

 

I'd determine which reel interested me the most, and haunt the classifieds for a good deal.  You can get a better reel.

[The Fisher]

Use a 4" or 5" senko either wacky rigged, texas rigged weightless, or texas rigged with a 1/8 or 3/16 bullet weight to start. Use either 6-8 lb fluro or 30 lb braid with a 10 lb fluro leader and see what happens. Also, invest in a decent spinning reel. Depending on your budget, a shimano Sedona or Sahara in the 2500 size would be good. Then get a med- fast spinning rod 6' 8" - 7'.

Oh ya, Rooster Tails and Mepps Aglia in line spinners ork well in small ponds. I use size 2 Mepps with a gold blade and a black red feathered tail.

Keep at it. They will get hungry if they are there.

[Sp032o]

Everyone thanks SO much for your responses! it really helps!

[Raul]

You can throw practically any bait with your spinning gear, so you don´t "need" a baitcaster.

 

I have more baitcasters than spinning reels but baitcasters aren´t always the ideal reel when you fish from the bank, the bank has stuff growing on it and a baitcaster requires you having enough room to swing the rod to make the cast, with spinning reel you don´t need a lot of room to swing the rod to make the cast, just a Little and you´re ready to go. So as you can imagine when I´m on the foot patrol what type of reel is what I use.

[Hattrick7]

Awesome! New basser welcome! 

 

I started off on similar equipment pretty much only throwing crankbaits and wacky rigged senko bank fishing also. My knowledge of different baits was pretty much limited to that and I caught bass on em just not a lot. I often got confused during the changing of seasons and weather patterns since one week a bass would hit the lure then I would go for weeks without a bite. 

 

If I were you I would get to learn more about different techniques. Texas rigging, drop shotting, reaction baits (cranks, spinnerbaits, etc), jigs, split shot, etc. 

 

I would also get to know about this thing called structure and cover. Learn about seasonal patterns of bass and their behavior. I think gaining more of this knowledge is priceless and you will become a better bass angler no question. Plus a lot of this info is free on the web! 

 

Now I've been bass fishing almost daily for about 2 1/2 years and I fish the same lake I started on and can get at least one bite every time I go out if I really wanted to but if I really took the time in the beginning learning all this stuff I'd be more advanced in less time. 

 

Having cool equipment is nice but you can easily outfish someone with the setup you have based on how much you know. Good luck! 

[Paul s]

I would definitely stick with spinning gear for a while till you grow with experience and confidence, learning new techniques and how/when/what to throw, I love using baitcasters but equally (if not more) love throwing spinning gear its more versatile imo, so I would invest in a good quality spinning reel and rod.