DeXodus Posted November 10, 2014 Posted November 10, 2014 Hello dear forum users, I am new here. I came here to seek an advise. I am from Europe and have been fishing for most of my life. As you probably know in Europe we almost exclusevely use spinning reels. Yet couple of years back I started to read about baitcasters and wanted to try it out. Sadly it's a rather expensive reel for my budget and I want to decide what to buy very carefully. Because baitcasters are so popular in US I thought that it's a best place to ask questions. I found alot of information but there is alot of contradicting statements from anglers I found about these reels. I know the main advantages and disadvantages, but still have couple of questions First of all I was wondering about the size of these reels. I am looking for a reel for pike fishing mostly, was looking at low profile Abu Garcia models and I found no difference sizewise between different models (by sizewise I mean size of lures and lines that it is made off). Is there any size differences between models or is this neglectable and only the quality dictates the range of use? And second question would be for users of Abu Garcia Pro Max. This is a model that I am thinking of buying. I found alot of good reviews about the reel. I was wondering if it's a good model to choose for pike fishing. I normally use lures between 1/5oz and 3/4oz (rarely anything bigger but you never know). I know that 1/5oz is rather light for baitcaster, so I was wondering is it still possible to use such lures (atleast during calm days). Sometimes I only want to take one rod for short trip and having something rather universal is nice. Sorry for asking maybe rather basic questions. I would be very grateful if you help me out and answer. Quote
RAMBLER Posted November 10, 2014 Posted November 10, 2014 I have the Pro Max on a 7' heavy duty rod with 65 lb. braid line. I have used the same rod for pike, but, the only reel I had was an Ambassador 6500. I wore the reel out and put he Pro Max on that rod. Now, living in Florida, I don't fish for pike, but I use it for bass. I tell you this to explain that I have experience with tackle for pike. I would not hesitate to use that set up for pike. I think that if you fish every day, you can wear out any reel. If you fish like I do, only 3 or 4 times a month, and use several different set ups, it will last a long time. Quote
Super User smalljaw67 Posted November 10, 2014 Super User Posted November 10, 2014 The pro max is a small graphite framed reel, if the pike you get are of any size it won't take long for the frame to flex. You would be better off getting a round casting reel or a larger size low profile. The Daiwa Millionaire-S is affordable and should be strong enough to handle larger baits and big pike and you won't have to worry about the frame flexing. Quote
Super User Felix77 Posted November 10, 2014 Super User Posted November 10, 2014 I own the Abu Pro Max and Silver Max. I have won 2 pike tournaments fishing exclusively with these baitcasters. Largest pike was around 11 lbs. throwing baits between 1/2oz and 1oz. Can't speak to others baitcasters but these have held up very well for me. Hope that helps. 1 Quote
DeXodus Posted November 12, 2014 Author Posted November 12, 2014 The thing is that pike in my country are not that big, mostly you catch 2lb-5lb pikes (problems with overfishing and catch and release still being unpopular), so I don't need a very powerfull reel. I am more worried about having a small reel so I can cast relatively light lures if possible. like 1/5 - 1/4 oz lures that I have quite a few that I like. The question is is it possible with such reel. As I understood pro max is a relatively small baitcaster? Quote
Super User HoosierHawgs Posted November 12, 2014 Super User Posted November 12, 2014 Hello dear forum users, I am new here. I came here to seek an advise. I am from Europe and have been fishing for most of my life. As you probably know in Europe we almost exclusevely use spinning reels. Yet couple of years back I started to read about baitcasters and wanted to try it out. Sadly it's a rather expensive reel for my budget and I want to decide what to buy very carefully. Because baitcasters are so popular in US I thought that it's a best place to ask questions. I found alot of information but there is alot of contradicting statements from anglers I found about these reels. I know the main advantages and disadvantages, but still have couple of questions First of all I was wondering about the size of these reels. I am looking for a reel for pike fishing mostly, was looking at low profile Abu Garcia models and I found no difference sizewise between different models (by sizewise I mean size of lures and lines that it is made off). Is there any size differences between models or is this neglectable and only the quality dictates the range of use? And second question would be for users of Abu Garcia Pro Max. This is a model that I am thinking of buying. I found alot of good reviews about the reel. I was wondering if it's a good model to choose for pike fishing. I normally use lures between 1/5oz and 3/4oz (rarely anything bigger but you never know). I know that 1/5oz is rather light for baitcaster, so I was wondering is it still possible to use such lures (atleast during calm days). Sometimes I only want to take one rod for short trip and having something rather universal is nice. Sorry for asking maybe rather basic questions. I would be very grateful if you help me out and answer. If you are going to be pike fishing, you probably want a larger capacity reel, for bigger line and baits on a larger rod. The reels I would recommend would be The AbuGarcia Toro NaCl, Lew's SuperDuty, or a Lew's BB-2 Wide Spool. Quote
DeXodus Posted November 12, 2014 Author Posted November 12, 2014 As I mentioned pikes I normally catch is between 2 and 5 lbs so power is not an issue. I want a reel capable of casting lighter lures as well. Quote
Jolly Green Posted November 13, 2014 Posted November 13, 2014 I've never used a Pro Max, but generally 3/8 oz. is a comfortable minimum for trouble-free casting and 1/4 oz. is pushing it a little. A baitcaster that truly excels at casting light lures will cost you quite a bit more than a Pro Max, and don't forget: you still need to buy a casting rod too! Practice with heavier lures first to minimize backlash and frustration and work your way down to lighter stuff as your thumb becomes more educated, and happy fishing. Quote
Super User A-Jay Posted November 13, 2014 Super User Posted November 13, 2014 Some food for thought ~ The size (diameter) of your line plays a role when choosing casting vs spinning gear as well as the weight of the lures you plan on fishing. The very small diameter line routinely used to throw 1/5 ounce baits on spinning gear traditionally does not handle well on casting gear. As a first time user to revolving spool tackle - you'll be challenged to learn the basic casting skills. Trying it with very light line and very light lures will complicate it considerably. Doesn't mean it can't be done, it's just a little tricky. Casing gear offers more power to the angler in both casting heavier baits on bigger line as well as fighting the fish. By using light line and small lures you're not able to take advantage of this. I'd say you're already using the best tool for the job. Good Luck A-Jay Quote
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