Cmills Posted February 20, 2015 Posted February 20, 2015 I have been bass fishing a lot since last season and am wanting to progress to using baitcasters. Walmart had the Abu Garcia Black Max low profile with the 7' MH rod on sale today for $50 so I picked it up. Will this combo be ok to use with plastics and top water baits? Also will it be a good combo to learn with? Quote
ABW Posted February 20, 2015 Posted February 20, 2015 It'll work fine. Check out these two links for more info http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-videos/adjust-baitcasting-baitcaster.html http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/106413-how-to-cast-a-baitcaster/ Just a fair warning, though; the bait monkey will be visiting very soon... 1 Quote
Ozark_Basser Posted February 20, 2015 Posted February 20, 2015 Welcome to the forum. I thought they were always $50? That was the first baitcaster I ever owned. It's a good one to learn on, but don't expect it to be extremely reliable if you fish a whole lot. I had a pro max given to me once. That really wasn't a bad reel. Quote
ABW Posted February 20, 2015 Posted February 20, 2015 I also suggest that you learn to cast with braided line at first. This is what I did and it was extremely easy to pick out backlashes. I used 50 lb braid when I got my first baitcaster, and it was very manageable due to it having a diameter similar to 12 lb line. Quote
lordhell Posted February 20, 2015 Posted February 20, 2015 To OP: I've messed around with Abu Garcia reels at Cabelas in past. They are decent reels and good for starter reel. It should serve well for topwater fishing. Don't skimp on a good top water lure. Try Jackall Bowstick 130, amazing walk the dog lure. You probably won't be casting the farthest with that combo, but if you get really good with it, you'll cast like a champ on higher end combos. Good luck and have fun! Quote
Super User everythingthatswims Posted February 20, 2015 Super User Posted February 20, 2015 I didn't know how to fish a baitcaster or target bass until the fall of 2013, now all I ever do is think about green and brown fish...Started with a silver max, and I am still using them until I can switch over to some lews. The black max isn't far behind and should be a great reel to learn with. I would advise against braid since it will get very expensive very quickly if you get a couple really bad back lashes. Get a bulk spool of 12lb mono and have at it! Quote
lecisnith Posted February 20, 2015 Posted February 20, 2015 I use a black max combo. I can get an easy 35 yards on my cast, and thats with 20# mono rigged for topwater, quite a bit further with different lures and more weight. It is what I learned on, and it has caught me some nice fish. Quote
edfitzvb Posted February 20, 2015 Posted February 20, 2015 I learned on inexpensive reels, and my first nicer reel was an Abu Garcia 5500 that was like a Swiss watch compared to the first couple of reels. I have since bought a number of reels that I would have no problems with having duplicates of. My favorite reel manufacturers are Shimano and Lew's. They just keep working and make me a better fisherman. I would recommend mono for learning. I would get inexpensive/bulk 12 or 14 lb. mono JUST for practicing. Go out in a field with a casting plug and have at it. It won't be long before your confidence is up. Mono will stretch where braid won't. Go to youtube and search for fastest way to clear backlashes. I wish I had known this years ago. I have literally spent HOURS in my life clearing backlashes. Most of all, enjoy yourself. You will come to the realization that baitcasters are the way to go. 2 Quote
OsideRida06 Posted February 20, 2015 Posted February 20, 2015 I started learning how to really bass fish last summer and stared using the Silver Max right from the start. It is basically the same thing as what you have. I watched plenty of youtube videos and made sure I had everything setup right. I found it was very easy to learn how to cast. I don't think I backlashed the first day or two out using it actually. The only bad thing about all of this is that I was out just a couple of months later upgrading to the Lews Tournament Pro. I absolutely love it by the way. :] Quote
Super User Senko lover Posted February 20, 2015 Super User Posted February 20, 2015 Someone told me when I bought my first combo 3 months ago not to skimp on quality for the reel. A cheap rod can be made do with, but a get a good reel. I know it's too late for you now, but you'll probably be upgrading soon, so keep that in mind. Quote
kikstand454 Posted February 20, 2015 Posted February 20, 2015 Congrats on your new rig! Hey, go outside, walk out the amount of line in an average cast- say 20yds or so- and take a piece of Scotch tape and place it across your spool. Now when you cast, a backlash will only go as deep as the tape- and not be an issue. Good luck! 2 Quote
Brnnoser6983 Posted February 20, 2015 Posted February 20, 2015 I love the Abu series and am a big fan (I have a Pro, Silver, Cardinal, Ike, and Nacl myself) It was the first caster I started out with and will be just fine to learn on. You will need to upgrade to a better rod if you go with larger cranks and swims. And with deeper swims and cranks you might want to upgrade down the line to the winch series. Watch the videos on here about setting up a bait caster, and don't get discouraged. Bait casters are about controlled pitches versus a spinner where you can whale out a lure. And in time distance well come with the ability to fine turn your caster. Quote
HardcoreBassin Posted February 20, 2015 Posted February 20, 2015 It really depends on how much you beat your reel up. I bought a Black Max and paired it with a Med. Mod Vengeance last season. I use it for shallow/medium crankbaits. Not a lot of people talk about Abu "Max" line reels (Black Max, Silver Max and Pro Max) because of their price point, but I like to talk about them every chance I get. I have 1 Black, 2 Silver and 1 Pro (just bought so I haven't had the chance to use it). I love the Abu Max reels. Sure, you might replace it in 2 years. But for the price, specifically for a "starter" setup, I think you will be pleasantly surprised. And I think you will probably realize that it will be more than a starter for you. Bottom line, if you are going to fish a ton, you'll probably be upset when you need to replace the reel or its parts in a year or so. If you are a weekend warrior and on a budget, like myself, I think you'll be happy with it for a while. Good luck! - Dale 1 Quote
WarEagleBassin Posted February 21, 2015 Posted February 21, 2015 It's a pretty good set up for the price...It will be good to learn on...I have a black max and a silver max that have been going strong for a couple of years now with no major issues. That being said, once you get it down and fall in love with baitcasters you will want to upgrade to something a little more durable. I prefer Lew's reels myself. They are very reasonably priced and rock sollid. I have 3, and couldn't tell you the last time any of them had a backlash. Even casting directly into a stiff breeze. Quote
Cmills Posted February 21, 2015 Author Posted February 21, 2015 Thanks for all the feedback I am excited to get out and practice and I will use all the tips everyone gave me. You guys were very helpful. Quote
Eccs Posted February 21, 2015 Posted February 21, 2015 Congrats on your new rig! Hey, go outside, walk out the amount of line in an average cast- say 20yds or so- and take a piece of Scotch tape and place it across your spool. Now when you cast, a backlash will only go as deep as the tape- and not be an issue. Good luck! Probably my favourite tip! That is really going to help me when I start using my new baitcasters! Quote
yugrac Posted February 22, 2015 Posted February 22, 2015 I bought my wife a black max combo and I have used it some, it is as good as the $300 Revo I used, replaced it with a KVD Quantum for this year. The thing I found about baitcasters is to get distance you have to set the controls loose and thumb the spool. I have only been using a baitcaster for 2 of my 50 years of fishing, but they do have there advantages at times. The release point is not the same as a spinning reel, I have to remember that when I switch from one to the other. My g-loomis rod makes casting it much easier than the cheaper rods. Quote
Hyrule Bass Posted February 22, 2015 Posted February 22, 2015 my first baitcaster was a round Abu Garcia 5601 Ambassadeur BCX. I love it, I use it on a 6'6 MH Shakespeare Tiger Rod for bass and catfish. great for carolina rigging, heavy t-rigs, weightless senkos and shallow cranks. some point last year after 3.5 years of use and no maintenance it decided it didnt want to cast further than like 15 feet or so. Just yesterday, I went and bought a reel cleaning/oil/grease kit at Dicks. having never "worked on" a baitcaster, i sat down and took apart the reel. cleaned it, oiled it and greased it. put it back together and now it cast maybe better than new, i am thoroughly pleased with the job i did, it was simple to work on so long as you dont get too far ahead of yourself. I also put fresh line on it... Quote
thomas15 Posted February 22, 2015 Posted February 22, 2015 Thanks for all the feedback I am excited to get out and practice and I will use all the tips everyone gave me. You guys were very helpful. Key word: practice. Do as much practice in the yard that you can stand and then do some more. Learn everything you can about the reel and get a technique. I had to shovel out my driveway this morning. After finishing that task, I took one of my baitcasters out and practiced about 20 casts. In the snow. Quote
wisconsin heat Posted March 2, 2015 Posted March 2, 2015 There's nothing wrong with an Abu Black Max! Yeah, it is on the lower end of the price range for baitcast reels, but it definitely does what it needs to. It casts far and is pretty good against backlashes. Black Max combo's were my first baitcasters and I still use one of the reels. A Black Max will get the job done! Good pickup, that combo will work fine for topwaters and plastics, " 7' MH " is the "all purpose rod" as it does a lot of techniques well. I would stick with Monofilament line because it is cheap. 10 or 12lb test. Look for .013 in Diameter. Mono is dirt cheap, a 220 yard spool will fill your reel 3 times and most will only cost 5 bucks or so. Quote
mhilgtx Posted March 2, 2015 Posted March 2, 2015 I have a Black Max on a 30+ year old Fenwick HMG Pistol grip 5' 6" rod and it cast plenty far. I do differ with what many folks on here say and sugest putting your money into the rods and quality line. Any Lewis or Abu will do great for reals. Quote
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