Bait caster for bank fishing?

[Eric J]

Been thinking about getting a bait caster but I'm mainly a bank fisherman. Not sure if it's worth it.

 

Spinning reels seem more versatile.

 

Thoughts?

[Dtrombly]

Depends on what you're wanting to accomplish.. what lures and line you'll be using. Some things are better suited for casting, some spinning. I've been mostly a bank angler my whole life up until this year (kayak now) and I don't own any spinning rods. I even drop shot and throw ned rigs on a casting outfit. 

[jtharris3]

I’m primarily a bank fisherman. I use casting reels 80% of the time. My reel of choice is the Lew's LFS Speed Spools. 

[LCG]

I am also a bank fisherman and last year purchased my first baitcasting rod and reel. The learning curve is not near as bad as I thought. These forums and YouTube are great learning resources. 

 

I use both spinning and baitcasting now. Spinning for lighter plastics and lures. Baitcasting for heavier plastics, jigs, and Frogs. Using a 6'8" m-xf spinning rod and a 6'6" mh-f casting rod. Very versatile. 

 

It's funny, once I learned the baitcaster my casting with a spinning rod improved as well. I think it's because you start to dissect the motion of casting more and the attention to line and lure creates more of a focused cast. Maybe it just me. 

[BassThumb]

I'd say give it a shot. One idea would be to spend an extra $20-30 to upgrade the two spool bearings, and then learn on here how to take care of them. It'll increase casting distance and get your lures a little further from the bank.

[burrows]

4 hours ago, Eric J said:

Been thinking about getting a bait caster but I'm mainly a bank fisherman. Not sure if it's worth it.

 

Spinning reels seem more versatile.

 

Thoughts?

I think it’s a good idea now you just need to pick one?

[Eric J]

8 minutes ago, Burros said:

I think it’s a good idea now you just need to pick one?

Yup... the hares part ... lol...

[Darren.]

There's no reason not to try it out. But I would agree

that spinning reels are more versatile. My own experience

bears that out.

 

But the right casting rig can do many things well.  

[DogBone_384]

It's absolutely worth it....  Listen to the membership and enjoy a better fishing experience!

[BankBasser]

I primarily fish from the bank and used only spinning gear for over 35 years up to about 3 years ago when I decided to try baitcasters. There's nothing you can't do on spinning gear and I still use them almost every time I head out, but I'm now glad I have baitcasters as an option. I use bc for pretty much anything 1/4oz +plastic and over. It's getting to be the time of year where a lot of the places I fish are getting very weedy and sloppy and I absolutely think baitcasters are a better option for frogs. I'm determined to become better at jigs and I prefer them on a baitcaster, as well. Same with spinnerbaits. I think the best thing to do is just give it a try. You really won't know until you do. You might find that a nice mh/f outfit will become one of your most used.

[jtharris3]

1 hour ago, BassThumb said:

I'd say give it a shot. One idea would be to spend an extra $20-30 to upgrade the two spool bearings, and then learn on here how to take care of them. It'll increase casting distance and get your lures a little further from the bank.

 

There's really no reason someone should have to upgrade the spool bearings on a new baitcaster. I’ve been fishing  baitcasters since the 80's and have never had to “upgrade” a spool bearing, just because. Learn how to properly adjust the reel and the fundamentals of casting with it and you'll get plenty of casting distance.

[greentrout]

Both are tools for your fishing.

 

I use spinning gear too for finesse presentations and I'm from the Deep South.

 

Most bassers prefer bait casters.

 

Throwing a spinnerbait with a b/c is a joy...

 

good fishing...

[Armtx77]

This time of year, the bass are deep in the lettuce. Bust out the broomstick casting set up, heavy braid and start punching with Trigs and Frogs accros the top.

[Raul]

I fish with BCs from the bank most of the time.

 

[kickerfish1]

You can bank fish with any rod you want. Their are plus and minus qualities of each. There are not a ton of heavier duty spinning rods out there so that may be something to consider if you have lots of weed beds in close proximity to the shore.

 

Why not take one spinner and one caster with you. Seems the best of both worlds and carrying to rods and small back pack would be pretty easy and still allow you to travel lightly and cover ground

[Falkus]

Started out with spinning reels until I decided to buy one of those basspro's pro qualifier few years ago. 

 

Next thing I knew: 

Two of Shimano Cores MG7,

Five Curado 70,

One of each Dawia Zillion 100h, 100SHA 

Two of Dawia SV103H  

[Mike L]

There's no reason not too. 

I use bc for everything and everywhere. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mike

 

[fissure_man]

What do your spots look like?  Some shore spots are overgrown with trees/brush and have little room to backswing for a normal cast.  When casting at awkward angles with no room to swing, I find it much easier to “flick” baits out with a spinning rod than to constantly snag brush and backlash a BC. 

[NYWayfarer]

I take a spinning set up and a baitcasting setup with me when I go bank fishing. I use the spinning 90% of the time and the baitcaster stays in the car.

 

It's hard but not impossible to throw some of the lighter presentations and baits I use with a baitcaster.

[BassThumb]

13 hours ago, jtharris3 said:

 

There's really no reason someone should have to upgrade the spool bearings on a new baitcaster. I’ve been fishing  baitcasters since the 80's and have never had to “upgrade” a spool bearing, just because. Learn how to properly adjust the reel and the fundamentals of casting with it and you'll get plenty of casting distance.

 

I take it you've never tried it. Maybe you should before calling people out on an Internet forum. I'll go work on my fundamentals, coach.

[bhoff]

I'm a bank fisherman and personally carry three baitcasting setups. At least where I live I find them useful because of the ease of pitching baits and the high drag numbers help with pulling fish through grass and out of cover.

[LonnieP]

All I use is baitcasters. My one spinning combo has been collecting dust for years.

[B_Rose12]

I have a boat but bank fish quite a bit. I used spinning reels all my life and after trying baitcasters, I only use spinning for extreme finesse like dropshot or super light ned rig.

 

It is tough to cast a baitcaster in some bank fishing scenarios for sure, but it made me learn a lot quicker I think. Plus my favorite technique is pitching a jig and IMO that’s a big void if you can’t pitch with a baitcaster from the bank.

 

I learned on an Abu Garcia Black Max which is one of, if not the cheapest baitcaster you’ll find. But once I bought my first nice reel (Lew’s Tournament Pro G) the difference is night and day. My recommendation would be to get a Lew’s Speed Spool ($99.99) with a higher gear ratio, I have the 7:5:1 which picks up 31in of like every crank and pair it with at least a 6’6 Medium Heavy/Fast rod, but if ya wanna go a cheaper route then get a nice Lew’s Combo to start out, maybe an American Hero ($79.99) or a Carbon Blue GT ($99.99) both are sold at Dick’s. I’d go with the Carbon Blue just because the rod is a 6’10 Medium Heavy/Fast vs the American Hero which is a 6’6 MH/F.

[SJex]

Just be more aware of your surroundings during your casts. Getting your lure hung up on a tree limb or bush will often lead to the mother of all backlashes. I carry a spare reel in case of a bad backlash, and will switch reels rather than pick the backlash out.

[FCPhil]

I used to use spinning reels and I only fish from the bank. One I got a baitcaster and learned to use it I never touched a spinning reel again. 

 

I know they can be great for certain presentations but I just enjoy using a baitcaster much more...and I never have issues with line tangling anymore.