Best baitcaster reels for 1/16 to 1/8

[21qdodge]

I’m trying to find a baitcaster reel that will throw a light rig pretty far. I would like to be able to throw jigs. What is a good reel for the money that will do that? I can not afford over 300 dollars. 

[Tim Kelly]

Define "far". You can go a long way down the baitcasting rabbit hole. A long spinning outfit with light line will do the job better and far far cheaper. If you a want to go down the casting route a Shimano Aldebaran BFS does a good job. I have a Daiwa Alphas SV with a Cosugi spool that I'm very fond of, but that's after a long journey down the rabbit hole. I don't want to cast far though, just accurately. 20 yards would be a long cast for where I use it.

[PourMyOwn]

I also use a spinning outfit for small jigs. It's a 7' medium and I use 20 lb braid to a 17lb leader. 

[dodgeguy]

Lews tournament pro. 139$ at Sportsmans outfitters. With its externally adjustable 27 position brake it's really easy to adjust. 

[new2BC4bass]

to the forum.

 

8 hours ago, Tim Kelly said:

Define "far". You can go a long way down the baitcasting rabbit hole. A long spinning outfit with light line will do the job better and far far cheaper. If you a want to go down the casting route a Shimano Aldebaran BFS does a good job. I have a Daiwa Alphas SV with a Cosugi spool that I'm very fond of, but that's after a long journey down the rabbit hole. I don't want to cast far though, just accurately. 20 yards would be a long cast for where I use it.

Times 100.

 

OP.  How good are you with a baitcast reel?  1/8 oz. jig plus trailer should be doable with many baitcast reels.  1/16 oz. plus trailer would depend on the weight of the trailer....for me.  I can do 3/16 oz. total weight pretty good with several of my combos.  Lighter not so much.  I lose accuracy and distance.

 

But if you are good, then a used Pixy can be had at a reasonable price these days.  Should work fine for 1/8 oz. total.  Lighter if you are good enough.  However, after spending much money (and time) looking for a reasonably priced reel for light stuff, I have come to the conclusion that (for me) a spinning rod is the way to go.

 

Unless quite good with a baitcast reel, the rod is going to be equally important.  And even if good, the rod will be a significant help when going that light.   IMO I think you will find accuracy much better.  Really whipping a rod doesn't lend itself well to accuracy.

[FryDog62]

After a right wrist injury and 3 surgeries, I can no longer use spinning reels - and I’ve switched 100% to baitcasting.  I do some power fishing but I’m 75% finesse.  So switching to all baitcasting has been a 3 year journey.  
 

Throwing a light jig, 1/8 Ned, or skipping a weightless Senko ain’t easy on a baitcaster, but it can be done.  After using several brands - Shimano, Lew’s, Abu, etc.  the only one that I can consistently use for the really light stuff are the Daiwa SV spool reels. (And specifically, not the Tatula or even Zillion for 3/16 oz or less)  The reels that work best for the ultra light stuff are the Steez SV TW or the Alpha SV.  And even these if you are casting into the wind or skipping a weightless lure, will take practice and adjustments.  But it can be done and once dialed in is effective and enjoyable.  
 

I also find it helpful to go down as low as 20 lb braid to cast the light stuff on the Steez and Alpha.  Have found it helps in casting distance and have not found it to bury into the spool at that diameter very often.  

[new2BC4bass]

1 hour ago, BaitFinesse said:

I use a Pixy Airy Red and Majorcaft Volkey 68L to cast 1/20 and 1/10 oz Ned rigs with 20# braid. 

Likey.  I have a tuned and upgraded Airy Red on a 7' custom rod.  I like the one Major Craft rod I have...a 6'7" L Benkei spinning rod.

[WRB]

Several light weight spool size 100 bait casting reels can easily cast 1/8 oz jigs if using the right rod that will load up enough the help launch the jig.

Bait casting reels differ from spinning reels, the spool needs to start turning at a high rpm from the lure weight. If the rod is too stiff it can't bend enough so you need a more moderate action or lighter power, common with spinning rods but uncommon with bait casting rods.

Tom

[FishTank]

The best I have used so far for that light of a bait is the Steez SV TWS.  There is also the older Daiwa Pixy and the Shimano Core 50mg. One other that may come close is the Abu Garcia AL-F. 

[Catt]

Rods cast...reels hold line ?

 

I throw Zoom Finesse Worm unweighted with my Calcutta 100A & a Powell Inferno 7' Medium Heavy Extra Fast.

[WRB]

I prefer spinning reels for 5 lb to 7 lb mono/coploy and FC line with 1/8 oz or less lure weights. 

If we go back to Shimano Bantum 100 or 1000 or the early 80's or Ambassaduer 2500C of the mid 70's they could easily cast 1/8 oz lures. During the 90's my Alpha series Daiwa's TD HTSA's easily cast 1/8 oz lures and the original TD Fuego is my current finesse bait casting reel I use on Loomis PR845C rod and Major Craft Iovino Splash-It rod for smaller crankbaits and finesse jigs/T-rigs with 8 on coploy and FC lines.

Light line spinning, 8 lb and up bait casting...why fight it?

Tom

 

[Raul]

Here's the deal, you need not only a reel capable of casting light stuff but you will also need the rod to do it, you can't cut corners there. Daiwa reels with "SV" spools can cast very light baits, back in the older days I would have said a Daiwa Pixy but those are no longer in production and later models of Daiwa reels like the Alphas series ( including the Sol ) were capable of doing almost the same and had much better and more powerful drag than the Pixy. On the other side, you can purchase aftermarket SV spools and all you will need is the reel.

[WRB]

My 1st trip to lake Guerrero Mexico the kids could cast using line wrapped around a beer can without a rod.

Tom

[frogflogger]

9 hours ago, WRB said:

My 1st trip to lake Guerrero Mexico the kids could cast using line wrapped around a beer can without a rod.

Tom

When I guided in the everglades we often saw guys in little jon boats throwing chuggers and poppers without rods - the line wrapped on a "yoyo" or bottle. They were very accomplished fishermen fishing for the table. In the 50's we threw 1/8oz with old free spool tournament reels filled with 9# silk - and very flexible sila flex glass rods.

[JustJames]

On 12/1/2019 at 11:39 PM, 21qdodge said:

I’m trying to find a baitcaster reel that will throw a light rig pretty far. I would like to be able to throw jigs. What is a good reel for the money that will do that? I can not afford over 300 dollars. 

1/8 jig plus plastic will push the lure weight a little over 1/4oz, most of the rod and reel this day can handle this (at same weight jig is a lot easier to cast compare to lure). The distance will be different also from the line diameter (smaller line cast further).

1/16 jig plus plastic might fall around 3/16 or less depend on type of jig/hook and skirt. The lightest 1/16 jig for bass for example 1/16oz Ned rig total weight around 3/16oz , this you might have to go down to M or ML in rod and 6-8lb line.

 

But no matter what equipment you use, I don’t think you would get 30yds of such light weight lure.

 

Normally, I use Medium/Fast rod with lure weight 1/8-3/8 for both application and reel scorpion 70 or daiwa alphas SV line #6 or #8 copolymer distance around 20-25yds

 

My best rig would be rod Majorcraft L/BFS lure weight 1/16-1/4oz with either Scorpion 1000xt (Yumeya shallow spool) or CQ50 with 15lb braid where I can swing the lure 25-30yds.

1/8jig with finesse hook, finesse weed guard no plastic is almost 1/4oz

True 1/16oz jig head plus Zman TRD, also 5.6gram

 

[Maxximus Redneckus]

As much as i love my baitcasters even with my tiniest abus i still prefer a spinning reel for finesse..not that i finesse fish but if i was gonna do it  i would use a shimano nasci 1000 size with some 2lb braid and a 6 ft rod..that sounds good

[NOC 1]

I have 3 reels for very lightweight casting. All three are Daiwa PX68's but each has a different spool.

2 of them are on 6'10" ML rods, XF tip. (ABU "Volatile" inshore rod) The one that casts the lightest lures the easiest has a "Rays Honeycomb BFS" spool which weighs in at about 8.9 grams. The other has an "I'ZE Finesse Special" spool weighing 8.8 grams. Both have Hedgehog Ceramic BFS bearings installed. One is spooled with 6Lb P-Line Flouroclear and the other with 8 lb. The 8 lb line is heavy enough and the spools light enough so that with all the brakes turned down, the weight of about 5 ft of bare line alone will spin the spool.

 

I use them to throw little 1/8 oz. inline spinners like Vibrax and the like, and sometimes little tiny 1/16 oz glow skirt spin jigs. Both reels work well for that but there is no way I'm going to get 30 yards out of either 1/16oz or 1/8/oz lures and these rods have a very whippy tip too. 20 yards might be do-able with the 1/8 oz. But I can't really think of a case where I'd need to throw those baits 30 yards anyway. Heck the whole spool only holds about 40 yards of 6 lb.

Maybe someone could do a bit better with an even lighter rod, but I've not tried it.

 

The 3rd PX68 has a stock spool (about 14 gm.), the same HH Ceramic BFS bearings and is on an ABU Villain ML Fast rod. It will do 1/8oz OK but really shines with 3/16 - 3/8 oz. stuff. It has about 50 yards of the Flouroclear 10 lb.

 

The only reels that I know of that will do much (if any) better might be the Daiwa SS Air, which is rated from the factory for 1/16 oz lures. But they are spendy, > $350.

 

You can find used PX68-R's in Excellent or better condition for around $200 and for that money are hard to beat in my opinion.

 

 

[Boomstick]

How far do you expect to be able to cast a 1/16 oz or 1/8oz lure with a baitcaster? I have a feeling you will spend more time and maybe money on a baitcaster while trying several different lines before ending up with something heavier than you would otherwise want to for the type of finesse jigs you're throwing. I mean I paid something like $40 for my Daiwa BG (although I would expect to pay $70-85 normally) which can throw light jigs far and accurately all day where you can spend $300+ rather easily and you may find you are disappointed with the performance at the end of the day, or unable to cast more than 20ft without issues.