Bait Caster beginner

[Hailie]

I’ve been fishing for a while now but I'm new to a baitcasting reel, I always fresh water fish mostly in my tiny pond, I just ordered my bait caster, I was wondering is it fine to use a bait caster in my situation? The pond I fish in isn’t deep at all and the fish are only about 1 or 2 pounds. Is it okay to use beetle spins or light lure? 

[jbjordan]

Hailie,

With such lite lures, it will depend on the size of the bait casting reel you purchased and the line size you will be using.  Once you do tune it in to your casting ability (adjusting the spool speed and magnetic brake) Just practice, practice and more practice.  In the conditions you described you should be ok with lite line (no more than 10-12 lbs test)

 

Good Luck 

[new2BC4bass]

How heavy is the cover?  How light are you talking about for lure weights?  I am thinking a MLF would be best.  Beetlespins I've used are pretty light.  I'd use 8# mono or co-polymer.  Most importantly...what is your budget?

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

Stick with a spinning rod for those baits. That’s not to say you can’t use a baitcaster in small water. A six Inch senko and 03 hook will cast well enough and get bit by whatever swims there. Best to learn casting with heavier baits then branch out. 

[Teal]

Hey and welcome to the forum.  Baitcasters are fine for pond fishing.  Spool it with decent monofilament line. I would say 10lb -12 lb test.   Set the brakes fairly high and.be patient    I would also suggest light lures like 1/4 to 3/8 Texas rigged worms, or jigs or spinner baits in the same weight range   

 

Can you tell use what rod and reel you ordered and whst.the specs are for them.  

 

Remember to be patient when you are learning to cast it.  Just don't give up.    DVT was right if you have a spinning rod, that a good place to start too.  

 

There are several videos out there that can help you

 

 

[new2BC4bass]

Just noticed this was your first post.

 

I got to thinking after my original post about what kind of reel you would need depending on weights being used.  As Mike (DVD) said...learning to cast using light weight lures is not the way to go.  There are plenty of threads on this forum dedicated to the use of light lures.

 

One to two pound bass will hit lures that a MH rod (or Heavy) is capable of casting.  I agree with what has already been said.  Consider using your current set up for light lures and going to lures in the 1/4-5/8 oz. with the baitcast rod.  I've had rock bass (what we called them) hit lures almost as big as they were.

[fishwizzard]

If you’re targeting smaller fish with a bait caster then a Shakeyhead is a good presentation to try.  A 3/16oz head with a 4” worm on it is still a compact presentation but will have enough weight to cast well. 

[JustJames]

Which baitcaster did you get? 1/8 Beetle spin plus plastic should weight more than 1/4oz. If small pond and only 1-2lb bass, M or ML (1/8-3/8oz)with Fast action rod would give you a lot more fun and capable of variety of light lure or Finesse stuff.

1/8 underspin

Weigh less 4” senko, menace grub, pit boss.

1/16-1/8oz Neko rig

1/4 poppers or 1/4oz jerkbait 

 

[Sam]

Hailie, welcome to the Forum. Please introduce yourself in the Introductions section and keep asking us questions as you begin your bass fishing adventure.

 

Here are some suggestions for your to consider with a baitcaster and spinning rig:

 

COORDINATE ROD, REEL, LINE TEST AND BAIT WEIGHT

Look at your rod for the line test and bait weight parameters stamped on the rod near the handle. This will give you an idea of what line test and bait weight to throw at any specific time.

 

Then add the high and low line tests together and divide by two. This will give you the maximum performance line test for the rod.  

 

Stay within the bait weight limits.

 

 BALANCING A BAITCASTING RIG

To stop or minimize backlashes I have been giving this pro's tip on the Forum for a number of years and I want you to do this everytime you change baits on your baitcaster while fishing and when setting it up to go fishing.

1.  Put magnets located on the side of the baitcasting reel in an "X" position. If  you don't know how to do this then ask us for assistance.

2.  Rig your baitcaster with the first bait you are going to throw.

3.  Tighten the drag to where you want it.

4.  Tighten the spool tension knob on the side of the baitcaster reel.

5.  Point rod tip to 11 o'clock and release the reel's spool allowing the bait to fall to the floor.

6.  Using the spool tension knob, control the bait's fall so that the spool will stop when your bait hits the floor and no line comes off the spool, even a few strands.

7.  Do this as many times as necessary until the spool stops and no line comes off of the spool after the bait hits the floor. DO NOT DO THIS ON CARPET AS THE HOOKS CAN GET STUCK IN THE CARPET.

8.  Make final adjustments after a few casts.

 

You will get so proficient at doing this everytime you change your baits that you will let the bait drop a few feet and you know you have the proper setup.

 

Personally, I would suggest using a 10 to 12 pound test at the max for your Beetle Spins and other baits but this will be determined by the bait weight limitations of the rod. If your rod and reel can go down to an 8 pound test that would be excellent for a Beetle Spin presentation on a baitcaster. And remember, mono and fluorocarbon lines can be hard to work with since they are stiff lines and as you go higher in the test range they can be difficult to control. Stay as close to the average line test and bait weight your rod supports and you will do fine.

 

You may want to get some Line Conditioner and make a "wet spot" on a face cloth and run your line through the wet spot when putting your line on your reels. This is supposed to help the line be easier to work with. Your call.

 

BEETLE SPINS

Beetle Spins are great for spinning rigs on 4 or 6 pound test. Your line will twist and all of a sudden you will have a mess on your hands but this comes with the Beetle Spin territory. Mono and fluorocarbon line can be hard to handle  and you want either a light test or go with braid. But you don't need a heavy line test to fish a Beetle Spin. In fact, the lowest line test possible may be your best presentation.

 

To clarify, if you put a high test mono or flouro line on your spinning reel (over 8 pounds) you will have a problem with the line twisting and flying off the spinning reel. So go as light as possible.

 

Now, if you are going to throw Beetle Spins on your baitcaster check the bait weights for your rod. A Beetle Spin does not weigh very much so be sure it's weight is within the rod's bait weight parameters.

 

You can also throw Crappie and bream baits which are smaller than bass baits but weigh more than a Beetle Spin and are easier to cast.

 

When using braid please put some mono or fluorocarbon line on your spinning reel first and then tie on the braid. This will keep the braid from slipping when battling a fish.

 

Scent. If you want to use scent please consider MegaStrike. Look it up on the Internet or you may find it at your favorite tackle shop. Some guys love scent; others think it is a waste of money. Once again, what ever gives you confidence you use it.

 

BAITCASTERS

Double check the reel's ratio to note if it is a "fast" or "slow" retrieve. If in doubt, let us have the reel's details and we may be able to tell you if you have a fast or slow retrieve reel.

 

Good luck and let us know how you do. Before you know it you will be throwing all sorts of baits and having a lot of fun.

 

[Hailie]

On 4/21/2020 at 3:32 PM, new2BC4bass said:

How heavy is the cover?  How light are you talking about for lure weights?  I am thinking a MLF would be best.  Beetlespins I've used are pretty light.  I'd use 8# mono or co-polymer.  Most importantly...what is your budget?

I was really wondering if a beetle spin would work so thank you for clarifying that, I’m probably going to try a Texas rig with a lunker log. I’m not exactly sticking to a budget right now. 

On 4/21/2020 at 5:21 PM, Teal said:

Hey and welcome to the forum.  Baitcasters are fine for pond fishing.  Spool it with decent monofilament line. I would say 10lb -12 lb test.   Set the brakes fairly high and.be patient    I would also suggest light lures like 1/4 to 3/8 Texas rigged worms, or jigs or spinner baits in the same weight range   

 

Can you tell use what rod and reel you ordered and whst.the specs are for them.  

 

Remember to be patient when you are learning to cast it.  Just don't give up.    DVT was right if you have a spinning rod, that a good place to start too.  

 

There are several videos out there that can help you

 

 

Thank you so much! My bf bought the reel for me and I probably should have started with a spinning reel but he said he would buy me one next.