Long distance casting reel, need advise

[AnotherInstanceOfMe]

Hello,

 

so I on the market for new reel and need advise what to get.

I fish from shore, freshwater, need a reel for jerkbaits/crankbaits/poppers, so distance is extremely important.

Budget is $250+/-

One of requirements is that this reel should be "merciful" to a new angler. At this moment I use Pflueger President XT and not very happy with it. Birds nests happening every 3 cast, distance is pretty average, so pretty much frustrating.

 

Thinking about Shimano DC reel, like Curado DC. All opinions would be really appreciated.

 

Thanks

/Yev

 

[FrankN209]

I've heard a lot of good things about the Lew's Tournament Pro LFS. 

[waymont]

Tatula Elite

 

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Daiwa_Tatula_Elite_Casting_Reel/descpage-DTEC.html

[FishTank]

The Curado DC would be great for long distance, amongst other things.  What rod, line and lure you use will be key.  

 

I have not been a fan of braid with this reel but FC has been fantastic.  As far as lures go, if you want to cast something a mile, the Megabass Dark Sleeper 1/2oz will cast a long way.  And for a rod, I would suggest a 7' M or 7' MH Fast St. Croix Avid. 

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

Please don’t take offense as none is intended, but.... you just need to practice and become proficient. The President is a fine reel. Distance casting is hardest to master as you tend to muscle the cast too much. Try backing off a little and just be smooth. For raw casting distance a switch to spinning tackle may be the ticket. 

[jimmyjoe]

   1) How long have you had it?

   2) Have you disassembled it for any reason?    

  

   jj

[MN Fisher]

30 minutes ago, Delaware Valley Tackle said:

Please don’t take offense as none is intended, but.... you just need to practice and become proficient. The President is a fine reel. Distance casting is hardest to master as you tend to muscle the cast too much. Try backing off a little and just be smooth. For raw casting distance a switch to spinning tackle may be the ticket. 

I'm with Mike - I've got a President and President XT and I have no issues casting distance with them. Just takes practice and 'dialing' in the tension and brakes properly.

[kayaking_kev]

I've never used one, but everything I hear about the Tatula Elite says it bombs cast out there.

 

Shimano MGL reels will probably cast farther than the DC reels.

 

A lot of it depends on your rod action, length, line diameter, and casting technique. Like DVT said, try to stay smooth on your cast and not try to power it out there as hard as you can, that's what always gives me a birds nest.

[FryDog62]

Easy answer - Tatula Elite. I started with one and now have three. I get an easy 20% more distance... maybe 30%. I typically use these reels for light or high profile lures that are hard to get enough distance (Ned rig, Buzzbait, jerkbait).  Problem is if you switch back to other reels it’s almost disappointing. 
 

Funny, someone mentioned above that a Dark Sleeper is compact and casts a mile. For fun, I did put a 3/4 oz DS on a rod I have a Tatula Elite on. Oh my, I coulda launched it over the Green Monster at Fenway 

 

[PhishLI]

I don't have much love for Magtrax type brakes found in your President. Yes, it's usable, it's ok, but. Long cast Daiwas or Magforce Z Daiwas with the brakes set low enough to get a really long cast require a refined casting stroke or they'll blow up immediately. That's a fact. If you're whip casting your spinning reels for distance then get ac BC reel with centrifugal brakes. However, some of those can be touchy too. You'll just get in to trouble at a different point in the cast. Think of those reels as seasoned user reels. The Curado 70 is an example. I'd put the Lew's Tournament Pro LFS in that category also. They're quite capable, but not really forgiving near their braking red line. A Lew's MB or MP might be what you're looking for. Not super distance casters, but pretty good and they're somewhat forgiving.

 

Regardless of which reel you choose, like DVT said, you'll need practice. You'll blow up any reel until you learn to feel what you're doing. Feel and timing are everything with a baitcaster. From the rod's butt to the lure at the end of the line, sound and vibration, you need to learn to feel it all.  There are no training wheels if distance is your priority.

 

That said, my favorite bombcaster is a Quantum Tour S3. It's the least touchy in my arsenal. You can easily blow it up, but it has a wide adjustment range. It usually doesn't fall off a cliff one click down on the braking. You'll get a warning first like a fluff and recover. For night fishing I set the brakes between 6-7 and forget about them. I can cast a wide range of baits way, way out there trouble free. Super distance.

[Linewinder]

What's a long cast?*  Yeah, it may be relative to the reel, but if you want to get the most out of the reel you have, perhaps thinking of the rod tip traveling in a straight line (try to minimize the arc) at the moment of line release will help with the motion and mechanics using your current setup.  A longer rod may help, or a different action.  Play with how much line is out from the tip for the cast.  Let the rod work, not you.

 

 

 

* I have many BC reels but only one (maybe two, as a gift) that would have been barely over $100 new but I have only borrowed more expensive reels.  So I don't know the real (pun intended) pleasure of better reels, usually just mediocre.  I cast centrifugal brake reels, magnetic brakes and probably another type (not sure) and with my rods pushing 40 yds is a haul.  30-35 is normal, casual casting about 25, but I'm not out fishing for distance.  Shoreline and canoe both for me.  I am switching to 2 handed casting, but always right-handed no matter if BC or spinning.  Also, I use light line.

[Lead Head]

You want distance AND a forgiving reel. Very few really long casting reels are what I would call forgiving. Admittedly, my experience is limited to Daiwa, Lews, and older Shimano reels. Tatula sv tw (or any SV spooled Daiwa) is always the first recommendation I make when someone is new to baitcasters. It is extremely forgiving, gives good (not great) distance, covers a wide range of baits well, and you won't outgrow it for a long time (if ever). Something like this could let you actually fish with minimal frustration as you get comfortable enough to bomb with the president. 

[Reel]

The advantage of a Shimano DC reel is that you get distance and you don't have to pay as much attention to your reel during the cast.  They are really good when you use a regular size lure ( crankbaits, spinnerbait, jerkbait) that you cast and retrieve continuously.  They are very forgiving.  I have a Curado Dc that I use for jerkbaits with an Expride rod.

[Catt]

Shimano Calcutta 100A will out cast everything listed above!

 

Find ya one on Ebay, send it to @Delaware Valley Tackle for upgraded bearings.

 

Rods cast...reels hold line?

[AnotherInstanceOfMe]

13 hours ago, FishTank said:

The Curado DC would be great for long distance, amongst other things.  What rod, line and lure you use will be key.  

 

I have not been a fan of braid with this reel but FC has been fantastic.  As far as lures go, if you want to cast something a mile, the Megabass Dark Sleeper 1/2oz will cast a long way.  And for a rod, I would suggest a 7' M or 7' MH Fast St. Croix Avid. 

Thank you for reply. I plan to set it to St Croix Legend Extreme, Medium/Fast. So, it's close to your recommendations...

31 minutes ago, Catt said:

Shimano Calcutta 100A will out cast everything listed above!

 

Find ya one on Ebay, send it to @Delaware Valley Tackle for upgraded bearings.

 

Rods cast...reels hold line?

Thank you for recommendation, but I feel my rod is too tiny for such reel... I'm looking for a reel for St Croix Legend Extreme Medium/Light. Want something lightweight and budget is $250 +/-$10 

[Catt]

11 minutes ago, AnotherInstanceOfMe said:

Thank you for recommendation, but I feel my rod is too tiny for such reel... I'm looking for a reel for St Croix Legend Extreme Medium/Light. Want something lightweight and budget is $250 +/-$10 

 

Round reels scare ya!

 

Curado DC ain't that much smaller than a Calcutta.

 

Your rod choice doesn't scream distance ?

[AnotherInstanceOfMe]

13 hours ago, Delaware Valley Tackle said:

Please don’t take offense as none is intended, but.... you just need to practice and become proficient. The President is a fine reel. Distance casting is hardest to master as you tend to muscle the cast too much. Try backing off a little and just be smooth. For raw casting distance a switch to spinning tackle may be the ticket. 

Thank you for feedback, but switch to spinning tackle is not an option. I had pretty good experience operating baitcasting rods in Europe, however, I wasn't able to take them here by some reason. So I've started everything from the beginning... 

I'll do practice more. 

[AnotherInstanceOfMe]

9 minutes ago, Catt said:

 

Round reels scare ya!

 

Curado DC ain't that much smaller than a Calcutta.

 

Your rod choice doesn't scream distance ?

Not at all Sir!  

It's magnifying me, but new Calcutta is out of my budget and I need something lightweight, not so solid  

7 hours ago, Lead Head said:

You want distance AND a forgiving reel. Very few really long casting reels are what I would call forgiving. Admittedly, my experience is limited to Daiwa, Lews, and older Shimano reels. Tatula sv tw (or any SV spooled Daiwa) is always the first recommendation I make when someone is new to baitcasters. It is extremely forgiving, gives good (not great) distance, covers a wide range of baits well, and you won't outgrow it for a long time (if ever). Something like this could let you actually fish with minimal frustration as you get comfortable enough to bomb with the president. 

Thank you so much for your opinion! I'm not like totally new in baitcasting, I did that before, but have been out of the game for a while since all my tackles left in Europe   

[AnotherInstanceOfMe]

10 hours ago, Linewinder said:

What's a long cast?*  Yeah, it may be relative to the reel, but if you want to get the most out of the reel you have, perhaps thinking of the rod tip traveling in a straight line (try to minimize the arc) at the moment of line release will help with the motion and mechanics using your current setup.  A longer rod may help, or a different action.  Play with how much line is out from the tip for the cast.  Let the rod work, not you.

 

 

 

* I have many BC reels but only one (maybe two, as a gift) that would have been barely over $100 new but I have only borrowed more expensive reels.  So I don't know the real (pun intended) pleasure of better reels, usually just mediocre.  I cast centrifugal brake reels, magnetic brakes and probably another type (not sure) and with my rods pushing 40 yds is a haul.  30-35 is normal, casual casting about 25, but I'm not out fishing for distance.  Shoreline and canoe both for me.  I am switching to 2 handed casting, but always right-handed no matter if BC or spinning.  Also, I use light line.

Ok, thank you. I just figured out that I missed one really critical factor as the knot where braid line connected to fluorocarbon lead. It gave me a lot of pain an I just made it more accurate. Today's morning cast passed MUCH easier, it changed to 1 for, probably, 15-20 casts... But reel needs anyway, since I got a fabulous rod St Croix Legend Extreme  

[AnotherInstanceOfMe]

Update: I feel I need to add an update to my question.

 

Source of multiple nests appeared to be a knot connecting braid line and fluorocarbon lead. After removing it casting quality/distance have changed, but want to cast further and better. And yes, I understand that practice is everything. I'm fishing 3-4 times per week, and I'm dedicated "student" 

 

I have pretty good fishing experience, like 35 years in Europe, but my baitcasting experience more modest, it was about 3 years in Europe, then 5 years break (by some sad reason I had no opportunity to fish at all, had health condition) and now I managed myself to get back on track.

Have Croix MJC75MHXF Mojo Bass Casting Rod 7-feet 5-inches, Meduim-Heavy, UltraLight for jigging. Reel is Pfluger President XT.

My wife made me a gift for our wedding anniversary, she bought St Croix Legend 7' Medium/Fast action. I believe it's good for twitching and I need a reel for it.

New rod is very lightweight, so I'm looking appropriate reel by weight.

I'm fishing at the entrance of small bay, like 300-400 yards long and about 250+ yards wide. There is an old creek in the middle, where bass is hunting. Need to reach out to the border of this creek with lures 3/8 oz...

 

What I brought out from our conversation:

Majority recommend Daiwa (probably Tatula or Tatula Elite), less people recommend Shimano as Curado DC, Calcutta (I heard it's legendary reel but it's upgrade sounds scary to me). Watching a lot of reviews from the channel "THE REEL TEST" and this test (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qj9gCeriYm8) I decided to ask first.

 

Thanks everybody for awesome help and tips and if you have anything to add, please feel free to do that.

 

[AnotherInstanceOfMe]

And another question: what do you think about Shimano SLX DC? It costs much cheaper then Tatula Elite/Curado DC, and performance, seems, in the same level as these guys have...

[AnotherInstanceOfMe]

5 minutes ago, BaitFinesse said:

Get a kayak 

It reminds me old Jewish anecdote when guy came to Rebbe and whining 

- "Oh, Rebbe, it so hard to live, everything is against me, my wife is killing me, my children make me mad, what to do???"

- "Buy a goat!" Rebbe answers.

- "But I live in apartment, I have no place for goat!"

- "I told you, buy a goat!"

Ok, that guy bought the goat and then, few months later, he comes back to Rebbe:

- "Rebbe, everything just getting worst! My wife is killing me, my children make me mad, but that GOAT!!! It lives poops everywhere, it bleats so bad that my neighbors hate me all together!!!"

- "Ok, sell the goat!"  Rebbe answers to him.

 

To my case "do you have a problems with casting distance? buy a kayak!" 

 

[Linewinder]

4 hours ago, AnotherInstanceOfMe said:

Ok, thank you. I just figured out that I missed one really critical factor as the knot where braid line connected to fluorocarbon lead. It gave me a lot of pain an I just made it more accurate. Today's morning cast passed MUCH easier, it changed to 1 for, probably, 15-20 casts... But reel needs anyway, since I got a fabulous rod St Croix Legend Extreme  

Well then Mr. St. Croix!  Get a gooder reel. 

 

Curious though, what do you estimate/know your cast distance is now?   You say average, but that may not be my idea of average.  I'm guessing with a better reel, as you suspect, you'll get longer distances, but will that be enough anyway for your situation?

 

The kayak is lightweight and can get you closer, but yes, does cost more usually than a reel.  It can be more useful than a new reel however in other situations.

 

Somewhere up the chain it was suggested that your rod isn't really capable of longer distances.  That may be.  Perhaps a longer would help -- generally true.  However, loading a rod properly in cast can make even a shorter rod cast as long as an under-loaded longer rod.  I have a <5' rod that can cast 3/8oz just as far as a heavier (lure weight) and faster 6 1/2 footer.  Match the rod specs to what you'll be casting.  

[Linewinder]

Maybe this will help too.  https://www.bassmaster.com/tips/going-long

 

 

[garroyo130]

I fish from shore primarily as well and one thing to keep in mind is the amount of line you're going to have out. I know it sounds like common sense, but few things are more frustrating than getting the distance you want, feeling the bite and feeling way undergunned when you go to set the hook.