1st Baitcaster

[Derek1]

9 hours ago, Pills said:

Thanks for all the replies and suggestions. I ended up with The Tatula SV on a 6'8 MH Fast St Croix Mojo rod. Went to Bass Pro and was surprised at the limited rod selection, they had a ton of Bass Pro brand rods but not a huge selection of other stuff.  I wanted to compare similar Shimano, St Croix Avid and others IN 6'8 TO 7' but that didn't happen. I will start here and grab another rod if I need to.

You’ll be just fine. Go fishing and have some fun. 

[Deleted account]

21 minutes ago, Derek1 said:

You’ll be just fine. 

 

Said the teenage counselors at Crystal Lake...

[islandbass]

On 3/23/2023 at 11:13 AM, Pills said:

I have been using spinning gear for the last 40 years because I have been mainly a saltwater fisherman.  At one point I picked up a Shimano Corvalus 401 and a shimano 6'6 MH casting rod.  I never really liked this set up and haven't used it a ton.  I am looking to pick up a multi-use set up that is fairly easy to learn on and can be used for a good variety of baits.  I usually go with braid to Flouro but am open to other suggestions.  The reading I have done has me seriously considering the Curado DC and either putting it on the rod that I have or getting a new rod if needed. I will still use my spin gear for light stuff. So I am looking for suggestions. No real budget, I will pay for quality but like to stay around 400+/- for both. 

Glad to see another lh wielding bc person too, lol. 
 

Any reel in the SHIMANO curado class or its daiwa counterpart will enable to quickly learn how to use a bc reel. I too would refrain from going the dc route. It’s just not necessary. 
 

You’ll be in for a ride as you will now become proficient with both reel types. 
 

I would highly recommend you search on posts and videos here about how to set up and cast a bc reel before you get started. 
 

also, I recommend using a bass casting weight of 3/8 or 1/2 oz and mono between 10-14 lbs for learning — and make sure your spool is optimally filled.  

lastly, from one who started out spinning first and for a long time. The timing of when to release is MUCH sooner with a bc reel than a spinning reel. You will need to program or reprogram your casting mechanics.
 

Picture yourself making an overhand cast. If a clock with 12 o’clock is above you and 9 o’clock is in front of you, your thumb needs to come off of the spool when your rod is somewhere between 1 and 2 o’clock with 1:30 being a happy medium. And yes, that early. If you release passed 12, your will probably see your weight land on the ground right in front of you and you’d be like a deer headlights as your first official birds nest quickly forms, lol. Just speaking from my own experience ?. First cast with a bc reel I spooled it with new 30# braid. It was my first time using both. I let go at 12 and my weight slammed right in front me and I not only make a glorified birdsnest, I also ruined the entire spool of braid. ? I was ticked with myself but at the same time I was laughing my head off. 

 

Another thing to try to master early is learning to properly load the rod with the weight of the lure. This is important with bc rigs. If you hear the rod whip/whiz by your ear and you know the rod didn’t get properly loaded — while you can get away with such a cast on a spinning rig, not so with a bc rig. Make your thumb  stop the cast cold… dead turkey. If you don’t you might end up a small birds nest or little overrun.  If you can do this, you will learn the art of maximizing cast efficiently with minimal effort and this would even transfer to casting with spinning rigs. 
 

I think learning the overhand cast first is best. Learning to cast side arm or underhand will easily follow afterward. The side arm cast is exactly the same mechanics but your rod is just on a different plane. 

[Catt]

10 hours ago, islandbass said:

Any reel in the SHIMANO curado class or its daiwa counterpart will enable to quickly learn how to use a bc reel.

 

[Pills]

1st day out with the new set up, Tatula SV and MHF St. Croix Mojo. I couldn't be happier, it was super smooth and easy to throw. I started slowly and in a short time I was getting great distance. Only got 1 small backlash all day and that was because I was getting cocky and slinging that thing. To be honest I was only throwing pretty big baits but I will experiment with some smaller stuff next time out. As a bonus I stuck a 6LB PB LMB (not bad for Mass.) in the 1st hour.  Thanks again for all the help and to Glen for the video on casting.?

[youeverjust]

Nice fish! That is a good combo with the Tat SV and Mojo.