FINESSE FISHING WITH BAITCASTERS

[herefishy]

k FELLAS, i WOULD JUST LIKE TO KNOW IF ANY OF YOU FINESSE FISH WITH BAITCASTERS....SINCE I HAVE LEARNED TO USE BAITCASTERS, THE CONTROL AND ESPECIALLY THE FEEL OF THEM I HAVE A HARD TIME GOING BACK TO A SPINNING ROD...I LOVE TO FISH WITH JIGS WITH A BAITCASTER, AND WANT THE SAME FEEL FOR FINESSE (ESPECIALLY OF HOW YOU CAN USE YOUR FINGER ON THE LINE AT ALL TIMES TO SENSE A BITE) ...BUT WHEN I TRY ANYTHING LIGHT WITH A BAITCASTER I JUST HAVE PROBLEMS...IS THERE BAITCASTERS OUT THERE THAT WILL WORK FOR FINESSE OR AM I JUST BEING REDICULOUS AND NEED TO STICK WITH SPINNING ROD.

[Cajun1977]

i dont use my spinning reels at all anymore   ive got saharas and stradics and now they just collect dust.  you can cast light lures with your baitcaster, but just like when learning to use a baitcaster  you gotta practice  i usually turn my spool tension way low to cast light lures,at first i used to get some wicked backlashes but now im pretty profeciant with it

[JayW]

For finesse, I use a Calcutta 100 w/12# P-Line and a 6'6" MHF rod. I build rods and for this set up I use a St Croix blank. Very light and sensitive!

[Raul]

CAPS LOCK, YUCK !  :

Yes, there are baitcasters that can perform finesse technique with small or light baits & light line. Even though it 's all in the thumb having the right tools like the appropiate rod and the correct baitcaster help a lot.

[Top]

its gotten so bad I can't hardly cast with a spinning reel anymore  :'(  I use a baitcaster for all my finesse needs

AL

[grimlin]

I still use spinning outfit for anything 1/4oz or under.I'm not that good with my baitcaster with smaller lures yet.No shame in it either.I however love my baitcaster too...it's what i use 75% of the time.

[acar555]

I don't have any problems casting 1/8 oz lures on my TD Sol baitcaster.

[.ghoti.]

I do it all the time. My favorite finesse rig; a BPS Pro Finesse rod, 6'9" ML, Johnny Morris reel with 10lb test XL. Right now it has a 1/16oz Slider head jig, with the back 5" of a 7" power worm on it. Caught four nice bass on it this morning before coming in to work. I also use this rig for 4" senkos, lightly weighted tubes, un-weighted Flukes, and the smallest crankbaits.

But, what's wrong with using spinning gear for lighter baits, if you're comfortable with it? I recently started using spinning gear again. I bought a 7'2" Airrus Tradition spinning rod to go with a Daiwa Capricorn reel. Spooled it up with 8lb test XL, and have been using it more and more for the lighter stuff. The only problem I have switching back and forth is the first cast. Don't know how many times I've tossed the first cast up into the trees when I pick up the spinning rod. I solved that problem by making the first two or three casts into open water before I try to hit a real target. I do the same thing when I switch back to a baitcasting rig after using the spinner for a while.

I'll admit to having a heavy bias towards baitcasting gear, but spinning gear has it's place in your bag of tricks. Staying proficient with both will just give you more tools to use.

Cheers,

GK

[basspro48]

I use casting gear for 90% of my fishing, that includes finesse fishing. After time and practice I learned how to cast very light baits like weightless trickworms and other finesse baits with casting gear and now I just feel much more comfortable with a baitcaster in my hand. But having the right gear and setting it up right helps a lot too.

These are my 2 main rigs for finesse fishing.  

Shimano Curado CU-200, Kistler 7' MH casting rod, 10-15lb Seaguar fluorocarbon line

Pfleuger Supreme casting reel, All-Star American Classic 6'6" Medium casting rod, 10-12lb Seaguar fluorocarbon

[Guest avid]

I'm thinking we have widely divergent views as to what constitutes "finesse" fishing.

15 # line on a MH rod is not what i consider a finesse outfit.

To me finesse fishing is casting a zoom finesse (4.75") worm weightless with good distance and accuracy.  I can do it with my Loomis CR721 and TD-Z, but it's so much easier with my steez spinning reel attached to my Loomis BSR 852.  

I actually used to pride myself on not using spinning gear, but that was before I got the steez  

[Solo]

To me finesse is 4-6lb line and I find spinning reels actually a bit more fun to use than baitcasters with line that light.

[SneakySnook]

I have no problem casting a 1/8oz. lure with my daiwa zillion.

[ThomasL]

I consider finese(light)baitcasting under 1/4oz lures and 4-10 lb line,

i had a loomis 6' light action baitcast rod paired with a old

lews speed spool bb1lg that i sold and wish i had kept.It would

cast 1/16oz blakemore roadrunners with ease,but then again i have

been using baitcasters since i was 7 years old,a old red ambassador

5000.!

[CyBasser]

Practice, practice, and more practice!

When I switched to b/c gear 9 months ago I had problems casting anything less than 1/2oz. Now I feel comfortable even with 1/8oz and still get that overwhelming satisfaction and sensitivity that b/c gear offers.

Of course not all b/c reels are equally suitable for finesse fishing, and now there are many reels on the market designed for this role. But with practice, you will be able to use practically any b/c reel for finesse.

[lubina]

I go 50/50.

Soft plastics and jigs with spinning. SJR722/ Energy PT-i and Sufix 15 with 8 lbs leader.

Hard plastic with baitcaster. Kistler LTA ML 6.6 with Daiwa Alpha F ( supertunned ) and Gamma 10 lbs.

[Guest avid]

I don't know how much a weightless zoom or roboworm 4 inch weighs, but I guarantee you it is much less than 1/8 th oz.  probably closer to 1/32.  and also the shape matters.

fishing these little baits can bring big results.

You can drop shot to add weight and cast with baitcasters, but weightless is a killer with these little baits, and even when dropshotting, the lightest weight you can get away with is your best choice.

For those of you who don't hate bassmaster, in the current issue the "tournament trail" section details that Aaron Martens won the event with an 84 pound stringer using worms less than 5" long on dropshot's in the tules.  He won the big bass with an 11 pounder that hit a 3 1/2 inch robo worm.