Recommend me a first baitcaster

[21farms]

the shimano citica E or ABU garcia revo S would be your best choices. i totally disagree with recommendations for revo SXs and STXs for beginners...that's likely a recipe for disaster and frustration.

[Muddy]

I JUST CHECKED, BPS STILL HAS A FEW MODELS IN BOTH LEFT AND RIGHTY OF THE OLDER EXTREME BC REELS FOR 40 BUCKS!!!!!!!!

THIS IS THE REEL I LEARNED ON, ALONG WITH THE PRODIGY FROM CABELAS. I STILL HAVE ONE I USE, COULDNT ASK FOR A MORE ECONMICAL, LONG LASTING AND EASY TO USE BRAKE SYSTEM, I HIGHLY RECOMEND YOU TRY ONE OF THESE, THEY SOLD FOR 99 AT ONE TIME

[KYntucky Warmouth]

I JUST CHECKED, BPS STILL HAS A FEW MODELS IN BOTH LEFT AND RIGHTY OF THE OLDER EXTREME BC REELS FOR 40 BUCKS!!!!!!!!

THIS IS THE REEL I LEARNED ON, ALONG WITH THE PRODIGY FROM CABELAS. I STILL HAVE ONE I USE, COULDNT ASK FOR A MORE ECONMICAL, LONG LASTING AND EASY TO USE BRAKE SYSTEM, I HIGHLY RECOMEND YOU TRY ONE OF THESE, THEY SOLD FOR 99 AT ONE TIME

definately an extreme...a quality reel at a great price

[rubba bubba]

I JUST CHECKED, BPS STILL HAS A FEW MODELS IN BOTH LEFT AND RIGHTY OF THE OLDER EXTREME BC REELS FOR 40 BUCKS!!!!!!!!

Aside from the all-caps shoutfest, this is a good reel to learn on.  It's much more forgiving than the $39 Tourney plus model.  Unfortunately all of the lefty 6.4:1 have been taken so you are left with the high and low speed models.

Even at $59 for the '09's, it's a great reel to learn on for the price.  I still use mine even though I have 4 Revo's.

[Hatty]

For the person having problems with the Citica I think you should go for 6 brakes on instead of 2 or 4... this will prevent initial backlashes and then with the cast control feel free to loosen it up a bit or else when you reel in the bait the reel will feel very stiff.

Also, find a heavier bait, like a spinner bait to practice with before putting on the light stuff.

Having lots of brakes on will decrease casting distance, having the cast control loose will keep the reel smooth, stick to a heavy bait until you gain confidence, make sure you are using 10, 12 or 14 lb line, and make sure you rod isn't super stiff like a (heavy or extra heavy) I tell beginners to stick with Medium and a 6'6" to 7' rod.

I know people will tell you to put on less brakes but I think the key for you right now is to keep all 6 brakes on... I have used a Citica for a number of days out and I am sure you will get the hang of it.

I couldn't recommend the Citica or Curado more, but don't take my word for it... go to www.tackletour.com and check out the review and video. It's their "editors choice."

Good luck,

Hatty

[ChiCityBasser]

THIS IS THE REEL I LEARNED ON, ALONG WITH THE PRODIGY FROM CABELAS. I STILL HAVE ONE I USE, COULDNT ASK FOR A MORE ECONMICAL, LONG LASTING AND EASY TO USE BRAKE SYSTEM, I HIGHLY RECOMEND YOU TRY ONE OF THESE, THEY SOLD FOR 99 AT ONE TIME

I got the Prodigy as my first for what I thought was my first expensive baitbaster and learn to use it from a guy at a mom and pop tackle shop. Its's a great real and made for Cabelas by Daiwa and they often are on sell for $69-79 and normally around $100.

[rubba bubba]

I AM A DIABETIC AND AT WORK SOMETIMES I AM WORKING ON A SPLIT SCREEN SO THE WORDS ARE SMALL AND MY TYPING NOT GOOD.

Dude - this an internet message board; get some thicker skin as none of this really matters.  If the words are too small on your, try reducing your screen resolution so you can see them.

[DINK WHISPERER]

Stick with Shimano Citica, Curado or MG... all great reels. I would stay away from the Revo, the quality control isn't as good had mine break on day two, BUT because the Revo SX and STX have magnetic brakes you will spend more time adjusting and less time fishing... if you have to have a REVO then go S it has non-magnetic brakes.

So because you had a bad experience and/or could not figure out the brakes he should stay away from one of the best reels in the industry!?!

[Hatty]

nope, I figured out the brakes just fine, I am recommending to a new baitcaster that they don't fiddle with magnetic brakes for their first baitcaster.  My STX spool release broke on day two... yes I had a bad experience with REVO and yes I will stick with Shimano.  I mean for $200 I should not have an issue...  

Do you think differently?

[DINK WHISPERER]

I would not know, i have yet to pay $200 for a Revo or have a problem with one either! It is obvious that you got a bad/defective reel which does not define the Revo line as a whole. Shimano has plenty products that are defective as do all other manufactures. Does this make all of them of lesser quality as well?

[CSB]

nope, I figured out the brakes just fine, I am recommending to a new baitcaster that they don't fiddle with magnetic brakes for their first baitcaster. My STX spool release broke on day two... yes I had a bad experience with REVO and yes I will stick with Shimano. I mean for $200 I should not have an issue...

Do you think differently?

I do. I feel that baitcaiting newbies shouldnt be fooling with the braking system at all, but instead focusing on thumb control, so I dont think it matters what system a reel has. Second, there are going to be defective units any time there is mass production, regardless of price. Saying "I had a defective unit, dont buy one" doesnt make any sense because defective units arent the norm, they are just variance in the mass production process.

However, if the customer service in getting said defective unit replaced was poor, thats a great reason to avoid buying one.

FWIW I dont think the Shimano Curado can be beat as a first baitcaster. I prefer the feel of the 100D over the 200E's, but to each their own. Buy something that feels good in your hands.

[skunked_again]

Stick with Shimano Citica, Curado or MG... all great reels. I would stay away from the Revo, the quality control isn't as good had mine break on day two, BUT because the Revo SX and STX have magnetic brakes you will spend more time adjusting and less time fishing... if you have to have a REVO then go S it has non-magnetic brakes.

So because you had a bad experience and/or could not figure out the brakes he should stay away from one of the best reels in the industry!?!

i think if you read between the lines hes saying theres many better choices for a first baitcaster on a budget.

[The_Natural]

I've owned several Citica E's, and I think they are the best at their respective price point.  However; for learning how to cast with a casting reel for the first time....externally adjustable brakes helped me out quite a bit. I would recommend a low-range daiwa.  Don't forget that you cast control knob is equally important  

[dmac14]

The Blue Tour Editions, have external breaks, and can be found for ~$120 on ebay. Easy to cast with and very smooth.

[nateobot]

This weekend I took the Citica out. This is my first baitcaster, and I was prepared to deal with birdsnests all weekend long.

I set the brakes to 4 on, 2 off and made sure the cast control was locked down enough that I had to give my bait a little nudge to get it to drop. First cast, line drive right into the lake and a birdsnest (nothing major though)... Fix that, toss again, same result. It took me a good hour to get casting direction down. This is much different than a spinning reel. After that first hour, things really improved. I started getting the thumb control down and was feeling pretty comfortable. It was getting late, so I packed it up for the night.

Next morning, I tried again. Control was improving, and I realized at this time I need to use both hands to cast. One to worry about the reel, one to steer the rod. I decide to take it out in my F-I-L's little boat. Everything was going well, rarely a birdsnest and if there was one, it was minor. Then I made a big mistake, I got overconfident. I didn't go through my routine, and jerked the bait back and jerked it forward...MAJOR BIRDSNEST I was done for the day with that rod. Had to bring the rig into the house and spend an hour cleaning that up. Note to other rookies -- like golf, make sure to have a smooth transition between your backswing and forward swing.

I would say that the reel performed amazing and other than me being an idiot once, it cause little backlash. The other times that it did, were my fault for not controlling the reel with my thumb properly. I suppose turning on all the brakes might have prevented those problems as well, but I like a challenge.

[MarauderYak]

Nate, a few thoughts...

I think you've figured this one out, but when first learning to cast a bc reel, jerky motion is bad.  Smooooth is the way to go.  You can cast with some force, but don't start the cast with a jerky motion.  You want the rod to be under load to propel the lure when you let the spool release.  A jerky motion will cause the rod to release quickly & then you're just relying on the forward motion of the lure for the cast.  When this happens, the lure flies till it reaches the end of the loose line, then it jerks the spool, the lure immediately slows down & is pulled back, and poof you've got a big backlash.  So start smooth, and make sure you're still moving the rod forward as you release the spool.

Also, as you take some of the tension off the spool it may be necessary to feather the spool when you cast.  You'll want to learn how to very lightly touch the spool/line during the cast.

Finally, It makes casting much easier if you're holding the rod/reel sideways.  In other words, when you point the rod directly out in front of you, the axis of the spool should be pointing striaght up at the sky & down at the ground/water.

Keep working on it.

[zbigbadaaron]

try a pflueger trion $100 it is a great reel for the price

[bigtimfish]

daiwa exelor $80 at academy. shimano citica. revo s. my buddy fishes pinnacles all of the time, he loves those. dont be afraid to look at bass pro or cabelas look at the reviews on there. do your research you will find one.

[NBR]

While the Shimano suggestions are probably the best there are many combo's available at BPS or Cabela's in the $125 to $150 that will do an adequate job. If you don't practice it doen't matter what you have you are going to backlash and probably hate bait castingt.

A dear friend bought a medium level outfit and didn't practice so he hated it. He knew he wanted to use a bait caster so he bought a Curado wen the new ones were $200 and an up scale St. Croix rod. He didn't practice with that rig either. We have fished together a total of 28 days since he bought the latest and I bet he hasn't used the Curado/St. Croix rig a total of 2 hours.

If you are not willing to put in the time stick with your spinning gear. If you put n the time I'll bet you are shortly using the bait caster more than  the spining gear.

[Micro]

the shimano citica E or ABU garcia revo S would be your best choices. i totally disagree with recommendations for revo SXs and STXs for beginners...that's likely a recipe for disaster and frustration.

Beginners are the ones that learn to use them right.  It's the people that get used to some Shimano or some other brand that moved to the Revo STX (or other higher end magnetic brake reel) that thinks they know what they are doing and thinks the reel ought to cast exactly like whatever it is they learned on.  It's those people that seem to have the most problems.

[Dan:]

I would also recommend the Citica E. I also believe it is the best value in that price range. The spool access is large so beginners have plenty of room to untangle bird nests. It is also light, smooth, and well built. It is very forgiving to learn with. I learned on the Citica D which was great but I think the E is much easier to manage. The internal brake system might be a little tricky at first but read up on it and you will get the hang of how it works. I normally set two brakes on and keep the spool tension pretty loose. When you start, make sure you are casting fluidly. It is harder to manage spool speed if you really whip the bait.

[skno]

I agree with micro. FYI a larger line diameter can be easier to untangle for the very first few casts. my .00002 of a cent

[bigtimfish]

a good beginner reel. learn like i did. abu garcia c3 4600 or c4 4600. not a lot of knobs and gadgets. just a brake and drag. simple to use, all thumb control. a classic still in production. and for a good reason.

[MitchIsFishin]

a good beginner reel. learn like i did. abu garcia c3 4600 or c4 4600

x2. Didn't realize how sweet a reel could be until I started playing with the C3.

[fivesixone]

I'm drooling over the 4601 C3... Saving money now. Time to learn baitcasting. :-/

Are they salt-water proof?