I Have Never Owned A Baitcast!

[mark nowak]

Okay so here is the deal, I have never owned a baitcaster, I have done all of my fishing with a spinning rod and reel. I would like to start fishing with a bait caster and I have no idea where to start. I don't want to spend a lot to begin with maybe $150 total. I am looking for a rod and a reel, Any advice would be great. This is for a general use rod, not bait or technique specific, just something general to learn with.

Thank you very much.

[KenG85]

Most will say to start with a 7' M or MH rod. I would be hard pressed to disagree.

As far as the reel a 6.3 gear ratio is great for anything. Spool it up with 12lb mono and you'll be able to perform any technique reasonably well.

You're standard choices are Daiwa, shimano, abu garcia. I love the revo series. Durability, smooth retrieve, powerful/smooth drag, and extremely comfortable profile are all the selling points.

I think you're starting price is very reasonable and you should be able to find quality gear that won't break down at that price point.

I have a perfect combo for you if you're interested. Cabela's Prodigy baitcaster with an Abu Garcia Verdict 7' M-F. It's definately a do it all rod, that's lightweight and extremely sensitive.

[Jim McC]

Is there a specific reason you want to go to a baitcast reel?

[Bluebasser86]

I agree with KenG on the rod and reel suggestions. Don't scrimp, get the best you can get in your price range, you'll never be made at yourself for buying something nicer than you wanted. I'd say in your range a St. Croix Triumph or one of the new Abu Garcia rods would be good choices or Shimano makes some nice rods that would be in that range. The reel is a little tougher but if I was looking to stay in that price range I'd keep my eyes peeled on the Flea Market forum on here or check Ebay, either way you'll find some really good deals on reels that would normally be out of your price range but will still be in great working order.

[Bassmaster Bill]

The Abu Garcia Orra SX is a great reel that won't break the bank. You can get them for $99. Pair it with a Bass Pro Shops XPS Bionic Blade and you have a good quality combo that weighs in very close to your price range.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

If you're used to spinning tackle and are right handed, I assume you reel with your left. If that's the case, hold out for a left hand reeling baitcast reel. This will save from developing the habit some of us have of swapping hands. A Citica 101 is a good starter reel mounted on a Med Hvy / Fast rod of the best quality you can afford. Do a search to find a lot of posts on how to set up and adjust your reel and practice making short easy casts with a heavier weight (5/8 oz>)focusing on accuracy. Distance will come with practice.

[northern basser]

IMO Shimano baitcast reels would be a good choice for a beginner. They're the most forgiving, especially if you use 3 or 4 brakes on.

[NHfroggin]

Look for a combo from either cabelas or bps. Usually you want to spend more on the rod but I would suggest buying a quality reel like a shimano citica. The quality reel will make it easier to learn with less backlashes. When I began learning how to use a bc reel I found it to be easier with braid jmo. Either only put 100 yrds of line on the reel or fill the reel and tape it off so when you get and overrun it will stop. Here is one option..

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Shimano174-Citica174-CI200E-ReelCabelas-Fish-Eagle174-II-Rod-Casting-Combo/704381.uts?Ntk=AllProducts&searchPath=%2Fcatalog%2Fsearch.cmd%3Fform_state%3DsearchForm%26N%3D0%26fsch%3Dtrue%26Ntk%3DAllProducts%26Ntt%3Dcitica%26x%3D0%26y%3D0%26WTz_l%3DHeader%253BSearch-All%2BProducts&Ntt=citica&WTz_l=Header%3BSearch-All+Products

Good luck

-matt-

[ChiCityBasser]

Check out Cabelas Prodigy and Magtouch rods they are normally $100 and on sale for $70 & $75. In the Prodigy rods series they have both regular guide and the micro guide rods on sale. I agree with the 7' M or MH and these are two solid rods at great prices. As far as the reel goes check ebay as someone else mentioned and the flea market for a deal On Ebay you can find the older Quantum Accurist PT 500/501 for usually around $50-60 NIB. It's a solid reel and a pretty easy to learn to use. I have one that has held up to more than a couple years of use and it's worth taking a look at. You can read up on it on tackletour as well.

Good luck with whatever you decide to purchase.

[J Francho]

You're going to get a ton of different brands. It doesn't really matter what you get, just get one with a aluminum frame. That way, it won't fall apart in the 1st year. Have someone show you, or look up the pitch cast on YouTube. Learn this cast 1st. Then start the sidearm lob cast. Over head chuck and duck casts come much later. While you are learning, use inexpensive mono, like 17# Big Game. Pull off 50' or so of line, and tape the spool. Reel up over the tape. This way, you'll only backlash 50' worth of line.

[KenG85]

I dont think I agree with taping your line down. Sure it sounds safe but seems very baby-ish. Start with breaks tight and slowly back off. You'll soon notice that every time you back off the breaks your casting a lot farther. Then you'll get excited and back off more and BOOM. You're line just exploded in your reel. Tighten it back up a little more and now you're dialed in. After you use this setting for a while, you'll learn about using your thumb for breaking. Now you've just gotten signicantly better.

[J Francho]

I dont think I agree with taping your line down. Sure it sounds safe but seems very baby-ish.

Yeah, right. Picking out birds nest and respooling is manly?

[mark nowak]

Look for a combo from either cabelas or bps. Usually you want to spend more on the rod but I would suggest buying a quality reel like a shimano citica. The quality reel will make it easier to learn with less backlashes. When I began learning how to use a bc reel I found it to be easier with braid jmo. Either only put 100 yrds of line on the reel or fill the reel and tape it off so when you get and overrun it will stop. Here is one option..

http://www.cabelas.com/product/Shimano174-Citica174-CI200E-ReelCabelas-Fish-Eagle174-II-Rod-Casting-Combo/704381.uts?Ntk=AllProducts&searchPath=%2Fcatalog%2Fsearch.cmd%3Fform_state%3DsearchForm%26N%3D0%26fsch%3Dtrue%26Ntk%3DAllProducts%26Ntt%3Dcitica%26x%3D0%26y%3D0%26WTz_l%3DHeader%253BSearch-All%2BProducts&Ntt=citica&WTz_l=Header%3BSearch-All+Products

Good luck

-matt-

I actually checked out this combo at cabelas last night, I was pretty impressed.

Thank you everyone for all your help. I think I have at least a decent idea of what I should be looking for. I appreciate you all taking the time to help a Baitcaster Beginner.

[BrianinMD]

Seems baby-ish...now that is funny. Who really cares if it helps learn a new technique.

As for the suggestions of left or right handed reels, go to a store and try each styles. I reel spinning with my left hand but on baitcasters it feels very odd to me, just can't do it. People will give you all kind of reasons for using the different styles but it comes down to what feels right to you.

[ChiCityBasser]

I actually checked out this combo at cabelas last night, I was pretty impressed.

Thank you everyone for all your help. I think I have at least a decent idea of what I should be looking for. I appreciate you all taking the time to help a Baitcaster Beginner.

You can probably upgrade to a better Cabelas rod with one of the rods they have on sale. Print the pages for a couple of the sales rods and take them in and see if they'll upgrade the rod and give you a better deal.

Good luck on whatever you choose and as someone said practice keeps it from being frustrating and easier to learn.

[KenG85]

Yeah, right. Picking out birds nest and respooling is manly?

No, not manly, status quo. The tape just seems unneccessary. Plus it's worth learning how to pick out bird's nests. Your gonna get them, so you should know how to take them out. Otherwise when you take those training wheels off and you start getting them you'll be cutting and respooling.

Just start with tight breaks, it will teach you more about the principles of breaking.

[CWilliams]

I like the idea of tape. I wish someone would have given me that tip when I first started. Nothing made me want to give up on baitcasting more than the backlashes on my first few casts. Id rather pick out a little backlash with tape than have to mess with a giant backlash and possible respooling. Sure, eventually you will ahve to learn to deal with backlashes. Why make it harder on yourself right from the beginning?

[SirSnookalot]

Tape is a great learning aid.

[KenG85]

....but why not just tighten the breaks up? That's what they're there for. You can't get a bad backlash when spool speed is limited. I don't remember backlashing being that dramatic.

anyway people are different...Maybe I'm just a trial by fire kind of guy....others like to have their hand held. Either way this post is supposed to be about the op learning to cast. So if you stick with it you'll get it either way!

[CWilliams]

I am sure both ways work. I see "tightening the brakes up" as much "hand holding" as using tape. Both are not the way you will typically fish. Once a person tightens everything down and casts 5 feet w/o a backlash, they start to turn brakes off and expirement to get further casts. This is when the tape would come in handy. Being able to try different types of casts w/o fear of losing half a spool of expensive braid/line and 30 minutes of frustration.

I have no problem with the way you choose to learn. Calling another way of doing things "babyish" and saying things like "others like to have their hand held" is condescending and not a good way to get your point across.

[NBR]

Okay so here is the deal, I have never owned a baitcaster, I have done all of my fishing with a spinning rod and reel. I would like to start fishing with a bait caster and I have no idea where to start. I don't want to spend a lot to begin with maybe $150 total. I am looking for a rod and a reel, Any advice would be great. This is for a general use rod, not bait or technique specific, just something general to learn with.

Thank you very much.

Agreed better rods are a pleasure to fish with and the sensitivity is improved. Better reels are also more durable, have improved cast control systems but unless you practise you will be frustrated. A friend was sure he wanted to start bait casting so he bought a mid priced reel and rod for a two week Ontario trip and used it very little and never practised at home. So two years later he bought a Curado and a St. Croix rod in 6 weeks or more of Ontario fishing I'd bet he didn't use either of his bait casters a total of 2 hours and of course never improved his skill level.

A mid priced combo from BPS or Cabella's will get you the gear to practise with and catch fish. I've done this for over 60 years and I've never met a reel I couldn't backlash if I had the system set up so I could make long casts. The time and expense are well worth it.

[J Francho]

....but why not just tighten the breaks up? That's what they're there for. You can't get a bad backlash when spool speed is limited. I don't remember backlashing being that dramatic.

anyway people are different...Maybe I'm just a trial by fire kind of guy....others like to have their hand held. Either way this post is supposed to be about the op learning to cast. So if you stick with it you'll get it either way!

You don't "tighten" brakes, you add or subtract from them. You tighten the spool tension so that the lure just drops. No one is saying use tape in lieu of proper setup. Spool tension, or cast control knob is for lure weight. Brakes are for casting ability and conditions.

After you have learned to cast, these settings become preference. I happen to be one that uses almost ZERO spool tension, but 60-80% of the maximum brake setting. Everyone's mileage will vary.

[KenG85]

Spool tension, or cast control knob is for lure weight. Brakes are for casting ability and conditions.

I've read that in my reel's manual, too. Thanks for clarifying the semantics.

Excessive breaking and backing off when you gain confidence is my reccomendation. I'm sure the tape will work too. Didn't mean to start a squabble or tickle anyone's ego.

And having extra breaking doesn't make you cast 5 feet if you don't over do it.

[Jim McC]

You may find that a bait cast reel is more trouble than it's worth, and that you should stick with a spinning reel. I see no reason to use a bait cast reel when bass fishing. I used bait cast reels when musky fishing, due to the heavier lines used, and I don't miss them one bit.

[RoLo]

Peer-pressure aside, why do you feel compelled to saddle yourself with baitcasting gear??

Spinning gear was popular in Europe for several years before 'finally' making its way to America.

I cut my teeth on baitcasting tackle in the early 1950s and well remember the day when I seen

my first spinning outfit on Lake Owassa, NJ. As usual, my dad and I were fishing baitcasting gear,

with our typical wood-chopping strokes. We developed an acquired tolerance

for the time we lost picking out bird nests and professional overruns.

Then along comes some hotshot in another boat who was using a surrealistic looking fishing outfit.

He was working the same padfields as us, but was making longer casts with a flick of the wrist.

From that day forth, I knew what I wanted. Though I've come a long way from my first black Mitchell 300 cap and blue Conolon rod, I'm still incurably hooked on spinning gear

Though it flies in the face of the status quo, here's my honest take:

Baitcasting gear (revolving drum) is very useful for deep-sea fishing, billfishing, tuna fishing,

vertical jigging, still fishing, fishing live bait and trolling. In other words, I use baitcasting tackle

for "everything" except casting. For all cast-intensive chores, freshwater & saltwater alike,

all I ever need is spinning gear. I hasten to add of course, that's just one man's opinion.

Roger