Baitcasting

[Travis]

Fair enough. but I was using a righty for a long time until I went left. I won't go back. I cast better, I set hooks better, I thumb the line better. So there is a need of argument to "go there" I know a lot of anglers that have swicthed after years of righty abuse and they feel they same way.

 

Said best, hold it in your hand. - Better yet. Cast it and reel it.

 

Good question Mike. Let me clarify.

 

I always casted with my right hand. Always. With right bait casters I found myslef casting with the right and switching hands with the rod and reel so I crank with the right. Hence why right handed baitcaster never flet well "right" to me.

 

Ronk, yes I misunderstood about lefty. But are you right the switching hands of the hands is just goofy to me, FF or BC.

 

With all fishing, you have to do with you feel is comfortable.

[Jim Kast]

I have 7 baitcasting combos set up and ready to go, and probably 3 or 4 extra reels. All of them are right-handed. I owned a left hand reel once, and the only advantage I can think of is when you're flipping into a brushpile. Switching hands while flipping is a pain. Switching hands during a normal cast is as natural as taking your next breath.

 

That said, I only have 3 spinning combos which get used on days when the wind is howling. Each are a different size and serve their own unique purpose.

 

Mark me down as one of the "minority" who uses a baitcaster the majority of the time.

 

Do we need our own forum? No way.... we have more than enough here already!

[Steve S.]

I have very limited experience with baitcasters. I caught a largemouth bass over 9 lbs last year on one. It honestly took a bit of the fun out of the fight. That being said, it most likely was much better for the fish because it was landed in very short order.

 

When I use spinning gear for crankbaits, spinners and other heavier baits I feel like I'm wearing out my spinning reel. Perhaps if I used a larger high quality spinning reel it could handle these situations?

 

Remember the Larry Dahlberg segment we watched on striper fishing? What were they using? Large (and probably high quality) spinning reels. Reason given? So they could reel in their large Sebile crankbaits at high speed, which was the key to provoking the strike that day. That looked like a great trip!

 

Would a large spinning reel (high quality or otherwise) take the fun out of the fight? It just doesn't make sense to me.

 

I think a high quality casting reel is a thing of beauty, ranking right up there with fly fishing gear. Learn to use one and you'll be rewarded.

[Guest Don R]

Remember the Larry Dahlberg segment we watched on striper fishing? What were they using? Large (and probably high quality) spinning reels. Reason given? So they could reel in their large Sebile crankbaits at high speed, which was the key to provoking the strike that day. That looked like a great trip!

 

Would a large spinning reel (high quality or otherwise) take the fun out of the fight? It just doesn't make sense to me.

 

Yep, I remember. Did the spinning gear take the fun out of their fight? I have no way to answer that. My guess is that it didn't.

 

But using a baitcaster for the first time after decades of using a spinning reel....took the fun out of my fight (or perhaps it was because it was a largemouth bass).

 

Of course it wasn't just the reel. I've used mostly medium light spinning rods throughout the years. The last three years I've used medium spinning rods. I think the baitcasting rod I used was a medium heavy. I'm sure that was probably part of the 'fun sucking' problem! lol I'm sure with the right baitcasting rod I would be able to have fun.

[Steve S.]

Yep, I remember. Did the spinning gear take the fun out of their fight? I have no way to answer that. My guess is that it didn't.

 

But using a baitcaster for the first time after decades of using a spinning reel....took the fun out of my fight (or perhaps it was because it was a largemouth bass).

 

Since when do we fish for fun?

[Gary L]

I use mostly Baitcasting Gear now over the Spinning Gear. I feel more comfortable with a Baitcasting Rod and Reel when throwing Crankbaits and Spinnerbaits. I also use one for throwing the 1/2oz Jig and Trailer I use. I also use a Spinning Rod and Reel for throwing smaller Jigs and Crankbaits as well as smaller Spinnerbaits. I switch hands with the Baitcaster as I am more comfortable using them that way and I don't with the Spinning Rod because that was the way I learned to do it. It is all personal preference and either system will work for you as it is all a matter of how you feel using the rod and reel you are comfortable with.

[Norm M]

I throw Norman Dd 20's, the larger Poe's and Rapalas all on spinning gear. I have never felt like I was wearing out my reel. When I want to really slow the speed down I go back to my old Garcia 300C, the one with the 3:1 gear ratio. 5/8 single spins with size 8 Colorado or Magnum Willow blades, no trouble with spinning gear. Mepps Musky Killier spinners, no trouble with spinnimng gear.

 

You should use the kind of tackle that floats your boat. I've had great fun dipping crickets and craws on canepoles for smallies. Float-fly on a canepole prolly be a blast too, used to be for crappie and gills which is all a fnf rig basically is.

[Steve S.]

I had a friend who used to tow his boat and trailer with his '78 Camaro. What can I say, it moved the boat from point A to point B.

[Norm M]

I had a friend who used to tow his boat and trailer with his '78 Camaro. What can I say, it moved the boat from point A to point B.

 

All the better to pick chicks up.

[Paul F]

Whats wrong with casting with one hand and switching to the other? I fly cast with my right hand, yet I fish all spinning gear with my left hand.

 

And as far as bait casting goes, I honestly believe that a baitcaster is a superior fishing tool all around... But thats just my opinion, Spinning reels have their place but for a majority of the fishing I do I find that baitcasters are my "go-to setups." Having control of the spool along with a typically higher retrieval rate is a big plus in my book.. Because after all, Its always easier to slow down your retrieve than it is to speed it up.

[Bterrill]

Whats wrong with casting with one hand and switching to the other? I fly cast with my right hand, yet I fish all spinning gear with my left hand.

 

And as far as bait casting goes, I honestly believe that a baitcaster is a superior fishing tool all around... But thats just my opinion, Spinning reels have their place but for a majority of the fishing I do I find that baitcasters are my "go-to setups." Having control of the spool along with a typically higher retrieval rate is a big plus in my book.. Because after all, Its always easier to slow down your retrieve than it is to speed it up.

 

 

With a spinning reel, you should be feathering line with your off hand, so control of spool doesn't wash for me. A baitcaster is a great tool out of a boat for pitching and such. I found that the loss in casting distance, weakness in wind, tennis elbow, weakness skipping baits make baitcaster weak for stream smallmouth.

[Mark K]

Scott, try it and tell us how it goes.

 

I always thought of baitcasting as a big bait technique. Santa gave me a Curado 200E7 with a 6' Medium rod. It is easy to cast 1/4 oz lures on 12# line with the outfit. The rod is rated 1/4 to 5/8. With 8 or 10 pound line I might even handle smaller baits It seems baitcasting is not just for big plugs.

 

I once watched Eric S. cast a #2 Mepps with his Calcutta/MH Loomis as if he was using an ultralight. He can cast a spinnerbait and land it under a treelimb so it makes almost no splash hitting the water. It's pretty amazing.

 

I have a 6'8" St Croix legend tournament "topwater" rod and a Revo spooled wih 20lb braid. I can cast unweighted plastics no problem with it. It's a beautiful combo and a joy to use. Though it was pretty expensive if I remember right.

It has a really light tip so it loads up easy. I can throw a 3/8th oz spinnerbait with it, but any heavier would be doable but awkward.

 

The biggest disadvantage of a baitcaster is a castrophic backlash, which happens no matter how good you are, and can put you out of business unless you have another reel or more line to respool. I am reminded of this because it happened to me on saturday in Wisconsin as my Sammy snapped off mid air, then floated downstream out of reach.

[Ed Buric]

I really enjoy baitcasting. I feel like I'm one with the setup. I suppose it's much like a flycaster feels with a good setup that they're really comfortable with

 

That is the most intelligent explanation I have heard in a very long time.

[Mike G]

A stranger to New York City has tickets to a concert that starts in 2 hours. He's lost. He spots a guy carrying a violin case, goes up to him, and asks him,"Sir, how do I get to Carnegie Hall?"

 

He answers,"Practice, son, practice!"

 

I remember struggling to learn how to manage spinning without line twist bird's nests, baitcasting without backlashes, and fly casting in general. With practice the problems got ironed out though I still suffer relapses. If I were looking just for ease of use I would have stopped with a spincast outfit. But, even though pushing on to spinning, baitcasting, and fly casting took some effort, It is worth it to have the gear in my arsenal.