What’s the deal with baitcasters?

[autococker04]

It seems like everywhere I look, people are swapping their spinning reels for baitcasters. I figured there had to be some advantage, everything I’ve read says you have way more control on your casts, so I picked one up to try it out.

I haven’t given it much of a chance, maybe a couple hundred casts, but I can’t use this thing. I could probably hit a dinner plate at 15 yards given a couple tries with my spinning reel, but I don’t know if I could even cast 15 yards without getting a birds nest using the bait caster.

Did I just stumble into the stock class paintball of fishing? Are people only using them because of the added challenge?

[Seajay]

That seems to be the normal perspective lol. They are very good reels, but you have to buy a quality one, the cheap ones are truly garbage, so they are more expensive.
When it comes down to it they work really well with heavy lures or weighted lines. There is a lot more control over the line.
They can also ratnest like a devil.

Spinning reels I found much better for freshwater fishing using lightweight lines and lures.

I'd say anything under 10lb cast is better on a spinner, and 10lb and over can be better on a baitcaster.

[autococker04]

That’s my current setup, running 10# mono on it, because I didn’t feel like losing $5 worth or braid every time I mess up lol. Maybe undersized lures are my biggest problem.

[Lt. head-shot]

Did I just stumble into the stock class paintball of fishing?

Nope, that's fly fishing.

I'm in the same boat. Always been a spinning reel guy, but I see bait casters everywhere now. Seen some real fancy whip style casts with huge lures on the internet. Mostly down south in really swampy/overgrown areas and see some guys pulling huge monsters out of those depths...

[Junglepeanut]

Gotta have both just depends on the situation. Jigs/swimbaits/topwater crankbaits/and just stuff you need backbone I use baitcaitcasters. I also fish the ocean a lot and unless i am surf fishing i only use conventional/baitcaster style.

Trout and finess bass unless I am fly fishing i always use spinning gear. Just depends on what you after

[GanonsGrin]

I concur with everything above.

Im a spinning user though, and most of my current setups are for ultralight fishing. Light lines, small lures and jigs and braid, unless I’m live bait fishing then it’s back to regular rods and heavy mono. It is very situational. However, I cannot use a bait after OR a fly rod. I’m too impatient and uncoordinated to do either and end up getting frustrated entirely too quickly.

[Pumpytrilly1]

Bait casters have to be adjusted. Turn up the anti backlash setting on it. It won't cast far but you will get use to it. Point the rod tip where you want it to go. Use braid and practice with a heavy jig or chatterbate to learn thumbing the spool.

[zenmic]

If we take the analogy that fly fishing is like stock class, then I guess baitcasters have become almost the equivalent of an autococker, in that with a really high-end one you can customize and tune just about every damn piece of it. The good news is that if you are just wanting to try out a baitcaster setup you are necessarily out of a ton of money. A good starter combo is the Abu Garcia Black Max. You can beat that one to death and it will still come back for more. You learn on it, and if you like using a baitcaster setup then you get a better one and keep that the Black Max around for a back up or loaner.

The other option if you already have a decent casting rod (not spinning rod) with a favorite spincast reel, all you have to do is get a cheap baitcast reel that is match for that rod, spool it up, and you are off to the races.

For heavier baits, I think you get a bit more control with a baitcaster setup than a spinning setup. That being said, with lighter/finesse setups you are might better off with a spinning setup. Everybody's mileage varies, especially with experience so give it a go and post up the catches.

[BrickHaus]

Zenmic hit my point. Only bait caster I use is on my cat rod. Its nice to have that control of slowing your rig down as it approaches the bank, or log you are trying to get under.

[autococker04]

So, based on what everyone’s saying it seems like my 1/8 ounce jig heads might be a bit of a problem haha. I’ll take it out later and try some big crank baits.

How important is the rod itself? It seems like that’s another mistake I’m making. I just got a reel and tossed it on an old spinning rod.

[JonM]

You're using a baitcaster on a spinning rod? Yeah, that's a problem. You'll want a decent casting rod that's suited to the types of baits you want to throw on it. The typical answer tends to be something in the 7' medium heavy / fast range. If you're looking to throw crankbaits on it, you may want something a bit more moderate though. My go-to rod for crankbaits, jerkbaits, and the like is a Dobyns Fury 705CB. It's a medium heavy rod with a moderate fast action. At $130, it's not too expensive either. I just wouldn't use it for anything that requires more backbone.

[Junglepeanut]

If you really want to get technical you will want to pair the rod with what type of lure you are using it with. You will want a softer action rod for things like crank baits so it doesn't rip the crank out of the fishes mouth when it bites but you will want something faster action for other baits like swimbaits our big jigs. There really is a science to it all but like anything else you won't really appreciate the difference in it until you start learning it better...... But also yes you definitely don't want to use a baitcaster on a spinning rod, results won't be pretty

[JonM]

Baitcasters excel at techniques that require speed and accuracy. Not to say you can't be accurate with a spinning rod, but once you get comfortable with a baitcaster, you can stop a lure on a dime by thumbing the spool. Casting rods also tend to be more accurate than spinning rods when targeting specific points. The gear ratios on baitcasters also tend to be much higher than even the fastest spinning reel.

As for the birds nest issue, that's pretty common until you get used to dialing it in and learning how to properly thumb the spool. Practice, practice, practice. When I first started, before I ever hit the water, I practiced casting it in my backyard. Even then, birds nests still happen from time to time. The key to not blowing up your reel is to adjust the spool tension until your lure steadily drops down when you press the release. Too fast and you risk a blow-up. You'll also need to dial in your brakes based upon the kind of line you're using (for example, fluorocarbon typically requires harder braking than braid or mono) and wind conditions. Another thing you'll need to do when casting is to use your thumb throughout the cast to control the spool. Lightly hold your thumb over it as you cast. If you cast a baitcaster like you would say a spincast reel, the spool is likely going to blow up.

If you're just getting started with baitcasters, I highly recommend starting out with 50 lb. braid. The thicker diameter line and lack of line memory will make picking out birds nests much easier. The thicker line is also less likely to dig into the spool. Make sure that when spooling the reel that you keep the line tight. I'll often wear a leather glove to tightly hold the line and increase drag to maximum as I'm spooling braid. If you're worried about a fish seeing that thick line, you can tie on a long leader using a variety of knots like an FG knot, Alberto knot, double uni knot, surgeon's knot, and so on.

If you're truly stuck and you just can't get the hang of it, Shimano has several reels in their DC line that use the spinning of the spool to create electricity, which powers a digitally controlled braking system to keep birds nests to a minimum. The cheapest one is about $190 though. I have one of their mid-tier DC reels in my arsenal (Curado DC 151HG), and it does allow for some really long casts.

When it comes to rods, I tend to use spinning rods more for finesse techniques and casting rods for things like moving hard baits and flipping & pitching.

[zenmic]

Like I said, autockcoker :-)

[autococker04]

Awesome write up. Based on what I’m hearing in this thread, I’m doing basically everything wrong, and getting the results you would expect. I actually do have some 50# braid on a catfishing rod I can steal, so I’ll give that a try. And I’m going to ditch the spinning rod, I’ll get a picture of my setup when I get home so you guys can laugh at me.

And zenmic, it definitely seems more and more like it haha

[Secretweaponevan]

Here's a video on how to set up your reel (should be adjusted for each lure change).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W5mqb9K1UKE

That being said, I still can't use Lew's Mach 2 worth a damn. I will be replacing the front half of the mono currently spooled with fluoro and use the mono as a backing.

[autococker04]

I know that in general, more sections in a rod = worse. But the majority of the time that I get to go fishing it’s on work trips, so having something that fits in a carry on bag is important to me.

Because the majority of the fish I catch are on a $12 yellow eagle claw teloscopic rod with either a spinning reel or a push button one on it, I’m willing to sacrifice feeling every little nibble for extra portability.

for that reason I’m checking out the two below, in the medium/heavy weight, fast action sizes as potential upgrades.

Fiblink 4 Pieces Travel Casting Rod Carbon Baitcasting Fishing Rod Portable Fishing Rod Baitcaster https://a.co/d/36lSL5N

https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/bass-pro-shops-aventur1-telescopic-casting-travel-rod?hvarAID=shopping_googleproductextensions&ds_e=GOOGLE&ds_c=BPS%7CShopping%7CSmart%7CFishing%7CGeneral%7CNAud%7CTopPerf%7CNMT&gclid=EAIaIQobChMItJz6z_b5-AIVmovICh1ijgWsEAQYASABEgLGwvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

[Secretweaponevan]

Maybe try Tenkara style fishing.
It's very portable. I've caught Largemouth Bass, Smallmouth Bass, Brown Trout, Brook Trout, Carp, and Sunfish on Tenkara-style rods priced $10-$85 and they fit in a suitcase or backpack.

[JonM]

I’m not familiar with those particular rods, but I do have one similar to the telescopic one there. It’s okay, but getting all the guides lined up can be a pain. Since it’s hollow, water can also collect inside the handle. I did some looking and found a nice Shimano travel rod on Tackle Warehouse for only $80 with free shipping. It also appears to come with a nice case.

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Shimano_Convergence_D_Travel_4-Piece_Casting_Rods/descpage-CVTR.html

[zenmic]

autococker04 How and how light are you willing to go? If you are looking for an all-in-one ultralight pack, then I suggest the Diawa Mini systems. I still remember seeing the first time I saw it in a commercial in the late 70s on an episode of Bill Dance. I have had a number of them through the years. It packs down small into its own carrying case. It is an ultra-light so you are not going to be lobbing any huge lure, but it will catch some decent size fish. When they first came out and what I had for the longest time are their spinning series. I see now they have a version that is a spincast (push button). That is one option. Since moving to Texas, I have way more opportunities to fish especially when I hike and bike around my neighborhood. I now carry an Eagle Claw Trailmaster (6-piece) that is both spinning and fly, and in my shoulder pack is are all the bits I need for fishing, biking and stuff. If your telescoping Eagle Claw is as well built and well warrantied as my Eagle Claw Trailmaster, then I say hold onto it. Mine has a lifetime warranty, and I have sent it back to Eagle Claw a few times. They have sent me back a shinny new one, no questions asked. It is a great travel rod.

To throw additional gasoline into the fire. There is apparently an additional class of baitcaster reels now, called BFS (Bait Finesse System), basically ultralight baitcasting reel, for lighter smaller setups. I guess there is a demand for baitcasters but for might lighter lures. That being said, they are also a smaller form factor. For travel that might be a good Plan C if you want to travel with a baitcaster setup.

[JonM]

BFS is an option, but most of the gear made for BFS tends to be either expensive JDM equipment or Ali Express stuff from China. I know Dobyns makes a reasonably priced BFS rod, but the reels themselves still fall into those two categories.