Baitcaster reel question

[Paul Welc]

I have not owned a Baitcaster for 10 years. When I did own one I spent every other cast picking birdnest out of the reel. It seemed with heavy weights or heavy lures it was fine, but when I switched to a smaller crankbait every other cast would end with a birdnest in the reel (yes I adjusted the reel every time I put on another lure). I fish gin clear lakes so casting a long distance is required. My question is have they got better in the last ten years? I would probably be fishing a senko and throwing it toward shore. I am thinking of trying a baitcaster again but I don't really want to spend more than $70.00 on the reel, any suggestions? Should I just stick with the open face spinning reel I'm used to? Thanks for the help.

 

[Jim Carlson]

My first casts with a baitcaster, back when I started using them a couple of months ago, should have been filmed and submitted to one of the "funny home video" TV shows. I was terrible. Now I use baitcasters almost exclusively. I fish with softbaits most of the time and have used Senko (or similar knockoffs) more than any other soft bait. You should not have any problem casting Senkos with a good baitcast reel. I currently use PowerPro 30lb on mine and can cast as far, maybe farther, than I could with the open face spinning reals (Shimano Saharas). My most frequenly used rod/reel is a BPS Pro-Qualifier XPS in 6'6" MH and Shimano Curado 200.

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

Just remember, you get what you pay for in a baitcaster. The cheaper the reel the more skill it will take to throw it. That sounds funny but it is true. Experienced baitcaster fishermen can get away with cheaper reels and can get pretty good performance. The rub is that the cheaper reels also have cheaper drag systems etc.



TOXIC

 

[joe haley]

TOXIC is right about getting what you pay for most of my reels are quantum 500 and they are very good reels I won a BPS reel at a tournament I went to BPS and seen that the reel sold for about $65 and it is not half the reels my quantums are and they are about 15 yrs old 3 yrs a go I bought a BPS Johnie morris sig reel and am very happy with them if they last as long as my quntums I will like them and if you wait until thier spring sale you can get them for around $80 with atrade in







JD

 

[Larry Harp]

Toxic speaks the truth. My son struggles with the BPS XPS reels I bought him but fishes my Curados just fine. (I'm still not going to give them to him.) I can fish with his XPS reels without a problem although I do have to try harder. I'm not knocking the XPS reels either by the way because in my opinion they are one of the best reels out there for around $70 BUT a Shimano Curado SF for $150 is the better bargan, I believe.



It's funny, I'm just the oppisite with the spinning reel I look like Charlie Chaplin. I can't hit a target within 5 feet and overshoot everything but with a baitcaster I can knock a gnat out of the air or lay a spinnerbait under a limb with out a splash.



Harpo

 

[byron cooley]

I also agree that the cheaper reels are more dificult to cast. I am 47 and have been using baitcasters since I was 7. I started with the original Ambassaduer 5000's that were my dads, (I still have 6 of them), they have the sliding weights for brakes. Any reel with the magnetic braking system will be much easier to cast. I have tought all of my kids with a Shimano Bantam mag and from there they now pick up any of my baitcasters and have no problem casting without a backlash. The old Shimano's with the magnetic brake allmost don't need your thumb at all.:wacko:

 

[Don Wilhelm]

Paul, baitcasters are by design more durable and reliable. Its basically a level wind winch with a drag system. I have 10 or 11 rods and 8 or 9 of them are casting rigs. The most I have spent on a reel was around $50. At one time I was fishing creeks with 1/8 Mepps spinners on a cheap Zebco Quantum casting rod. Not very long casts, but it would go far enogh for the small creek I fish. There are of course some simple techniques that will help minimize backlash problems. For me, the best tool to prevent backlash is my ears. I listen intently to the reel as I cast, and if I hear any irregularity, I know I have developed some loose wraps. If the sound indicates a severe backlash, I will immediately thumb the spool and abort the cast. Before reeling up the line, and while keeping my thumb on the spool, pull the line off until all loose wraps are off of the spool. I then reel up the loose line under tension by pinching the line between the finger and thumb.

 

[Shannon Daves]

If you buy a cheap baitcaster, most of the time...like said before...you get what you pay for. Many times that leads to a bad experience with a baitcaster and you really shy away from them. That's what happened to me anyway. I bit the bullet the second time and bought a Curado. I'll never look back now. Prefer a baitcaster over anything for the control and feel.



Also, I have two Daiwa procasters that I bought from BPS for $39.99 including a rod (cheapie). They are good reels. Actually, I like the first one I bought as much as the Curado that cost $109. The second Daiwa...well she has an attitude. I currently have 2 Curado's, the 2 Daiwa's, a Cabela's special, and a couple of BPS Extreme's.



Go ahead and spend the extra money for a Curado, I don't think you'll regret it. One thing though, try to put it on a good rod. I'd rather have a $30 reel on a $100 rod versus a $100 reel on a $30 rod.

 

[Paul Welc]

Thanks for the input. I don't mind spending the extra $$$ if it's going to last longer. Sounds like I'm buying a Curado. Yes 10 years ago I bought a $30 baitcaster.

 

[Teri C.]

Paul, I've only been throwing bastcasters for about 2 years. I started with a Curado and I liked it alot. It has a breaking system that you can adjust as you get better. When you start, I would pull out at least 4 pins (when you open it up you will see what I am talking about). Just make sure you pull one pin and then the pin directly across from it. This will slow down the speed and help with not birdnesting. I bought a Johnny Morris 10 bearing off Ebay and I love it. Like it better then the Curado but others on here will be a diehard Curado. Browning makes a reel this year that is $99 (on sale a BPS) that is the exact model of last years Johnny Morris. You can't go wrong with any of the 3 but the Browning will be the cheapest,excellent reel you can find. They all have the same concept in breaking systems. You won't be sorry. If a girl can do it, you can too.

 

[joe haley]

I ll put another 2 cents in I have 27 rod and reel combos in my rod lockers all but 4 of them are quantum reels mounted on quantum Tour edition rods reels were $150 and rods are $150 the last 3 years I have bought a Johnny Morris reel on sale at BPS for $80 with trade in I have them mounted on Quantum rods very happy with performance the reel at BPS normally sell for $169 I think





JD

 

[Dave Stevens]

... I have a reeeeaaaaalllllyyyy stupid question since I'm thinking about buying my second baitcaster ( I bought the first one 15 years ago): more bearings inside the reel makes it easier to cast farther, right? :huh:



My one and only baitcaster is a trusty Daiwa BW2 that has no bearings; the range on the thing sucks. If I can't get better range, I'll stick with a spinning combo but I'd rather have a baitcaster... thoughts?:unsure: