Any Baitcaster fans out there?

EngrSorenson

EngrSorenson

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I've been fishing all my life, but the majority of it has been spent fly fishing.
For a host of reasons, mostly involving lack of clear areas to bank fish and fishing a lot with a small kid, I've had to move back towards more conventional methods- spinning reels and such.
Last summer I picked up a Lews baitcasting reel and a medium light ugly stick, then spent about a month or two of fishing 2-4 times a week to learn how to use it.
I've found it rewarding, though it really excels at the "heavier" lures (~1/2 oz is 'heavy', in my fresh water experience).
Just yesterday I purchased one of those BFS rod/reels that are so popular these days with the hopes to use a baitcaster between 1/16 - 1/4 oz, which is the lure weight I'm accustomed to using with a spinning rod.

Anyone else a fan of the baitcaster?
 
it is for sure part of my fishing arsenal. What are you mostly fishing for?
I started maybe 20 years ago, and heavier lures were the easiest to learn with. after lots of practice and cleaning up birdnests, I'm pretty good with them these days.
truly light lures are still tough though. you need the right rod for them, and you have to keep in mind that wind and resistance is going to slow them down quicker, meaning you gotta be on top of it with your thumbs and you're not gonna toss it across the river.
 
l1ranger said:
it is for sure part of my fishing arsenal. What are you mostly fishing for?
I started maybe 20 years ago, and heavier lures were the easiest to learn with. after lots of practice and cleaning up birdnests, I'm pretty good with them these days.
truly light lures are still tough though. you need the right rod for them, and you have to keep in mind that wind and resistance is going to slow them down quicker, meaning you gotta be on top of it with your thumbs and you're not gonna toss it across the river.
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I don't really target a species, though somehow in life I've done more bass fishing than any other kind, perhaps because the prevalence of large mouths in my area and bass being a pretty easy species to catch.
Part of the fun of fishing for me is the unknown of what I'll catch, so I tend to enjoy smaller lures to be generally approachable to more fish.

I hear you on the rod- I got me one of these:
https://baitfinesseempire.com/product/tsurinoya-dragon-ii-casting-rods/ (the C662L)
and one of these:
https://baitfinesseempire.com/product/ark-gravity-bfs/ (LHR)

I'm not lookin to go into the 1/32 or 1/64 oz range, but my aim is to cast 1/16 oz (1.5") floating Original rapalas up to 1/4 oz Heddon torpedos.
 
I'd say you're on the right track. just gonna take practice.
I mostly fish smallmouth and largemouth, with some trout fishing. I do like that you never really know what's gonna bite next. mostly on flowing rivers too.
for me, the advantage to the baitcaster is direct gearing. I like it with crankbaits, spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, etc. - anything where its cast and reel, cast and reel.
also like it for pitching along a shoreline, when im trying to make sure precise casts, hit a spot, then get it back to hit the next spot.
if I"m throwing something where I have to work the lure, like a walk the dog bait, jerkbait - I prefer a spinning rod as I have more control with the way the grip is setup.

if you can't catch it on an original rapala, its not worth catching
 
l1ranger said:
for me, the advantage to the baitcaster is direct gearing. I like it with crankbaits, spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, etc. - anything where its cast and reel, cast and reel.
also like it for pitching along a shoreline, when im trying to make sure precise casts, hit a spot, then get it back to hit the next spot.
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I agree with you, and I also like how I can get the line taught as it lands, which I didn't anticipate how nice that is. Not having to take up slack is really nice.
One other thing- I like to use Hula Poppers and I've found a 7.5:1 retrieve is so fast that I can make it pop just by turning the handle one crank. It's very similar to how I retrieve surface lures on a fly rod, so it's super natural to just keep the tip of the rod pointed, always ready to set the hook.
l1ranger said:
if I"m throwing something where I have to work the lure, like a walk the dog bait, jerkbait - I prefer a spinning rod as I have more control with the way the grip is setup.
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I generally feel like spinning reels are more comfortable in general- I like how the weight hangs out under my hand.

l1ranger said:
if you can't catch it on an original rapala, its not worth catching
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Well said! I've used the Shad Rap a lot in my life with great success, but recently I've been having a lot of fun retrieving the original rapala in different ways.
it's just such a well built lure.
 
other than mepps style spinners - probably my first lure way back in the 1900s
you could run it a million different ways and catch fish - and its not plastic so it doesnt crack if you smack it on a rock.
and back then it was about 3 or 4 bucks each.
 
I don't fish anymore, but this discussion of Rapalas, Mepps and other baits, lures and reels brings back many memories of fishing with my father, (saltwater and fresh), back in the sixties and beyond. He sold a lot of the fishing gear at his old job and we had tackle boxes full of cool gear.
 
Blues said:
I don't fish anymore, but this discussion of Rapalas, Mepps and other baits, lures and reels brings back many memories of fishing with my father, (saltwater and fresh), back in the sixties and beyond. He sold a lot of the fishing gear at his old job and we head tackle boxes full of cool gear.
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I don't know what it is about dads and all the wonderous gadgets they'd produce, but I felt like there was always another tacklebox I wasn't aware of, which had some new-to-me doodad but was probably popular in the 40's.
 
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l1ranger said:
you could run it a million different ways and catch fish - and its not plastic so it doesnt crack if you smack it on a rock.
and back then it was about 3 or 4 bucks each.
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right?! I see all the attractive new plastics out there, but at the end of the day, the classic rapalas just work.
I love that kinda stuff.
 
EngrSorenson said:
I don't know what it is about Dad's and all the wonderous gadgets they'd product, but I felt like there was always another tacklebox I wasn't aware of, which had some new-to-me doodad but was probably popular in the 40's.
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I know exactly what you mean. There was an old beat up looking thing that had many, many unforeseen treasures in it.

Come to think of it, I have some of those very items downstairs in my shop in my father's surfcasting bag.

He gave most of his rods, reels and tackle to children at an orphanage before he passed.

(He and his siblings spent some time in an orphanage, and several years separated in different foster homes before reuniting his family once he was 18 and out of high school. I would have liked to have many of those old treasures, but it meant a lot to him to give to those who did not have anything themselves. And it was the right choice.)
 
Blues said:
He gave most of his rods, reels and tackle to children at an orphanage before he passed.

(He and his siblings spent some time in an orphanage, and several years separated in different foster homes before reuniting his family once he was 18 and out of high school. I would have liked to have many of those old treasures, but it meant a lot to him to give to those who did not have anything themselves. And it was the right choice.)
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that's awesome. I'm a strong believer and giving kids the gift of fishing, and Orphans could use the love as much as anyone.
Your dad did a great thing.

I just took the Lion scouts out for a fishing trip last weekend, and boy that was fun. I didn't even get to throw a line, but I didn't care one bit.
 
I don't fish (as) much (as I'd like to) anymore either, but it was for sure somethign that was built into me by my dad as a youngster.
a summer day on the river with the family, some hotdogs (no ketchup), cokes, and swimming and fishing was the pinnacle of living.

I have caught one fish this year though, so thats a thing. I will probably have to go this weekend if they water isn't too crowded.
i-ft25zGx-M.jpg
 
l1ranger said:
I don't fish (as) much (as I'd like to) anymore either, but it was for sure somethign that was built into me by my dad as a youngster.
a summer day on the river with the family, some hotdogs (no ketchup), cokes, and swimming and fishing was the pinnacle of living.

I have caught one fish this year though, so thats a thing. I will probably have to go this weekend if they water isn't too crowded.
i-ft25zGx-M.jpg
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a fish is a fish! Rock bass?
I can't quite tell, but I see red eyes.
 
l1ranger said:
it was a smallmouth - roughly 3.5"
the spoon was 1.5"
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I see the small mouth stripes on the cheeks now.
boy, I give that guy a lot of credit- he's a feisty son of a gun.

I had the scouts using size 12 hooks with Berkeley Power Wigglers and this one kid caught a pumpkin seed that was probably 1" long.
It's the smallest fish I've seen caught on a hook. I told him, that's honestly a more impressive story than landing an 18" bass.
 
1/4 ounce was my low limit with a baitcaster, and that was possible only with light line and practice. I liked using them, but eventually I gave in and switched full time to spinning reels. Solved a lot of problems for me and honestly they work just fine.
 
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