Any Baitcaster fans out there?

No reason to go under a quarter ounce with a casting reel.
The only time I use spinning is on the beach surf casting. Casting reels saltwater and sand are a labor intensive endeavor.

Otherwise the spools spin for the win.

One area where casting really shines is reeling slack line. Those times when you are moving the lure with the rod, twitching spooks and sluggos, and picking up the slack. No wind (rhymes with mind) loops & knots….. that little devil loop on the spool just waiting to get you.

Another is the casting reel is a more efficient winch.

Fishing from the bank I’ve come to realize that a more moderate softer rod is a big help in tight quarters. I have to inexpensive 2st generation Berkeley Shock rods that opened my eyes to that nuance.
 
Ebbtide said:
No reason to go under a quarter ounce with a casting reel.
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That’s a common sentiment.
some folks believe there’s no point in a baitcaster at all.

I’m willing to try it out, because I hate dealing with twisted line knots.
 
EngrSorenson said:
That’s a common sentiment.
some folks believe there’s no point in a baitcaster at all.

I’m willing to try it out, because I hate dealing with twisted line knots.
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I just bought one of those Shimano Curado OCs.
I’m going to experiment.
Have a new moderate KVD 1/4 oz crankbait to go with it.
Even swapped out trebles for single hooks on my top waters.

Says the guy with 6 Abus among others.
lol
 
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Ebbtide said:
I just bought one of those Shimano Curado OCs.
I’m going to experiment.
Have a new moderate KVD 1/4 oz crankbait Ro do go with it.
Even swapped out trebles for single hooks on my top waters.

Says the guy with 6 Abus among others.
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Good man- I always swap out trebles. I’d rather miss a fish than gore one up.

My thought is that spinning reels will probably work for all weights (depending on line) but baitcasters have to be designed for a weight class. I bet the light weight stuff will work fine with the parameters it was designed for.

I do love the ability to cast up to stuff and know i can slow it down if I put too much pepper on it.

Let me know what you find out- I’m itching to get mine and get it set up.
 
MolokaiRider said:
I use Penn Senators 4.0 all the time, but it is likely overkill for your uses.

Penn is a brand I go back to often, along with Shimano.
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Do you actually “cast” those heavy saltwater reels? I imagine it’s awfully straining.
 
I'm not great with baitcasters, but am not exactly against them.
I've got a 1940's Langley Streamlight that I like, but otherwise I prefer American and European made spinning reels from the 1960's.
I don't really like the Japanese reels much either, the best ones came along when the era of proper quality was pretty much gone and even the best of the best aren't that great.
I'm speaking of freshwater reels of course, and this reel epitomizes the highest quality in freshwater reels to come out of Japan but still Falls short with regards to internal materials quality.


I don't like reels with plastic bodys, and plastic or pot metal gears inside.
the modern features and technology just don't factor into how I fish so I can afford to prefer vintage reels and have very high standards with regards to materials.
I'm just having fun and enjoying the quality of a bygone era is part of that for me.
I understand why the modern designs and materials exist, they just aren't for me.
I like the action of graphite better than whippy old glass rods, but don't use modern reels.
 
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Ebbtide said:
No reason to go under a quarter ounce with a casting reel.
The only time I use spinning is on the beach surf casting. Casting reels saltwater and sand are a labor intensive endeavor.

Otherwise the spools spin for the win.

One area where casting really shines is reeling slack line. Those times when you are moving the lure with the rod, twitching spooks and sluggos, and picking up the slack. No wind (rhymes with mind) loops & knots….. that little devil loop on the spool just waiting to get you.

Another is the casting reel is a more efficient winch.

Fishing from the bank I’ve come to realize that a more moderate softer rod is a big help in tight quarters. I have to inexpensive 2st generation Berkeley Shock rods that opened my eyes to that nuance.
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Clearly you are not a fan of Rapalas lol. And if you try to reel in too much slack line without putting tension on it by hand, I see a backlash in your near future. And who winches line in? Pump with the rod, drop and reel. You must use extra heavy line or something. You are correct though about line loops, they are trouble. Take off the spool and remove line from the back is your best chance of clearing a loop w/o a gordian knot.
 
Blue Sky said:
Clearly you are not a fan of Rapalas lol. And if you try to reel in too much slack line without putting tension on it by hand, I see a backlash in your near future. And who winches line in? Pump with the rod, drop and reel. You must use extra heavy line or something. You are correct though about line loops, they are trouble. Take off the spool and remove line from the back is your best chance of clearing a loop w/o a gordian knot.
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I cut my fishing teeth on rapalas in the 60s.
Those, Daredevil spoons & Mepps spinners.

Pretty much went single hook only by the mid 80s.
Rubber worms & Spinnerbaits. Less damage to the LMB and WAY less time picking weeds off my hooks.

I have no issues at all with reeling slack line on my casting reels. If I’m moving the lure with my rod it’s a jig, frog or sluggo. Those are thrown at specific targets with a pitch or wrist roll cast. Nice easy, fluid motions.
If I’m making long hard casts it with a spinnerbait, buzzer or swim bait. And with those lures I’m moving them with the reel…. so no slack line.

As for winching in line….. I stated a casting reel is a more efficient winch.
Fish Kermit in a big patch of lillies and you’ll soon realize you have to get her head up and keep it up to scoot her in.

BigBass10.jpeg


And yes I do fish heavy line because I’m a heavy cover junkie. A slop fisherman The thicker the better. :)
30# braid & a 3’ 25# mono leader.

Hickory n steel Hickory n steel , I had the same reel!
Still have two of his surf/catfish sized brothers.

3SurfReels.jpg
 
Ebbtide said:
I had the same reel!
Still have two of his surf/catfish sized brothers
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So you had the early Daiwa Seiko SS No.1 and that little 500c ?

The super sports, silver series, and Gold series may have been inferior to the American and European offerings from the 60's, but they were still made better than 99% of spinning reels made today are that's for sure.

Btw when I speak to the quality of reels, I'm basing it off the standards set by reels from D.A.M quick, the Shakespeare royal maroon series, and the early Greenie and Z series Penn spinfishers with their hardened steel worm drive mechanisms and solid bronze alloy or steel main gears that are too expensive to manufacture today.




Without having very thoroughly cleaned serviced and experienced these reels, I'd have nothing but good to say about the old Daiwa Ryobi and Omori reels because they're as good as they need to be.
 
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How's this for a casting reel ?





It's solid SS and basically indestructible, but also heavy, and only has 1 direct drive gear so it's extremely slow.
I have not tried to fish it yet, but it was a gift and I think it's cool, so I've made it a goal to catch a fish with it.
 
Hickory n steel said:
How's this for a casting reel ?





It's solid SS and basically indestructible, but also heavy, and only has 1 direct drive gear so it's extremely slow.
I have not tried to fish it yet, but it was a gift and I think it's cool, so I've made it a goal to catch a fish with it.
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Boy, with a direct drive I think you’d have a similar experience reeling in a fly reel. Nifty though. I appreciate some of that old, creative technology. I have one of those Kabar “survival” hand spools given to me as a gift. I haven’t used it yet, but one of these days I’ll spool it up and give it a whirl.
 
Green and brown tube jigs were the order of the day. Tween us in the evening, eight bass of this size and six or so rainbows bout the same size. We're flycasters too, our preferred gig but not working that time:

k3fOVYM.jpg
 
EngrSorenson said:
Do you actually “cast” those heavy saltwater reels? I imagine it’s awfully straining.
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IMG_5520.jpeg


Those old school Penn Beachmasters, Surfmasters & Jigmasters were called “thumb burners” for a reason:)
Back in the day there was a bowl or box of thumb pads at the checkout of every tackle shop. Elastic on one side, leather on the other.

I was given the Penn 200M Surfmaster in 1969.
It’s still going strong. 3:1 ratio makes it less than stellar for plugging.
Casting it is an adventure every single time.
Just right and the mono would fluff up, a brush of the thumb would tame that then you’d really have to watch and put the brake on before the payload hit the water.

The 4/0 Senators were a staple on the NE fishing scene. From bottom fishing to trolling with monel wire. Now *that* was an expensive backlash.

A top tip for backlash removal.
Right after it happens, before you do anything else, tighten the drag down & clamp your thumb down on the spool hard. Give the handle 3-4 cranks with your thumb applying pressure.
Then try stripping line off to see if it comes out.
It usually works in two or three tries.
And if it doesn’t work outright it usually at least makes picking the mess out easier.

Tight lines!
 
EngrSorenson said:
Boy, with a direct drive I think you’d have a similar experience reeling in a fly reel. Nifty though. I appreciate some of that old, creative technology.
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The crazy part is how you're supposed to cast it when using it that way.
That release lever is on the side and you have to operate it with your thumb ( It lifts the spool cap / line break like the button on a spin caster from Zebco...etc ) which means your thumb is hanging off the side and it just feels like it's going to come out of your hands.
I've heard of people running their index finger up along the side to hold and release the line that way but my finger isn't that long.

Come to think of it my casting rods are 80's models with Lews speed grips, maybe one of those old pistol grip rods with the cast reel seat and cork handle would be better.
 
A pistol grip handle would be a good idea, especially if your thumb is off the spool like that.
 
So I have an update- I've gotten a chance to use the "BFS" setup I bought.

It's outstanding. I really enjoy casting those F03 rapalas. I'm not rocketing anything to the moon, but it gets more than far enough out there for my needs, and I've caught some decent pumpkin seeds on it.
It's a little trickier to make sure I don't get a back lash, but most of them have been minor.
casts 1/8 - 1/4 oz stuff no problem.

based on my experience with a more typical baitcaster, I was expecting this to be very tricky to use.
Turns out, the reel can be designed for light weight stuff.

The best part? No line tangles. I'm sold.
 
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