Bait Casters

[bobber stopper]

I Was Thanking About Buying A Small Bait-caster.i Want It To Free Spool Like A Reg. Baitcaster And Small.i Bought A Bait Cast I Don't Know How You Would Us It To Cast.it Dose Not Free Spool.maybe You Are Not Suppose To Cast It I Don't Know.

[ribit]

Maybe it has a flipping switch it has to be off to cast or free spool. You can hold the reel button down but if you let it up it will stop unless flipping switch is off. lol

[bobber stopper]

The Bait Cast Has Three Fuctions On,click,off.if You Flip It To On
You Can Crank It And That It It Is Like A Brake.flip It On Click It Clicks Forward And Backward.flip It Off The Spool Is Free But Handle Turns As The Spool Turn.were A Reg. Bait Caster The Spool Turns Free And The Handle Stays Still.the Reel Is For Crappie Fishing.i Thought When I Bought It It Was A Bait Caster.which It Says On The Side Of It Bait Cast.

[CrappiePappy]

sounds like you have a "direct drive" type of baitcaster reel .... basically one that is more functional for using when trolling or titeline fishing. It could probably be used to "cast" with - but, you'd probably have to have a bit of weight on the line before it would cast very far. Baitcaster reels are not meant to cast tiny Crappie jigs alone with ... though you might be able to, if you have a bobber on the line.
I know it's called a "baitcaster" ... but, that name is given to it because it is a "level wind" type of reel - as opposed to a spinning reel or spincast reel (where the line comes off and goes on the reel spool at a 90deg angle to the incoming line). Level wind/baitcaster reels have the line come off and go back on the reel's line spool - level (and not sideways, like the other two).

The "click" feature is for live bait fishing ... where you can set the reel to "click" when the line is being taken out by a fish running off with your bait. It's kind of an "alarm system", to alert you to a strike/run.

"OFF" sounds like it's the "disengaged" function - allowing you to pull line from the reel. You could also cast with it, in this setting, but you'd have to practice - have some "weight" on the line (bobber/sinker/hook - bobber/sinker/jig - sinker/jig - or some artificial bait of 1/4oz or larger). The fact that the handle turns, when on this setting, means the reel does not have "free spool" capabilities ... it's direct drive, meaning that the reel's spool is turned by direct influence of the handle. It may be 1:1 drive .. meaning that the spool turns once for every one turn of the handle. Or it may have a gear in it, that will speed up the turning of the spool, for each turn of the handle .... for instance a 3.8:1 - which would mean that the spool turned 3.8 times for each turn of the handle.

"ON" is "engaged" ... as in when you want to crank the handle and retrieve the line (as in reeling in a fish). This setting would also be used when titeline fishing (if you didn't want the fish to be able to pull line from the reel - but, instead, pull the rod tip down to indicate a strike).

Sounds like you have a very old baitcaster .... or one of the BnM reels, Wally Marshall reels, or the like. If you want to cast for Crappie ... you'd be better off with a spinning reel, or even a spincast reel. They're designed to allow the line to come off the spool without resistance, and without the spool having to move. A baitcaster, by design and makeup, is meant to cast with a weight, heavy enough to continue pulling the line off the reel and thru the guides .... while the spool spins. You have to set the "brakes" to the weight used, if the reel has any. Otherwise, you have to use your thumb to slow the spin of the reel spool, as the bait nears the end of the cast ... or suffer the consequences of a "backlash". A 1/16oz jig just doesn't have the weight to pull/spin a baitcaster's line spool, and get any distance. Even the high dollar, multiple ball bearing, free spooling baitcasters have their limits !! ......... luck2ya .....cp

[David Waters]

when casting for crappie, I always use psincast. But, I love the baitcast reels for tight lining, especially winter when fishing really deep. I like to use a one ounce drop shot and the bait casters are perfect for that on my 12 foot rods. Although, I have thought about switching to spincast on my 10 and 9 foot rods.

[bobber stopper]

Thanks For The Help.i Thought I Had Came Up On A Bait-caster For Crappie.i Guess I Will Go Back To The Spinning Reel And Put This Brain Storm Back On Hold.

Thanks

[Mopar Matt]

I use baitcast and spincast reels. My favorite baitcast is a Daiwa procast 100 on a 6' ML BPS GS rod. I also have Abu Garcia and shimano reels, but the Daiwa is the easiest to set up for light jigs (it's also the least expensive). Any of the reels will cast a jig but you need a soft tipped rod to control the cast.

[Crappie Reaper]

I bought a couple of very nice used Rick Clunn baitcasting reels on ebay. $80 for the pair.