Baitcasters?

[funfishers]

I've been fishing for nearly 60 years, never been what one might call a "successful" fisherman but I've had many hours of fun with family and friends.
Well a couple years ago my wife, who loves fishing more than I, bought me a baitcaster. The first I'd ever owned or fished with, I thanked her profusely and anxiously awaited a chance to show her "this was the reel to use". Well I struck out, big birds nest on my first cast even with using my finger as a brake, embarrassing.
I put the reel aside for that trip, went home and finally read the directions which took a microscope to read.
So I figure out that you have to balance the drag with the weight of your bait, easy enough and next trip I do so. The results were similar, another try another birdsnest. Through the reel in a box of unused equipment where it has sat for two years.

Now I feel sure others have experienced this. Is it the reel or the awkward user (are they that hard to use?) .

Will try once more this spring but before I do I will ask, Is it worth the frustration? And what are the benefits in using a baitcaster ?

[CrappiePappy]

I've been fishing for nearly 60 years, never been what one might call a "successful" fisherman but I've had many hours of fun with family and friends.
Well a couple years ago my wife, who loves fishing more than I, bought me a baitcaster. The first I'd ever owned or fished with, I thanked her profusely and anxiously awaited a chance to show her "this was the reel to use". Well I struck out, big birds nest on my first cast even with using my finger as a brake, embarrassing.
I put the reel aside for that trip, went home and finally read the directions which took a microscope to read.
So I figure out that you have to balance the drag with the weight of your bait, easy enough and next trip I do so. The results were similar, another try another birdsnest. Through the reel in a box of unused equipment where it has sat for two years.

Now I feel sure others have experienced this. Is it the reel or the awkward user (are they that hard to use?) .

Will try once more this spring but before I do I will ask, Is it worth the frustration? And what are the benefits in using a baitcaster ?

For Crappie fishing .... baitcasters are generally used for various trolling methods, like Spider Rigging, longline trolling, etc. The weights used for casting are usually much too light to be effective with a baitcast reel. They're usually used on long rods that are placed in a rod holder system, and simply used to hold line (of higher pound test than used for casting). Those with thumbars or "flippin switches" are coveted because you can release line under control (thumb on spool) when fishing shallower than the length of the rod and swinging a fish towards the boat or net.

For casting heavier baits, like what you'd use for Bass, a baitcast reel is generally used because it can hold heavier pound test line and it can be "set" to allow the line to come off the reel "slower" than a spinning reel (because of the magnetic brakes & tension setting knob that spinning reels don't have).

Best way I can describe using a baitcast reel is to tighten the brakes & tension knob down to start with ... then as you gain confidence in "how" to cast with it ... you can loosen those a little at a time until you reach a setting that allows you to cast your bait a reasonable distance without any backlash. "How" you cast makes a lot of difference, in that you don't start out casting them with your wrist and you don't snap cast with them. It's more of a smooth motion with the arm, followed by a straightening of the wrist (as the last motion). "When" you release your thumb from the spool is also a major part of it, in that you take your thumb off the spool about halfway through the casting motion ... unlike releasing the line over 3/4 of the way through the casting motion when using a spinning reel.

If you're getting backlashes, even with your thumb feathering the spool during the cast, then your tension & brake settings are too light. Most say push the button and let the bait fall at a rate that the spool stops turning as soon as the bait hits the ground. I find even that to be too loose for beginners. I'd tighten up the brakes/tension knob to where the bait has to be "pulled on" to get the spool to turn ... then try casting with it. If you get no distance, loosen the tension knob just a hair & try again ... repeat as necessary until you get good distance without a backlash. If it has a magnetic brake system, leave it set at least 1/2 - 3/4 of the way to it's tightest setting. Use the tension knob on the side of the reel (usually under the handle) to slow the spool's rotation.

The lightest bait I would try to cast with a baitcast reel would be 1/4oz (a practice plug or a crankbait w/o hooks will work).

If all else fails and you don't want to keep the reel, you can put it up for sale on the Personal Classifieds Forum. Being it's never actually been fished with for any length of time and only a couple years old, and depending on brand & model, you should expect to get at least 3/4 of the original price for it (plus s/h if you have to mail it to the buyer).

[deathb4disco]

I have been fishing for forty years and have never found a use for a baitcaster.

The bass guys love them because they handle heavy line and big baits well. They're particularly good for baits that have a lot of resistance coming through the water (like big spinnerbaits and crankbaits.)

If you want to keep the reel and learn how to use it, check out Youtube. There are videos on "how to use a baitcaster".

[funfishers]

Thanks to you both, sounds like bait casting may be something I don't need to pursue. I'll probably keep the reel though and play with it again this spring.

[crappie wrangler]

A bait caster is my preferred reel even for ultra-light casting. I will give the quick and easy instruction for using one. First as already mentioned tighten your brake down. Following these steps should be helpful.

1. Put reel on rod and attach a 1/2 oz weight to the line.
2. Adjust the manual brake adjusting knob (not the star drag) so that the line will not release at all when you depress the release button.
3. If you have a magnetic anti-backlash on the reel start with it set all the way to minimum tension.
4. Try to cast. The line should only pay out about 5 feet.
5. Began loosening the manual brake adjusting knob slightly and try casting again.
6. Continue this process a few times and get the feel of casting.
7. Each time you loosen the manual adjusting knob start getting used to feeling the spool spin under your thumb.
8. As you become more accustomed to the feel of the spool spinning under your thumb you can loosen the brake more and more.
9. When you get to be able to throw it a little farther each time and notice the line getting loose on the spool under your thumb you can then start tightening the magnetic anti-backlash on your reel while slightly loosening the brake adjusting knob.

(note) When casting a bait casting reel your thumb never fully leaves the spool but rather the spool is controlled by the amount of pressure on your thumb against it.

10. Proper adjustment of manual casting brake is achieved when you can depress the line release button and the lure will drop slowly without moving the rod. This adjustment works for any weight lure so if you change lures you should readjust the manual casting brake to compensate for the weight difference. The magnetic anti-backlash adjustment is for fine tuning the reel for maximum casting distance.

Following this process should help in your bait casting experience. When I teach someone how to use a bait caster I start with an old Ambassadeur 5000. It is the easiest one to learn on.

The real reason for learning to use a bait casting reel is that the drag system is the most efficient one out there and you will lose less fish over a sticky drag. The line rolls straight on and off the reel. All others the line turns 90 degrees to go on and off the reel. If you consider it a fly reel is basically a bait casting reel that hangs under the rod instead of sitting on top of it.

I use bait casting reels so much that by now I can cast a 1/16 oz jig with one as far or farther than one could be cast with a spinning reel.

[funfishers]

Thank you crappie wrangler. That is a nicely written and easy to understand tutorial, I will print it and carry in my bait satchel because I'm gonna keep trying.

[crappie wrangler]

If you live close enough I will gladly just show you.

[funfishers]

Thank you very much but I live a far piece from Oklahoma, at least for me.
Very kind of you, hopefully your instructions will make a baitcaster of me.

Alan

[rnes]

I wish I could fish with a bait caster. I have tried and tried but just cant do it I gave up on them several years ago. It was defeating my purpose for going fishing and that was to relax. I even backlash a roll of toilet paper.

[crappie wrangler]

9 months of the year for me is mostly vertical jigging so it is just straight up and straight down so the bait casting reel is easy the other 3 months the crappie are in the shallows and if I have to use under 1/16 oz lure I have to switch over to spinning reels. The float makes it harder to use a Baitcasting reel. While it works for me that doesn't mean that it will work for everyone. There are things for all of us that we just can't figure out. I had a music director at church who once told me that everyone could sing if they just put enough effort into it so I reluctantly joined the choir and actually lasted a few weeks before he admitted that I had no singing ability and asked me to retire as a choir member .