What is it about baitcasters?

[RoadToad]

I've seen a lot of mention lately of how great baitcasting rigs are. When I see them, they always make me think of what we always called "boat poles" which are good for dropping lines over the side when you're saltwater fishing, but not much else. I'm starting to think I'm missing something here. What is it about baitcasters that make them so nice, or is it just a "feel" that you have to experience?

[Tim_T]

I don't know about everyone else, but for me it is accuracy, I am much more accurate putting my lure exactly where I want it with a baitcaster than with anything else.

[dpage70]

Baitcasters are stronger than spinning reels. Their more like a winch. Their better for really hauling a fish in. You can use heavier line on baitcasters without really losing the castability too. Anything over 12 lb line is really to stiff for a spinning reel. What I mean by that is the line will just fall off of the reel on spinning equipment. Spinning reels are also very well known for causing line twist which baitcasters do not cause. Spinning equipment are designed for lighter line and lighter lures and for those applications they are the perfect choice. But for a heavier line, heavier lure, heavy cover(when you really need to get the fish up quick) then the baitcasters are a far better choice. Hope this helps.

[RoadToad]

Baitcasters are stronger than spinning reels. Their more like a winch. Their better for really hauling a fish in. You can use heavier line on baitcasters without really losing the castability too. Anything over 12 lb line is really to stiff for a spinning reel. What I mean by that is the line will just fall off of the reel on spinning equipment. Spinning reels are also very well known for causing line twist which baitcasters do not cause. Spinning equipment are designed for lighter line and lighter lures and for those applications they are the perfect choice. But for a heavier line, heavier lure, heavy cover(when you really need to get the fish up quick) then the baitcasters are a far better choice. Hope this helps.

It certainly does. Thanks!

[smljaw]

Accuracy and power. Much better for wormin, jig fishing, cranking, jerkbaits, flukes... Well, just about everything really. A baitcaster is in my hand about 90% of the time when I LM fish.

[MsgMills]

99.5% here for me, since I learned how to use them back in the early 80's.... Won't use nuttin but a baitcaster now......

[LarryG]

I have several, BUT, most of my fishing is done with spinning reels.My first bait caster was a president, about 55yrs ago, I do use them when I'm musky fishing because of the rod not the reel. You think the reel has more power? BS, try putting a one pound weight on the floor and just use your bait caster to bring it to you, hard huh!Most of my bait casters were left hand models, much easier to use, no rod switching.Yeah, when I trolled the big lakes, bait casters were needed, because of one feature, clickers, weasier to load the down riggers, than with a free spool.Rods fight fish, not reels.

[bigcarl6446]

I grews up in the spin cast and spinning reels, but when i started bass fishing using a spinning reel to throw buzzbaits is a lot of work....lol...no accuracy if making long cast and trying to get the bait up also....but then i got baitcaster....now i love em both. but the bait caster is much more accurate and faster if need it.....

good luck and goodfishin

[MLTSPCS]

Hey, Larry. Try the same thing w/ the weight and a spinning reel. Your rod and reel should complement each other and work together. If you ever use baitcasters, then you would know that the reel does make a difference. Simply changing to a lower gear ratio when using deep, hard diving crankbaits will prove that. After throwing a deep diver on 6:1 or higher ratio for a couple of hours, you will feel it in your forearms and wrists. Switch to a 5.2:1 and see how much easier it is to crank it all day. Change nothing but the reel and try that and you will see. Like someone else stated, the baitcaster is more like a winch and it goes straight onto the spool instead of wrapping, twisting, and building up a lot of memory. I started out using spinning reels myself, but now I almost always use a baitcaster. Now that I have one of the ProLite Finnesse combos from BPS, I will only carry one, maybe two spinnig outfits with me. One for skipping and throwing weightless trick worms and the likes, and maybe one for Carolina Rigging. I have had more luck with braid on spinning gear (with a mono backing to keep it from slipping on the reel and digging into my wallet). Don't knock the bc's until you've given them a fair shot. The brake configurations these things come with now almost eliminate "professional overrun" when used properly with good casting technique.

[LarryG]

A fair try,does a chroarach B sound like I'm not giving it a fair shot, with my 6'5ft med lt browning rod, I've got as much money tioed up in one out fit than I do in all my crappie rigs.Right now I'm down to just 4 bait casters,3 garcias, and the rig I mentioned.They have improved a lot over the years, but my first ones did not have centfigal and weighted spools, and I learned to thumb to avoid bird nests.Butfor MY fishing pleasure, I prefer spinning gear.There is a place for a bait caster, and the best you can afford is the best deal in the long run, and reels are not winches, they are foremost places to hold your fishing line.I have seen people in other countrys use a tin can to cast with, the one thing all of us have in common, is the love of the sport, how you choose to do it, is up to you, and not watching some pro use only one method.The only two things I have never tried in fishing is trot lines and jugs, but I still have a fwew years left, who knows.

[LarryG]

Hey I'm not against bait casting equiptment, got a few very good outfits myself.For LMB its probably as good a choice as you can make. But for over 20 yrs I didn't fish for bass at all. Salmon and trout were all I fished for, and all my money went into stuff to use for them.Now I get just as heated up with the prospect of catching big bluegills, as with anything else.I dont need to fish for one particular species anymore. gave up my fly rods two years ago because of the artritis, and sold all the ice fishing gear when we moved here.Lost intereast in striper fishing, so the down riggers are gone, not enough good places to wade, so my chest waders are just gathering dust.I think any fish is worth fishing for, maybe gars are the exception, cause those I kill, but I use tackle to make my fishing a pleasure for no matter what I fish for.It all has its proper place.

[elnutsmalljaws]

Speaking from a guy that started with 4 spinning outfits in my boat year around and HATED baitcasters because I could never cast them, Baitcasters are much better unless you are using light line. Light line, light lures, spinning reels but everything else is Baitcasters. I used to carry 4 spinning reels 3 years ago and now it is 6 baitcasters with different mono and flouro line sizes for different applications. One piece of advise, buy the best baitcaster and rod that you can afford to start with. The better the rod and reel the more foregiving it will be and the less frustrated you will be. I started with CHEAP on both ends and they constantly backlashed and I hated them even more. I bought a Quantum Accurist, $79 at Bass Pro was my first and still have 2 of them for I love them. Put these on Bionic Blade rods from BP and you have $160 total in an outfit that will work just fine for you.