Good Baitcaster Reel?

[DannyLeslie]

First off I am not sure where to put this.


I have always had spinning reels, Well I wanna try a baitcaster reel this season and I wanna see what a nice reel is. So what do yall use as far as baitcaster reels?

[Amx]

I moved this to the Products and Gear forum. I noticed that there are some threads in there that you might want to read.

[DannyLeslie]

Thanks AMX

[kzoo]

Curados have been pretty good for the money, I've had good luck with mine. Although they did replace it with a new model this year.

[natetreat]

I can't speak for the new curados, but the old ones are pretty sweet. I have the 207e and I love it. Also check out the Quantum Smoke, that's a pretty sweet little reel. You're going to want to get a nice one, because if you get a cheapo, you'll throw it in the trunk and never use it again after you're through fighting a thousand backlashes. True story.

[returnofthefish]

I was the same boat last year. Wanted to go from spinning to baitcasting. Got the Curado E like some people suggested. It worked great for pinks, coho and chum last year. It never saw any bass action which was why I bought it.

[DannyLeslie]

I'm gonna be going to cabelas to get one before Saturday's opener.

[Brat Bonker]

Revo and curados are GREAT, calcuttas are nice as long as you keep them clean. Any abu-garcia or shimano bait caster is a good choice along with pinnacles and diawas. I love my revo sx, 11 ball bearings, smooth casting, and just an overall good salmon reel!

[DannyLeslie]

What are the pros and cons between baitcasting reels and spinning reels?

[DannyLeslie]

I've been looking on cabelas website at them and I wanna get one of the roundish flat bait casters but they say the are for only like 10 to 12 lbs test. That can't be right.. My buddy was hauling in 50lb kings last year on a bait caster.

[kzoo]

I've been looking on cabelas website at them and I wanna get one of the roundish flat bait casters but they say the are for only like 10 to 12 lbs test. That can't be right.. My buddy was hauling in 50lb kings last year on a bait caster.

Don't buy your first on line unless you try it out. Check it out at your local stores and ask if you could use their display and pair it with a rod that your going to buy. You should be able to palm it. Biggest thing with baitcasters is make sure it's comfortable when your holding it, remember you'll beholding it allllllll day. I personally like low profiles, easier to palm the reel.

Round bait casters have been know to hold larger diameter test, but some of these low profile ones can too. It all depends on the spool depth.

[kzoo]

What are the pros and cons between baitcasting reels and spinning reels?

Pros for baitcasters
Hold larger line
Your finger can be positioned directly to the line to increase sensitivity
Easier to reel heavier lures.
Far better when it comes to float fishing, just press the button and let it drift down.
Cons for baitcasters.
Drag is not as smooth as spincasts, at least when you want them to run and loosen the drag.
Typically not designed for lighter lines.
Can't cast as far with light baits compared to spin casts.
Can get some nasty birds nest if not careful.

[DannyLeslie]

I'm probably going to cabelas tommorow and looking at a few. I guess what I'm asking is how many guys prefer baitcaster reels to spinning reels?

[kzoo]

I'm probably going to cabelas tommorow and looking at a few. I guess what I'm asking is how many guys prefer baitcaster reels to spinning reels?

It depends on what you want to do. I have both, I use them for different applications. Although if you already have a spincast, mind as well pick up a baitcaster.

[DannyLeslie]

I've also heard some people say they are hard to cast.

[spokey9]

cheap baitcasters can be a pain to learn on, but a good quality one shouldn't take long to figure it out. the main thing is adjusting the brakes once you got that dialed in it's just a matter of your thumb learning what to do.

if you're looking for line capacity check out either the abu garcia revo or orra inshore reels. they're comfortable to palm all day an hold about 170 yds of 12lb mono.

[Jigking Fishhead]

If you want a quality reel and not spend an arm and a leg for it. Go to ebay and pickup a Lews tournament MG for around a $108.00
This reel feels as nice and cast as well as my Daiwa Zillion. Once that reel is adjusted properly it will not backlash unless you seriously slap the water.

[Bodofish]

The price doesn't really matter. It's adjusting it and practice. And then adjusting it every time you switch what you're pitch'in. I used and Ambassador 5000 for everything for more years than I'm willing to count. Never had any problems with backlashing and now I can pick up anything and cast it. Train the thumb by practicing and when you're done practice some more. Oh and start out with some really cheap line.......

[Dan360]

I use both baitcasters and spinning reels because I think they have their niches. For me, baitcasters can't be beat for throwing heavier line. Spinning reels just don't do heavy line very well. I also think baitcasters are superior for trolling. Its hard to be consistent with a spinning reel when you can get line counters and other goodies for a baitcaster.

I use a spinning reel whenever light line or light baits are being used. I think that having the guides on the bottom of the blank adds to the ability for the rod to telegraph a bite. No matter what, I just can't get into using anything but a spinning rod for float fishing and its mainly due to my casting style. When using a baitcaster and a float setup, I nearly always end up getting the rig all tangled up in itself.

As for my favorite reels, it also depends. I like Shimano low-profile reels like the Citica and Curado. My bass reels are all Citicas and I use a Curado for salmon and steelhead fishing in the rivers. When it comes to round bodied level-wind reels I prefer Abu Garcias because Shimanos don't seem to allow you to turn the drag all of the way off. Even with the drag tightened down, a fish can still take line.