Fishing with a Baitcasting Rig

[MarkD]

As I've mentioned before, I've been fishing now for close to 40 years (not bad for a 45 year old huh?), and I've always fished with a spinning rod and reel. I've noticed that most serious bass fishermen use a baitcasting reel, and have wondered if that's something I ought to add to my "arsenal". I've been eyeballing some of the cheaper combos at Cabelas and was hoping for some advice here.

First, let's get the heresy (if not blasphemy) out of the way: I'm a FIRM believer that the fish doesn't give a crap what's on YOUR end of the line, as long as what he sees looks good he'll bite on it. As long as the stuff on your end (especially you) is up to the task you've got a good chance of landing the fish.

So, what are the advantages to a baitcasting rig over a spinning rig? I know the disadvantage is danger of backlash, are there others?

Can anyone recommend a decent, modestly priced (say under $100) rod and reel combo? It'll be used for pond fishing, generally from the shore. It won't see hard use (I work too hard to go fishing more than once a week or so in the summertime), and it'll be used in conjunction with a couple spinning combos (ultralight and medium). Years of using spinning reels have taught me to hold the rod in my right (dominant) hand and turn the crank with my left, I'd like to use a baitcaster the same way. I also prefer a rod that breaks into 3-foot-ish pieces (assuming a rod around 6 feet long) for convenience, I don't believe two-piece rods lose much strength over one-piece and they're a lot easier to fit in the trunk.

[Fivetoes]

For bass fishing the advantage of the bait caster is better control, you just press your thumb on the spool to brake or drop the line where you want it. I tried it buy the backlash would ruin the day. I found it more enjoyable to use an ultra light rig for lake fishing.
For catfishing in the river I do use a baitcaster, longer throws wiht heavy bait and the ability to crank in thirty pound fish or logs or whatever else I get hung up on.
I use an AB 6500 model and a twelve foot surf rod. I will get backlash but I don't really cast that much for the game I am after.

[SeekHer]

Biggest advantage was heavier line and it used to be more line (bigger spools) but with these compact BC models now that's not so…The large spinning rigs will hold as mush as a medium full size BC…

From what I've read about performance you just may have to go up in price to the $150 - $160 level for a combo with more on the reel...

I've got a couple of them (30+ ys old) but I use them only for trolling and nothing else--because I'm a terrible caster with them--as they don't have all the gizmos that are on newer models that help [strike]prevent[/strike] reduce backlash...

But they work great on Lake Trout when you have to go deep for them in the summer, sometimes to 120, 130 feet to get to that thermo line they like to sit at...and with 250' of 35# test on I've got the space for a bit of a run with 30# to 50# fish...

My question is, Why? Spinning rigs work great on everything that you can catch on fresh and salt water and are being used by the pros as well...Me, personally, I'd buy another $100 worth of Jugs and lures and some nice new spiderwire line...I like being able to switch off lines just by changing spools with spining rigs just bt loosening a nut...As to strength they're just as powerful as a BC as long as you exclude those humongous salt water reels...

Traditional handle placement meant that I was/am more comfortable holding the rod in my right hand--stronger & dominate side and reeling in with my left but the handles change back and forth on lots of the models today no that not an issue either.

[Erik]

What the others said.
A baitcasting reel will give you more direct feel contact with the line and the hook at the other end. If you use jigging or drag a worm across the bottom, this will be much more sensitive. If you use a spinning rig in the same scenario, you will need to feel with the rod, using the tip of the rod to move the bait, and then use the reel to take up slack. Another advantage of the baitcasting is the much quicker engage of the reel, if you drop the bait or flip it to a fish, a turn of the handle will engage it and you will be in contact with the bait, with a spinning rig there's a certain amount of slack to take up first.

Spinning reels also aren't that suited for heavy lines, like I've seen a lot of bass fisherman using. About 15lbs is probably max, above that is just not practical to use (unless you are surfcasting).

Quality is mush more important for baitcasting, since the reel is spinning when you cast, for a spinning reel you can get away with cheaper reels as long as you dont go after hard fighting fish, that put a lot of stress on the brakes. For baitcasting, you need a reel that is quality manufactured, so it spins easily and even, and also that it applies the centrifugal braking evenly. You "fish with the reel" a lot more, so if you buy a cheaper reel you can expect a lot more backlash, shorter casts, uneven engage of braking, and problems reeling in a fish. Generally, you will spend a lot of time cursing the thing. The internal machinery needs to be quality to make it last and function properly.

It's not that hard to learn to cast with one, if you take it step by step.
The key is to aim for good casts without backlashes, while sacrificing distance, and then slowly gain distance. Start by using a fairly heavy casting brake, and remember to use the rod to cast. Then slowly as you get more confident, lighten the casting brake and use your thumb to brake instead. aim for an arc in the cast, the direct casting to the water, or under trees, are for experienced users. Just keep working at it, and before too long you will be able to do it instinctively.

[Termite]

But they work great on Lake Trout when you have to go deep for them in the summer, sometimes to 120, 130 feet to get to that thermo line they like to sit at...and with 250' of 35# test on I've got the space for a bit of a run with 30# to 50# fish...

You're catching 30# trout?!?!

Can I [strike]impose myself on you[/strike] come visit you?

[MarkD]

But they work great on Lake Trout when you have to go deep for them in the summer, sometimes to 120, 130 feet to get to that thermo line they like to sit at...and with 250' of 35# test on I've got the space for a bit of a run with 30# to 50# fish...

You're catching 30# trout?!?!

Can I [strike]impose myself on you[/strike] come visit you?

I was thinking the same thing, you fish for TROUT that require 35 pound line? My "heavy" fresh-water line is 8 pound, and my light stuff is 2-4 pound. I use 18-20 pound line for surf fishing.

[SeekHer]

30# are still babies, the world's record caught at either Great Bear or Great Slave Lake in the N.W. Territory was nearly 70#...Northern Pike get to be 50+#, Walleye 24#, Catfish 35+#...All but catfish you have to fly around 500 miles North of Winnipeg and onto lakes reached only by float planes...mind you, 15 miles north of the city at a place called Lockport you can catch 14 different species of fish--depending on the time of the year...

We can’t take you up at the lodge, we’re booked till 2016, but there are hundreds of camps around Northern Saskatchewan and Manitoba with fish that size and we’re almost all (>90%) “Catch & Release.”

The best fish I ever caught was a 12# Northern Pike on an ultralight rig, 4# test line and no leader.

When visiting the in-laws in Florida, I’ve gone surf fishing with a spinning rig, huge sucker, under a 14’ or 15’ rod and throwing 2 oz lures…It was a lot of fun!

[MarkD]

I looked yesterday, the record trout taken in NJ waters was about 32 pounds.

You folks must be dumping radioactive waste in your lakes or something, do the fish glow in the dark?

[HTRN]

When visiting the in-laws in Florida, I’ve gone surf fishing with a spinning rig, huge sucker, under a 14’ or 15’ rod and throwing 2 oz lures…It was a lot of fun!

I think everybody I know has either a 10foot+ surf rod, or a boat... Usually both.

Maybe I'll dig out my surf rod later and take pictures.


HTRN

[SeekHer]

I looked yesterday, the record trout taken in NJ waters was about 32 pounds.

You folks must be dumping radioactive waste in your lakes or something, do the fish glow in the dark?

What kind of trout though? I'm referring to Lake trout...we don't have any Brown, Rainbow, Cutthroat etc. in our region, way too far north and the pike would eat them...we're also too far north for Muskie...the only other fish in our area are Grayling and Arctic Char besides those mentioned, Walleye (superb eating) and Northern Pike (boney buggers)