last year i bought a baitcast reel and hated it. the backlash was bad and tried different lbs and brands. didnt work so i gave it away. a month ago i got a cheap plastic reel for 15 bucks. loved it. been out in the back 40 casting and getting the hang of it. last week i went and got another reel so my friends and family can practice. acouple of days ago i went out and spent 60 dollars on a reel and so far it is working good out in the field. next month im gonna take it out and use it on the water. baitcasting reels are fun once you get to know them

  I waited years to buy one because I was afraid of the BackLash. I picked up a new FishEagle II  from Cabelas for $9.99 last spring and practiced in the back yard. Now I want a couple more, it almost replaced my Spinning rod.

I started baitcasting about 18 months ago. Got a Quantum Mantra and Quantum rod at Cabelas on sale for @ $60. It works like a charm and I really enjoy using it.     Happy fishing,

~N.A.F.C.~B.A.S.S.~BoatU.S.~

Baitcaste are especially good for using heavier line and fishing around cover. They also come in a variety of ratios which can be used for a variety of lures.

And no offense bigbarry but I still have and use the first baitcaster I've bought, which cost me $30 at Walmart, and I use it right next to the higher end ones I own now. I do agree that the higher end reels are easier to learn on they're not nessesarily better to learn on. A cheaper reel takes more practice to learn on, so when you're ready to buy a better reel it's just that much simplier.

As a musician I can add that learning on a cheap baitcasting rig is a lot like learning on a cheap stringed instrument. Once you have the basics down and graduate to a high quality instrument or baitcast, what you learned to acomplish on cheap equipment is a breeze on the quality gear.      Happy fishing.

~N.A.F.C.~B.A.S.S.~BoatU.S.~

I gotta wonder if it's psycological.

In other words....since you are using a cheap outfit....you KNOW you aren't going to get the casting distance with it that you would with a good one.

So you end up concentrating harder to NOT make a birdsnest....and making more of an effort to use that thumb....instead of relyinig on those fancy brakeing systems

My first baitcaster was an old cheapo True Temper with the plastic side plates....no Thumbar...not even freespool. No mono or superline either...just the black Dacron braid that we had in the '60's.

Yet when I got my first Ambassadeur in the late 70's (?) with a Thunbar (5600 AL) I had no problems with it. In fact, my Dad tried it....and couldn't believe how easy it was conpared to the old types.

SO much so that the rod and reel flew right out of his hand into 50 feet of water up in Manitoba.

But he liked it so much that when they got back to the states....he replaced mine...and bought 2 for him and Mom too

MG, try casting at 3/4 and not directly overhead that may help also try turning the rod slightly so the reel handles are in more of an up position when you cast. Most poeple get into problems with them by trying to cast too far at first. Distance will come as you get used to the rig. All the newer baitcasters have several adjustments on them and it's just a matter of getting them adjusted right or somewhat close. I hate to keep saying this but it's really easy once you get the hang of it. Just adjust your reel to the weight of the lure and be carefull of the type of lure you toss into the wind. It's a lot easier with the wind behind you when your starting. Even I get a backlash from time to time and usually it's because I've changed lures and not re-adjusted the reel. Thats why you see guys that use baitcasters have more than one pole rigged up so they can change rods with diferent lures quickly without any messing around. Hope this helped.

Boy....when I really think about it they are all important to varying degrees. By going through the motions (because we have 10" of snow yet) it starts with the fore arm motion, then ends w/wrist and finishes w/thumb. It becomes so automatic I never even think about it. Just a nice easy motion to start with and once you get more comfortable, back the spool adjustment off a tad and see where that takes you. Rule of thumb is adjust the spool tight enough so when you release the spool the it will stop when the lure hits the water/ground. If it's too much or too little, adjust the spool tension knob accordingly to get the desired tension. Sometimes nothing works. I have a Shimano that for the life of me I cannot get to cast worth a hoot no matter what I do. Backlash, backlash, backlash!! I only use that reel for trolling now.

The MOST important thing to remember about baitcasters is that once you have the "brakes" set for a certain weight of lure (let's say it's a 1 ounce lure), then if you change lures to a different weight, then you have to reset the brakes. It doesn't matter if you go heavier to lighter or lighter to heavier.

Another thing to check is to make sure the grease / lube inside hasn't gotten "gummy". If the reel spent the winter in an unheated garage, it can happen quite easily. This can drastically affect how well the spool turns once you've pressed the "free spool" button for casting.

my bait casting reels have the side cover that can be removed. can i lube the reel that way or do i gotta get out those tiny screw drivers and take the whole thing apart?

Sure, take the side cover off, pull out the spool and put a drop of good oil in both spool bearings(more is not better). Put it back together and you ready to go. The spool bearings is where all the hi speed action takes place when casting. Everything else is low to slow speed. The rest of the gearset will stay lubed for a long time unless you dunk the reel or something else happens to it. A lite coating on the level wind shaft and if you like take the cover off the pawl and put a drop there each year.

My way of maintainence may differ from other folks here, but this is what's worked for me for a whole bunch of years. If you have to go deeper into the reel and don't know what your doing, take it and have it done for you. I will completely overhaul mine every several years depending on useage. The reels today have so much going on in them, you darn near have to be part watchmaker to tear them down and rebuild.

I know a lot of guys that leave their equipment in the boat in all kinds of weather. I don't. It's either in the rod locker or in the cabin.That may explain my simplified maintainence. To each their own.

DRAG ??.... if you are refering to the star drag that you adjust for playing a fish, the answer is no! None what so ever.   If your refering to the spool adjustment knob that sets the friction for the free spool, the answer is yes.

When it comes to the star drag, I like to set mine on the moderate friction side of adjusting. I can always increase it some more if I need to, but a good hit will peel a little line off without breaking the line. Again, just the way I do things. Everyone developes there own way of whats comfortable to them after using a baitcaster for a while.

I've done a complete over haul of so many baitcasters in the last week I can literally put one together with my eyes closed. When oiling do NOT use WD-40, after a while it gunks up and causes problems.

Once you get the setting right you can throw long casts all day without a backlash. Change lures and you're in for trouble! lol

I have a Shimano Cruxis(discontinued) and an inexpesive Diawa. They have their place, but will NEVER replace my spinning rigs. The only advantages I have found to the baitcasters is fishing either heavy lures or fishing in weed choked water. I won't ever be without one or two, but they will never be my go-to rigs. BTW the Diawa I have yet to fish, but I bought it as a light duty trolling rod, the price($34.8 for the rod and reel was right. Thank you, Cabela's!

Tom 

PS: Did anyone see this mornings' episode of NAF TV? This was a topic!

I am considering purchasing a baitcaster for musky fishing.  My greatest amount of experience is with the older types that Dave has stated he started with.  I tried canepoles baitcaster at LaCrosse last year and was very suprised at how easy it was to operate (no back lashes)!  But after reading some of the posts above, I find I have a few questions.

First, how much time do you lose adjusting the brake when you are constantly changing lure sizes and weights?

Secondly, is this why we see tournament guys & gals with so many rods and reels when they are fishing?  I have noticed that each of these are set up with different type / shapes/ weights of lures.  I am not fond of the idea of having to readjust the drag everytime I change lures nor do I see value in having so many set-ups for a single outing of fishing.

So I guess I am asking, is there a recommended alternative?  Perhaps I need to invest in a set-up just for musky.  But I still have the braking issues...Can anyone help me out?

Scott...how many times (on your baitcaster) have you switched from a (example) 3/8 oz jig that you were casting short distances to say a 3/4 oz crankbait / spoon looking to get over 100 ft on the cast?

Even on a muskie outfit....switching from a 1 1/2 oz lure to a 4 oz lure will give you a backlash for sure unless you have a VERY educated thumb.

I'll guarantee you that aeven a pro won't change lure weights this drastic on an outfit without reseting the brakiing mechanism (whatever kind is on the reel).

Aside from muskie fishing....I PREFER to have 4 different outfits with me.

1. A medium heavy baitcaster

2. A medium spinning outfit

3. A medium-light OR light spin outfit

4. An ultralight outfit in CASE I feel like panfishing while I'm out.

MOST of my spinning outfits have 2 piece rods, so they don't take a lot of space if ya take a moment to break them down. I also try to use only heavier stuff on the baitcaster so that I don't have to change the settings much.

THe LAST time I tried switching from 3/8 to a 1 oz on a baitcaster......and forgot to change the setting....well...that reel is STILL sitting here with a massive birdsnest on it

Pete....definitely get a baitcaster big enough (Abu 6500 series or equiv) for muskie / big pike.

JMHO

I have decided to compare the Abu Garcia 6600CB against the Shimano Corualus, CVL 400.  The price difference is only $10 so that won't be an issue.  I will have to do more research to identify the major differences.  The Abu has a 6.3:1 gear ratio vs a 5.3:1 for the Shimano.  Can anyone explain this difference to me?  Will it make a major difference in performance?  Remember that this reel and a later to be determined rod will be used only for casting lures for musky & pike.  I may also use it to live bait with bobber for the same species...I will post more info on these reels as I attempt to find a baitcaster for these species (your help is appreciated).

    I never touch the right side adjustment, i just use the tension nob on the left. Of course I haven't tried to fish a 1/4 oz jig with it either. Guess I need more experimentation.

The higher the gear ratio....the more line comes in per turn of the handle....USUALLY.

It also depends on the thickness of the line, the amount of line on the spool...and the size of the spool (width and depth).

Generally speaking though....the higher gear ratio reel will reel a bait in faster than a slow one.

Some lures seem to work better with a lower gear ratio reel though....and yet...there's other times when a fast moving lure gets a "reaction" strike".

I'm surprised the Abu is that high. For reference ...some reels are as low as 3.5:1.

Scott....I wasn't talking about the pins...I was talking about having to use the knob just like you described as having to do.

Turnip:

Be aware that most manufacturers offer the same model reel in more than 1 size and ratio. For Muskie, I would think you would be better served by something around 4.0-5.5, maybe even 6.0 to 1. Leave the 7.0 reels to the guys burning baits for bass. The only baitcaster I own for casting is a comrpomise,  it's a Shimano Cruxis(now discontinued) in a 6.3 ratio. It works for me as an all around compromise. Not the best at anything, but not the worst either, but it is too small for Muskie. For Muskie and big Pike, you need a bit more line capacity than most low profiles have. Go round!

Tom

Well stated Tom.

I SHOULD clarify the gear ratio thing a little bit. A reel with a 6.3:1 ratio means that the spool will turn 6.3 times for every 1 turn of the handle.

If you look in the Basspro Spring Sale catalog...and compare (for example) reels with 6.3:1 ratios...some say 27" of line...some say 28". If you look close...you will see variations even in reels by the same MFG of the same gear ratio. This is where spool size and line diameters come into play.

Corvalus 400

spool capasity = 330 yds. 12# test, 250 yds. 14# test, 220 yds. 17# test, 165 yds. 20# test.  These figures are for mono.  I asked specifically about 30# super braid and the yardage is 240.

Drag weight = 11 # max

ball bearings = 3

Roller bearings = 1

gear ratio = 5.2:1

reel weight = 11.8 oz

Line retrieve per crank = 22 inches

One piece die-cast aluminum frame, anti reverse and variable braking system.