[GrandA]

Hey,

I am fairly new to fishing. I spent last year in the Vedder and Fraser with a spinning real. Now all my buds are saying I'm old school. Can anyone please share with me the pros and cons of using a bait cast compared to a spinning real?

Is it worth spending another $300!!

Thanks

 

[brendanS]

baitcasters have more feel then spinning reels

 

[Merc]

Depends on the kind of fishing you primarily do. If you float fish, a baitcaster is preferable because you have better control of the float when drifting with a baitcaster versus spinning reel. When you free spool with a baitcaster, you can control the amount of line with your thumb and still present a natural looking drift that you control and set your hook at any moment. With a spinning reel you can't do that because of the way the line peels off the spool. So either your drift becomes jerky or you have little control over the line if your hook needs to be set. If you plan to cast spoons, then honestly, either makes little difference. So, need more info.

 

[woody]

If you are going to drift fish on the Veddar level wind is the only way to go, they can be a little frustrating at first due to their propensity to birds nest but once you get the hang of it you will find that the control you have over your drift is much better (an absolute necessity when drifting for steelhead). $300 seems a little steep for your first level wind. You can get a perfectly acceptable Abu 6500 for around a $120 though I have to say I to say I love to save up the pennys and spring for some top of the line gear, just makes you tingly all over.

 

[Britguy]

i have fished with both and as mentioned above they are both best for different fishing
if you want to cast light spinners then a spincaster is best
if you want to float the vedder a bait caster is best
just tighten up the cast drag so you can cast without getting any slack line

heres a little tip for setting your drag
with the wait you will be casting atached to your line
hold your rod out in front of you
when you press the line release let the weight hit the floor and there should be no over run of line
if there is tighten the dragand try again tillyou have no over run and you are ready to cast
best bet is to practice where there are no people arround till you get comfortable
then as you get better slacken of the drag more and more till you get used to using your thumb to controll the speed
good luck and have fun

i used to beach fish in the U K casting a 6oz lead about 80 yards (mostly in the dark) so controll of a bait caster was crucial :shock:

I paid $100.00 for a rebuilt Abu 65000C3 with wood handles
very smooth and looks good
Check out some prices on the web before you invest in one
then wash it after every trip and it will last you a long time

 

[Merc]

i have fished with both and as mentioned above they are both best for different fishing
if you want to cast light spinners then a spincaster is best
if you want to float the vedder a bait caster is best
just tighten up the cast drag so you can cast without getting any slack line

heres a little tip for setting your drag
with the wait you will be casting atached to your line
hold your rod out in front of you
when you press the line release let the weight hit the floor and there should be no over run of line
if there is tighten the dragand try again tillyou have no over run and you are ready to cast
best bet is to practice where there are no people arround till you get comfortable
then as you get better slacken of the drag more and more till you get used to using your thumb to controll the speed
good luck and have fun

i used to beach fish in the U K casting a 6oz lead about 80 yards (mostly in the dark) so controll of a bait caster was crucial :shock:

I paid $100.00 for a rebuilt Abu 65000C3 with wood handles
very smooth and looks good
Check out some prices on the web before you invest in one
then wash it after every trip and it will last you a long time

Just to clarify that a bit. He's talking about the anti-backlash control, not the drag. It's a little knob that's usually right beside the handle. The drag is usually a star shaped knob that's part of the handle. Otherwise it's good info. Also, if you buy a level wind, you will need to "educate" your thumb to stop the reel once your presentation hits the water. Otherwise it will overspool (continue to release line even though line should no longer be released because your hook is in the water) and birdsnest. You can also overspool by making the reel spin faster than the line is actually coming off the spool. In that case an educated thumb lightly feathers the spool to slow it down a bit. A C3 locally will range from about 110-ish to 140. Try Marine West in Vancouver for the reel. A good matching rod would be a Shimano Convergence or Trophy XL or Berkely for about 100. If you're drifting a float in the Vedder you want a longer rod for better line control and mechanical advantage when you set the hook. If you're planning to cast spoons, use whatever you want including a spinning reel.

 

[Britguy]

Just to clarify it a bit more it is called the "spool tension knob"(ie drag casting controll)

 

[Guest]

One of the mistakes people make while using spinning reels is to keep turning the handle when the spool is not spinning, or the fish is running. This causes your line to twist and leads to problems. You can't do this with a baitcaster. Once you get the hang of avoiding backlash, you will love using a levelwind.

 

[GrandA]

hmm sounds good ! thanks for the advice, I think I will start looking around for some prices and what not, I'll try "marine west" is the gear at army and navy not so good..?

 

[woody]

hmm sounds good ! thanks for the advice, I think I will start looking around for some prices and what not, I'll try "marine west" is the gear at army and navy not so good..?

I have to say that the gear at A&M is getting better and better, they seem to listen to the consumer when it comes to bringing in new stuff and the people in the fishing department actually fish, so they know what they're talking about most of the time (or at least have an opinion). I shop there all the time.

 

[Merc]

Nothing wrong with A and N boutique. It's just that Marine West had the cheapest prices on the C3 for about 110, I think. I'd have to go check. It was 99 for the longest time.

 

[meat]

any rod that you are comfortable with will work. From mid september on, I usually have between 2-6 rods in the Hummer, for fishing any occasion, anywhere, anytime. I have fished beside some of these guys and when I walk up with my OLD spincast setup I get no respect. It seems the more money you spend on equipment (I have spent thousands) the better you are treated. Its funny, when your not using a flyrod around flyfishers they all snub you, or if you use your old spincast the levelwind fishers snub you. Me? I dont care, I seem to catch more fish than any of them who are there with their noses in the air. So if you feel good using it.....Use it! and if your not that proficient with it, go to a part of the river thats not busy and practice...................tight lines.

 

[Legacys Live On]

yes i def learned the baitcaster 5 yrs ago and will never go back from the spin cast to a bait cast, i jus upgraded to the abu rocket 6600 cl too super awesome cant wait to try her out on the river asap but yeah A&N is where its at i got my first one there 6000 c n i jus sold her for 50$
but yerah never use the spin caster unless its spoons floats n everything else baitcast central and make sure shes a abu garcia
goodluck with your purchase 8)

 

[GrandA]

So I picked up a ABU GARCIA 6000.. Now its time to pick out a rod.. everyone is saying best bang for your buck is medium action 10'6 shimano convergence .. any thoughts ?

 

[fishortho]

Check flyfishin'majicians post a few months ago...The rod thing was covered really well in that thread...Ortho 8)

 

[HEY NOW]

i dont know what the best rod is to use but i do know that arm navy downtown vancouver has a nice fenwick 10'6 for just over 100. think it was $119. i always liked fenwicks. the price has dropped since i bought my last one years and years ago. though i dont know if the quality dropped as well.
it is a decent sopt to pick up a rod for a god price, only thing is there is no real pro there to help you choose the right one

 

[Barba]

I own Shimano Convergence rod for about two years now. Very good quality rod, lifetime warranty...... I got mine in A&N after i compare prices with few other shops around.

 

[The Breadcrumb]

Sort of off topic but... Is it bad to fully sbmerge a bait cast reel in water? (bad for the reel)
Thanks

 

[Barba]

In fresh water is totaly OK.
It's recomended to rinse it after every usage to wash out any posibility of fine sand or mud residue inside the gaps which can shorten the life of the reel (act like finesandpaper).

 

[bigjay]

Just to throw a rinkle in, has anyone here used the Shimano Bait Runner reel? It was made for live bait fishing for Sailfish and has a un-open bail free spool feature... and a wicked drag. The free spool is he same as on a bait caster or level wined and was made so that when a sailfish picked a bait up you could let it turn so the hook would end-up in the side of the mouth before setting the hook... allowing a good reslease. And the drag is great with plates that can be changed.
Still with the long cast and the free drag it twist the line.
I would love to uses the Alvie reel but it too twists the line bad... but out cast any other and is single action.
The Bait Runner is one of the best spinning reel out there and is expensive like 3 bills so I don't thing any around here would buy on with the more traditonal reel out there.
Have fun, Jason