Just Joined

[mdcamp3]

Thought I would introduce myself. Traditionally a walleye fisherman, I am a novice Bass Angler looking to increase my knowledge, tactics, and techniques targeting LM and smallies in Eastern PA. If I'm not on the lakes/reservoirs, then I can be found at the local creeks seeking a trophy Rainbow, Brownie, and Brookie. My first tasks is to learn the Baitcaster. Any advice?

[joedog]

Welcome mdcamp3! I've caught my share of Wallys on Mississippi River, pools 5 and 6.
Have fun here and I look forward to learning from you!

[Vegasspider]

Welcome and there are some helpful regular posters in the actual on subject threads. Enjoy.

[MississippiBoy]

Welcome to the site, MD. Hope you stick around a while.

As far as using baitcasters, the best advice is just practice, practice, practice. Get a decent reel, something in probably the $80-$100 range. If there's a Bass Pro near you, their Pro Qualifier is a heck of a reel for the price, and their Extreme is very good, as well. I wouldn't go cheap, because there's worlds of difference in how a cheap reel behaves as opposed to a good one. Check out eBay and craigslist for deals on good quality used reels. Post the link here and I'm sure somebody will chime in on whether it's a good deal or not.
When starting to learn baitcasting, there are two main things to think about....the spool tension, and the braking system. The spool tension is set by tightening a knob on the handle side of the reel. The brakes are set on the other side of the reel...some have a dial labeled from 1-10, some you have to take the sideplate off to get to.
Set the brakes high to start with, 9-10 on the scale. To set the tension, tie a lure or casting plug on, hold the rod at a 45 degree angle up, and press the spool release. Tighten or loosen the tension until the lure gently falls to the ground, and the spool makes only about 1 more revolution after it hits. You may want to pull off 20-30 yards of line, then put a piece of tape over the line still on the spool, then reel the line back in. This will keep any backlashes limited to that first part of the line.
Start casting, gently at first. With the brakes so high, you won't get any distance, but you shouldn't have any trouble with backlashes, either. Educate your thumb to stop the spool just as or right before the lure hits the ground. That's the most important thing....your THUMB is the key.
Good luck, and feel free to ask any questions you may have.

[nofearengineer]

Patience is key when learning to use a baitcaster.
Watching the pros sling baits effortlessly is hard to believe when you first start.
But you will get there if you keep at it.

[Vegasspider]

Perhaps something that might help is to understand how a Baitcaster works in principal. I have helped a few young people by having them clean and load a reel before they start casting. I did not watch this video all the way through but it looks to be legit. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rqRDaFNwAd4

The advice for a good reel is correct. The cheap ones will only frustrate you and the very high end super sensitive ones will too. I would agree with the Pro Qualifier as not only a good starter but a good overall reel you can use for a long time.

Then if you have a swimming pool that really helps to practice with. If I am not on the water at least 1-2 a week I will cast into my pool to keep muscle memory. I have very bad arthritis so the more I can cast the better. I also play golf and ride horses so they helps me on the physical side and of course the gnarly meds.

Good luck and welcome.

[Bubba_Bruiser]

Welcome to the place to be off the water MD. All I can say right now is buy a decent, smooth baitcaster with some good line. Nothing more discouraging than trying to learn with a rough $20 baitcaster and line that bird nest on you every cast. Not saying you have to spin $200 on a reel, but some of the guys can probably give you some good suggestions on the BPS and what not brands. I am a Shimano fan, so I would recommend a Citica or a Caneanfor a good starting point. You should be eyeballing the Christmas sales and there will be more in the springtime to get the best bang for your buck.

[bamabassman]

again i too welcome you buddy. east coaster huh? penn too? look, don't want to alarm you or nothing, but there a fella from oyur area.well there's actually 2 from close to you pal. STAY AWAY form these 2. they are VERY dangerous people! they go by the names of BASSBOOGIEMAN and DOCIRV. trust me, these guys will corupt oyu in every way possible. they will get you in so much toruble i can;t even BEGIN to describe it.






BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! jsut kidding with you man. welcome to the site . like i said those 2 guys are probably right next door to you (poor fella,lol). if at all possible, hook up with these nuts. they can and will help oyu out in person i am willing to bet.

as for help with the baitcaster.....like everyone else here the best way i can tell you is to be patcent. take oyur time, go slow at first. don't go slinging it like you a mad man. or like boogieman, haha.
everyone has their favorite brand. me...abu garcia is my favorite. but try them all and get the reel YOU like the best. match with a rod that YOU fell is most comfortable. then practice,practice,practice........you get the idea.


now kick off yer shoes, loosen yer belt. don't drink anything while reading some of these posts. cause chances are you'll be spewing it all over yer keyboard. dish out what oyu dish in. have fun above all. oh....and post as many pics as oyu can. fish, rods, reels, whatever oyu got. we LOVE pics here.


and remember..............HAVE FUN!! fishing is a fun sport. it ain't all about the size, trust me ont hat. hahahaha!!!

[nobass]

welcome to the best darn fishing forum in the world. everyone has covered what you asked. hope you stick around and enjoy.

[mdcamp3]

Thank you all for the tips and replies. I'm sure I will have many more questions. The website has been extremely useful thus far. I am an Abu Garcia fan and already received a Revo SX as a christmas gift this year. I posted some pics in my album already. Had an interesting experience last year catching an Oscar Cichlid. Didn't know what is was at the time, but knew it wasn't native. Here's a lesson learned as well--when fishing by yourself and you land an estimated 5lb LM, toss it in the live well and have someone take a picture of you and LM when you get back at the launch site--then release. Otherwise you just get a poor picture.

[keithdog]

Welcome aboard. I kknow your going to like it here. There is a great bunch of folks hear eager to help. We also are looking foreward to any input you wish to share with us. So make yourself at home pal. Walleye fisherman huh. Thats cool. My last fish of the year was a nice walleye. It would be interresting to see how many walleye techniques you can also utilize in bass fishing.

[WatterBoy]

Welcome to the forums. Good to have you in the group!

[Bassboss]

Welcome to the forum!

Being able to use a baitcaster will definitely widen and help fine-tune your bass fishing abilities. You'll be able to fish faster, more accurately, and more powerfully.

One thing a lot of novices do is start with a cheap reel to learn on. Well personally I think it's a wast of money getting a cheap 50$ reel to start with. You'll get good at em, and it'll break down in year or so, and you'll be in the market for another reel by then. Most likely in the $150 price range. By the time you've bought another, you'll have spent $200, and have one reel in the garbage.

My advise is to spend a reasonable amount to being with. A 100-120$ reel will last you, and be a good reel to learn on.

Before we talk reels, lets talk about the types of breaks.

First, their's a centrifugal breaks. Reels with these breaks most commonly use a series pins which you adjust by taking the palm side plate off (sounds scary, but it's very simple, no screws need to be moving, usually you push or turn a little button), and turning the pins on or off by switching them up or down. These are very effective a reducing backlash, and you can still get good distance. If I'm not mistaking, these breaks ally pressure to the end of the cast to prevent backlash. However their are reels that have external centrifugal breaks. Perhaps the brand most well know for this type of breaking system is Quantum and there ACS breaks. You simply turn a dial on the outside of the palming side plate to tweak the amount of breaking pressure applied.

Next off is magnetic breaks. These breaks are very simple to adjust, and the concept if quite simple. You turn a dial on the out side of the reel (usually 1-10) to allow magnets in the side plate to move closer to the spool to slow the spool down. When you have the dial set to (1) the magnets are furthest away from the spool, and when the dial is turned to (10) and the magnets are closer to the reel.

There are also reels that have dual breaking systems with have both magnetic breaks, and centrifugal breaks. But IMO reels with these types of breaks can get complicated for beginners.

One thing all baitcasters have a tension knob located on the handle side plate. This beak applies pressure and allows the spool to slow at the end of the cast. Usually you want it set so where when you hold the rod horizontally and put the reel into free spool (click the button) the lure on the end falls slowly to the ground.

Perhaps the most popular 100 class the reel is the Bass Pro Shops Pro Qualifier. These reels happen to have a large fallowing on this forum, however these reels do have a dual breaking system. Not trying to turn you away from them, because they are good reels, just making you away of the fact.

Another reel in that price class is the Lews Speed Spool. Lew's is an old company under new ownership whole has just started making reels again last year if I'm not mistaking. These reels have gained a very loyal group of followers in a very short time. The speed spool has centrifugal breaks.

If the ACS breaking system interests you then Quantum is closing out there Kinetic PT baitcaster, and can be found for around 80 bucks now (was a $120 reel).

Daiwa, know for there higher end reels like the Steez and Zillion, have magnetic breaks. Look at the Teirra, advantage, and Exceler, for the lower end price bracket reels. I have an Advantage, while it's a study reel, the drag is slightly choppy, and casting distance is lower then some of my reels, but I like the way the MagForce Z breaks work. Be warned that this reel has a graphite frame, so it may not last as long the Aluminum framed reels listed above.

Once you've decided your reel, set the breaks on the highest setting. Start casting with something around a 3/8 - 1/2 oz. It seems to be hot spot for most reels. With the breaks set all the way, you shouldn't backlash. Slowly start laying off the breaks as you become more comfortable casting. Once you start getting ahold of it, loosen the breaks more, and start relying more on your thumb to control the spool's speed, rather then the breaks. DON'T RUSH THIS! You'll get backlashes at first, but keep at it, and you'll get the hang of it. I also advise starting with a cheap line, like Berkely big game. You'll get backlashes and you might have to cut the line, you don't want to be cutting away expensive braid or flourocarbon.

Hope with helps! Looking forward to reading you posts, and enjoy your time on the water.

[bamabassman]

you got a REVO? OK.....NOW AS A NEW MEMBER, whenevr you recieve a new reel you MUST give it to ME. seeing as i am the GARCIA nut on these here boards. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!! congrats pal for real.

[mdcamp3]

KeithDog--call me crazy, but "finesse fishing" an 1/8 oz round head jig tipped with a Berkley Grubb, Nightcrawler, or Powerworm was successful for me this year. No Texas Rig. No Carolina Rig. Just tying on a round head jig with my 6' Medium Spincasting Rod with 6lb Trilene XT Mono that I would use for Jigging "Eyes". Casting in the flats with cover, on points, or structure. Of course my fishing partner laughed at me; hence that is why I'm here--to learn Bass Tactics and Techniques.

Bamabassman--I have Garcia's on my spincasting rods. Love them! I've been eye balling the Revo the entire year. Finally pulled the trigger.

[bamabassman]

lol, well jsut so you know i LOVE garcias. again, welcome to the site.

[woody]

If you like the Revo SX, you are gonna love the Revo Winch. Team it up with a Medium power/ Moderate action casting rod and you have got yourself one hell of a shallow to medium diving cranking stick.


-Mark