Casting light lures with baitcasters.

[jooleyen]

A lot of the time I read and people say they cast weightless worms with baitcasters and stuff. Can you name what to look for in baitcasters that will enable you to cast light lures a distance?

Thanks

Julien

[zooker]

to be honest a weightless 5"senko weighs about as much as a 6" zoom worm rigged with a 1/8 oz bullet..

most reels will do it ya just got to educate your thumb.

zooker

[jooleyen]

I see. Ive tried letting go a lot earlier with light baits, and that seems to help.

Thanks Zook.

[Rebbasser]

Zooker is right. Educate your thumb-just start casting and adjust accordingly.

[WTL]

While thats true, smaller reels with smaller/lighter spools are better. A lot of people rave about the Shimano Scorpion. I use a Garcia Morum SX 1600. The rod and line is very important too. Its all got to balance right or it wont work. Make sure you got thin oil on the bearings, some reels slow down after use, many are packed with grease in the bearings when you buy them - you got to basically tune everything right and then have an educated thumb.

If you can get it right though, fishing light lures on a baitcaster is a huge advantage. I hardly use spinning equipment anymore. But it takes practice and the right tools to get it going like you want.

[skeeter944]

i do it with super flukes and tiki sticks,as said above,its all in the thumb. also,cast down wind,not into it,this will prevent most backlashes. just practice,you will get it if you do.

[islandbass]

Originally Posted by jooleyen

A lot of the time I read and people say they cast weightless worms with baitcasters and stuff. Can you name what to look for in baitcasters that will enable you to cast light lures a distance?

Thanks

Julien

Just keep in mind that "weightless" rigged lures mean that there is no extra added weight to the rig. A 5" senko weighs about 3/8 oz. on its own, so anyone tossing a "weightless" senko should have no trouble tossing it and neither should most baitcasters.

So the lure type is important. The term "weightless" refers to not adding extra weight to the lure/rig.

There are reels that can cast lighter lures but they don't come cheap.

I am not certain the exact weight something something has to be to be considered light, but for myself, as my own standard since there really isn't one is tossing something weighing 1/8 to 3/16 is "light" and unless the bc reel in question is designed to throw lures in this weight range, it will take a skilled thumb and demand a properly adjusted reel. The rod is also an important factor.

If anyone know about a "weight" standard for lures and the appropriate classes, share it here.

Just my take for lure weight ranges and rod class (not rod action):
1/32 - 1/8oz Ultralight?
1/8 - 3/16oz Light to Medium Light?
1/4 - 5/8oz Standard Bass Fare? Medium?
3/4 and up Medium Heavy to Heavy??

[BPACA]

Get yourself a spinning rod for the light stuff........Ike, Skeet, all use a spinning rod with the light stuff unless you are throwing to some heavy cover. It just makes sense and you will be able to spend more time fishing. I can throw the light stuff with a caster but why go through all the work unless you are fishing the thick stuff...get a bigger spinning reel and spool up some 15lb line if you have to. Too many people think spinning has got to be a light rig. Get a bigger one for the heavier line to throw the light stuff. Just my 2 cents.

[WTL]

Ike is a yankee and skeet is a hippie left coaster though, what do they know about heavy cover and big bass? Lol. Just kidding. There is a place for spinnng gear for sure, I especially like it for docks cause I can skip better with it.

[pig n jig]

Most Yankees ain't messing around with spinning shyt.There are a couple of us that do, but I just went back to using one this year and I am really hearing about it from my friends.I use a spinning rod because it will allow lures to fall straight down next to docks pilings and things like that.You have to help the baitcaster by pulling slack line off the spool as the lure is falling.I am getting lazy in my old age.You don't need a spinning outfit to throw lures most commonly used in bass fishing, a baitcaster will work just as well.Don't you think it could happen that they are told to use spinning gear sometimes when fishing on Television ? The manufacturers can't sell spinning outfits to those who wanna be pros, if the pros don't fish with them ? P N J

[BPACA]

Pig n Jig is right

With a baitcaster you have to strip the line off to get the desired fall......
I think the pros on tv use them because they handle the light stuff much better....ever ever get a birdsnest with 6lb line on a baitcaster and you will probably never try it again...lol. 8lb handles okay for me but anything lower spinning.....I never feel comfortable with light line on a a heavy rod.

[Hef]

PNJ that ain't true. LOL I'm from Oklahoma and all I've ever thrown is baitcasters. I moved up here to Maryland and joined a club up here and the one thing I noticed watching folks on the waters up here is, most folks throw spinning reels. A few have casters, but not many. It blew my mind cause I didn't even own a spinning rod/reel and had never used one until a few years ago after getting up here.

[3dkicker]

Practice with and use both. Then you can determine which works best for you under specific conditions and stick with it. For most beginners it is easier to skip small baits under docks with spinning gear. Test out the baitcaster before you buy it. Take along the rod you want to use, some line, hooks, and baits and test it. If it works, buy it.

(Hef - you going down to Bassarama in Jan????)

[Raul]

The art of not backlashing with light lures with a baitcaster is in the proper braking adjustment of the reel, the correct reel, the correct line diameter, the correct rod, the proper casting technique and a very well educated thumb.

Some baitcasters will cast better light lures than others, some baitcasters are made for casting light stuff, reels like the Alphas, the Sol, the Presso, the Pixy, the Scorpion, the Chronarch Mg and the new Curado 100 are excelent for that purpose; they do what other reels can´t.

All of those reels share a common characteristic, shallow, further lightened spools with super free systems where the ammount of energy to initiate the rotation of the spool is minimal alowing them to cast light lures.

But even with that, in order to cast and control the beast you need to practice your casting.

If you don´t practice better think about a spinning reel.