Baitcaster observation...

[Bassassinator]

Holy cow...i really didn't understand exactly what it was i was missing out on until today....when i first cast my baitcaster this afternoon, and the lure flew almost twice the max distance that i can get with my Spinning setup, I almost lost my breath. It really showed me i can maximize or minimize my range and like i have seen posted here as well as on other sites, if I can learn the flip and pitch to a "T" i can position my lure with Deadly Precision...i am one happy fella having taken these first steps into the world of baitcasters and will continue to grow in knowledge and skill in these wonderful setups....i hope to learn more from you all here and at the other forums i am a member of...I thank you all from the fishy bottom of my heart.

[MallenManson]

I'm gonna pick one up and practice with it this winter. Really looking forward to checking them out

[Bassassinator]

Dude, it's like a fishing god smiled upon us fishermen....I was afraid i wouldn't get it at first....but after i toyed with it a little bit at the house, i quickly learned what knob does what, when to tighten the pressure on the spool, how to adjust the brakes, and thumb pressure is a biggie....it may sound like alot, and it is, but it is sooooo easy, and alot of these things you learn at the same time, or at least i did....my first casting time into the water was in the dark of night....couldn't see a thing....but then i had to rely on all my other senses to alert me of how far out the line had gone, when to stop the line before a backlash, and also for bites on the lures. man, I tell ya, i was afriad this was gonna be money wasted on a rod combo, and i was completely wrong....you'll get it....all you need is a few hours with it in the yard and you'll be golden man

[MallenManson]

I like the sound of that! Thanks!

[Bassassinator]

Hey no problem man, it is what we're here for right? to learn things we're not sure of and then in turn to pass that information on to others to help them in their fishing journeys wherever they might take you I am not doing anything someone else hasn't already done for me but you're welcome man a time will come for you to be able to pass this knowledge on to someone else and then from them to someone else....may we all be fishermen

[wargoth]

LOL, call me when you have mastered casting light lures into the wind on a moonless night. When you can do that, then you have mastered it.

*hint: go catfishing alot...

[Bassassinator]

rofl...that one might take a while yet brother lol

[Bender]

Congrats on figuring it out so quickly! The light lure into the windy is tricky but not impossible. The one I have never got was skipping. I've only tried a couple times without success (read big backlash) and only know a couple of guys that can do it well.

[Bassassinator]

aha this is gonna take some work, but i think it will be my new favorite setup and will be the most used from here on in so i will get some time to practice this light lure into the wind i hope

I think skipping with a baitcaster is all to do with a decent reel. I use a shimano curado and I do fine with it. Where I live at you have to be able to get under trees limbs that have about 6 inches of clearance. I also use a little bigger line as well.

[Bassassinator]

i haven't tried skipping my lures yet...i think that i should stick to basics until i can do them without an issue, or much of one, then move onto the more advanced techniques. I will continue to work on my casting, overhand and sidearm, and then move to flipping and pitching, then to skipping....i will be getting some PP Braid for now, since it is all the bait shop near me carries and then work on these some more....anyone have a suggestion for line test weight since my rod says 10-20lb test? or does it matter?

[islandbass]

Glad that you have discovered the joys of using a baitcast reel, but keep this in mind... Accuracy is angler dependent and not reel dependent.

Did you know you can feather your cast with a spinning reel just as you could with a baitcast reel? You definitely can, but it won't be with your thumb.

You can be equally accurate with either reel type. Now one might be more "convenient" to use than the other for pitching, but shoot, I pitch equally well with both reel types.

[BigBassin144]

bassinator, I'd definately wait a while before taking on skipping, like you said. And when you learn, Defnately learn on a spinning reel. I think it helps a great deal in getting used to casting that way, the angle, how far the lure should go before hitting the water the first time, etc. And you won't have to worry about backlashes.

I've been practicing with a spinning reel a bit lately and I'm alright. I agree with donald that a better baitcaster will make skipping easier, but I still can't get it on my Daiwa procaster of my dad's Zillion, lol.

BB

[Bassassinator]

lol yeah...that's what i will do when the time comes lol, i will practice with my spinner first then move on when i feel comfortable to the Baitcaster....for now, i'll stick with the baitcaster since i just respooled it with 50lb PP Braid. I hope it won't mess up my guides or reel...it says i am supposed to only use 10-20lb test on it, but what the heck you know?

[WaffleJaw]

man i remember my first cast into the water with a BC after i knew how to set it up,and got the hang of feathering my thumb against the line.....after a few good cast and some good catches....i remebering calling my dad and saying:
''your right!!...Im hooked!''

your gonna love it man......until you get that first dirty backlash,lol
one tip on that,if you do get a backlash that knots up in the spool.....engage your spool and apply pressure to the knot with your thumb and rock the spool back and fourth,then gently try again to pull the line out...
i read that in bass masters and tried it ....its worked more times than not!

[islandbass]

Originally Posted by Bassassinator

lol yeah...that's what i will do when the time comes lol, i will practice with my spinner first then move on when i feel comfortable to the Baitcaster....for now, i'll stick with the baitcaster since i just respooled it with 50lb PP Braid. I hope it won't mess up my guides or reel...it says i am supposed to only use 10-20lb test on it, but what the heck you know?

Keep your drag setting a little loose and that should help your rod from excess stress. If you have a modern rod, say made in the last 5 years or so, the braid ruining guides is a thing of the past.

[Bassassinator]

ok sweet will do...I have Fuji Guides on my Daiwa Exceler rod, and as i have just purchased this rod recently i don't want to get it messed up and needing repairs this early on....i need to find some KVD line and lure around where I am but if that's not available what would you guys suggest for a line conditioner?

[islandbass]

You're good to go. The story of braid ruining guides did happen, but it should not happen to any modern guides that are aluminum oxide or better. Heck even some of the steel guides found on lower end rods are braid worthy. I know that the Exceler rod sports Aluminum Oxide guides so you're definitely safe.

Just a thing about Fuji guides. Fuji is the name of the company and they make a number of guides with different material. In terms of the hardness of the guides:

Aluminum Oxide (Eg, Clarus)
Hardloy (Eg, Compre)
Alconite (Eg, Crucial)
SiC (Silicon Carbide or something like that) (eg, Cumara)

So if you say Fuji guides, you can mean any of these.

Braid is pretty limp on its own. You probably won't need the KVD stuff, but that's just a guess.

[BigBassin144]

I don't use a line conditioner of braid either.

The best guides for braid are SiC guides, but others should be fine.

When I build rod, I use alconite guides and a Sic tip (since a full set of SiC guides is 2-3x the price of alconite). The tip takes the most abuse from your line and will wear out before the others, unless there is a defect.

If you experience wear in the tip, that can easily be replaced with a new, and better guide for around $5.50.

BB

[Bender]

Don't forget about Fuji's Gold Cermet guides: http://www.fujitackle.com.au/goldcermet.htm
They are mainly made for saltwater though, where 100s of yards of line will be ripping through your guides at high speed.

[Bassassinator]

hey guys thanks...i don't think i will need to replace my guides soon but if I do in the future i'll remember the cermet guides, also, i am using Fuji aluminum oxide guides How well do you think these will hold up under the pressure?

[islandbass]

Originally Posted by Bassassinator

hey guys thanks...i don't think i will need to replace my guides soon but if I do in the future i'll remember the cermet guides, also, i am using Fuji aluminum oxide guides How well do you think these will hold up under the pressure?

They will hold up to whatever you can dish out. Now they (and the other inserts too) might pop out, but they will take whatever you put them through, braid or not.

[wargoth]

As I say to everyone I talk to the subject about: "learn to use a baitcaster and you will never regret it. You will curse me for weeks to come for turning you on to them while you are learning, but once you've got it, you'll never go back to a spinning reel for things that you can easily throw on a baitcaster". Like I said earlier, once you have it fairly well in the daylight, go do some catfishing or some night bassing, once you have casting in the dark down, you will find daylight casting even easier.

[Bassassinator]

well, i have today discovered the importance of adjusting my reel everytime i set a new bait. depending on the weight and motion of the lure on the line my reel reacts differently. Also...today I had my first swimming lesson....I had just tied on my XPS Nitro Minnow, and pulled back to let the cast go, but when I did, I realized my lure just went sailing through the air lol.........it was quite funny to watch me force my way to the shore, drop the rod, empty my pockets and run out into the murky depths of the pond lol.....i still have to chuckle even though I lost one of my sandals, and got my foot covered in pond grass lol . Also, Wargoth, it's funny you said that...I was thinking about it earlier today, and I wouldn't trade my Baitcaster for another spinning combo ever. I like my spinning combo and has served me well, and will continue to do so with what I cannot do with my baitcaster, however, as much as I LIKE my spinning combo, I LOVE my BC'r. it was undoubtedly a great move...

[BigBassin144]

bassinator, I also felt, after learning a to fish a BC, that if I could, I'd never go back to spinning. But like I've said before, spinning gear still has it's uses and I've actually found myself using it more than a BC recently.

BB