Solitario Lupo
Moderator
In the yak I’ll agree about a shorter rod but on shore the bigger the rod the better of a cast.
Baitcasters
- Thread starter Don
- Start date
Solitario Lupo
Moderator
truecrimson
Well-known member
On an OPEN shore I agree. When I got back into fishing in the mid 2000s my first rod was a 6'. It worked great at first, at walk up and fish places with fairly open shoreline. But when I started creeping along creek edges to get to less crowded spaces it was always poking into a bush or getting caught in a tree. Now in the yak I'm either hitting it when I am casting something else (with or without the stuff getting tangled up) or I am hitting something else when I am casting it or it is getting caught in trees as I go under them or even past them. So far this is all with spinning rods.
I'm still trying to figure out what to do regarding bait casters. The expensive setup (>/=$100 for reel + the cost of a suitable rod) won't be until late November or maybe even Christmas. Looks like some OT might be coming up mid November so we'll see. I might try a 7'.
But I don't want to buy a 7' +/- $200 bait cast combo and then end up leaving it home because I find out it doesn't fit well with what I am doing.
Don
Well-known member
TC, If I were you, On creeks like the Swattie if in a yak I’d be doing size 10 or 20 reel and and 4.5’ rod.
troutspinner
Nuts & Bolts Guy
A long rod will not fit well with what you are doing. Nor will a baitcaster reel. You would have to go to a finesse setup which can be finicky, especially if just starting out. Add to that a shorter rod and you’re just looking for frustration.
Kayak aside, when I fish small to midsize size streams, I use a 5’ rod and a 1000 series Shimano reel. The rod has a very good back bone, envision a 6’ rod cut down to 5’. I mention Shimano explicitly because Shimanos run a little bigger than other manufacturers. Take Pflueger for example. A 3000 series Pflueger isn’t much bigger than a Shimano Sustain 1000.
This setup for me has caught many larger fish and I never wished I had something larger. The bigger back bone and heavy drag makes a difference.
Solitario Lupo
Moderator
So your fishing with spinning gear and think switching to another setup will solve the problem.? I’m not sure if that’s the problem and fix it with switching. Don’t know how small off a rod comes in bait casters. My spinning setup I have for trout is 4’5”. Just get a smaller rod regardless the setup.
What kinda fish are you going for.
What kinda fish are you going for.
Don
Well-known member
There is one reel over-looked by most that addresses all the kayak issues, at least for on streams, for any and all average sized PA fish species. please don't laugh.... Omega Pro by Zebco, not the Delta, not the Bullet and not the regular Omega. Omega Pro. Ticks like a clock. Holds up to 10 or 12 lb. Retrieve rate is acceptable. Drag is nice. All ball bearing and on a stiff short rod you'll wonder why you didn't buy it before. While it may not be a do all it is a powerful answer to situations where one might not have enough hands and big bass and trout are lurking around.
truecrimson
Well-known member
I guess I will just stick with spinning gear and leave bait casters alone unless/until my situations change.
Don
Well-known member
Today I got out that reel which I mentioned at the beginning of this string. I really had no idea what I was doing with all the buttons and I had been attempting to cast too light of weights. After reading on a bit I figured out what I was doing wrong and now I am making nice tangle free casts. Sol had mentioned keeping your thumb near the spool in case of a poor cast and I see what he means. In my pool yard I caught a dandelion, daisy and a trumpet vine. They were all returned.
This should make a decent boat rod. Same ratio as my penz and Mitchell 410 high speed.
This should make a decent boat rod. Same ratio as my penz and Mitchell 410 high speed.
Solitario Lupo
Moderator
Every time I use my baitcaster my thumb is always on the spool. I usually click the button then I hold with thumb and start my cast. It it goes sour I’ll stop it completely. I also use my thumb on it to help fight fish.
Solitario Lupo
Moderator
You guys do know how to set a baitcaster before you throw it out. Set your tension bar with just pushing the button and seeing how fast your lure/bait falls.
Don
Well-known member
I have these two baitcasters. They are Identical though one has Ryobi and the other one has Lews labels. They are tiny. TINY!
So I visited Comrad Troutspinner the other night and he generously let me have a peek at his Shimano baitcasters and they were somewhat bigger...maybe twice the size and you can hear a cash register ringing the whole time they're in your hand. Put them down the ringing stops...pick it up and ca'ching ca'ching. Safe to say mine are not in that category.
So how are these sized? How are they described? With spinning reels they would be referred to as size 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and maybe more. I like these little guys but feel a larger size would simply be easier to handle.
So I visited Comrad Troutspinner the other night and he generously let me have a peek at his Shimano baitcasters and they were somewhat bigger...maybe twice the size and you can hear a cash register ringing the whole time they're in your hand. Put them down the ringing stops...pick it up and ca'ching ca'ching. Safe to say mine are not in that category.
So how are these sized? How are they described? With spinning reels they would be referred to as size 10, 20, 30, 40, 50 and maybe more. I like these little guys but feel a larger size would simply be easier to handle.
Attachments
troutspinner
Nuts & Bolts Guy
Lol. Not everyone was cha-Ching! All of them with the exception of that 70 were 150 series. I would place a baitcaster 150 series inline with a 25-30 series spinning reel. The 70, I’d say 20 series.
Without seeing those reels in hand, I couldn’t give a guess on the series as my experience is limited. Seeing them in a picture in hand might be a better pic? to make a guess.
And FWIW. I started with a cheap Lews as well as I have a couple of friends who started with cheap Lews. All of us were frustrated by them. It wasn’t until I stepped up to a $99 SLX that I realized the benefits of a baitcaster setup…from there, that’s when the addiction started.
Without seeing those reels in hand, I couldn’t give a guess on the series as my experience is limited. Seeing them in a picture in hand might be a better pic? to make a guess.
And FWIW. I started with a cheap Lews as well as I have a couple of friends who started with cheap Lews. All of us were frustrated by them. It wasn’t until I stepped up to a $99 SLX that I realized the benefits of a baitcaster setup…from there, that’s when the addiction started.
troutspinner
Nuts & Bolts Guy
