New Basser needs suggestions on bait casting set ups

[returnofthefish]

I have been fishing for trout and salmon the past 2 years. I want to start fishing for bass and want to learn how to bait cast. My budget is going to be in the $100 to $150 range. People have told me that higher end bait casters have better braking systems which helps against bird nests. I went to Dicks and saw a Abu Garcia BCX combo in that price range that can be used for bass and the reel for salmon. Any suggestions?

[Amx]

What town do you live in?

Maybe a person in that area can help with the casting technique for a baitcaster/levelwind reel.

Basicly don't try to overpower the rod/reel/line/lure or you'll get a professional overide most of the time.

Practise with EASY casts, the 'power'/distance will come later after you educate your thumb on the spool.

There are vids on YouTube that'll help.

[Amx]

Oh ya, you can use spinning tackle for Bass. Don't let ANYBODY tell you otherwise.

[natetreat]

I just picked up the Okuma Tormenta as a Jetty/heavy use baitcast setup that I can beat up and it is surprisingly responsive. I'm used to fishing my Curado 701 E, and this one is very nice for it's price range. That being said, search the forum, there is a great post from a couple months ago where we all chimed in about baitcast techniques, practice etc. HEre's one of 'em, they're are a bunch http://washingtonlakes.com/forum/yaf_po ... STERS.aspx . IS a bait caster necessary? Nope. I like a spinning outfit for delicate presentations on lakes, with superb casting accuracy. I'm mostly a trout fishermen though, just recently getting into bass, so don't just take my word for it. I've never used a bait casting rod for bass until recently, but my dad swears by his Abu Garcia Ambassador. If you fish steelhead and salmon, which I know you do, get a Curado. The fast retrieve is awesome for float fishing, letting line out with a button push, casting heavier tackle, and the curado can cast less than 1/4 ounce extremely well with the right rod. If you've never drift fished with a casting setup, you're really missing out, I absolutely love my Curado. It's a beast, fishes like new after hours and hours of use, has awesome casting adjustments, and has caught me big fish. Bass fishermen like it too, I'm told, I watched several videos on the Shimano website about it. It's a lot more expensive than budget reels, but serves more purposes than just bass fishing.

[basser90]

Your on the right track. You definatly want to start learning to use one. Like Natetreat said that Curado would be perfect. You can use it for a lot of different applications. You could practice out in the backyard with different weights and really get a good feel for it. Sorry Tom but it beats the hell out of spinning reels when it comes to spinnerbaits, cranks, jerks, topwaters and buzzbaits. Even a spinning expert like old Tom can't keep up with a buzzbait.

[Amx]

how much do you want to bet? have you caught a 10 pound largie in Wa state? I have, on a spinning rod and crankbait. Back in '94 and I am still using that very crankbait lots of times.

[rjn cajun]

Your on the right track. You definatly want to start learning to use one. Like Natetreat said that Curado would be perfect. You can use it for a lot of different applications. You could practice out in the backyard with different weights and really get a good feel for it. Sorry Tom but it beats the hell out of spinning reels when it comes to spinnerbaits, cranks, jerks, topwaters and buzzbaits. Even a spinning expert like old Tom can't keep up with a buzzbait.

Basser don`t get him/ Tom started about spinning gear.

[Bigbass Dez]

My advice too ya on baitcasters is that you "truly" get what you pay for , so dont short change yourself..[-x
Allow me to have you look at your potential purchase from a different viewpoint .
First of all the retail price will in most cases reflect anywhere 40% to 60% mark up compared to what the merchant paid for that same reel .. If Dicks wants $99.99 for a reel , the reel wholesale cost is around 39.99-59.99 , That tells me that the real is really only worth around $50 right.
A $50 reel is not gonna have smooth bearings after one season of use , not too mention the braking system will not be the best so that will also cause unwanted backlash while on the lake..
Bottom line is that in the near future you will find yourself right back in the store looking for a better reel , dont waste your money instead look to make a longterm investment because you will be much happier after two years of use with a reel that still feels brand new ..
I personaly like the Quantum PT & Tour series baitcasters , they are reasonably priced so you can except too find one for around 150-160 range..

Hope this helps ya out bro

BBD

[rjn cajun]

I personally like a casting set up better then spinning but I`ve never seen someone use spinning gear the way AMX does. He`s good real good. I`ve seen him use it with just about everything.

[The HAWG HUNTER]

The debate go's on and on. I used the spinning real for 14 yrs but when I started useing the bait caster for bass fishing I could feel the bottom better and the fish, yea there were many back lashes thats a giveme. I'm not knocking the spinner combo because they work good for the drop shot setups, but for better feel the bait caster can't be beat. Sorry but thats just how it is. You can pick up a combo at sportmans the Pfluger echelon LP combo is good only at $99.00, I use it on every outting and has never let me down. It will land the pigs. I have been useing this rod and real combo for 4yrs and it still works great.

[kzoo]

I've been using my bass reels to salmon/steelhead fish. I started using Shimano citca(1 generation before the current one) for steelhead/salmon fishing, I was using it for football heads and carolina bass fishing. The old generation was a little bulky,but has been pretty reliable, just need to clean it now and then. This year I bought a curodo 201 for steelhead fishing,the reel is high speed bass reel, 7:1 gear ratio, holds enough line for steelhead fishing and definitely for bass fishing. The reel is ultra comfortable and smooth, casts a mile especially with light weights.

Keep in mind, baitcasters are great for numerous applications, but they need to be maintained by cleaning and oiling depending on the conditions of where you fish, they don't get along with sand very well. In terms of spin vs baitcasters, if you're getting serious with fishing in general, you should have both to accomodate what ever conditions your fishing.

One more thing about baitcasters, don't buy them used, too many horror stories.

[BassDood]

Always a touchy subject when it comes to things like this. Everyone has a favorite brand reel, etc. If it's a combo you're after, you might check Cabela's and Bass Pro Shops. I got a smokin deal a few years ago on a curado (the older curado) with a BPS Woo Daves Extreme rod. I believe it was around $130 at the time. Great set up. This is before the fancy spit grip rods. I use the curado for bass and salmon/steelhead in the rivers. It's held up very well.

[returnofthefish]

My advice too ya on baitcasters is that you "truly" get what you pay for , so dont short change yourself..[-x
Allow me to have you look at your potential purchase from a different viewpoint .
First of all the retail price will in most cases reflect anywhere 40% to 60% mark up compared to what the merchant paid for that same reel .. If Dicks wants $99.99 for a reel , the reel wholesale cost is around 39.99-59.99 , That tells me that the real is really only worth around $50 right.
A $50 reel is not gonna have smooth bearings after one season of use , not too mention the braking system will not be the best so that will also cause unwanted backlash while on the lake..
Bottom line is that in the near future you will find yourself right back in the store looking for a better reel , dont waste your money instead look to make a longterm investment because you will be much happier after two years of use with a reel that still feels brand new ..
I personaly like the Quantum PT & Tour series baitcasters , they are reasonably priced so you can except too find one for around 150-160 range..

Hope this helps ya out bro

BBD

I know what you mean BBD. When I started fishing again 2 years ago, I picked up a cheap spinning combo at Walmart for 25 bucks. As I started fishing more and became addicted, I wanted to upgrade to better gear. Eventually, I have a go to combo now that cost around 200 retail. The rod is lighter, stronger and more sensitive. The reel is light weight, smoother and cast better. The cheap combo just sits at home collecting dust. Its only going to be used if a friend wants to fish with me and doesnt have any gear. I will keep that in mind when I select which reel to buy.

People that dont fish dont understand the higher price of rods and reels. A rod is just not a rod when your on the water making a 100 cast a day. When I explain fishing gear to my friends, I compare it to a mechanic using generic tools vs Snap On/ Mac toos. I work on cars all day and I could tell the difference in feel using a Snap On ratchet and a Craftsman ratchet.

[returnofthefish]

I just picked up the Okuma Tormenta as a Jetty/heavy use baitcast setup that I can beat up and it is surprisingly responsive. I'm used to fishing my Curado 701 E, and this one is very nice for it's price range. That being said, search the forum, there is a great post from a couple months ago where we all chimed in about baitcast techniques, practice etc. HEre's one of 'em, they're are a bunch http://washingtonlakes.com/forum/yaf_po ... STERS.aspx . IS a bait caster necessary? Nope. I like a spinning outfit for delicate presentations on lakes, with superb casting accuracy. I'm mostly a trout fishermen though, just recently getting into bass, so don't just take my word for it. I've never used a bait casting rod for bass until recently, but my dad swears by his Abu Garcia Ambassador. If you fish steelhead and salmon, which I know you do, get a Curado. The fast retrieve is awesome for float fishing, letting line out with a button push, casting heavier tackle, and the curado can cast less than 1/4 ounce extremely well with the right rod. If you've never drift fished with a casting setup, you're really missing out, I absolutely love my Curado. It's a beast, fishes like new after hours and hours of use, has awesome casting adjustments, and has caught me big fish. Bass fishermen like it too, I'm told, I watched several videos on the Shimano website about it. It's a lot more expensive than budget reels, but serves more purposes than just bass fishing.

I agree about float fishing for salmon. I didnt like the way the set up floated down river with a spinning reel. Plus it seemed like my friends could feel the ticks better when they were drift fishing. I was using a Lami and a Shimano rod at the time when I saw you on the Green last fall.

[returnofthefish]

Thanks for the replies everyone so far. Looks like a need to do more research. It was fun trying for bass for the first time last season. I was tossing a wacky rig senko with a spinning set up the Quadfather taught me. Caught a couple of largemouths.

[kzoo]

I just picked up the Okuma Tormenta as a Jetty/heavy use baitcast setup that I can beat up and it is surprisingly responsive. I'm used to fishing my Curado 701 E, and this one is very nice for it's price range. That being said, search the forum, there is a great post from a couple months ago where we all chimed in about baitcast techniques, practice etc. HEre's one of 'em, they're are a bunch http://washingtonlakes.com/forum/yaf_po ... STERS.aspx . IS a bait caster necessary? Nope. I like a spinning outfit for delicate presentations on lakes, with superb casting accuracy. I'm mostly a trout fishermen though, just recently getting into bass, so don't just take my word for it. I've never used a bait casting rod for bass until recently, but my dad swears by his Abu Garcia Ambassador. If you fish steelhead and salmon, which I know you do, get a Curado. The fast retrieve is awesome for float fishing, letting line out with a button push, casting heavier tackle, and the curado can cast less than 1/4 ounce extremely well with the right rod. If you've never drift fished with a casting setup, you're really missing out, I absolutely love my Curado. It's a beast, fishes like new after hours and hours of use, has awesome casting adjustments, and has caught me big fish. Bass fishermen like it too, I'm told, I watched several videos on the Shimano website about it. It's a lot more expensive than budget reels, but serves more purposes than just bass fishing.

I agree about float fishing for salmon. I didnt like the way the set up floated down river with a spinning reel. Plus it seemed like my friends could feel the ticks better when they were drift fishing. I was using a Lami and a Shimano rod at the time when I saw you on the Green last fall.

That's another good thing about baitcaster setups, when holding the reel, you palm the reel and rod while your index finger is against the line, straight sensitivity to your fingers.

[natetreat]

I just picked up the Okuma Tormenta as a Jetty/heavy use baitcast setup that I can beat up and it is surprisingly responsive. I'm used to fishing my Curado 701 E, and this one is very nice for it's price range. That being said, search the forum, there is a great post from a couple months ago where we all chimed in about baitcast techniques, practice etc. HEre's one of 'em, they're are a bunch http://washingtonlakes.com/forum/yaf_po ... STERS.aspx . IS a bait caster necessary? Nope. I like a spinning outfit for delicate presentations on lakes, with superb casting accuracy. I'm mostly a trout fishermen though, just recently getting into bass, so don't just take my word for it. I've never used a bait casting rod for bass until recently, but my dad swears by his Abu Garcia Ambassador. If you fish steelhead and salmon, which I know you do, get a Curado. The fast retrieve is awesome for float fishing, letting line out with a button push, casting heavier tackle, and the curado can cast less than 1/4 ounce extremely well with the right rod. If you've never drift fished with a casting setup, you're really missing out, I absolutely love my Curado. It's a beast, fishes like new after hours and hours of use, has awesome casting adjustments, and has caught me big fish. Bass fishermen like it too, I'm told, I watched several videos on the Shimano website about it. It's a lot more expensive than budget reels, but serves more purposes than just bass fishing.

I agree about float fishing for salmon. I didnt like the way the set up floated down river with a spinning reel. Plus it seemed like my friends could feel the ticks better when they were drift fishing. I was using a Lami and a Shimano rod at the time when I saw you on the Green last fall.

Yea, I absolutely swear by it when I'm fishing salmon or steel, I almost need to get another curado for my back up rod, on my heavy rod I fish the shimano stradic, which is amazing, and can take way more abuse than I'm willing to give it. I'm really impressed with these high end shimanos, and I've fished cheap tackle for a long time. The curado is a fine piece of machinery, I love it. It hold a lot of line, and you can pull those spinner baits, crank baits all the stuff that they mentioned a lot easier. That being said, they do have a point about spinning reels for bass fishing, as I was growing up I always fished bass with a spinning reel and a stout fiberglass trout rod, and did the delicate presentations and enjoyed the casting accuracy. But today I went on my first bass trip to lake washington, and found it rather cumbersome now that I'm used to my baitcast setup. Also, you're going to have to try out some new rods to go with whichever reel you choose. I use my steelhead rod for bass, it's a 9 foot Loomis, because my first love is river fishing and my wife would kill me if I bought a new rod just for bass fishing. So I don't know, there are some less expensive bass rods out there for sure that just look tasty. But for sure you get the performance you pay for.

[Fish-N-Fool]

The worst thing you can do when getting into baitcasting is trying to learn on a poor quality reel. Quality does not have to cost an arm and a leg either. Get yourself a Shimano Curado E7, you can pick one up on Ebay for $140 and FREE Shipping. I have 3 of these and you can't find a better reel at any price. once you get a good reel find somebody that is a experienced baitcaster to show you how to set it up correctly for each lure you use. Once you learn that it gets very easy to learn how to cast with no backlashes. Another thing if you hold a spinning rod with your right hand and reel with your left get the Curado 201 E7 left hand retrieve reel. 90 % 0f all the guys fishing baitcasters reel with the wrong hand and switch the rod after they cast. Get it right to start with and don't let anyone talk you into casting with one hand and switching the rod to the other hand to reel. Here is a 201 reel for right handed people on ebay
http://cgi.ebay.com/Shimano-New-Curado- ... 27baeac7cd
If you are left handed and hold your pole with your left hand get this reel.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Shimano-New-Curado- ... 27baf32ed7

[natetreat]

The worst thing you can do when getting into baitcasting is trying to learn on a poor quality reel. Quality does not have to cost an arm and a leg either. Get yourself a Shimano Curado E7, you can pick one up on Ebay for $140 and FREE Shipping. I have 3 of these and you can't find a better reel at any price. once you get a good reel find somebody that is a experienced baitcaster to show you how to set it up correctly for each lure you use. Once you learn that it gets very easy to learn how to cast with no backlashes. Another thing if you hold a spinning rod with your right hand and reel with your left get the Curado 201 E7 left hand retrieve reel. 90 % 0f all the guys fishing baitcasters reel with the wrong hand and switch the rod after they cast. Get it right to start with and don't let anyone talk you into casting with one hand and switching the rod to the other hand to reel. Here is a 201 reel for right handed people on ebay
http://cgi.ebay.com/Shimano-New-Curado- ... 27baeac7cd
If you are left handed and hold your pole with your left hand get this reel.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Shimano-New-Curado- ... 27baf32ed7

Awesome advice. I fish the "wrong handed" way, reeling with my left, holding the rod with my right. It used to be back in my dads day that it was always the other way around and was the main turn off for me for bait casters. Many bait casters now come with left hand retrieve models and make for a sweeter, easier transition. Learning on a good reel will make it much easier. One thing that I've noticed is that lesser quality reels tend to dig in on the side of the spool, which makes using braided line a chore as it digs in a lot easier. The level of engineering in a good one lays down the line on the spool in a manner that makes it come off a lot easier, leading to less backlashes when casting. The other thing is the dual brake mechanism. The curado has centrifugal breaks as well as the normal tension adjustment. My new one has magnetic breaks and they work differently, It may be that I haven't gotten used to them yet, but they're weird to me. But the higher the reel quality is, the more they can pack features into it, and it's definitely a step up from my grandads shakespeare criterion from 1936. It didn't have a drag at all and when line came out, the handle turns. But he swore by it.

[rjn cajun]

I`m one of those guy`s that started out with a cheap bait cast setup. I had several birds nest before I got it right. Might sound weird but because of that I use my thumb on the spool to slow it down instead of the braking system. First decent reel I bought was a Jhonny Morris from BPS. One of my favorites and a decent price. If you don`t want to spend the $ I think the BPS set ups are great comboos. Like the fella`s said you pay for what you get except in rare occassions. Good Luck