Gears and Guts – Baitcaster Basics

Choosing a fishing reel can get personal. Personal preference ranges from comfort, casting but most of all understanding the performance of the reel as opposed to other styles. Any reel provides certain basic services, cast, retrieve and play the fish. Many anglers begin with the push button spincasters, perfectly acceptable but there are limitations that go along with this model. They are made for entry level anglers and are not designed to handle long term service for the frequent fisherman. Casting distance can be restrictive, and the drag system is suspect when trying wrangle big fish. An option for those wanting to graduate from the push button version is the open face spinning reel. The pluses: longer casts of lightweight lures and faster retrieve rates than their cousins the spincaster. On the downside there is the looping off of line on and improperly spooled open face spinning reel. The drag system is a step up but still in many freshwater applications doesn’t have the power to turn a really large fish. Deep sea models can accomplish the slow of a big fish run but are oversized and overweight. The answer to each of these shortcomings is the bait casting reel.

Baitcasting Basics

Choosing and using the bait casting models can be a bit confusing. Here’s a look at how to pick and set up your new bait casting reel, once mastered it’s all worth it.

• There are various settings on bait casting models. One of the most important is the spool tension knob. * photo. Easily the biggest fear and frustration of the angler newly introduced to baitcasting reels is the dreaded backlash. BACKLASH explained: The simplest explanation is if the lure stops and the reel spool keeps turning you get a backlash (over run). You avoid this using the best setting for the spool and developing an “educated” thumb. On the cast the thumb NEVER leaves the spool until the cast is complete. A very little amount of pressure is exerted from thumb to spool. You can lengthen or shorten the cast with less or more pressure from the thumb while the reel is in free spool (accomplished by pressing the thumb bar at the base of the reel. Adjusting the tension of the spool is accomplished by (reel handle side facing you) turning the brake knob (again photo) left to loosen for less tension or right to tighten which will reduce the casting distance (an lessen the chance of the backlash) LEFT TO LOOSEN / RIGHT TO TIGHT. Experiment, tie the bait with the most likely weight you would use (3/8ths ounce for me) on the line and depress the thumb bar, the bait should fall very slowly with the thumb almost off the spool. Be patient, distance will come with time. Trust your thumb!

• On many reels there’s a second setting, a magnetic spool braking system. It’s essentially a fine-tuning option for bait change or casting into the wind. The markings allow for an adjustment to bring magnets closer together (slow the spool) or farther apart (free the spool). I set it and forget it.

• When shopping for a bait caster one of the most critical qualities is the retrieve speed. This aids in the most desirable retrieve speed. Each reel is geared (GEARS) to bring in the desired bait at a speed that doesn’t wear out the fisherman. Lower speeds like a 5.3:1 is good for crankbait fisherman. For general casting / retrieving chores a 6.3:1 is middle range and utilitarian. Spinnerbaits, topwater lures and few others are good choices for the mid-range retrieve rates. Manufacturers have lured anglers into thinking faster is better offering high speed reels trying to convince people it’s an advantage. Realistically you most likely crank so fast that a fish refuses to try to chase a bait escaping at Mach speed. My fastest reel is 7.5:1 and is used for primarily for buzzbaits and makes long buzzing sessions a lot less tedious. This reel retrieve speed takes up 31 inches (almost a yard of line) per reel turn.

• In playing and more importantly landing big fish the drag setting (GUTS) is critical and where bait casting version are the gold standard. A two-pound fish will not be able to pull line on my reels. I set my drags for big, big fish. Nothing less than a five-pound fish will pull drag on my reel settings. * a word of caution: I never cast anything less than ten-pound test line of any type on my baitcasting reels. For my jig and worm fishing I use twenty-pound test braid, not impossible to break but pretty tough to do. For “frog” fishing I up the game to 30-pound braided line. The braid lets me trust my reel to winch fish out or away from heavy cover. All this means nothing if your knot isn’t properly tied. A trophy fish will test the line, the knot and the drag setting. Use an item that weighs around five pounds to set the drag on you reel. Once set the reel should grudgingly give line to the weight of the five pounds of pressure. The star drag on the reel once again is adjusted with a left turning for less and right to add resistance.

Once you’ve mastered the baitcasting reels you’ll realize the precision of casting baits into small target areas. I use the underhand pitch casting method on many bait presentations and have entertained boat show attendees with the ability to toss a hookless jig into a coffee cup from thirty feet away. I’m quick to explain the technique this way, the rod gives the bait direction and the thumb gives it distance. That’s the best of baitcasting. It’s my preference for full contact combat bass fishing because of the gears and the guts!