baitcast combo

[My_Key]

I've been fishing with spinning reels for 20 years now and I was recently looking for a new rod and reel. I really liked a baitcast combo they had. I've never used one, so I guess I am wondering if it's easy to get used to casting and retrieving with them. And is it possible to switch a baitcast reel over to left hand retrieve. I am too used to casting with my right hand and reeling with my left.

[My_Key]

I guess I just answered one question for myself. You can get left handed reels.

[Nick Kuhn]

Yes you can buy left handed reels but they aren't interchangeable.

Retrieval is exactly the same except baitcasters tend to have faster retrieves but that depends on the gear ratio and spool size.

Learning to cast isn't easy but it isn't difficult either. It's best to start on calm days (or if there is wind cast with it and not into it) with a plug that doesn't have much wind resistance (like rattlin raps). Start with the spool tension fairly tight and a high setting on the braking (if the reel has a braking system) to start. As you improve you can loosen these setting to improve distance. The key is to train your thumb to slow the spool just the right amount. Too much thumb and your casts will be short. Too little and you'll find yourself with a rats nest.

[BriGuy88]

If you have a fishing partner that has any experience with baitcasters they can be a world of help when you are just getting started. I bought my first baitcasting combo from a buddy of mine and he helped with the initial setup and gave me tips that were priceless.

Most of all, practice, practice, practice and patience, patience, patience!!!

[Deitz Dittrich]

MY key-- as other have said, you can get left have retrieve, but you cant change it like on many spinning reels. And as briguy says.. its just a matter of practice.. Buy some cheap line to practice with before season starts and by the time season opens you will be ready!

[Esox_Magnum]

I'm the opposite, I reel a spining reel with my left hand but cant do it with a baitcaster, those have to be right handed. I cant do a spinning reel right handed either. Funny huh. I cast both right hand.

[mainbutter]

I'm left ONLY with spinning. I can't use a right retrieve with spinning worth a darn, my brain just gets confused.

However, I'm pretty ambidextrous when it comes to baitcasters. In fact I own both a left hand retrieve abu garcia c3 6500 and an abu garcia 7000i in right hand retrieve. When tossing musky lures, it lets me wear both my arms and shoulders evenly which is really nice in fact.

To answer one of the OP's questions, I'd say it's easy to learn to use a baitcaster. It's a lot easier to learn to learn to lob big heavy baits on a musky stick than to learn to throw lightweight bass lures on medium gear where you're really loading up the rod, but even then it's not too hard to pick up.

A day of fishing and you'll have it 90% down, the rest of the 10% of getting it down will probably come soon enough.

It's not that it's particularly hard IMO, but that when you screw up and do what's known as getting a "birdnest" in your reel, it's kind of a pain to fix your mistake and eats into a bit of fishing time (sometimes as short as pulling on your line a bit for a few seconds, sometimes as long as having to cut off a bunch of twisted up line).

[My_Key]

I cannot retrieve anything right handed. My son uses a spincast and he likes it right handed and I had to switch it to left when I used it for panfishing one day.

So basically put some cheap Wally world line on for a weekend or two until I get the hang of it, then switch to good line. Does a braided line like Spiderwire work well in them? Or even Fireline. I would think any mono line would make it more likely to cause major tangles.

[delmuts]

Key. Braids will work in a spincast for a while, but many of them have plastic pins that catch the line on the spool and a braid will wear out/cut through them over time( so check to see what kind your reel has).

Some things you can do that may help with tangles. Many of the reels come with a stiffer/tougher line( examp. trileine XT, extra tough ) The first thing i do is replace it with XL( extra limp) . This will help some for casting as it doesn't have as much memory. A BIG thing is to let the line out( behind a boat or drag it across a lawn) to relax it! Often! We have to do this with all types of reels as your line will pick up twist, and will cause a tangled mess if not dealt with. Use which ever hand you are comfortable with. Try these tips and see if it helps!

[Deitz Dittrich]

My Key, in a baitcaster, Firelines can be sometimes harder to get the "OverRuns/Backlashes" out of, plus it more expensive and harder if you have to cut it out.

Once you get good at casting then yes.. you can switch to a braid.. it casts just as well as mono, maybe even better at times.. just be real careful on the next cast after a fish as it can sometime dig into the spool and have a weird cast on the very next cast.

[Comit 2]

Quote:

I've been fishing with spinning reels for 20 years now and I was recently looking for a new rod and reel. I really liked a baitcast combo they had. I've never used one, so I guess I am wondering if it's easy to get used to casting and retrieving with them. And is it possible to switch a baitcast reel over to left hand retrieve. I am too used to casting with my right hand and reeling with my left.

I wasn't aware of a spincast reel that could be switched from right to left handed. So if are using a spincast (the type with a button) I think I remember that they are made to use 10-12lb test mono. If you are using a spinning reel (the type with a wire that you flip over the end) feel free to use line like fireline. It cost more but you can use it for year with out it coiling up on you.

[My_Key]

My son has a Shakespeare Microcast. It is reversible. And it is an an ultralight and I seriously think 10-12lb line would work like [PoorWordUsage].

I should clarify, when I asked about the braided lines(I use Spiderwire braid in my open water rigs and Fireline in my ice fishing rigs) I wasn't talking about the spincast reel. I'm wondering about the line in a baitcast reel. I'm wondering if they help reduce the birds nests due to the lack of memory. The cost isn't an issue, I always load up on it when I see it on clearance.

[Deitz Dittrich]

when i gave my answer, it was for baitcast, not spincast. Braid in a spincast would kill it in a couple months.

[My_Key]

I guess I should have quoted the other two posts. I saw you caught that I was asking about baitcast.

Thanks guys, I appreciate the help, I think I am gonna give a baitcast rod/reel a try this year.

BTW, I thought I cleaned up the post(I didn't use the s-word), but I guess that word is considered poor word usage as well. Good to know!!

[mainbutter]

I use braided line exclusively in my baitcast reels.

50lb power pro on the C36500 and 80lb spiderwire stealth on the 7000i.

On braid and backlashes: Part of the reason braid backlashes are a bit more of a pain than fluoro or mono is that it's a ton thinner at light lb tests, and it's easier for a thin line to dig in. The best way to combat this on a baitcaster is to just go ahead and upgrade your braid to a higher lb test. If you're using braid, there's no reason to go lower than 20lb, and if you're using braid on a baitcaster, there's no reason to go lower than 50lb.

It's definitely fine to load up on 10-17lb mono (or lighter if you wish depending on what you're throwing and what fish you're chasing) and fish with that for a while. Baitcasters typically can hold plenty of line even at bigger diameters, so no issues there, and monofilament works just as well today as it did 20 years ago, if not better. Heck, my grandpa fishes with mono exclusively and hasn't ever even heard of braided line or fluoro, and he certainly catches as much as any other guy.