Advice for my first baitcaster

[Dylan33]

I got a Cabelas prodigy casting rod and reel for Xmas. This is my first casting combo(other than my musky gear). It will be used for general purpose bass fishing- frogs, senkos, tubes, worms, cranks, drop shotting etc.

I have 2 questions.

1. What is your line preference with baitcasters? I use fireline in my spinning gear.

2. Are baitcasters versatile enough to handle throwing weightless senkos one minute and switching to cranks the next? Or would this set up be better suited to one style of fishing?

Thanks

[Craigums]

You can make it work but it wont the optimum set up. Personally I think you need at least 2 rods. One Spinning, One Baitcaster. If your set on using just the baitcaster for all those presentations I'd try to spool it up with the thinnest diameter braid that you can manage. Maybe 20lb power pro?

[Dylan33]

Thanks Craigums---

I have several spinning set ups..medium to md heavy---8 lb mono to 20 lb fireline...I use them all for different situations...What would my new casting combo be optimul for? thx

[TurnUpTheFishing]

Yes, you can switch it up but if you've never used a baitcaster before you may run into problems with backlashes. You'll want to familiarize yourself with the free spool settings on the reel so you can adjust as you switch lure weights.

If you've already used a baitcaster for muskie you've got a leg up on most beginners but casting 3oz+ 'ski lures doesnt take any finesse. For a practice plug take a 1/4 or 3/8 lindy rig walleye sinker and a tube bait, poke a hole in the top of the tube, feed the line in and tie on the sinker. Dont go for distance or even accuracy at first just get to the point that you are not backlashing then go for more distance and work on your accuracy.

For line Id say go buy some cheap 12-14 lb mono as you might backlash and ruin line to begin with and I feel mono in this poundage is more forgiving when you backlash. If I were to use superlines/braid Id go with a line that has a minimum 10lb mono diameter as I feel the larger diameter performs better on baitcasters.

Id use your new baitcasting setup for frogs, spinnerbaits, cranks, jigs, texas rigs. You would probably find your spinning rods will be a better option when finesse fishing with lighter weights (1/4 or 1/8 and less) or techniques like dropshoting, jig worming, or trying to skip docks.

[Larson15]

+1

If you are not familiar with a baitcaster I would put 12-15 lb mono on it until you get good with it. Mono is soft and easy to handle. I would also take a cast length of line out and put a piece of tape on the spool until you get good. This will prevent excess runoff of line which will prevent a big backlash. Once you get good with the baitcaster I would put some flurocarbon on. I use anywhere from 12-25lb test on all my baitcast rigs. I would not put any sort of thin diameter braid on a baitcaster unless you are good. Thin diameter braid will dig into the spool making it impossible to get out. In regards to throwing weightless plastics and dropshot I would use a spinning rod for these finesse style baits. Anything thats less than a 1/4 oz will work better on a spinning rod for unexperienced baitcaster users.

[Albers]

turn that magnetic brake up an spool it up with som 12+ lb. suffix.

[Raider4ever]

Practice, practice, practice. Get a reel with the dial type brake on the side rather than the pin set up. A lot easier to adjust on the fly.

[Nick Kuhn]

It isn't that tough to go from muskie lures to bass sized lures. Same principles apply. Don't try to throw the lure over the moon, and start heavy on the thumbing and as you get more practice use less and less thumb. Crankbaits are pretty easy to cast. Weightless senkos work, but depending on the line you spooled with you may not get nearly as much distance as you would with a spinning reel.

[Gekhang]

yeah for more just cast throw and retrieve i use my baitcaster all the time. but when im working light baits i use my spinning. for baitcaster, i started off with 17lb mono and when i switched to 30lb(8lb mono equv) casting was soo much smoother, and casts alot farther. you can maybe even start practicing now and when spring rolls around you'll be a pro at it..haha

[FrankTXbassman]

OK. I HAVE 26 DIFFERENT BAIT CASTER COMBOS AND THIS MIGHT HELP YOU OUT THERE BUD.

1 GET TO KNOW THE REEL FIRST READ THE BOOK, DO THE MAINTENANCE NO TELLING HOW LONG IT HAS BEEN SITTING DO THE OILING.

2 BEFORE EVEN PUTTING THE LINE ON LEARN WHERE THE CAST CONTROL KNOB IS LOCATED AND THE BACKLASH CONTROL KNOB OR ALSO CALLED A MAGNETIC CONTROL KNOB READ THE MATERIAL THAT TELLS YOU WHAT THESE DO.

3 LINE SIZE: READ WHAT LINE SIZES ARE RECOMMENDED ,IF YOU ARE GOING TO FULL SPOOL A REEL THAT IS NOT DESIGN FOR BRAIDED LINE AND ANYTHING THAT GOES WRONG THEY COULD VOID THE WARRANTY, IF YOU ARE SURE THATS ALL GOOD IT IS NOT RECOMMENDED TO FULL SPOOL ANY BAIT CASTER REEL. RULE OF THUMB WOULD BE FILL THE SPOOL ABOUT 2/3 OF THE WAY FROM FULL THEN SPLICE IN THE BRAIDED LINE BY A BLOOD KNOT OR ECT..PLACE A SM PIECE OF TAPE OVER THE KNOT. I PROFFERED TAPE ALL THE WAY AROUND SO THE BRAID DOES NOT DIG INTO THE MONO.I ALSO PROFFER A HEAVY MONO FOR THE BASE. EVERYONE IS GOING TO TELL YOU ALL THE BRAIDED LINES. THAT IS WHAT WORKS FOR THEMSELVES AND THEY MIGHT HAVE A LITTLE MORE EXPERIENCE WITH THAT LINE. BUT IT MIGHT BE BEST TO CAST THE REEL WITH A FULL SPOOL OF MONO TO GET ADJUSTED TO IT GET THE FEEL OF IT,CAST IN THE WIND IF YOU HAVE SOME WORE OUT LURES THAT ARE HOOK LESS AND SIMILAR TO WHAT YOU ARE GOING TO THROW,THEN USE THEM GET THE CONTROLS SET.

4.MAKING THE CAST.RULE OF THUMB TURN THE MAGNETIC KNOB FULL VALUE 10 AND WORK BACK AS PER CAST BUT ALSO BEFORE YOU CAST YOU HAVE TO ADJUST THE CAST CONTROL KNOB THAT IS LOCATED UNDER THE DRAG TO FULL VALUE. TIE ON THE TEST LURE. THE HEAVIER THE LURE THE FASTER THE FALL. HOLD ROD TIP AROUND 10-11 CLOCK KEEP YOUR THUMB ON THE SPOOL AND HIT THE THUMB RELEASE BAR IF YOU MOVE YOU THUMB AND THE LURE DOESN'T FALL START RELEASING THE CAST CONTROL SLOWLY TILL IT HAS A EVEN STEADY FALL. AS YOU GET MORE EXPERIENCE YOU MIGHT FINE THE SETTING ALOT LOWER THAN STARTING OUT FOR CASTING WEIGHTLESS LURES. AS FOR MINE THE SETTING ON MAG. IS A 2 AND THE CAST CONTROL CAP ABOUT FALLS OFF.FOR THROWING A #10 SWIVEL 16INCH OF LEADER AND A #2 HOOK W/A 7 1/2 INCH STRAIGHT WORM.. THE BAIT CASTERS ARE A VERY VERSATILE REEL FOR THESE APPLICATIONS JUST BY TURNING THE CONTROL KNOBS.WHEN THE EXPERIENCE COMES YOU MIGHT BE MORE ACCURATE WITH THE BAIT CASTER THAN THE SPINNING REEL. SKIPPING UNDER DOCKS,LOW HANGING TREE BRANCHES,ROCKS AND IN-BETWEEN REEDS .GOOD LUCK .

[Deitz Dittrich]

Lots of good advice.. In my opinion, a senko rod and a crank rod are two totally different beasts.. the reel can be the same, but the rod is not.. That said, you should be able to switch from something that weighs similar to a weightless senko to something that weighs the same as a crank no prob.. Just takes a little practice is all.

For starters, 12 lb line.. run out a long cast and put on a strip of elec tape.. that way when you backlash(notice I didnt say if) when you backlash, it will only go to the tape.

Enjoy!!!! Its fun to learn.