Baitcaster performance question

[Darin Lee]

was wondering if anyone can answer a question on baitcasting reels. In shopping around online looking for a new reel for next season I can find all kinds of info on ratio's and retrieval rates etc....but what I really want to know is how well it casts! My old two bearing Abu reel...now junk unfortunately...casted smooth, easy, and fast....distance and accurracy were great...my newer Mitchell and Quantum do not cast near as well as the old abu...what do I look for? How do I know I am getting a smooth casting reel?

Posted by http://www.fishing-forum.com

[Steve @ OutdoorFrontiers]

"Darin Lee" > wrote in message
...
> was wondering if anyone can answer a question on baitcasting reels. In shopping around online
looking for a new reel for next season I can find all kinds of info on ratio's and retrieval rates
etc....but what I really want to know is how well it casts! My old two bearing Abu reel...now junk
unfortunately...casted smooth, easy, and fast....distance and accurracy were great...my newer
Mitchell and Quantum do not cast near as well as the old abu...what do I look for? How do I know I
am getting a smooth casting reel?

While it's not a 100% accurate method of rating, "usually" the more ball bearings a reel has, the
smoother it's going to be. But that's not always the case. There are different grades of ball
bearings and I've seen 10 BB models that use cheap bearings that were quite rough feeling.

The best way to find out is to go and try them. Shimano Curado is a good reel for the money.
They're very durable, comfortable, reasonably smooth and not priced beyond the average angler. I
have a bunch of these reels and really like them for both personal use and for guide clients.
However, for a really smooth reel, check out the Shimano Chronarch or Shimano's Japanese equivalent
reels.
--
Steve
OutdoorFrontiers
http://www.outdoorfrontiers.com
G & S Guide Service and Custom Rods
http://www.herefishyfishy.com

[alwayfishking]

I agree with Steve get a Shimano Scorpion, smooth with 3 o's : )
"Steve @ OutdoorFrontiers" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Darin Lee" > wrote in message
> ...
> > was wondering if anyone can answer a question on baitcasting reels. In
shopping around online
> looking for a new reel for next season I can find all kinds of info on
ratio's and retrieval rates
> etc....but what I really want to know is how well it casts! My old two
bearing Abu reel...now junk
> unfortunately...casted smooth, easy, and fast....distance and accurracy
were great...my newer
> Mitchell and Quantum do not cast near as well as the old abu...what do I
look for? How do I know I
> am getting a smooth casting reel?
>
> While it's not a 100% accurate method of rating, "usually" the more ball
bearings a reel has, the
> smoother it's going to be. But that's not always the case. There are
different grades of ball
> bearings and I've seen 10 BB models that use cheap bearings that were
quite rough feeling.
>
> The best way to find out is to go and try them. Shimano Curado is a good
reel for the money.
> They're very durable, comfortable, reasonably smooth and not priced beyond
the average angler. I
> have a bunch of these reels and really like them for both personal use and
for guide clients.
> However, for a really smooth reel, check out the Shimano Chronarch or
Shimano's Japanese equivalent
> reels.
> --
> Steve
> OutdoorFrontiers
> http://www.outdoorfrontiers.com
> G & S Guide Service and Custom Rods
> http://www.herefishyfishy.com
>
>
>
>

[Josh]

Darin,
I think much of it is a matter of feel. I have had low end and very high
end reels. I think for the dollars involved the best mid range is the
Shimmano Curado. It's about 114 bucks I think. I now use the Chronarchs but
they are a bit expensive. I just buy one once in a while and accumulate over
a period of time. Give a reel a try at the local tackle shop. Most will let
you go out to the parking lot and give one a whirl. Good luck.

--
God Bless America

Josh The Bad Bear

[Huck Palmatier]

...WRT "speed", you can always slow down a 6:0 or higher, but it's difficult
to reel faster on a lower ratio...if you know what I mean. said Huck

[TNBass]

What happened to your Abu? Those things are built like Grandpa's axe....
when the handle breaks, replace it.... when the head breaks, replace it....
and repeat for generations. Chances are, replacement of just a part or two
and a good cleaning, and that Ambassadeur will be as good as new. I've
repaired and rebuilt dozens of them, and I still use eight or nine of them
regularly that date back to the early sixties.

I'll admit that when The Rodmaker or BassPro let me use their Shimano reels,
it's evident that I've jumped ahead a few decades in technology. They are
more compact and are more comfortable to palm during retrieves; they provide
a firm hookset without the "clunk" that I always get with my Ambassadeurs;
they have smooth drag systems; they cast lightweight lures like a dream....
much less effort, fewer backlashes, and further distances. They look pretty
sharp in the rod locker, too.... like a row of little BMW G3's parked in the
garage. However, as those who have fished with me can attest, I'm more of a
rusty, dented pickup kind of guy, so I'll stick with my old, round, red
reels.

According to my chief authority on reel repair, Quantums are good reels....
to steer clear of, that is. He's as fond of Quantums as dentists are of
Halloween.... they provide plenty of opportunities for him to ply his trade.
On the other hand, if he had to make a living repairing just Shimano reels,
he said he'd probably starve to death.
--
TNBass
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www.secretweaponlures.com -------------------<=- 0')))><
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"Darin Lee" > wrote in message
...
was wondering if anyone can answer a question on baitcasting reels. In
shopping around online looking for a new reel for next season I can find all
kinds of info on ratio's and retrieval rates etc....but what I really want
to know is how well it casts! My old two bearing Abu reel...now junk
unfortunately...casted smooth, easy, and fast....distance and accurracy were
great...my newer Mitchell and Quantum do not cast near as well as the old
abu...what do I look for? How do I know I am getting a smooth casting reel?

Posted by http://www.fishing-forum.com

[Calif Bill]

My favorite reel for bass is a Browning Syntec I won at a United Anglers
dinner. I have large hands and this reel fits them well as well as being a
smooth reel. Worst reel is a Shimano Corsair I bought to use for fishing
from my kayak. Talked to the tackle store the other day and Shimano will
swap it for free for the new model Corsair. Casts bad, and the line gets
caught between the spool and frame. As to spinners, I have a Diawa I bought
about 20 years ago in Tampa on a business trip to fish off the shore when I
had extra time. Still is smooth as glass. Fought a 40+# salmon in the Sac
Delta for 2 hours on 6# test line, before the line frayed on the gill
rakers. My newest Shimano Spinner is a 2000 AKX (?) and is slightly rough
when reeling and takes too much effort to get the bail to close when
winding. As too why I was fighting a salmon on 6#? Was throwing a
rattletrap for 3-6# stripers in the lower delta and the salmon decided to
hook up.

"TNBass" > wrote in message
...
> What happened to your Abu? Those things are built like Grandpa's axe....
> when the handle breaks, replace it.... when the head breaks, replace
it....
> and repeat for generations. Chances are, replacement of just a part or two
> and a good cleaning, and that Ambassadeur will be as good as new. I've
> repaired and rebuilt dozens of them, and I still use eight or nine of them
> regularly that date back to the early sixties.
>
> I'll admit that when The Rodmaker or BassPro let me use their Shimano
reels,
> it's evident that I've jumped ahead a few decades in technology. They are
> more compact and are more comfortable to palm during retrieves; they
provide
> a firm hookset without the "clunk" that I always get with my Ambassadeurs;
> they have smooth drag systems; they cast lightweight lures like a
dream....
> much less effort, fewer backlashes, and further distances. They look
pretty
> sharp in the rod locker, too.... like a row of little BMW G3's parked in
the
> garage. However, as those who have fished with me can attest, I'm more of
a
> rusty, dented pickup kind of guy, so I'll stick with my old, round, red
> reels.
>
> According to my chief authority on reel repair, Quantums are good
reels....
> to steer clear of, that is. He's as fond of Quantums as dentists are of
> Halloween.... they provide plenty of opportunities for him to ply his
trade.
> On the other hand, if he had to make a living repairing just Shimano
reels,
> he said he'd probably starve to death.
> --
> TNBass
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
> ---
> www.secretweaponlures.com -------------------<=- 0')))><
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
> ---
> "Darin Lee" > wrote in message
> ...
> was wondering if anyone can answer a question on baitcasting reels. In
> shopping around online looking for a new reel for next season I can find
all
> kinds of info on ratio's and retrieval rates etc....but what I really want
> to know is how well it casts! My old two bearing Abu reel...now junk
> unfortunately...casted smooth, easy, and fast....distance and accurracy
were
> great...my newer Mitchell and Quantum do not cast near as well as the old
> abu...what do I look for? How do I know I am getting a smooth casting
reel?
>
> Posted by http://www.fishing-forum.com
>
>