why would anyone bother with a baitcasting reel for freshwater ?

"duty-honor-country" wrote in message
oups.com...

whoa- are you saying you can use 8 and 10 pound line on a baitcasting
reel ? I disagree- not very reliably !! Set the hook hard with 8
pound test on a baitcaster, and it's going to bury the line into the
spool ! Those baitcasting rigs don't even get near reliable unless
used with 14-15 pound test.

This from an expert who's been using one for about a week.

"duty-honor-country" wrote in message
oups.com...
problem I had with line 12 lb. and
less size, it would get behind the spool on the sides on the
baitcasting reel- there's just enough space there for a piece of link
to jam its way through- with the 15 lb. test that can't happen, as the
line is physically too large to get stuck back there.

That's a reel problem, not a line problem. Get a better reel, or one
designed to use with smaller diameter line.

jeffc wrote:
"duty-honor-country" wrote in message
ups.com...

WARREN WOLK wrote:
Amazing you had time to haul in 12 fish, considering all the backlashes &
tangles you picked out.

I fished for 9 hours over those 2 days. Spent 6 hours in the boat
yesterday.

Not only did I untangle the reel a zillion times- I'm now on my 3rd
respool of line.

Like I said, you're just not good at it. Happens with all sorts of skills
with all sorts of people.

there's quite a few expert bass pros, using spinning and spincasting
reels- are they not just quite good at it ?

your argument does not hold any water.

jeffc wrote:
"duty-honor-country" wrote in message
oups.com...
You'll never have a backlash problem with a spinning reel. You may
pull a few tangles out on a newly filled reel, but that will be it.
You will have much more tangles with a baitcaster than a spinning rod.

No, YOU will. I've seen people have horrendous problems with spinning
reels.

And all of a sudden, the "farther" argument for casting with
baitcasters has disappeared.

No, just for light lures, as I said. The way the line comes off a spinning
reel means less friction, which is good for very light lures. When the
lures get heavier, it really doesn't matter because a bait caster can't cast
as far as he needs to, so it's moot.

are you saying spinning reels are more prone to backlashes than
baitcasters now ?

that's a hoot...

jeffc wrote:
"duty-honor-country" wrote in message
oups.com...

If you think about it, it's actually common sense. A baitcaster reel
has more internal friction than a spinning reel.

Why don't you use your head man? There's a reason all the pros use casting
reels, and it ain't because the manufacturers are twisting their arms. They
could whatever kind of reel was the most popular. Figure out the reason
instead of stating all the time what you "know" about casting reels and how
to fish them.

where the heck you've been hiding ?? wake up and smell the coffee-
quite a few of those "pros" you speak of, are showing up with spinning
and spincasting reels, more and more often. You need to get out more.

I posted a valid question- why use a baitcaster- and a few calm,
knowledgeable people posted very valid info. You posted the literal
equivalent of a backlash.

jeffc wrote:
"duty-honor-country" wrote in message
ups.com...
question- considering the incessant amount of tangles and backlashes
with ANY bait casting reel, and the fact your thumb must ride the spool
at all times to (try to) prevent it- why would anyone bother even using
a bait casting reel for fresh water fishing ? I can see the cranking
advantage to a bait caster, for hauling in huge fish, and dragging
lures through weeds, etc.. But in my actual experience, the bait
casters can't cast as far, and not as accurately, as a cheap open face
spinning reel or even a spincasting reel.

Being able to thumb the reel GIVES you control, it doesn't take it away.
Think about it. You fling a spincasting reel, and you're done. There's
nothing you can do about it. Anyway, once you get over how to keep control
of the reel, it's kind of like using a manual car instead of an automatic
one. And there's a feeling of being in "direct drive" rather than going
through an inefficient system - the line is "directly" attached to the reel,
not going through some system of pulleys and gears to get there
(exaggerating slightly :-)

I'm getting the notion the reel industry is doing a lot of bs-ing to
sell bait casters.

Don't be ridiculous. For what possible reason?

thumbing the reel adds friction, and will give control- at the cost of
distance.

you need to realize that baitcasters are slowly being superceded by
spincasting and spinning reels, for bass especially

read about it here

http://www.fieldandstream.com/fields...456529,00.html


Do A Little Jig
Think small when largemouths get picky.
by Mark Hicks

Downsizing may have dire consequences when it comes to corporate
America, but in bass fishing the concept can be a day saver. When bass
grow temperamental, as they often do in response to cold fronts,
fishing pressure, and other myriad factors, they curb their appetites
for standard-size lures. Experienced anglers keep on getting bites by
switching to small plastic baits, such as 4-inch finesse worms, but
when bass are holding in thick cover, these are close to useless
because they can't penetrate the brush.
In this situation, Ron Yurko, who has won hundreds of thousands of
dollars in tournaments held on small, overfished impoundments in his
home state of Ohio, reaches for jigs that weigh only 1/8 ounce or so.
While lightweight jigs have long been a mainstay for smallmouth and
spotted bass anglers, Yurko is happy to admit that those who target
largemouths have little regard for these diminutive lures.

When other anglers can't buy a strike, Yurko consistently hooks bass
by flipping, pitching, and casting his bantam jig to shallow cover.
Aquatic vegetation, submerged wood, rocks, and boat docks all yield
largemouths, including some heavyweights. Most hookups come from water
3 feet deep or less.

Bantam Weights
Yurko's go-to jig is a homemade 1/8-ounce model he dresses sparsely
with either bucktail or squirrel hair. A few strands of thin rubber
over the hair add the final touch. A subtle wire weedguard protrudes
from the pointed jighead and shields the hook. Without a trailer, his
creation looks more like a streamer fly than a bass jig. On the line,
Yurko's bitty jig sinks slowly, settles lightly, and sneaks through
cover. It lures bass close and coaxes a feeding response.

The commercial model that most resembles Yurko's homemade one is the
Big Buck Hair Jig from Venom Lures. Bass Pro Shops' Smallmouth Jig,
which features a bucktail-and-silicone skirt, makes an excellent
substitute when you fish rocky bottoms and sparse cover. Also available
are a number of small-profile rubber-skirted jigs, such as Stanley's
Smallmouth Bass Jig. Don't let these smallmouth tags throw you-tip
these little jigs with tiny trailers, and they'll do a number on
those fickle largemouths.

Of course, every bass lure has drawbacks. Due to its lack of weight, a
bitty jig is much more difficult to flip and pitch into teacup-size
openings than a heavy one. Yurko employs Abu Garcia's discontinued
model 507, an underslung spincasting reel that easily manages 20-pound
line with a featherweight jig. Since it can be difficult to locate one
of these vintage reels, your best option is a spinning outfit loaded
with 12- to 14-pound-test.

In superdense cover, try a thin superbraid coupled with Rippler's
Lo-Pro Jig designed by Frank Scalish, the former Citgo BASS Master Tour
Rookie of the Year. The slightly heavier Lo-Pro jigs come in 1/4- and
3/8-ounce sizes, yet maintain the small profile of a 1/8-ounce model.
The wisp of added weight will help you probe the thick stuff, where a
finicky bass is bound to be waiting for an appetizer. When you get back
to the dock with a load of fish, do Yurko a favor: Don't tell anyone
about your itty-bitty secret.

jeffc wrote:
"duty-honor-country" wrote in message
oups.com...

If you think about it, it's actually common sense. A baitcaster reel
has more internal friction than a spinning reel.

Why don't you use your head man? There's a reason all the pros use casting
reels, and it ain't because the manufacturers are twisting their arms. They
could whatever kind of reel was the most popular. Figure out the reason
instead of stating all the time what you "know" about casting reels and how
to fish them.

you really think all the pros use casting reels ?

man, are you wrong. Some of those "pros" are stuffing 20 lb. test in
Zebco spincasters, and tightening the drag all the way, and whipping
the guys who have baitcasting reels


http://www.fieldandstream.com/fields...456529,00.html


"Of course, every bass lure has drawbacks. Due to its lack of weight, a
bitty jig is much more difficult to flip and pitch into teacup-size
openings than a heavy one. Yurko employs Abu Garcia's discontinued
model 507, an underslung spincasting reel that easily manages 20-pound
line with a featherweight jig. Since it can be difficult to locate one
of these vintage reels, your best option is a spinning outfit loaded
with 12- to 14-pound-test. "

jeffc wrote:
"duty-honor-country" wrote in message
ups.com...

I've been fishing for 37 years now, and to say a baitcaster is more
accurate, is very misleading- and downright incorrect.

Wrong. You've been fishing a long time, which is not the same thing as
saying you're experienced, or good, yet.

And I've fished small
streams and creeks with open faced spinning reels, that require far
more precision than any baitcaster can give-

No, they don't offer more precision. You just aren't good at it. But
spinning gear does offer an advantage over casting gear with very light
weight lures, and that's why you use spinning gear with very light lures.

and would leave a
baitcasting reel in a birdsnest tangle.

For those who can't cast, yes.


The only useful purpose I can see for a baitcaster, is fishing from a
boat on large lakes and ocean, where the bait it tossed a few feet from
the boat, and then trolled- and the fish are huge over 15 pounds.

Ha ha ha ha ha.

Calling that 1800's technology a "baitcaster" is somewhat of an
oxymoron- it's a winch designed to haul up heavy fish- and a winch gets
tangled when it spins backwards fast. The makers of those reals need
to improve them a bit, to eliminate backlash.

Virtually all of them do.

They don't cast bait for crap !

YOU don't cast bait for crap.

posted like a true bass pro !

RichZ wrote:
duty-honor-country wrote:
question- considering the incessant amount of tangles and backlashes
with ANY bait casting reel,

You are blaming your own shortcomings on the hardware. Sad.

My thoughts exactly...

I grew up fishing the dug out coal mines in Illinois, where I fished
nothing but spinning reels. Once we moved to Florida, I was introduced
to baitcasters...

I USED to HATE baitcasters, but soon found out from a local semi-pro
fisherman that I was using it wrong...

Duty-country-honor... sounds to me like you are angry at baitcasters
for something which is your own fault: not learning the ins/outs... of
the equipment

you need to either:
A) get lessons
B) shut yer cake-hole

baitcasters can be flipped much easier than a spinning real if they
have a flipping release, and are much easier to control larger fish,
maybe you should read your owners manual or download one?

On 8 Aug 2006 07:20:24 -0700, duty-honor-country wrote:

Like I said, you're just not good at it. Happens with all sorts of skills
with all sorts of people.

there's quite a few expert bass pros, using spinning and spincasting
reels- are they not just quite good at it ?

your argument does not hold any water.

Yours makes no sense.

Simply, you cannot judge the performance and usage of the baitcaster based
on just your own experience. It appears that you are very much less
skilled than others when it comes to casting and controlling such a reel.
The reason that baitcasters are popular is that they work well for many,
many fisherman. You just don't happen to be one of them.

There is a simple solution, just use your spinning gear and be happy and
recognize that others use and enjoy baitcasters.

Anything less makes you nothing more than a troll.
--
-Gary