# Bait Caster Combo Help



## Nor-tah (Dec 16, 2007)

Pretty set on this combo for pike and bass. 
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templ ... ISO-8859-1

Any reviews from you guys or reasons I should choose a different one? The Shimano Citica has great reviews and the mag touch seems pretty sweet. 
Going with the 7 foot medium.

I am very new to this so any help is very appreciated.


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## Jitterbug (Sep 10, 2007)

Looks like a sweet setup. The rod handle is interesting... I wonder how sensitive it really is? The one thing i wanted to mention is about rod action. If you like to throw a lot of cranks and such you need a moderate rod action. Fast action rods often pull the bait away from the fish's mouth when you get hit.


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## cheech (Sep 25, 2007)

If you are planning on chasing pike too, I'd go with a Meduim Heavy or even Heavy. Even for bass a MH rod is really nice. I have that reel and it's the best reel out there for the money. You will love it.


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## luv2fsh&hnt (Sep 22, 2007)

I played with a baitcaster a few years ago Nortah but I never could get the hang of it spent so much time trying to undo ratsnests and tangles I got po'd the last time it tangled and threw the rod reel and all into the drink.As far as I know it is still out in Willard. You can add alot to your presentation repertoir with a bait casting rig if you get the hang of it.


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## Nor-tah (Dec 16, 2007)

Thanks guys. The feedback is what I was looking for. Thanks to the forum though, I just picked up a sweet set up. Rapalahunter has been too busy to fish much with school. :shock: 

He sold me his G-Loomis Bronzeback rod $240 and Shimano Curado $199 for $115 8)


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## Huge29 (Sep 17, 2007)

luv2fsh&hnt said:


> I played with a baitcaster a few years ago Nortah but I never could get the hang of it spent so much time trying to undo ratsnests and tangles I got po'd the last time it tangled and threw the rod reel and all into the drink.As far as I know it is still out in Willard. You can add alot to your presentation repertoir with a bait casting rig if you get the hang of it.


My dad had the same experience.


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## luv2fsh&hnt (Sep 22, 2007)

Nor-tah said:


> Thanks guys. The feedback is what I was looking for. Thanks to the forum though, I just picked up a sweet set up. Rapalahunter has been too busy to fish much with school. :shock:
> 
> He sold me his G-Loomis Bronzeback rod $240 and Shimano Curado $199 for $115 8)


That is a way sweet deal Nortah.Congrats and I hope you have better luck mastering its' use than I did.


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## copper (Sep 11, 2008)

I have a mag touch spinning rod. It is nice. Wish I would have gotten a bit lighter rod though. I picked it up in the bargain cave, so I took what I could.


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## Crash (Mar 20, 2008)

I just picked up a Daiwa baitcaster reel last week and am looking forward to learning how to use it. Maybe we will have to finally get together and you can teach me a thing or two.


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## Nor-tah (Dec 16, 2007)

Crash said:


> I just picked up a Daiwa baitcaster reel last week and am looking forward to learning how to use it. Maybe we will have to finally get together and you can teach me a thing or two.


you are the smallie man up at the Nelle. Lets let the water get warm and go fish!!! I got some new baits to try there but need some warm water. Keep in touch.


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## Crash (Mar 20, 2008)

Soon enough Nortah. Should be a good year again.


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## RnF (Sep 25, 2007)

Huge29 said:


> luv2fsh&hnt said:
> 
> 
> > I played with a baitcaster a few years ago Nortah but I never could get the hang of it spent so much time trying to undo ratsnests and tangles I got po'd the last time it tangled and threw the rod reel and all into the drink.As far as I know it is still out in Willard. You can add alot to your presentation repertoir with a bait casting rig if you get the hang of it.
> ...


Sounds like to me the reel needed to be adjusted a bit. El-Cheecho adjusted mine and now I have "relatively" minor issues with the rat nests. Also you need to know how to cast them properly too.

Nice set up there Nor-tah, you should love it.


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## ScottyP (Sep 12, 2007)

I just picked up my first bait cast reel and rod. I'd recommend practicing on grass before taking it to the water. And when you take it to the water, bring a spincast rod and reel as backup so you can use it when you get the inevitable backlash that you give up on trying to get out. Leard how to adjust the centrifugal braking magnets and spool control knob to reduce backlash.

And watch this video cause it really works (how to clear a backlash):


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## Riverrat77 (Sep 7, 2007)

Nortah, a while back I got a Pflueger reel (the red one) and put it on a Shimano casting rod. I think the whole setup cost me about 100 bucks or so... maybe a hair more. Like Scotty said, the trick is making sure the brakes/magnets are set right and that keeps your spool from overrunning itself once you figure out finger pressure and all that. I caught a few fish on it but because I liked doing my fishing the easy way, it was soon relegated to tossing hookless topwater lures for Wendy's cat to chase. Should have gotten video. Anyway, sounds like you have a nice setup.... Tuesday might be a good day to try it out, especially since you won't have to make real long casts. I also agree with Scotty about working it out first on grass or hardwood floors and just remove the hooks at first. Its a good way to get a feel for things. A sidearm/underhand cast was actually the easiest thing for me to try. Every time I tried casting over my head or whatever, I put too much effort into the cast and had backlashes... at least the sidearm or underhand you can control a little better.


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## Jitterbug (Sep 10, 2007)

If you hold the rod at a 45 degree angle and then let the weight of the lure pull line off your reel the spool should stop when the lure hits the ground. If it doesn't you will have backlashes.


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## cheech (Sep 25, 2007)

With a good reel, you should be able to set it up so that you can throw it as hard as you can without backlashing. That being said, I have reels from top o line Revos to $50 Pinnacles from Wal Mart, and they all cast great. I think one of the big mistakes that some people make when they go with a baitcaster is that they put too light of line on it, and they try to cast lures that are too light. If you are just starting out, I'd recommend throwing some 14# Suffix Seige. The bigger line diameter will help reduce rats nests. I don't think Any of my baitcasters (7 of em) have less than 12# test on them, and most have 15# fluoro or #50 braid. I was out on the front yard flipping into a bucket today and my neighbor came over and wanted to give it a try. I set him up with my Carrot Stick and a new Citica, and he backlashed twice in an hour and a half. The key is to tighten down the tension knob all the way, push the release, and gently loosen the tension knob until the lure barely starts to drop. It may not even fall unless you give it a little bit of a wiggle. Then throw the lure, but before it hits, you have to stop the spool with your thumb (the spool doesn't know when your lure hits the water, so it'll just keep spinning if you don't tell it to stop.) If you use bigger line, throw appropriate weights, use proper tension on your reel, and stop your spool with your thumb, backlashes will be far fewer. I even have a few reels that I have so dialed in that I don't even need to stop them with my thumb....

These are just my two cents. I'm a total Rookie/Elitist Snob Fly Fisherman, but I probably put 50 days on the water last summer with baitcasters, and before that, I had used one about 10 years ago. These are some of the things that helped me as I was beginning to pick it up again last year.


Chees


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## cheech (Sep 25, 2007)

ScottyP said:


> I just picked up my first bait cast reel and rod.


Shoot **** boy, when you coming out to bass it up? What combo did you get?


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## Nor-tah (Dec 16, 2007)

Great suggestions from all!! I have been out casting on grass a lot and uses all the suggestions given so far!! Its really not that bad and I have had minimal backlashes with hundreds of casts so far. Right now it has ten pound mono on it but I am going to but some new line on it soon. Pics to come.


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## Pez Gallo (Dec 27, 2007)

Nortah, glad to see you got a smokin deal. I do feel bad that keala didn't like that set up. 

I've got a couple of those curado reels. They are a sweet reel. There are smoother reels out there, but you wont find one that will last longer. I've used mine on salmon and steelhead in the past and they hold up pretty well. I still have an older curado (A series) from like 8 years ago that still works pretty dang well.

Anytime you want to get together, I'll help you out with your baitcasting skills. I've been using one since before I was a teenager and if you think baitcasting reels are hard to cast now, try the ones from 20 years ago! The braking systems on baitcasting reels now are so much better. Which comes to an important point with baitcasting reels. Many people buy a cheap reel and get frustrated with the reel backlashing. I would suggest to anyone buying a new reel to get a good one. You're going to spend about $150 or so. The shimano citica has been mentioned and that one sells for about $120. The braking system and spool tension need to be use in concert while casting/pitching. If you have a reel without a fine tunable braking system (which many cheaper reels lack), you have far less room for error and you will really need to rely on the use of your thumb a lot more. If you have a lot of experience with baitcasting reels, then you can get away with using some of the cheaper reels, but if not, having that higher grade brake system and smoother spool tensioning can be a huge benefit.

When I worked at sportsman's warehouse, I used to get a lot of people tell me they were frustrated with baitcasting reels, so I offered a baitcasting clinic, free of charge, and only one guy showed up...


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## Nor-tah (Dec 16, 2007)

Hey Pez. Keala liked the reel just fine, he just didnt have as much use for it now that he is applying to med school and is up to his eyeballs in biology homework and pysics exams.

Lets go fish soon!! I have been busy with work,,,stupid,,, and school,,, also stupid!!! But things should slow down soon!!


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## Pez Gallo (Dec 27, 2007)

lets head out this weekend if you have the time.


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## ScottyP (Sep 12, 2007)

cheech said:


> ScottyP said:
> 
> 
> > I just picked up my first bait cast reel and rod.
> ...


I picked up a shimano clarius 7' medium-heavy rod and a pfluger president reel. I've gotten in a few hours of casting practice down at UL looking for a walleye. No bites, but I have the casting thing down pretty good. It wasn't all that hard for a fly fisherman to figure out ;-)

I'd love to chase some green fish with you sometime.


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