I am fairly new to bass fishing and I am still learning about all the tackle and equipment out there. I mainly use spinning reels, but I was thinking about investing in a baitcasting reel this summer...so maybe someone can help me out.

What are they good for? Are they better than other types of reels? If I do decide to get one, which would be the best one for me to purchase, since I have zero experience with one.

I have heard they can be very difficult to use and that many people experience a lot of backlash with them (I suppose from inexperience).

Thanks for your help.

Hi Spinnerbait1,

Welcome to the site... and great question(s)... I would tell you to first take a read through these two posts that talk about baitcasting reels:

Baitcasting Reel Post A

Baitcasting Reel Post B

Also Check this Video Out:

Hi Spinnerbait1,

When I first started getting serious into bass fishing all I had was spinning tackle, Everything Brendan mentioned is right on. I was afraid of baitcasters but through practice and a million nests you get the hang of it. Practice,practice and more practice before you know it you will love baitcasters. Goodluck.

Great info. I definitely think I am going to spring for one...and just follow your advice Anthony, practice, practice, practice.

Any suggestions on which brand I should consider starting out with? I do not want to spend too much on my first one, but I definitely want to invest in a decent baitcaster. I know Daiwa has some new ones out, not sure if anyone has used any of them or have any inside information on them Daiwa Baitcasting Reels

I was looking at the Team Daiwa® Zillion™ 7.3 Hyper Speed, not sure if this is one for someone who has never used this type of reel before, plus it may be a little out of my price range.


The other one is Exceler® 7.1 Ultra High Speed Exceler®


I am not solely interested in Daiwa, these just happen to be ones that were mentioned to me and I decided to look into them. I looked quickly at Shimano, and was a little overwhelmed by the variety of reels Shimano
I am open to any adivce.

Thanks for all your help.

Hey spinnerbait1, I don't know to much about Diawa Baitcasting reels but I'm pretty sure they make good reels. I mostly use Shimano. It all depends on your budget, The top one you picked out is about $300.00 and a very good reel. Shimano makes the Curado, Citca and Castiac that range from $120.00 to $250.00 and are good reels especially the Curado. Look for something with a good break system that will help you with your casts and you can adjust as time goes on.

Good advice from Anthony... My rule of thumb with baitcasters is to purchase the best that you can afford. In every price range you'll find a couple that are better than others. There are many people who feel that expensive rods and reels don't make that much difference in your ability to fish. For the most part, that is a fair statement. Some however can give you a slight advantage, but from what I gather you're not a tournament angler and since this is your first purchase, you just need something that will do the job and last a while. I recently purchased a Daiwa Tierra Baicaster (retails for about $119)... very nice for the price. If you like low profile reels. Another reel that I really like is the new Shimano Cruxis Baitcasting Reel:



It sells for about $100 and has a 6.2:1 gear ratio (more of an all purpose retrieve ratio than the hyper speed reels you listed above). It is also very compact and comes in both left and right hand retrieve... Which brings up another question...

Are you lefty or righty?

BC

Spinerbait1! I completely understand everthing you had to say about having "zero" experience with the baitcaster reels.

Not long ago I was in the same boat myself. You can pick up some nicely matched rod and reel combos from Bass Pro Shops. If you shop it around and look for a sale you can probably get a good starter combo for under $100.

This is an example.
http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores...0003000_100-3-0

I have a few that I bought when I first started out that I am still using. Another thing to consider is wether you want a left or right hand retrieve. I prefer the lefthand retrieve because I use my baitcasters mainly for senkos, grubs and swimbaits which I usually fish real slow.

And I like the same "feel" as I get with my spinning reel setups that are all lefthand, plus I don't like to cast righty and then switch over to cranking righty.

I do know a lot of guys that prefer right hand retrieve for heavy crankbait fishing and spinnerbaits (fast power fishing).

A bit of advice from my experience. Start out with heavy lures that are easy to cast.

Set your brakes hard for starters and practice pitching heavy lures short distances in your yard and stopping the reel with your thumb before the lure hits the ground.

This will avoid a lot of backlashes for starters. Also when you first take it out to fish, don't go with only that rod and reel. It will take some getting used to. Especially on windy days which can cause you a lot of problems if the wind is coming at you. It hangs your lures up in the air and the reel just keeps on spinning causing the backlash.

Also see if you can pair up with a guy who is really good at using one to take you out and get some firsthand pointers on setup. That will save you bigtime on the learning curve.

When you get the hang of it, it's like riding a bicycle. A little difficult at first but after a few trips around the block and a few spills you get the feel of it and it becomes second nature.

Don't be afraid to get started using one. For certain applications they can't be beat and you can also get much better casting distance and more accuracy when you have them set up right.

Also try using medium weight line for starters, like 8 lb. I've found the heavier line and lighter lines are harder to handle. You have to let your thumb ride very gently right on top of the reel while its spinning and be ready to stop the reel before your lure hits the water by pushing your thumb into the reel to stop it. This is also a great way to get your lure to fall exacty where you want it to stop.

Don't worry about having to spend a ton of money to get started using one. You can always spring for a more expensive setup when you feel comfortable using your starter. Plus, after using a less expensive one for a while you will better appreciate the advantages of the finer gear. And also have a decent backup.

I regularly fish with spinning gear and baitcasters. I always have at least two of each with me when I go out.

Good luck, later...........

With a name like Max Garcia-why not try a Abu Garcia Black Maxx-play on words.
I have one and I love it. JC

Its about line control. You have complete control of the flight of your lure with casting gear. You get distance and the ability to throw lighter lures with spinning. If you want to put it in the teacup, casting gear is the way to go.

Power-speed and control, all necessary ingredients to success. Right or left hand either way.

i agree with johnnie,the baitcaster serves many useful purposes,mainly bringing in the fish,baitcasters are tyhe only way to go

I agree baitcasters are useful tools, but Yankee sticks are way better for some things.

Dropshot, skipping and finesse worm fishing in particular.

My suggestion is to get really good with both and always have at least one of each ready to go depending on what presentation is in order.

I've seen many trophy bass pulled in on Yankee sticks.