First Time With A Baitcaster 2025
Rick99 reply :
I'm 44years old and have used Spinner Reels my whole life. I fish a lot here inPA possibly 2 to 3 times a week. I just purchased a Abu Garcia Veritas 2.0 and a Lews Speed Reel. I am heading out tomorrow on a local lake to break it in but have been casting in the yard for alittle bit practicing. Why haven't I tried these before??? I really like it! No birds nests yet and seems to be a lot easier and faster without having to finger the line and flip the bail and cast. Hoping to master it quickly and if so, I ol be upgrading most of my equipment.
the reel ess reply :
I was the opposite. I got on the BC bandwagon back in the day when people didn't use the spinning gear anymore for bass. I just bought a MH spin combo about 8 years ago. It was a good one and I still have it. I just added another M combo. Now I finally have the 5 combos that all the pros say they take on every fishing trip.Like having a full toolbox.
BigmouthForever23 reply :
I just switched to baitcast reels last year and love them. I also have a Lews BB1. It's an amazing reel. But if you're just starting take it slow. Don't worry about casting distance yet. Just practice a lot and the distance will come.
HoosierHawgs reply :
My dad gave me my first baitcaster (ironically his first baitcaster) 4 years ago. Now I own 6. Go figure!
Snakehead Whisperer reply :
I remember my first cast with a baitcaster. My friend and I were pond fishing for crappie, and I had one of those little crappie baitcast reels (pun intended.) I had practiced a bit at home, so I was confident that I was going to launch it out there. I looked at my friend and said "Watch this." I then proceeded to cast the jig about 2 feet behind me and backlash the entire spool. He still gives me a hard time about it.
I use casting reels a lot these days, but I don't quite understand all of the spinning reel hate in bass fishing. The right tool for the job is always the best choice. Won't see me throwing anything light on a casting outfit.
It's kind of similar to fly fishing. I love tossing flies when it's the best way to present my offering, but I've never understood those that insist on fly fishing when it's not the best way to get your lure to the fish. A friend of mine throws big streamers on sinking line, and he does ok... but I usually do better with a jig on a spinning rod.
fishinphilly reply :
i thought the same thing when i first picked up a baitaster, I've always used spinning rods for over 10 years and 3 years ago i picked up my first baitcaster because i wanted to get into fishing heavier jigs and to start punching now its all i use!
HoosierHawgs reply :
On 5/25/2015 at 2:00 AM, Snakehead Whisperer said:I remember my first cast with a baitcaster. My friend and I were pond fishing for crappie, and I had one of those little crappie baitcast reels (pun intended.) I had practiced a bit at home, so I was confident that I was going to launch it out there. I looked at my friend and said "Watch this." I then proceeded to cast the jig about 2 feet behind me and backlash the entire spool. He still gives me a hard time about it.
I use casting reels a lot these days, but I don't quite understand all of the spinning reel hate in bass fishing. The right tool for the job is always the best choice. Won't see me throwing anything light on a casting outfit.
It's kind of similar to fly fishing. I love tossing flies when it's the best way to present my offering, but I've never understood those that insist on fly fishing when it's not the best way to get your lure to the fish. A friend of mine throws big streamers on sinking line, and he does ok... but I usually do better with a jig on a spinning rod.
Because flashy BFS reels are cool and we NEED them 
CeeJay reply :
When I first got into fishing, I went all in. Purchased a fly rod/reel, baitcaster, spincast and spinning. Even added one of those long poles without reel at one point.
I actually did much better with the fly tackle than the baitcaster (much to my dad's chagrin, haha). But in the end I decided spinning tackle was the most productive and most fun way for me personally, considering I enjoy catching many different species on mostly light tackle.
Whatever style of fishing brings the most enjoyment to you is all that matters.
Catt reply :
I started with a Penn 9M, try throwing spinnerbaits on that puppy!
Educate youe thumb
Let the rod do the casting
Be mindful of the winds direction
Practice, practice, practice
whitwolf reply :
On 5/25/2015 at 5:52 AM, Catt said:Educate youe thumb
Let the rod do the casting
Be mindful of the winds direction
Practice, practice, practice
This Is very, very good advice, even for the seasoned angler.
Snakehead Whisperer reply :
On 5/25/2015 at 3:04 AM, jakob1010 said:Because flashy BFS reels are cool and we NEED them
True, but then again we also need flashy Stradic CI4's.
DocNsanE reply :
On 5/25/2015 at 12:35 AM, the reel ess said:I was the opposite. I got on the BC bandwagon back in the day when people didn't use the spinning gear anymore for bass. I just bought a MH spin combo about 8 years ago. It was a good one and I still have it. I just added another M combo. Now I finally have the 5 combos that all the pros say they take on every fishing trip.Like having a full toolbox.
Just curious, what 5 combos are these? Not sure I've heard of this list before.
Here's the list I of combos I was currently aiming for... length may vary in the end, but it was a rough draft (I have the three first ones)
x 6'9" MXF (spinning): drop shot, top water
x 7'0" MHF (spinning): wack rig, weightless t-rig
x 7'1" MHXF (casting): jigs, t-rigs, jika rigs, light carolina rigs
- 7'1" MHMF (casting): spinnerbait, swimjig, flukes and soft plastic swimbaits
- 7'2"-7'6" MM (casting): crankbaits
- 7'6" HF (casting): heavy jigs, punching, frogs, swimbaits (if it can handle them)
the reel ess reply :
On 5/25/2015 at 10:45 AM, DocNsanE said:Just curious, what 5 combos are these? Not sure I've heard of this list before.
Here's the list I of combos I was currently aiming for... length may vary in the end, but it was a rough draft (I have the three first ones)
x 6'9" MXF (spinning): drop shot, top water
x 7'0" MHF (spinning): wack rig, weightless t-rig
x 7'1" MHXF (casting): jigs, t-rigs, jika rigs, light carolina rigs
- 7'1" MHMF (casting): spinnerbait, swimjig, flukes and soft plastic swimbaits
- 7'2"-7'6" MM (casting): crankbaits
- 7'6" HF (casting): heavy jigs, punching, frogs, swimbaits (if it can handle them)
We have about the same idea
A Hvy BC-Pitching jigs and heavy plastics, frogs
MH BC-Spinnerbaits, Heavy topwaters, like Frogs, Flukes, things with single hooks
M BC-Cranks, RatLTraps, topwaters, things with trebles
MH Spinning-T-rigs, Trick Worms
M Spinning-Jerk Baits, wacky rig, finesse stuff
greentrout reply :
Take that baitcaster and throw the spinnerbait and learn how to get a rhythm with pauses and contact with cover that will elicit strikes that will put a smile on your face.
Old school basser...
HoosierHawgs reply :
My 6 are setup like this (I fish from the bank and a kayak so my lengths may be short, so they may very by 6 inches or so for most)On 5/25/2015 at 10:58 AM, the reel ess said:We have about the same idea
A Hvy BC-Pitching jigs and heavy plastics, frogs
MH BC-Spinnerbaits, Heavy topwaters, like Frogs, Flukes, things with single hooks
M BC-Cranks, RatLTraps, topwaters, things with trebles
MH Spinning-T-rigs, Trick Worms
M Spinning-Jerk Baits, wacky rig, finesse stuff
6'6" Medium 5:1 Casting (Crankbaits)
6'6" MH 6:1 Casting (Spinnerbaits)
7' MH 7:1 Casting (Jig and Worm)
7' Heavy 7:1 Casting (Mostly frogs, bit also plastics/jigs in heavy cover)
6'6" Medium 6:1 Casting (Topwater, Lipless, Jerkbait)
6'6" Medium 5:1 Spinning (Anything I can't Throw on Casting)
WPCfishing reply :
I started using BC's in the early eighty's. The reels back then were so much easier to use....................... NOT!
jdw174 reply :
I normally have 3 spinning rigs with me. One for fishing Senkos (skipping), one for dropshotting, and the third for shakeyheads. Everything else is baitcasting. OP, if you haven't had a "professional overrun" yet, hang in there. It's coming. Happens to the best of 'em. 
Jaderose reply :
On 5/25/2015 at 9:00 PM, jdw174 said:I normally have 3 spinning rigs with me. One for fishing Senkos (skipping), one for dropshotting, and the third for shakeyheads. Everything else is baitcasting. OP, if you haven't had a "professional overrun" yet, hang in there. It's coming. Happens to the best of 'em.
Oh yes....it's coming. I backlashed so hard the other day it tore the rod out of my hand. and THEN the fun started!! But...you dig it out...laugh it off...and go back to fishing.
CeeJay reply :
My father has often told me the story of how he caught his PB largemouth.
He was a teenager at the time, fishing one of his aunt's farm ponds in Georgia. He cast his Jitterbug and experienced a massive backlash. So the Jitterbug sat out there on the water as he picked and cleaned the bird's nest from his reel....and then just as he began to finally reel in the lure Bang, a solid 8 pound bass engulfed the Jitterbug.
He gave me that lure a while back, and you can see the teeth marks from many a bass. Pretty cool. 
BigSkyBasser reply :
16 years ago when I was introduced to baitcasters, no one had ever explained the difference to me and I saw now clear advantages. Once I really started researching bass fishing heavily it became apparent that different techniques are often aided by accommodating gear.
Finally nutted up and bought my first, a Shimano Curado.First mistake was having it spooled with braid, which iI've repetitively heard is the hardest line to cast with at first. Then made the switch to mono. Finally got the hang of pitching a heavy jig into a bucket in the backyard. Third mistake was not buying my girlfriend one because she did not make the conversion with me, so now when we're fishing and I'm backlashing the crap out of my Revo s. She is laughing her butt off and flipping her pflueger president I bought her for her birthday.
Still working on it.
new2BC4bass reply :
On 5/26/2015 at 1:07 AM, BigSkyBasser said:16 years ago when I was introduced to baitcasters, no one had ever explained the difference to me and I saw now clear advantages. Once I really started researching bass fishing heavily it became apparent that different techniques are often aided by accommodating gear.
Finally nutted up and bought my first, a Shimano Curado.First mistake was having it spooled with braid, which iI've repetitively heard is the hardest line to cast with at first. Then made the switch to mono. Finally got the hang of pitching a heavy jig into a bucket in the backyard. Third mistake was not buying my girlfriend one because she did not make the conversion with me, so now when we're fishing and I'm backlashing the crap out of my Revo s. She is laughing her butt off and flipping her pflueger president I bought her for her birthday.
Still working on it.
Don't know where you heard this....repeatedly. Braid of 40# or more will be easy to learn on. A bit expensive if you have to cut out a bird's nest, but braid can be easier to remove a bird's nest from than other lines. The very worst line to learn on is going to be a fluorocarbon with high abrasion resistance. It will be harder and very springy on a reel. A less abrasive resistant fluoro line (and thus softer) won't be quite as bad. InvizX is often touted as an excellent fluoro line for manageability. I bought a used reel that came with this line. I personally don't consider it anywhere near as manageable a good mono. Have to admit that I didn't spray the heck out of it with a line conditioner, but a line conditioner is something I seldom use.
Nor would I suggest lines such as P-Line CXX or Izorline Platinum to learn on. Extremely good lines (lots of abrasion resistance), but also going to be more springy on the reel. I'd also suggest in the neighborhood of 10# to 15# mono to learn on. Heavier is going to be stiffer. You don't want stiff while learning.
OP. Good luck with your new outfit. I feel certain you will come to enjoy baitcast reels. I leaned on a spinning reel over 60 years ago. Six years ago I bought my first low profile baitcast reel. I feel safe in mentioning how many I now own as the wife never uses a computer. However, I won't since it is an excessive number that would embarrass me considering how much fishing I get to do. 
EDIT: Oops. Meant InvizX, not AbrazX.
Rick99 reply :
Alright guys thanks for all the good thoughts. I went out today and caught my first two LMB on my baitcaster rig and lost two more at the boat. It felt great catching my first few fish on it. I did struggle casting accurately with it, but it was my first time so I think I did better than I expected. The holes I could hit with my spinner rig I can not hit with the baitcaster yet. I can cast with a mean back hand but struggle with a sidearm cast lol..go figure. I'm happy one trip is down and will continue using this until I master it! I fished for about 10 hours today 8 were with the baitcaster and 2 with my spinner reel. My buddy at the end of the day told me he would have never lasted as long as I did using it and that I didn't due to bad at all considering it was my first time.
BigSkyBasser reply :
Side arms will come. I actually learned them first. The overhand cast is by far the hardest. Really trying to whip it out there at first is usually an automatic backlash, and a good 10+ minutes picking it out Haha. Ive noticed that I can actually pitch and flip more accurately on a bait caster and seem to also get better hook sets when fishing Texas rigs and frogs.
Catt reply :
DO NOT WHIP NOTHING!
Just like with your spinning setup let your rod do the casting!
Keiran Beam reply :
I have have the same set up as you do. what i typically do whenever I get all my baitcasters in but the braking system on the highest setting. Slowly let off on braking after every cast until you get maximum distance with your casts.
Rick99 reply :
Went out for the second time with the baitcaster this morning. Used it from 8am to 2pm. Caught 3 LMB. Biggest was 5 1/2 lbs...that's pretty good for PA! Really beginning to like the baitcaster! Birds nest twice today but was able to clear it. When I work it right, it's awesome!
KayakBasser reply :
Thats a great combo man good luck=.
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