I want to try a baitcasting setup. Opinions? 2025

WRangler506 reply :

I am very accurate with a spinning setup, that is a known rod setup to me. Ive used them for 30 years.

Ive been wanting to try a baitcasting setup, but don't really NEED one. Now, Ive read that a baitcast setup like the silvermax w the spooling button/flippin switch whatever is REALLY GOOD for bottom bouncers for walleye.

Perfect excuse to finally try one.

Is the silvermax any good or no?

I realize most aren't walleye or trolling guys here, its just one thing to add to my arsenal that's all. Looking for one that can pull bouncers, *** oz, and play with baitcasting other times.

Thanks

roadwarrior reply :

frosty reply :

I can't offer any opinion about the silver max, but I do like my lews lfs. It's my first baitcaster (I had some experience with them when I was a teenager) and I found it really easy to get dialed in. How much do you see yourself using that flipping button starting out?

Delaware Valley Tackle reply :

Flipping switches are a useless feature and mechanical weak point imo.

Damn Yankee reply :

I personally would not buy any reel with a flippin switch.

Just a gimmick imho.

MickD reply :

Baitcasting is perfect for bottom bouncing, imo. I really like braid for almost all my baitcasting techniques, including bottom bouncing. Its sensitivity helps to differentiate between the bounces and the bites.

When you start casting with it, start with the easy stuff, like spoons and lipless cranks, then move to the more challenging things like spinnerbaits.

I do not recommend starting with flourocarbon. Most FC lines are really difficult on a baitcaster.

CTBassin860 reply :

Silver max combo isn't a bad combo to start off with.If you don't like the flipping switch simply don't use it.Its a decent enough combo to decide whether or not you want to stay with baitcasters or not,and won't break the bank either.Spool it up with mono to start with and you will probably go through some line during the learning process.

12poundbass reply :

Like others have said the flippin' switch is pointless. I have the silver max and it's a good reel. Honestly I like the black max and pro max better than the silver max. Both just feel better to me than the silver max.

NHBull reply :

I can't speak to that combo, but I was in your shoes not to long ago.

After trying a lot of casters, I found that spending a little more really helped with the backlash problems. My first purchase was a ci4 and went directly to braid with no regrets as I committed to backyard casting for weeks.

Starting with mono is definitely a great idea,......it is just that everything I demoed had braid, so it felt natural.

My spinning gear has been repressed to finesse work, and casters get the call for heavy duty.

Truth be told, I fish with gents far better and more knowledgeable than me that solely use spinning gear.........

Darren. reply :

Go for it! Can't hurt to try it out. I was all spinning

all the time, but after coming on this site back in 09,

I got the itch to try baitcasting (BC).

The itch got to the point I wanted to use it for everything

I used spinning for, so I went that route. Bought two

Chronarch 50e models, upgraded them, and got quite

proficient at everything I wanted to throw. Problem was,

spinning was just better at some of the techniques for

me. Accuracy? Great on both platforms. Wind? Could do

it with a BC, just better with spinning.

So over the last year or so I have been going back to

spinning for most all of my bass fishing. Sold one 50e, kept

the other along with 2 rods, a ML and MH to swap for

different techniques.

Point of my story is to address your statement that you don't

really "NEED" to go this route. I didn't either, but neither do

I regret learning it. I kept one setup and use it still.

Yudo1 reply :

I prefer casting gear for everything but dropshotting. I even use casting gear with shallow spools for finesse techniques like ned rig, neko and shakey head. I'm far more accurate and more efficient especially since I use lefty reels. I cast, stop the bait and engage the gears. No flipping the bail, casting, stopping the bait and flipping the bail or switching hands. Just my 2 cents.

MickD reply :

There is one aspect of baitcasting that is clearly superior to spinning. If you fish a technique that calls for instantly letting line go off the reel, spinning just cannot do it unless you fish with the bail open. Even then it is not as smooth as free-spooling a baitcaster.

Fishes in trees reply :

In the past ( early 90's ) I had a couple of reels with the flipping switch. I never did use it but then I didn't flip then either - ever. I can see where a using a slow trolling technique, like bottom bouncers, a flipping switch might be handy. There are other ways to minutely adjust how much line you have out while trolling. I only know a couple of guys who are seriously into trolling and they use line counter reels for everything.

Looking at a bait caster for throwing bass baits I wouldn't go cheap. You get what you pay for. I'd go at least mid-range. I'd go Shimano because I like their reels more.

Figure out what you want to use the bait caster for and go from there.

fishnkamp reply :

I am not sure it is worth it to go with the Silver max just for that option. i have heard a lot of guys end up moving up in gear from that reel. I always suggest better equipment when someone new wants a baitcaster. The equipment available for around $100 is a huge upgrade. Now that is advice geared towards a typical bass fisherman.

I will make a better suggestion for you. My wife and I wanted to troll for fresh water white perch in a nearby lake. It is over run with 8 to 14 inch white perch and BIG walleys ( I wonder what the walleye were getting fat on LOL) My solution was to go to Cabelas and purchase a pair of Daiwa Accudepth plus 17LC reels for like $70 each. For your purpose you may want to look at the new version in that size and the 27 size. I loaded it with a bunch of 14 pound mono for backing and then Suffix 832 in 20 pound test. Build up you bottom bouncing rig and you are in business. We fished worm rigs on ours.

We purchased a pair of Cabelas Tournament trail TTC704-2, they are 7 foot medium 2 piece rods. You might want to go with the mediums or mh in either 1 or 2 pieces and they are only $60 as well. Here is my thoughts. If you purchase that rod and one of the trolling line counter reels you will have a very good well balancer setup for chasing your walleye. The ability to know how much line is out, and adjust boat speed and weight on the bottom bouncing rig will help you be more successful when dialing in your catch repeatedly. For me, we used a 3/8 or 1/2 ounce inline weight and adjust my speed and length of line until I got bit. I would look at my gps and know what my speed was. Next drift ( I used the trolling motor) I would do the exact same thing to get my next bite.

After that you could buy a regular low profile baitcaster and switch between bass rig and trolling rig. Now a black max or ProMax, a deal on a Daiwa Fuego, Tatula, Lews , or Shimano and that rod will make a much better bass rig. It costs a bit more money this way, but you will be much happier with your setups in the long run.

RMax reply :

Get a ProMax for your reel. I cheaped out on my first baitcasting combo and it almost ruined it for me. It really lowered my opinion on baitcasters until I tried a few of my friends, which wowed me.

As for the rod, it honestly depends on the situation. I was fine with a 7' MH Fast for quite a while. I mainly threw T-rigs. You might mainly throw moving baits, in which case you would want a little more flexibility in your rod. Look in the best seller list on TW and see what people are buying. Read the reviews and see if it falls to your liking at a nearby tackle store.

DBL000006 reply :

On 5/6/2017 at 11:54 AM, WRangler506 said:

I am very accurate with a spinning setup, that is a known rod setup to me. Ive used them for 30 years.

Ive been wanting to try a baitcasting setup, but don't really NEED one. Now, Ive read that a baitcast setup like the silvermax w the spooling button/flippin switch whatever is REALLY GOOD for bottom bouncers for walleye.

Perfect excuse to finally try one.

Is the silvermax any good or no?

I realize most aren't walleye or trolling guys here, its just one thing to add to my arsenal that's all. Looking for one that can pull bouncers, *** oz, and play with baitcasting other times.

Thanks

Don't get a Silver Max combo. Get a good Bait Caster. Get the Abu Garcia Orra SX. It's a great reel for a 100 bucks. It'll be worth the money in the long run.

Mosster47 reply :

On 5/6/2017 at 9:31 PM, 12poundbass said:

Like others have said the flippin' switch is pointless. I have the silver max and it's a good reel. Honestly I like the black max and pro max better than the silver max. Both just feel better to me than the silver max.

I completely agree with this. If you can find an Orra SX those are very solid reels for the price.

MangledAngles reply :

My new to baitcasting setup i feel is very good and inexpensive, who wants to spend 300 dollars to try something they may hate.

Rod: Field and stream inferno. Medium heavy 7'. Approx 30$ would have to peek around.

Reel: Abu Garcia black max 3. Approx: 50$ may find on sale at some places.

Line: Spider wire 12lb green braid. Approx 8$.

The rod is light but very sturdy and well balanced.

The reel has 5 bearings and is super smooth.

The line is sturdy but may be easier to try a mono or poly just starting.

I am not a vendor or a sales man for any products.

Good luck and good fishing mate, dont let the struggles of learning to baitcast turn you away or frustrate you. We all went through it. Its rewarding once you got it down.

fishnkamp reply :

I think many of you are correct with your suggestions, if his main purpose is to fish for bass. The OP is considering the Silvermax specifically because of its flipping switch. That was shown as a positive by someone trolling for walleyes. Trolling for walleye is his "perfect excuse" to start fishing a baitcaster. Most have said the Silvermax is not the best choice in a quality reel for bass fishing and the flipping switch is definitely not a good option when bass fishing. Bass fishing is only his secondary use for this setup.

I did suggest getting a decent rod and using it with two different reels. One reel would be a good low profile baitcaster to use for bass, perhaps a ProMax, an Orra, perhaps a Tatula Ct or any of the Lews or Shimano reels that run around $120 or less.

The other reel should be a reel designed for trolling. That reel would include the line counter. The Daiwa Accucast is a decent reel and is an economical option. This approach will give a combo that will meet his needs while trolling for walleyes, and a different combo better matched to bass fishing with the simple switch of the reel. At first he could share the rod and save some money.

SecretAsianMan reply :

what @fishnkamp said. i troll for walleye all the time using bottom bouncers. i use a abu line counter reel. the daiwa suggested is also a good reel.

as for the silvermax...i have one. i just started to target bass last year, so it was my first baitcaster. i have never found a need for the flippin switch. now its collecting dust thanks to my new daiwas!

you dont really need to "cast" a bottom bouncer if trolling. i have a abu 6500LC. stay away from the alphamar

fishnkamp reply :

Isn't it amazing, when you find the right mix of line out, weight on the line, and the right speed, the fish seem to come out of nowhere, and it is repeatable, once you can duplicate the run?

I can tell you, we would set up and graph huge schools of freshwater white perch, down say 10 to 15 feet below the surface. You could see the walleye below them, maybe 10 or 20 feet below them just swimming around. They might be swimming over a 50 foot bottom or more. As soon as you got the white perch hot on the spinner rigs with 2 hooks and a night crawler you would catch maybe 5 or 10 white perch, next the rods would be hit by the walleye as they started thrashing through the white perch. We had times where we would end up catching 50 or more white perch and maybe a dozen good walleyes. Dinner was good after that!!

SecretAsianMan reply :

Right on! Walleye fishing is my first love!

fvogel67 reply :

On 5/6/2017 at 6:46 PM, frosty said:

I can't offer any opinion about the silver max, but I do like my lews lfs. It's my first baitcaster (I had some experience with them when I was a teenager) and I found it really easy to get dialed in. How much do you see yourself using that flipping button starting out?

Also my first baitcaster,Very easy to learn on.

WRangler506 reply :

Thanks for all the info guys. For now the casting setup is really only for bouncing, although I will absolutely take it out and play with it just to see if I like it.

I keep seeing the black and silver max combos, and now I see the quantum solo combo on sale for $50.

Any of those stand out as being a better option?

Id love to spend more but I already bought 4 legend tournaments over the winter and 4 nice reels to match, and 3 new sealines. I cant go bonkers on the baitcaster also....

LxVE Bassin reply :

Stay clear of the silver max. I bought a silver max and it reeling in after one outing. I sent it back in to get another silver max sent to me and the star drag didn't work. After sending in the second silver max I was sent a third one that also quit wouldn't reel in after one outing. For my troubles I was given a Revo S by Abu Customer service and I did not have to waste anymore money by sending in a reel for the third time. Kudos to Abu's customer service but STEER CLEAR OF THE SILVER MAX its a piece of garbage.

22hertz reply :

Daiwa Tatula CT at the auction site for under $100 shipped is hard to beat IMO.

The more I use mine the more Im starting to prefer it over the Curado I

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I want to try a baitcasting setup. Opinions? 2025

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