What Was Your First Baitcaster?? 2024
Bass Dude reply :
What was your first baitcast reel?? Mine was a Ryobi V-Mag 3 and I was about 10 years old. It was tiny and probably held 100 yards of 10 pound line.
With this reel I was able to get comfortable casting a baitcaster. It was also gained invaluable experience and confidence in throwing spinnerbaits and texas-rigged worms on the appropriate tackle. The rest, as they say, is history!!
J Francho reply :
Flooger Knuckle Buster.
Delaware Valley Tackle reply :
ABU Ambassadeur 5000 followed shortly by a Shimano Bantam (80's Black one)
outdoorsman110 reply :
Dawia Strikeforce 100H, best reel I have so far, I own 5. Love them.
j.bruno reply :
Shakespeare piece o junk bait casting reel.
tbirds00 reply :
Bought my first one this year, Abu Garcia Revo sx
detroit1 reply :
Heddon mark4 (i think), well, i know it was a heddon.
KYntucky Warmouth reply :
I had a Shakespeare caster combo that I got from Dicks when I was younger, around 10-11, but gave up on it. Started really bass fishing when I was around 20 with a Pro Qualifier PQX100 round reel
ROCbass reply :
Daiwa Advantage 150H
dcorp reply :
I actually still have my first, a Quantum 1310 Mg. Must have been early 90's, pretty cool little reel.
buzzfrog reply :
a pinncle syder
Ima Bass Ninja reply :
Mine was the crappy Shakespeare red one combo at Walmart for like $25. That darn thing nearly made me right off baitcasters all together. Then I bought a pinnacle and learned that they all really weren't evil.
GOOCHY reply :
A Daiwa something or 'nother. Not high end by any means but I have to hand it to those guys - they made a reel that could stand up to a teenager who put *zero* maintenance into his reel at the time.
Dave P reply :
Shimano Bantam B100(?), as well
Pantera61 reply :
Abu Garcia Ambassadeur 5500C, Christmas 1974. I was 13 years old.
The Guy reply :
Shimano bantam 100ex, still have it and it still works
ksfisher reply :
Abu Garcia Blackmax last year. Lol still use it, it's my only one.
flippin and pitchin reply :
Abu Garcia 5000 on a Fenwick Lunker Stick 555, just like Roland Martin. Picked up two Lews BB1 made by Shimano shortly after that. My first Bass Pro Shops catalog had about 16 pages total and Shimano Bantam 100's for 38 bucks. Those were the days. I miss my blue polyester jump suit.
Goose52 reply :
It was about 1959 - the brand is unknown - maybe a South Bend. It was on a solid glass pistol grip rod about 5' long - an old rig my Dad had laying around. No braking system and I never learned to cast it properly. I was 7 years old and just developed a sorta hybrid casting/flipping technique. I would pull a bunch of line off the reel and have it at my feet - then hold the line and make a cast and let the line go. The bait would fly out until the line pulled tight. I got a spinning rig soon after that.... 
BASSclary reply :
A Quantum Inferno, some nubs baitcaster I got for like 30 bucks.
Then it broke, so I decided to put it on a cinder block and take a baseball bat to it. Plastic went errywhere.
Then I got a Carbonlite, and never looked back. Baitcasting reels are my favorite by far.
jkarol24 reply :
I decided to get into baitcasting a few years ago and at the same time, Gander Mtn was unloading their old model Revo Premiers at 50% off ($130). Needless to say, i learned how to use a baitcaster VERY fast 
Great investment, i now own 6 more baitcasters...
tugsandpulls reply :
25 years ago dont know what kind but only lasted 1 cast father and i fishing for carp casted it out put it on a y stick went to do #1 behind a tree and carp ripeed it right into river my dad was sooo mad but laughing too hard to care
new2BC4bass reply :
Still have my first baitcasting reel....an Abu Ambassadeur 5001C...and every one I've bought since getting back into fishing 3 years ago. Has the plastic halves that snap over the spool to make it hold less line. Don't think I ever got a regular casting rod for it. As I remember, I couldn't cast it worth a hill of beans so basically it is still mechanically brand new although some paint is wore off from sitting in my boat. Didn't have a computer back then to find out how to use it. Didn't know anyone who fished that type of reel. Haven't used it since buying my first low profile either. It has sat unused for at least 28 years.
Daiwa Fuego on closeout was my first baitcasting reel after getting back into fishing. First, tho, I found this and TT fishing forums. Now I have 3 Fuegos. Like most, I never looked back once I got started for real with them. I haven't had the time or money to accumulate nearly as many as some, but can say I have more than I can use...yet I still check out the "for sale" and "flea market" forums. 
rad07h reply :
Abu Garcia one of their ambassadors
Packard reply :
Shimano Chromica 100B
NBR reply :
Langley Streamlite! Whats that? You don't want to know!
LgMouthGambler reply :
Shimano Bantam Citica which I recently sold. I bought when I was about 12 and determined to fish one, just like they did on TV. Been an addiction ever since!
tstone reply :
Shimano calcutta
Jake P reply :
Abu Garcia Revo S.
John G reply :
I got my first baitcaster in 81 or 82. It was a Shimano Bantam Mag Plus 250SG. I abused the heck out of that reel and I still have it.
Catt reply :
Must be nice to have started out with such high tech equipment 
Penn 209M 3.2:1 gear ratio weight 19 oz
Try burning a H&H spinner bait with that puppy!
0119 reply :
Shimano Beastmaster EX. Those little graphite Shimanos fit the hand perfect. Always wanted one of those jumpsuits. But I did have one of those pro's basket weedguards over my trolling motor prop.
loodkop reply :
Shimano Bantam Crestfire in the 80's. Have tried other brands since but always come back to Shimano.
ChiCityBasser reply :
My first was a Shakespeare which I sold to someone here on the board to use as a crankbait reel. My next was a Cabelas Prodigy and that was 4 or 5 years ago and still going strong.
WookieeJedi reply :
Shakespeare Alpha 1982. I still have it, and it still works. No magnets, just your thumb and spool tension. I still have one of those Ryobi micro V-mags and it's Lew's clone. The Lew's still works thanks to donor parts from the Ryobi.
tholmes reply :
I started with a Shakespeare 1920 Wondereel Model FK that my grandpa gave me, along with a Shakespeare steel rod. No free spool, no bearings. I learned to cast that thing without backlashing and every other baitcaster I had after that seemed easy.
Tom
Travis Dowler reply :
Bass pro compitition series, i had always had open face reels and was reserved on going to a bait caster, the reel was only like 45 bucks cuz it was on sale and i got 10% off for being military. after some small adjustments and minor bird's nest's later i come to love bait caster reels. i look forward to geting another
coak reply :
On 3/22/2012 at 3:52 AM, outdoorsman110 said:Dawia Strikeforce 100H, best reel I have so far, I own 5. Love them.
x2 on the strikeforce....and its been a joy fishing it
berkleyfan81 reply :
abu garcia Ambassadeur 1003LP casting reel my cousin gave this reel to me for free it was a good reel to get me to love baitcastin reels but is not running anymore had to retired it but my second favorite was my Pflueger cetina lp baitcaster reel that i bought from Gander Mtn and it still running strong with my other reels . http://www.bassresou...Ambassador.html
Sherlock 60 reply :
An ABU EON reel about 11 years ago. Not a good baitcaster at all and it never worked very well for me.
Then I got an ABU D5, which was not durable, but it was "easy as pie" to cast and I learned on the D5.
Bassn Blvd reply :
The first reel I learned to fish with AND caught ny first bass on was a red Ambassadeur 5000c back in the 70's.The first reel that I could call mine was given to me as a gift from mom and dad for by birthday and it was a black Abu 6000 on a custom built rod sometime between 1979 and 1982.
scrutch reply :
Shimano Bantam Magnumlite 2000 GT. I was about 12 years old when my mom sprang for that reel and surprised the heck out of me. I spent hours standing on our front porch stoop casting into the puddles at the end of the driveway with a practice plug. I could have knocked the knees out from under a junebug! I got so good at casting that thing that I was picking out individual rocks to hit from about 60 feet. I was so proud of that reel! I was on top of the world!
POPRG reply :
Same here BD,it was on a pistol-grip combo which served me well for many years.On 3/22/2012 at 2:58 AM, Bass Dude said:What was your first baitcast reel?? Mine was a Ryobi V-Mag 3
ww2farmer reply :
Shimano B-Mag 100, and a 5'6" Berkley Lightning rod. I did everything with that combo, and by everything I mean the only two or three things I did LOL. Spinnerbait and t-rigged plastic worm, usualy a Mann's Augertail. Occasionaly I would mix in a top water, like a jitter bug.
Michael DiNardo reply :
An Abu Garcia 5600 Plus followed shortly with a Shimano Bantam Black Magnum 100 GT: I still have both and still fish with them.
Mike
SWside Basser reply :
Ambassadeur 5000D. A direct drive winch !
Fishmaster10 reply :
An Abu Garcia Black Max
Hi Salenity reply :
The 6000 was my first (I have 2) I still use them for Catfish.
The Black one was my first low profile reel.
MichiganFishing1997 reply :
BassProShops Johnny Morris series love it
mikeeasttn reply :
In the mid 80's I started using baitcasters. My first one was the black Shimano Bantam Mag Plus BMP 350. Wish I still had it. Found a BMP250 that was in great shape and sent it to a reel service and had new bearings and it tuned. I love this reel and fish with it most of the time. I will reach for it before I will use my Zillion or Core. It really brings back the memories.
endless reply :
Ambassador 5000. I didn't care for it so gave to my brother and bought me a PQ 7.1:1 combo
South FLA reply :
Green Abu 4500c
TourPT reply :
Mine also was a Ryobi. Don't recall the model but it actaully was a pretty good reel.
Diggy reply :
Some daiwa when I was about 13, returned it with the quickness. No idea how to set it up back then.
SoCalFisher reply :
Shimano curado 200e7 on a Shimano crucial. Love this set up.
whitwolf reply :
On 3/25/2012 at 6:35 AM, TourPT said:Mine also was a Ryobi. Don't recall the model but it actaully was a pretty good reel.
The same here. I think I paid about $20.00 for it back In maybe '80?
I still have the reel somewhere In the attic. I was thrilled to buy and use that reel. It was paired with some no name rod but I really thought I was somebody. lol
jerkbait joe reply :
Shimano B-Mag 100. Still works like new but has been relegated to catfish duty.
aavery2 reply :
I think this was the first quality LP baitcaster that I ever owned.
oldschoolbasser reply :
Ambassadeur 5500C
Stingray23 reply :
My first "real" baitcaster was a Quantum Pro 2C. Still have it. Great reel
bear7625 reply :
ABU Ambassadeur 5000 that I got it as a gift in 1965. 47 years and still goin strong!
A-Rob reply :
bass pro tourney $40
Lucky Craft Man reply :
6' Bass Pro Comp II (with pistol grip) & Daiwa Magforce 1500F.
lou304 reply :
Daiwa Magforce PMF-1500 and Fenwick HMG Graphite pistol grip rod. Still have both and plan on bringing them out of retirement this year. First high end outfit I ever bought. I was so proud.
bird-dog reply :
Mine was a Ryobi V-Mag 3 and I still have it and use it. It sits on a Diawa Samurai rod from the same time period. I bought the reel at SEARS when I was about 14-years-old. I knew nothing about bait-casting reels, so when I bought mine I got it with a left hand retrieve. I thought that was the proper way because that’s how my spinning reels were. As I watched others use a bait-caster, I could never understand why people would by a right hand reel then have to switch hands after the cast. I used to think they were doing it wrong. Little did I know I was the one who was wrong. Well it is 29-years later and I am still fishing with lefty bait-casters.
Jay
Mountain Angler reply :
On 3/22/2012 at 4:10 AM, j.bruno said:Shakespeare piece o junk bait casting reel.
Same here haha
I-wanna-fish-now reply :
A shakesphere combo from walmart is was $30 it wasn't too bad for a beginner I used it till the gears finally wore out I got some pretty good bass on it and a few 10-15 pound cats
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