What is the secret for using a biatcasting combo?

[craigatkins]

I am an avid flyfisherman, and spincasting guy. I started watching a lot of bass shows and noted that most of them are using baitcasting combo's so I considered it a chance to get more gear. Well, I bought a fairly good lamiglas rod and a Quantum reel and I am here to tell you I suck when it comes to casting it. I am pretty acurate when I use a spincasting combo but this baitcasting unit seems to be a highly technical way to fish. I figure maybe I am practicing with to light of a lure or something. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[beaverfan]

One word, PRACTICE! It can be a pain in the butt but it shouldn't take too long. It took me a couple hours practice and 2 or 3 trips to even cast a decent distance without getting a backlash every cast.

 

[eggs]

start with a heavier wieght and tighten down resistance on the spool.. never take your thumb off the spool! lift your thumb off the line then back down on the line before it hits the water! Also a smooth graceful cast will do wonders over a fast twitch cast when learning! let the wieght of the lure pull the line out.. slowly loosen the resistance on the spool and lighten the lure.. like fly fishing it take practice!

i still get my share of birdsnests but i know as i get better i will fish with them more and more.. casting far and on a dime.

 

[Mike123]

They aren't worth using for tossing hardware. I just use them for bobber fishing salmon(heavy weights), plunking, trolling, and sometimes drift fishing. Float fishing steelhead and casting hardware is for spinning reels IMO.

Adjust your brake system to where the weight falls fast, then tighten it just enough to slow down the fall of the weight a little. That's how I like mine. Too tight of brake will make it hard to cast and backlash, and too loose will require you to use more thumb. I like to just use more thumb to control it. Just takes practice like everyone said.
Practice in your back yard with a 1/2oz. piece of lead and some crappy line. That will get you the feel of it down.

 

[fishindude]

I've found that rotating the rod 90 degrees left or right while casting a baitcaster gives me better control of my cast . IMO

 

[craigatkins]

great suggestions, I will give it a try. Unfortunately I live in Wallowa county and we still have snow falling, kinda takes the fun out of practicing, I don't mind catching fish in the cold but throwing in the yard is hard to do in this weather. Will give it a try next week. Thanks again to everyone.

 

[Thuggin4Life]

Pratice just like thesee guys said and the brake system and weights. Try buying some of those bouncing betties for practice. i gave up and only use they for trolling since i already know how to cast a spinning rod and they work just as good. good luck.

 

[USCGAUXHinkle]

best advice i can give you is let your GEAR do the work. you usually don't have to put too much muscle at all into a cast. that was my biggest mistake. you spend a ton of extra cash on a high tech reel - let it work for you! once you get good with these reels, that's probably all you'll use. also, pick up a Baitcast Pic from BPS. these are VERY helpful in picking out backlash. also, don't get discouraged. EVERYONE gets backlashes, no matter what. but landing a big ol' fish on one of those reels makes you never want to look back.

 

[craigatkins]

thanks for the advice, the weather has turned better so I am going to get some practice. Check out the thread on Kokanee fishing, I happened onto the guy who just caught the national record koke up at wallowa lake. 8lbs. 8oz. what a horse.

 

[Boo]

I found that the "baitcasting" reel makes a most excellent door stop!

 

[Amberjack]

They aren't worth using for tossing hardware. I just use them for bobber fishing salmon(heavy weights), plunking, trolling, and sometimes drift fishing. Float fishing steelhead and casting hardware is for spinning reels IMO.

Adjust your brake system to where the weight falls fast, then tighten it just enough to slow down the fall of the weight a little. That's how I like mine. Too tight of brake will make it hard to cast and backlash, and too loose will require you to use more thumb. I like to just use more thumb to control it. Just takes practice like everyone said.
Practice in your back yard with a 1/2oz. piece of lead and some crappy line. That will get you the feel of it down.

I disagree with your statement about tossing hardware. That's all I use is a baitcaster for tossing jigs, spoon, crankbaits, spinnerbaits, topwater, worms, freshwater saltwater.
You did hit then nail on the head about the cast control knob. Once you get the hang of throwing it, you will never go back to a spinning rod, allthough I do use one for very light baits. I find baitcasters are extremely accurate, and can cast farther distances than a spinning combo. I like Shimano and Avet SX's for bait casters.

 

[colbypearson]

practice practice practice, if you just want to cast it will take a while, but you can do some pretty amazing tight area casting with baitcast gear

 

[colbypearson]

I disagree with your statement about tossing hardware. That's all I use is a baitcaster for tossing jigs, spoon, crankbaits, spinnerbaits, topwater, worms, freshwater saltwater.
You did hit then nail on the head about the cast control knob. Once you get the hang of throwing it, you will never go back to a spinning rod, allthough I do use one for very light baits. I find baitcasters are extremely accurate, and can cast farther distances than a spinning combo. I like Shimano and Avet SX's for bait casters.

yep i love my shimano curado's old and new

 

[Amberjack]

yep i love my shimano curado's old and new

+10 on the Curados, try a Chronarch... Colby.

 

[halibuthitman]

practice practice practice, if you just want to cast it will take a while, but you can do some pretty amazing tight area casting with baitcast gear

I can't picture a tight area a baitcaster would get in that I can't hit with a spin reel, The 3 guys I river fish the most with are all ambassador whipped, they carry 2 or 3 a piece and at any given time one of them is F-ng with their reels, my spinrod is simple, I have 2 spools and a screw and any mess or line issue is stored away in seconds and im back at fishing... meanwhile they are sitting on a rock asking if I have any w.d 40 or needlenose pliers.. so, in closing my answer to the question would be unless your in a boat...and have 3 rods with you... throw it away, spin reels are 100% more reliable, easier to fix a back lash in and can usally be fixed in the field... baitcasters are for pulling plugs and whippin at bass snags or bobber fishing, and bobbers are propperly fished with centerpins.

 

[colbypearson]

+10 on the Curados, try a Chronarch... Colby.

for sure i am interested in the core's also by shimano i am a die hard shimano guy, i will stick with curado's since the cost effectiveness i can get them for 125$ so you really can't go wrong!

daiwa makes some good reels also. fuego,sol,zillion etc...

 

[Amberjack]

I'll take any baitcaster that you throw away !!!!. As Colby stated practice practice practice. I have had issue with spinning combo's. Biggest complaint is line twist. Colby is 100% corrrect on accuracy. Casting into a 6" diameter circle, at a distance is very possbile with a baitcaster. Spinning combos are reliable. We use them on Charter Boats because most folks are unfamiliar with baitcasters. Once you get the hang of it, you will never go back. It took me a while but now can cast an Avet SX or a Penn 501 (Both have no cast control or magnetics on them). If you look at the dynamics of casting a baitcaster versus a spinning rod (Line feed from the spool) the baitcaster makes a lot of sense, especially for long distance casting.

 

[colbypearson]

I can't picture a tight area a baitcaster would get in that I can't hit with a spin reel, The 3 guys I river fish the most with are all ambassador whipped, they carry 2 or 3 a piece and at any given time one of them is F-ng with their reels, my spinrod is simple, I have 2 spools and a screw and any mess or line issue is stored away in seconds and im back at fishing... meanwhile they are sitting on a rock asking if I have any w.d 40 or needlenose pliers.. so, in closing my answer to the question would be unless your in a boat...and have 3 rods with you... throw it away, spin reels are 100% more reliable, easier to fix a back lash in and can usally be fixed in the field... baitcasters are for pulling plugs and whippin at bass snags or bobber fishing, and bobbers are propperly fished with centerpins.

casting reels hold larger line with more ease can often be lighter, one you learn them there isn't a need to pick out backlashes they have better more reliable drag in my opinion and never get line twists the LP versions are comfortable to palm as well, i am a baitcast kind of guy though.

 

[Amberjack]

for sure i am interested in the core's also by shimano i am a die hard shimano guy, i will stick with curado's since the cost effectiveness i can get them for 125$ so you really can't go wrong!

daiwa makes some good reels also. fuego,sol,zillion etc...

$125 ???? new?? No way, last one I bought was $175 plus sales tax. Curados are awesome for the money. And to give you how reliable they are... I hooked and landed 5 Albacore this past summer on a Curado, custom bass rod I made and 20lb Izorline. I was sure the reel would explode.. never did, and the drags are still functionable.

 

[colbypearson]

$125 ???? new?? No way, last one I bought was $175 plus sales tax. Curados are awesome for the money. And to give you how reliable they are... I hooked and landed 5 Albacore this past summer on a Curado, custom bass rod I made and 20lb Izorline. I was sure the reel would explode.. never did, and the drags are still funtionable.

oh ya my curado that i bought first is a MACHINE to say the least it is the bomb!, and ya i get various discounts for almost all my fishing tackle nowadays, i know tons of people in the industry i got mine just after the e7's came out in lat 2008 and to today its still my go to reel bar none, i use it for jig fishing wether it be skipping jigs under trees, and docks or flipping and pitching heavy cover i have caught literally 10's of thousands of bass on them, including a 8 and a 10lbr this year alone