bait casting reels

[ga.prime]

I learned to use a bait casting reel back around 1970 with a Pflueger Supreme loaded with braided line. That was a backlashing son of a gun. The bait casting reels of today are a piece of cake compared to those old reels. Nowadays I use Abu Garcia Ambassadors. I've had 5000's, 5500's, and others. They're all good. You don't need the most expensive one.

 

[Brute 23]

is there anyone else in here that cant use them? i opt for spinning reels as my preference. if i had to fish to keep my family alive with one we would starve everytime I flip it out i get a huge birdnest. :lol:

I catch nothing but hell about using spinning reals... coffee grinders... from my fishing buddies. While they are doing the bait cast jerk from backlashing Im catching fish. Get out there on a windy day where they can't cast with the wind and it will eat there lunch.

You get a bull red on that spinning reel they will burn it up.

Really... How big you consider big? I've caught every thing from perch, bass, catfish, trout, reds, dolphin, wahoo, tarpon, tuna and shark off a spinning reels. Its all about having the right reel for the job.

I hate to admit how much I fish... people might accuse me of neglecting the cattle. I have Fluger fresh water reals that you buy for $30 at Wal-Mart that have put pleanty of fish in the boat for 3 or 4 years now. We wade the POC-Seadrift area. I keep them on some $30 wal-mart rods for buddies or who ever doesn't have their own gear.

Get the right reel for the job. Clean it, take care of it, and it will do any thing a bait cast will do... many times at a fraction of the cost. I've smoked a bait cast just as fast as a spinning real.

No matter if its golf, hunting, fishing, or what ever... people spend too much time trying to look good rather than be good. ;-) I run a 10+yr Dargel Scout that I paid cash for and rod a real set ups that probably run $150. It hasn't slowed me down yet.

Notice the reel in the pic ;-)

 

[skyhightree1]

nice pics brute I will gladly take those flounder off your hand

 

[Caustic Burno]

Brute I won't argue they make a spinning reel to catch almost anything.
I have never seen one hold up and I will stand behind that. I know of no one that has one that really fished last.
Never seen someone still using the same one 20 or 30 year's like a garcia 5000 or the Shimano's. A few trip's a year they might be ok. I fished 200 day's a year for year's commercially with a rod and reel before trout and red's were reclassified as gamefish in about 1980 or so. I have cauhgt tarpon, ling, bull red, stripper, trout, and snook all on the same Garcia 5000, you are not going to do that on the same spinning reel .

You did have a nice black drum and tarpon.
The flat fish you can keep, never cared for them.

 

[Brute 23]

A guy who fishes 200 days a year won't be asking about about spinning reels on a Cattle Forum. ;-) Thats like me telling every person on this board they need a 18 wheeler and double decker to haul their cattle to auction. 90% of them can use a bumper pull and a 1/2 ton..... Same thing on the reels.

I am far from a pro or any thing like that.... but we are a long ways from once or twice a year. I'll average 2 days a week from May to Sept.

We don't go after flounder on a regular basis. Had a guy go with us who showed us the art of catching flounder on a reel by bouncing gulp along the bottom of creeks. Pretty neet deal. It was some thing new.

 

[skyhightree1]

lol i love flounder if i were closer to the atlantic id fish 300 days a year for them I love them.

 

[Caustic Burno]

A guy who fishes 200 days a year won't be asking about about spinning reels on a Cattle Forum. ;-) Thats like me telling every person on this board they need a 18 wheeler and double decker to haul their cattle to auction. 90% of them can use a bumper pull and a 1/2 ton..... Same thing on the reels.

I am far from a pro or any thing like that.... but we are a long ways from once or twice a year. I'll average 2 days a week from May to Sept.

We don't go after flounder on a regular basis. Had a guy go with us who showed us the art of catching flounder on a reel by bouncing gulp along the bottom of creeks. Pretty neet deal. It was some thing new.

I fished commercial for year's and I hate to tell you that you don't have a bull red in any of those pic's. I started out in a 15' molded plywood Yellowjacket, then went to a 17 Lamar and finally a 17 foot Whaler.
When you start hanging the 30 pounders up there you have a bull red. As far as the trout go if the were not 24" or longer they were throwback's. I quit commercial fishing when trout and redfish were reclassified as game fish in 1981 and got my guide license. I only guided when my fishing partner was overbooked. Got where the bay had got so crowded with yahoo's I and sold my Whaler in 1986. Bought a Carolina skiff a few year's later and gave it to my youngest son to use so when I go back down on the coast so I can go chase trophy trout. These are the kind I was chasing.




This was an interesting journey as well.
http://www.fiberglassics.com/library/Yellow_Jacket
http://continuouswave.com/whaler/cetace ... 3x354.jpeg

 

[Brute 23]

That is a beauty CB.

I've never really had the funds for mounts. Im suppose to fish Falcon in Oct, already started a little saving account. If I get one of those big suckers its going on the wall.

Those aren't my only pics. ;-) Im not really in to the big fish. Bull reds, Tarpon, Marlin, Shark... all that stuff is not as great as it seems. Once you have been hooked up for over 20min.... the fun has left the building and it becomes work IMO. Il take big trout, 24-34 Reds, Dolphin, ect all day over being hooked up for 30... 45... an hour. We have to follow those big tarpot around until they are done. Id much rather have a beer in my hand than the rod on that deal. Those big 5-6' can throw their whole bodies clear out of the water. Its awesome.

Tuna was one of the most unexpected catches. You would think they would run.... nope... exact opposite. The dive straight down and its like trying to drag a big ol catfish off the bottom of a muddy tank. No run, no fancy top water action. They just burry the pole until they are done then you reel them up.

My grandfather fished the KR shorline and all over Corpus for years. It was rear drives on wooden boats. Back then you could catch reds on a hook with a piece of flagging cut in a triangle. Its a little different today.

 

[Caustic Burno]

That trout should have pushed 11 1/2 or better had I caught her in the spring full of row instead dead of winter she only went 10 1/2.

Dad used to bait trot line's for red's in Trinty Bay with strip's of a red rag I had forgotten about that.
I have seen dad get the shrimp net hung up on a log or something and dive in to get it untangled. Aint no way I was, I still have his net needles. I didn't even know you were supposed to eat beef until I was a teenager.
I thought everyone had 4 to 5 hundred pound's of shrimp tail's in the freezer along with trout, red's and oysters.
If you really want to catch trophy trout you need to go to Laguna Madre, Trinty or East Bay.
Seadrift is a great place to catch a lot of fish just not a lot of big fish.
Get you a 7 inch redfin chrome with a blue back the solid one not the jointed one.
You won't have anything under 24 " go after it. Find you a good flat with some deep water close and ease in and have a good time. It has to be secluded and quite can't have a bunch of yahoo's running around.

 

[Anonymous]

For flipping baits out there isn't a reel out there that can give you the accuracy to beat a bait caster. Under obstructions, in pockets, the bait caster is the best there is. But don't even think about using a stuff line. The limpet the line the better it will fall off the reel. Years ago I tried that new braid called fireline. Black line stuff as a board. Loaded up a Reel and the first cast bird nested so bad I cut it all off and never used it again. Power pro tho will fall off a reel nicely and with 0 stretch its my go to line for anything from offshore tuna Down to specs

 

[Brute 23]

Seadrift is a great place to catch a lot of fish just not a lot of big fish.
Get you a 7 inch redfin chrome with a blue back the solid one not the jointed one.
You won't have anything under 24 " go after it. Find you a good flat with some deep water close and ease in and have a good time. It has to be secluded and quite can't have a bunch of yahoo's running around.

Im spoiled there because its right at an hour. There is a great little ramp that is super shallow and has quite a few obstacles to get out of so most of the weekend warriors dodge it. We know the bay pretty well. Even on a bad day we can hit enough spots drag some thing in.

To go dragging the boat several hours away, to stuff I don't know, for a few more inches doesn't peak my interest. Im very much a creature of habbit.

My buddies went to Corpus a couple of weekends ago... I had to work... ended up with a 25" and 26" trout... Real nice... back to back. Im sure they will be on me hard about getting down there more.

 

[Edward Ronald]

I have used Shimano chronarch reels which are best and affordable. I am satisfied and recommends to use Shimano chronarch reels only.

 

[denvermartinfarms]

I have used Shimano chronarch reels which are best and affordable. I am satisfied and recommends to use Shimano chronarch reels only.

That's what I said on the first page, but in the last year or 2. They have cut the quality a little and I don't believe they are what they used to be. The new reels we buy now and will replace all the chronarchs with are lews reels, there not any cheaper but they seem to have about the best quality of anything we can find. The other thing I have noticed is not hardly anyone here does the same kind of fishing I do.

 

[Brute 23]

What kind of fishing do you do?

 

[denvermartinfarms]

What kind of fishing do you do?

Well it's all fresh water, it makes sence with others locations I just never thought that much about it. I have grown up with fishing being a huge part of my life, my dad would go 6 days a week if he could. Bass, crappie, and walleye is our main 3. Dad has been a fishing guide off and on for 15 years. I was out in the boat with him and mom at 2 months old, and started fishing bass tournaments with him at 11.

 

[Brute 23]

Nice... that is a lot of fun. I always enjoyed Crappie fishing. We would use those little poles and jig next to stumps or with lights at night. Its funny how often you would hook on to a catfish or some thing else. It was on then.

What does a Walleye fight like?

 

[denvermartinfarms]

Nice... that is a lot of fun. I always enjoyed Crappie fishing. We would use those little poles and jig next to stumps or with lights at night. Its funny how often you would hook on to a catfish or some thing else. It was on then.

What does a Walleye fight like?

Crappie fishing tied up to trees at night is a lot of fun. To me a walleye don't fight much different than a bass of the same size. But they bite a little different.

 

[Brute 23]

That's cool. I love how every fish fights and bites different.

 

[JSCATTLE]

I fish about 3 days a week now . I prefer curado 50E s but you have to buy them second hand now . Lately I've been fishing with the academy brand reels h2o mettle. I bought 5 of them at Christmas for 29 a piece . They cast just as far as my super tuned curado s . And when they wear out I put them in the trash . I caught over 250 specks from first week of April until last week . On one reel . It has started to back reel a little bit so I changed it out . I usually only flounder fish but I'm trying to win my sons a free ride to college through the cca tournament . My 5 year old caught a 27.5 inch speck a week before the tournament started all by himself . I've been fishing with bait casters since I was 6 years old . I started with Abu Garcia 5000 . I still use 6500s for red fishing .

 

[greybeard]

Shimano Bantam Mag that is a couple decades old is my favorite.
You don't have to disassemble it to change the anti-backlash magnetic brake--just turn the knob.

I have a Pinnacle Pro that I've used since 2004, but not crazy about it if fishing in any wind at all.