[JasonN]

Mostly sunny; temps around 80; NW winds 5-10mph; fished from 6:30pm-9pm; fished with Aris (Culprit) and Augy.

I finally purchased a baitcaster reel so I wanted to practice using it. Got a few backlashes, but i'm learning.

Anyways... Aris and Augy got into some decent largemouth in the 12-13" range on the south rocks using Senko's. My dumb-ass got skunked. But again... I was practiceing more than anything else
:?

 

[BassCaster]

Some nice bass there

Ah........ the joy of learning the baitcaster. Once you get the hang of it you will be hooked(no pun intended) Start out with a senko then once you can cast without any backlash go lighter. I am having a very hard time with the 3" slug-go just way to light. A senko or Yum dinger casts just fine though.

 

[JasonN]

I still can't figure out how the hell to actually cast a Senko on a baitcaster with 12lb line. Augy was doing it though. I feel like a retard! I'm gonna show up with a big yellow helmet riding a tricycle instead! :x

 

[Topwater]

Hey Augy, how far can you cast a 5-6" senko or dinger with 8-10lb mono on your baitcaster?

 

[BassCaster]

it's all in how you set up the backlash setting vs. the spool setting for each lure. Baitcasting is all in the wrist/thumb you will get it. stick with it. I know the feeling when trying to learn it's llike anything else strange and awkward at first. Once you get it it's hard to go back to a spin caster

 

[Topwater]

yeah, but how far? distance in approx. feet. I have to cast a good distance in some cases and if it truly is just a matter of skill then ok, but somehow I don't think it is just that, I'm thinking for a similar distance to spinning you'd have to go way up in $$$, right? I'm sure they're great reels, but I can't justify spending that much on a reel that isn't really gonna effect my fishing outside of the cast, right???

 

[BassCaster]

ya for good distance having a good baitcaster does help. I have a Daiwa Viento baitcaster on 8lb braided fire wire it's $$$ but it's worth it. Got it on ebay for a bout 2/3 of the list price. Well worth it smooooth!! Dam better be for the price :lol:

 

[krnfishboy7786]

Hey Augy and Aris, nice fish! Man, haven't been out to The Glen for a week or so now and for some reason... I miss it. hahah, hope ta see you guys out there before I head back to school in the end of August. Oh yeah, and i'll see you guys for sure at Deep this weekend.

 

[Culprit]

my 3 fish on 4" junebug yum dingers.

 

[Culprit]

 

[Culprit]

See ya at Deep Tim,and I`m sure at the Glen before u head out for school bud!

 

[toothdoc]

I was going to head out to the Glen last night and ended up working later than I had planned. Looks like I should have gone. I think I will go out tonight.

 

[krnfishboy7786]

Hey Topwater,
For the most part (in terms of feet) I can cast a Dinger or Senko the same distance as I could a with a spinning rod (unless a wind is going against me). Sometimes when I use my 7' rod I can cast a freaking mile b/c the rods so long. Casting distance doesn't really reflect the price of the reel -- if you buy any decent reel $50-60+, you should be able to cast just fine and far. If you buy anything too cheap and don't understand how to work the reel's magnetic knob thing (I think they call it the casting control cap), you'll be probably casting no farther than 20 feet.

Also, another benefit of using a baitcaster is that you're able to fish lures that need to be fast, quickly. Most spinning rods have low gear ratios, but baitcasting reels can go up to 6:3:1 and even faster than that! (one good example to explain this is if you use a buzzbait w/ a spinning rod you need to reel as fast as you can) w/ a baitcaster with a decent/fast gear ratio you don't have to reel in as fast and furiously, lol. This also is crucial with crankbait fishing when you need to get the crankbait into the strike zone when fish are holding deep.

Hope this helped, Good fishin.

 

[Topwater]

Thanks krn, that helps a lot. Still can't justify one in my budget with the Trophy Wife but at least I can understand a bit more. The retrieve rate makes sense to me, the rest sounds like no real benefit over a spinning reel, at least to me. ya still have to be proficient with either one. Besides, part of why I got into fishing was cause it CAN be a cheap hobby, 'ceptn them darn senkos!! Still need to try the stick-o's......

 

[Augy]

Like fishboy mentioned, casting a senko/dinger is about the same distance as spinning and sometimes farther. Even a 4" dinger is no problem. Depends on how you setup the brakes and tension. I'm using 14lb line right now and it casts fine.

Watching Jay cast that thing was a hoot! Good stuff! He started with the anti-backlash at 10 and worked his way down to 5. Try over the left shoulder bro...I'm tellin ya, it's makes all the difference.

Top, why baitcasters? Raw power brother. When your working big lures and fishing the heaviest of cover, where the biguns hang out,nothing compares to the raw power of baitcasters. I must say, I haven't picked up a spinning rig ever since. I'm sold!

 

[krnfishboy7786]

Hey Topwater, I've actually been fishing with the Stick-O's all week. The first time I used them I was really skeptical actually b/c they felt cheaper and didn't seem to fish the same. After fishing them on 3 more outings this past week, I can definitely say that they are pretty darn similar. I watched them carefully and they do fall very similarly to the senko, (Of course I love the original G. Yammamoto Senko the best) but honestly they are real expensive when you can use up to 5-6 of them in one outing. I'd say buy a bag and try them out.

 

[krnfishboy7786]

Ah, yes and when you do get your baitcaster... and fish Senkos on it, I have to say be CAREFUL...
last time, after a bunch of casts and a few fish my senko got worn out. So, when I made the cast on my baitcasting rod, I whipped it out there but the senko flew off the hook and I got the most horrible backlash because the hook didnt move as fast as the spool was moving in the reel. It was madness.

 

[MrB]

Looks like you guys had fun. I practiced casting a weighted tube in my yard with the baitcaster. Ummmm....this is going take some practice. :lol:

 

[Topwater]

Thats exactly what happened when I tried a baitcaster several weeks ago! I often have the same thing happen with my spinning reels, the senko wearing out and flying off on a strong/hard cast, but the spinning doesn't get a birdsnest. I guess this is the exact issue I was trying to get at in all my baitcaster posts. I tend to have to cast very, very far at Opeka to get to good drops and weeds, so for me I need both the ability to cast far and the relative assurance that I'm not going to have a mess to clean up if the above happens. Would this be more likely with light lures too? Like a 1/8oz jig head with curlytail? Or smaller crappie type jigs?

 

[Augy]

Top, the idea is to have the tools available for various situations. spinning rigs and baitcasting are like a philips and flathead screwdriver. they are both screwdrivers but have different duties.

think baitcasters for big lures and heavy cover and spinning for finesse and light presentations. they both should be in the boat, not just one or the other.