My first Baitcaster ready for spooling!

[AKRISONER]

31 minutes ago, Duckie said:

when i started learning in 1998 I used to take the hooks off of a Rat L trap and practice casting either on my street or a local park with 12 pound mono.

 

22 years later I still use 12 pound mono (I like Sufix Siege) lol

After a while you will be so good you will cast and switch hands without even thinking about it (often before the lure even hits the water)

(assuming you are using a classic righty reel)

 

Good luck and practice practice practice off the water first so by the time you hit the water you are confident. 

 

have fun!

Hell don’t confuse the guy lol

bloody bass weirdos switching hands with bait casters still to this day is wild lol.  

I still don’t understand why people do this, but then again, go down south and watch how guys cast. You can tell they fish a heck of a lot in the trees. I could swear to god the guys on santee don’t even know how to sidearm or overhead cast. They flip everything from crankbaits to dropshots!

[siwash]

I choose a lefty reel. Usually go right with spinning 

got advice to go left. Hope that was correct info!!

 

my yard is pretty big so I should be go to go to practice back there. 

[misfish]

2 hours ago, AKRISONER said:

Hell don’t confuse the guy lol

bloody bass weirdos switching hands with bait casters still to this day is wild lol.  

I still don’t understand why people do this, but then again, go down south and watch how guys cast. You can tell they fish a heck of a lot in the trees. I could swear to god the guys on santee don’t even know how to sidearm or overhead cast. They flip everything from crankbaits to dropshots!

Spinning and float/fly reels I reel left hand,cast with right . Bait caster,  the opposite.  LOL

[siwash]

1 hour ago, misfish said:

Spinning and float/fly reels I reel left hand,cast with right . Bait caster,  the opposite.  LOL

Oh no, now I'm confused! 😂

[OhioFisherman]

1 hour ago, siwash said:

Oh no, now I'm confused! 😂

Basically it's just a comfort thing, I am right handed, but all my reels were left hand retrieve, and all the baitcasters I learned on were right hand retrieve.

[AKRISONER]

4 hours ago, siwash said:

Oh no, now I'm confused! 😂

So try to keep this short...but guys that started baitcasting would cast and then switch hands to then reel. 
 

don’t ask my why they do this especially these days now that both handed baitcasters are available (back in the day reels only came one way)

to this day it makes no sense to me, but with both handed baitcasters now available I think people that fish in this old traditional method will slowly disappear.

I personally cannot reel comfortably with my left hand, so for me to have right handed spinning reels and then left handed casters makes no sense at all. I want to reel with my right hand all of the time so I do that. I guess some right handed folks never feel comfortable controlling their spool while baitcasting using their left hand, hence they want to control the spool with their dominant hand even if it means that they then have to reel with their left hand which is sometimes the opposite of the hand that they use for reeling spinning gear.

im a real weirdo and it’s probably because of hockey? But I’m right handed in all things but hockey and batting while playing baseball and golf. Hence I can actually control a fishing rod comfortably with both hands. But don’t ask me to cast a rod from my right side, it feels super akward...unless that is of course while I am fly casting...because I fly cast right handed...I’m a mess lmao

[kickingfrog]

30 Years ago just about all bait casters had the handle on the right side and it's only been about 20 years that left handle (used mostly by right handers) have been readily available across multiple brands. I think this is from the time of the old level wind reels, the belief was that the dominate hand should be used turn the handle. For most of us using our dominate hand to power the cast (top hand on the rod) or to one hand cast makes sense. Then, for most, we prefer to use our dominate hand to control the rod and impart action and our offhand just collects the line. The long time bait cast guys that learned when there was only one choice switch so fast and smooth that it really doesn't matter to them but it does stick out if you look for it.

[12 Volt Man]

yup, when i learned how in 1998 shimano was just starting to release a few lefties but most companies had only righty's available.

 

so we cast and switched. tough to unlearn that once you get good. 

[OhioFisherman]

My first lefty was one like this, an Abu 5001c from 1971, it was the first lefty reel I had seen. Like because my first one had what they called grooved rims. A couple of years later I got another from Bass Pro Shops that had beveled rims like this one and a power handle.

Edited April 1, 2021 by OhioFisherman

[BillM]

I switch hands in the air with all my baitcasters.    I must be doing something wrong  

[woodenboater]

am right handed and cast with the right (spinning, bait cast and fly) but use left handed reels

[misfish]

5 hours ago, BillM said:

I switch hands in the air with all my baitcasters.    I must be doing something wrong  

Funny part with me is,when I am flipping, I have the rod in my right hand . After I set the hook,  I switch the rod to my left hand and reel in with my right.

 

And if you want to see a B.A.S.S pro right hand cast and switch to the left, I do a real good one. Almost looks like a cowboy throwing a laso rope. LOL

Edited April 1, 2021 by misfish

[siwash]

Hey guys - switching the topic up a little but still on the baitcaster; can I use old powerpro that's on a spinning reel to practice? I was thinking of spooling it into my new baitcaster.  I think it's 30 or 40 lbs test... it's a few years old and a touch faded but seems ok... maybe I'll strip off 10 or 20 yards then spool?

[AKRISONER]

42 minutes ago, siwash said:

Hey guys - switching the topic up a little but still on the baitcaster; can I use old powerpro that's on a spinning reel to practice? I was thinking of spooling it into my new baitcaster.  I think it's 30 or 40 lbs test... it's a few years old and a touch faded but seems ok... maybe I'll strip off 10 or 20 yards then spool?

thats a great idea...braid never really goes bad until its been worn and frayed from a lot of casting. Guys will even unspool reels with braid and then flip the line around and put the old stuff towards the backing and the stuff that hasnt been cast on a ton at the end.

 

Heavy braid thats 30-40lbs is also wayyy easier to cast. I think youve got yourself a good idea there.

[lew]

You've received some good advice here siwash but just remember that there's absolutely nothing mystical or difficult about a baitcaster and just think of it as another tool in the box and in no time you'll be firing baits all over the lake without thinking about.

As someone mentioned before just snug down the tension a bit to start and gradually loosen it off as you get the hang of it. I had all my reels set up so that I could fire a bait as hard as I wanted and as soon as it touched the water the reel would stop spinning. As the weight on the different baits changed it just takes a slight adjustment and your good to go again.

Just takes a bit of practice & you'll be golden.

[dave524]

I recall seeing a lot of oldtimers in the 50's early 60's when spinners were becoming popular, cast a spinner with their right hand and then switch the rod to their left and reel backwards with the right with the reel sitting on top of the rod, talk about AFU. 🤣

edit: sometimes the reel was on a offset pistol grip handled baitcast rod

Edited April 9, 2021 by dave524

[siwash]

22 minutes ago, AKRISONER said:

thats a great idea...braid never really goes bad until its been worn and frayed from a lot of casting. Guys will even unspool reels with braid and then flip the line around and put the old stuff towards the backing and the stuff that hasnt been cast on a ton at the end.

 

Heavy braid thats 30-40lbs is also wayyy easier to cast. I think youve got yourself a good idea there.

thank you! 

[siwash]

Thanks to all for the excellent and thoughtful advice! I will update you on my birdsnest count soon!!!! 😆

[Mr Greedydrift]

Baitcasters for me are a tricky thing. I like to cast baits far so I dial in the tension to do that. Then turn the boat into the wind to follow the weedline - backlash. Wind is a baitcasters enemy. This is where thumbing the spool as the line goes out is important.

As for the right/left thing, here is my opinion-

Spinning reel - left hand retrieve, float reel left hand, fly reel left hand, downrigging reel left hand, mooching reel left hand etc.

Baitcaster - left hand retrieve. Why anyone would fumble around switching hands during a cast is something I will never understand. I once saw a buddy almost lose his musky rod when his reel backlashed while he was switching hands. I just think its a wasted movement.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[OhioFisherman]

Depending on how and where you fish you probably don't need to fill the reel up with braided line, use some mono for backing.

[BillM]

On 4/9/2021 at 12:47 PM, Mr Greedydrift said:

Baitcaster - left hand retrieve. Why anyone would fumble around switching hands during a cast is something I will never understand. I once saw a buddy almost lose his musky rod when his reel backlashed while he was switching hands. I just think its a wasted movement.

It's funny, I couldn't cast with my left arm even if I wanted to.  All casting is right hand dominant, doesn't matter if it's spinning, baitcast, float, fly, whatever.    I'll happily strip line and reel with my left hand if I'm fly fishing or float fishing or spinning.   But baitcasting, gotta use my right hand.   Doesn't matter if I'm tossing 1/4oz topwater for bass or Pounders for muskie.  Switch is always made in the air before the bait lands.   I've been doing that forever, I don't even notice it now.    I'm sure it looks odd to some. 

[captpierre]

Use a heavier weight at the end of your line to practice. I stood on a picnic table at the park. A light lure will require a harder cast. This leads to a bird nest because of spool  over spin. IMO you need a magic thumb to cast light jigs with bait caster. For me a spinning reel is best for the light stuff. 

[siwash]

2 hours ago, captpierre said:

Use a heavier weight at the end of your line to practice. I stood on a picnic table at the park. A light lure will require a harder cast. This leads to a bird nest because of spool  over spin. IMO you need a magic thumb to cast light jigs with bait caster. For me a spinning reel is best for the light stuff. 

What about using lead weight?  like a 1/2 ounce? 

[captpierre]

1 minute ago, siwash said:

What about using lead weight?  like a 1/2 ounce? 

Sure. Sounds about right. 

[AKRISONER]

13 hours ago, captpierre said:

Use a heavier weight at the end of your line to practice. I stood on a picnic table at the park. A light lure will require a harder cast. This leads to a bird nest because of spool  over spin. IMO you need a magic thumb to cast light jigs with bait caster. For me a spinning reel is best for the light stuff. 

I would literally say the complete opposite. Not to toot my own horn here, But I also consider myself pretty decent with the caster. At least at casting.

still learning precise underhand skipping with it. But I put the time in to practice it. 
 

(side note if you want to watch some baitcasting mastery, watch bassmaster live today and watch guys like Seth fieder flip baits those guys are fishing really really shallow right now and a guy like fieder is one of the best on the entire tour casting to lay downs etc.)
 

the perfect example of this are with smaller crankbaits and square bills etc. Stuff that with a spinning set up just doesn’t fly, especially into the wind. With the caster I can still get them to go. 
 

the thumb is getting a workout though that’s for sure. But learning to cast on Georgian bay has been really really good for teaching me how to cast into the wind, there’s no other option when the wind is over 20kmh+ off of the lake every day in the summer.

Edited April 11, 2021 by AKRISONER