Our series of articles on Freshwater Fishing Tackle continues as we attempt to remove the fright of purchasing fishing gear from the novice angler.
I personally had to do it the difficult way, I bought tackle that seemed good but was completely incorrect for the chore at hand. With the many reels and rods on the market, not to mention the billions of jigs, hooks, sinkers, line types and other fishing accessories; How could a beginner not make a few inappropriate and expensive wrong decisions?
We started our series on freshwater fishing tackle with the reel; including the spincast and spinning reels. Now we will cover the Ferrari of the fishing domain the Baitcast Reel; also referred to as Baitcaster, baitcasting, casting reel, and a conventional reel.
Baitcast reels can handle larger lines and permits longer casts than spinning reels in the comparable size range. Fishermen frequently use line in the 14-to 17-pound-test range.
The design of the baitcaster allows for precision casting to get the lure precisely where you desire it. They use very tough drag mechanisms to slow larger, stronger fish and are intended to be used with bigger lures.
The baitcast reel is the favorite reel for getting Striped Bass, Bream, Steelhead and more. Because of its casting accuracy it is great for fishing in water where snags can be a trouble or for casting below spans and walkways with limited head room.
Baitcast reels have a rotating spool with the line spooled the same way as the line as it runs down the fishing rod. They have a center pin and the disks are joined by a series of outer pins that exposes the line. Some are built partially from composites, but most are still stainless steel, often with brass pieces in certain areas. The baitcast reel attaches on top of the fishing rod.
Because of it's above the rod mounting the baitcast reel is more troublesome to cast and has a much greater learning curve than either the spincast or spinning reels. For this reason it is not a effective entry level reel for kids or the starting angler.
Also its steeper cost makes it cost prohibitive for the casual weekend fisherman who will only fish from time to time. Lastly since it is principally a cast reel it is not ideal for "pitch it and leave it" type fishing.
A good example of baitcast reel is the "Shimano Calais Baitcaster," priced at under $ 400. Finesse anglers will enjoy the solid feel and fluid handling of the compact low-profile baitcaster. It is made with ten stainless steel anti-rust bearings, flex-free aluminum frame and side-plates, and aluminum spool.
Our review of the Fly Fishing Reel is the next article in the continuing series "Freshwater Fishing Tackle Buyers Guide."