My new Setup

[CarloT]

Hey BuckNuz

 

I have the same reel on one of my rods... Try and get spare springs for the twitching bar.. I've gone through 2 in 6 months I've had it. I have to admit the twitching bar give surface lures and awesome action esp. spro frogs, chugbugs and spooks!

Also very handy when you have a beer in one hand and twitching with the other!

 

[scuba]

i take it then you did not get a chance to put tape on the spool first???

once you get the hang of it you will never use another reel for all round use...

 

[badballie]

Lol ...I remember that feeling when I first got my baitcaster ...so excited ..read all the details I could find on how to set it up..did the adjustnments ...went to the lawn and did my first cast ....crows nest deluxe ...cut of all the line and reloaded ..highly p%&sed off ...for the first few outings ended up with crows nests every 3rd cast ..spend more time undoing crows nest than fishing .....

But once you get the hang of it ..then it really starts getting fun...

A few tips from a relative novice :

When casting, so not try and cast "hard" like you are used to on a coffee grinder...."soft" casts work better ..more like flicking the rod ....gradually increase your power from there, but never as much as with a grinder.
You will see just a sligth soft cast at first to get the feel ...and you will get more distance than that monster casts that end up in a crows nest.

When you do get a tangle ..reverse the spool and try and pick the line where you can see the tangle ..pull the tangle back towards you and then pull the line in front of the reel to the rod tip end..you'l feel it coming loose and pretty soon ..even monster nests untangle relatively quickly .

 

[badballie]

O yes and when casting ..turn the rod so that the reel is vertical or at least at about 45 deg ...apparently helps the line run smoother off the reel and prevents tangles

 

[Scrat]

I remember my first day with my baitcaster. I wanted to through the thing in the trash after 2 min.

You need to set the magnetic break to max. Then add a practice prop to the end of the line. Hold the rod horisontal to the ground. Fastern the knob next to the drag to max. Now loosen the knob next to the drag a little bit, move the rods end a little bit, if the plug does not move , loosen the knob a little bit again, Twitch the rods end again, do this until the practice plug or weight slides very slow and smooth to the ground. Now do a soft cast side ways. First try and cast side ways before trying to cast overhead. Just try and cast a 2m or 3m for the first few hours. Dont rush!

Also, do not put alot of line on the reel until you have mastered the baitcaster. And hold your thumb (slightly) on the spool at all times. You have to stop the lure just before it hits the ground (water) otherwise it will overwind.

Everytime you put a lure on the end of the line you will have to set the knob tight and then start to set the weight ratio of the lure like I explained above. It will only take a few seconds when you have mastered this.

I can cast further and more acurate with baitcaster than with anything else. I've got a friend that owns two proper baitcasters but his to afraid to use them.

 

 

 

[Bigmouth]

It sure is a nice looking baitcaster you have there.

The reason I never baught a fancy looking baitcaster is for the very same problem you are experiancing right now.

I then decided to buy a reel that works the same as a penn.

At this moment in time I would not swop my reel for anything else out there, Nothing.

I know its not the best reel in the world but it works for me, and that to me is more important than brand names.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that one should not buy brand names, all I am saying is that you should first make sure that you are comfortable with a product before buying it.

A lot of people will disagree with me but I feel that if you don't make a living from fishing you don't need a R5K reel or a R5k rod.

I'd like to see what the other people in this forum thinks about my view.

 

 

[Ryan]

If you can fish with that reel you can fish with a baitcaster - if anything you will find the baitcaster smoother and able to cast further.
At the end of the day Expensive goods don't catch fish but they definately help in getting more distance -better retrieves etc etc etc.
I think one should buy as best as one's budget can allow - quality tackle also seems to last longer than cheap stuff

 

[BucknutZ]

I am a sucker for name brands. I will get the hang of the baitcaster in time.

I agree with Ryan that if you can work that caiman you will work a baitcaster very well.


If you had plans on buying a Plasma Flatscreen LCD T.V would you go for option A or Option B below:


Option A: 45" Sony Bravo - R8000
Option B: 45" Fujitsu - R5500




I do however also agree with your statement that if you comftorbale with what you have you should stick by it!

 

[Scrat]

I must agree with Ryan, my first baitcaster (R350) was alot cheaper than my second one. I battled with the first baitcaster alot, but it was easier to master the more expensive one as it was smoother, faster, more sensative than the first. Now when I use the cheaper one, it actually feels like a piece off k@k in my hands. I can buy 8 off the cheaper ones for the going price off my newer one! I was just lucky when I bought it, it was marked wrongly!!!

Since I've been using better equipment, my fishing experience has trippled.

 

[BucknutZ]

hoor hoor

 

[Bigmouth]

Hi Ryan, very true yes, I can fish with a baitcaster but this reel for some reason works well for me. I am not so sure that I will cast any further with a baitcaster, maybe maybe not.

I am not disputing that expensive equipment are better and more durable than the less expensive stuff, all I am wondering about is, for us weekend, everyday fisherman, do we really need a R10000 setup or is it just a marketing strategy to make us all desire these expensive things where we could have purchased cheaper equipment and get the same results too?

There are some very good mid priced equipment out in the market today for the people that can not afford a Johnny Morris, Shimano or a Daiwa.

I think the main reason why I said what I said is because there are people out there that judges other people's fishing abilities by the equipment they carry.

To me, fishing is about the experience, the adrenalin when you feel that "thump". The Outdoor experience, seeing the sun rise or set over the water, being close to my creator and appreciating my time away from the urban jungle. Fishing is about friendships, the stories we tell each other and the tips we share, and the admiration when you look at the photos posted by a fellow fisherman.

Isn't that why we all go back to the waters time after time even if you caught nothing the previous trip?

Please don't see this post as a rant or anything like that.

 

[zucas922]

Here is how i learned to use a bait caster ...... spool it with only 20m of line and go practice, easy to fix crows nests and doesnt cost R60 a pop.....once you got it spool it up but only half way, a month or so down the line you can fill her up>>>>>

 

[Bigmouth]

I would have gone for a LG 42"

Lol

Call me controversial

BTW, the Fujitsu is a very good LCD, maybe even better than both the LG or Sony.

 

[scuba]

this is what i think... a good qaulity rod is better than a good qaulity reel... reason you detect the bite through the rod... R10 000 is a bit much. but spending that bit extra on a decent rod i promise will make the worlds differance... another thing you buy a decent rod that costs around R1500 and you get a life time warranty on it...

 

[BucknutZ]

lol bud.....i hear what you saying.

 

[BucknutZ]

This is probally the worst joke i ever heard:


Some girl overdozed on Rennies and they had to rush her to king pie to stabilize her.



??????

Jeepers

 

[Scrat]

I live on Gavascon!

 

[BucknutZ]

I live on Lansoloc.......same stuff just much better.

Had ulcer for years now, teriible if you stop using meds.

 

[Bigmouth]

Or even better, the original

Pantoloc, at twice the price

 

[Scrat]

I have to drink some pill everyday, but I am out of stock. We sound like old geysers of 89!!!!