Ive read that u should start with a spinning reel but this rod is the only one i have and i dont want to waste it lol
After 36 years i finally am picking up fishing! Got a baitcaster(abu garcia ultra max) for xmas…any tips? Lol
- Thread starter Marximus
- Start date
Why would it be wasted? There are plenty of reasons for having multiple rod/reel outfits for different types of fishing. Do yourself a favour and get a decent mid-lightweight spinning rig; you will actually be fishing within minutes. Baitcasting is much more of a learning curve and will result in a lot of frustration for a newbie.
Also, when you start fishing it's nice to actually catch fish...and that's easier to do if you concentrate on smaller, more common panfish species. That means using lighter lines and lures, smaller hooks and weights, etc. and a spinning outfit is ideally suited for that type of terminal tackle and line. A baitcaster is generally better suited for heavier line, larger heavier lures, etc.
Get the spinning outfit, enjoy fishing with it, practice and learn how to use the baitcaster effectively, and you will quickly see which situations are better for which gear. You'll be hooked...so to speak...and I bet that within a few years you will have several more rigs in your arsenal. Good luck and enjoy!
Also, when you start fishing it's nice to actually catch fish...and that's easier to do if you concentrate on smaller, more common panfish species. That means using lighter lines and lures, smaller hooks and weights, etc. and a spinning outfit is ideally suited for that type of terminal tackle and line. A baitcaster is generally better suited for heavier line, larger heavier lures, etc.
Get the spinning outfit, enjoy fishing with it, practice and learn how to use the baitcaster effectively, and you will quickly see which situations are better for which gear. You'll be hooked...so to speak...and I bet that within a few years you will have several more rigs in your arsenal. Good luck and enjoy!
Just my local river - I think it has rainbow trout, small mouth bass, crappie, channel catfish... I’m actually have trouble casting long ones lol
I have the abu Garcia black max so not the same but similar. Spinning reels are definitely easier to learn with but it’s not impossible to start with a baitcaster. The only problem is that it can be difficult to cast the small lures that you need for panfish and stuff I think pretty much anything under 1/16 of an ounce maybe even higher is going to be impossible .
The baitcaster is not wasted. Spend the time to learn how to use it. Watch some youtube videos on how to tune and cast your reel. You can do things with a baitcaster that can't be duplicated with a spinning rig. I grew up on a baitcaster. My first reel was a Penn baitcaster that literally had no drag system or level wind. The drag consisted of a piece of leather attached to a bar. To apply drag you pushed the leather into the line on the reel. You used your thumb to guide the line back and forth on the reel when you retrieved because there was no level wind. I used to fish for striped bass and bluefish with this rig. When those fish ran that piece of leather got hot. LOL. Todays baitcasters can be tuned to the weight of the lure and have awesome drags and mechanisms to help "prevent" backlashes (the infamous birds nest". I was a light tackle & flyfishing guide for 26 years and used to teach people how to fly fish and use baitcasters. Like someone mentioned there is a learning curve but once you achieve the "educated thumb" that light bulb will go on. The biggest issue people have is learning to "feather the line with their thumb" and know when to start applying pressure to stop forward movement of the line. When the lures progression through the air starts to slow down you gently feather touch the line with your thumb (otherwise reel spool continues to spin to fast causing a back lash) and when the lure & line stops (hits water) you have to apply more thumb pressure to stop the spool from spinning or the spool continues to spin and line overflows out of the reel creating a backlash. Sounds complicated but it's really not. Best is to start out with a weighted sinker & practice casting on your lawn. Put a paper plated or some other targets at various distances and practice casting.
*** Tip: Outside measure a distance you would like to start casting to. Walk backwards from that point and let line off the reel by hand until you get to your desired distance. Take a piece of electrical tape and tape around the spool (this will stop any further line from coming out when you make your cast preventing huge backlashes). Reel up the line and then start practice casting. The line will stop when it hits the taped spot on the reel. This will help you get a feel for casting without the frustration of having to deal with backlashes on the reel from casting mistakes. You can remove tape and reapply for various distances. Once you develop a feel for casting you can remove the tape.
As someone mentioned you should also get a spinning outfit for casting very light lures and just to have a backup rig.
So finally getting the hang of it.. not really getting birds nest maybe 1 in 10 casts… i guess my gamer thumb is good for it lol…now i just have to figure how each lure works and how to retrieve them.
