Opinion on Baitcasters...

[SnowmanJon]

I'm a hardcore Zebco 33 kinda guy...I just can't steer away from the button....I can fish and catch just as many as the guy I fish with who has 8 different combos and only fishes spin and bait casters...I only use a Zebco33 Gold edition to be exact...just to dependable I guess...anyways...I get tired ripping plastics across the water or using topwater baits...so I was looking at a baitcaster for fast reeling.....unless anyone knows if Zebco makes a 33 that reels faster...for my topwater and pig/jig type of fishing...the Zebco is fine for plastics and that sort...I bought a baitcaster a few years back...couldn't cast it anywhere (tried everything) and parked it in the shed....

Whats a dependable baitcast that'll cast the lighter stuff....it can be a rod reel combo or just a reel with a prefered action rod...looking for something under $100 that hopefully can be found at Gander mountain ( I have giftcards!)


JON

 

[redbug]

I cant cast a spincast to save my life but my wife also uses spincast gear and catches a bunch of fish on them.
if that is what is working for you you might want to try a daiwa spincast it has a much higher gear ratio and works well for top water
my wife has been using one for several years now and is very happy with it.
https://www.daiwa.com/Reel/detail.aspx?ID=72

Wayne

 

[asinz]

I just recently purchased one of these and I really like it.

https://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10151_-1_10001_96615_100001001_100000000_100001000_100-1-1

 

[slabmaster]

diawa pt33sh 7.1-1 . it's fast . it's tough, and if you adjust it correctly you will never back lash it. you have to search but you should still find it at cabelas or bass pro shops.if you buy one you will get more and your trusty zebco 33's will find there spot on your crappie rods.by the way i am not knocking zebco 33's i own several and use them regularly.

 

[bAcKpAiN]

You might want to try a different approach and try a regular spinning combo. Baitcasters can be tricky to master, and if you don't want to make the commitment to master it you will just sit it in the garage with your other one. What model is the one in your garage by chance?

 

[Jim]

Jon,
If you want, I can send you a baitcaster to try for a few weeks before you buy and then you can send it back when you are done. That way you dont have to drop the $$$ if you hate them.

Let me know
Jim

 

[little anth]

willing to send you a baitcaster
:shock: =D> =D> jim you are the best thats why this site rocks


yay jim =D> =D> =D> =D>

 

[SnowmanJon]

Yea no doubt...

Jim thanks but I have one....and my buddy has a fluter that he's gonna let me tryout...that one that I have is a Shakespear...I know now that it's not the best...but my buddy fixed it for me and go it casting some what normal....I'm going to practice with it this weekend and try to slay me some next Friday/Saturday 15/16...I'm still looking for a Mid-priced baitcaster thats a good buy...I just feel more comfortable asking here since there are many people and like a stated in another post...there arn't any flamers...I just like the convo...I gonna post a pic for the horses *** award here in a few that I caught today.

 

[bcritch]

I have 2 Abu Garcia's and I struggle with the lighter baits. I'm not sure if I have had enough practice with them on the light stuff. I'll continue to work on it this year. I usually switch back over to my Spinning setup for the light plastics.

 

[RStewart]

Yea no doubt...

Jim thanks but I have one....and my buddy has a fluter that he's gonna let me tryout...that one that I have is a Shakespear...I know now that it's not the best...but my buddy fixed it for me and go it casting some what normal....I'm going to practice with it this weekend and try to slay me some next Friday/Saturday 15/16...I'm still looking for a Mid-priced baitcaster thats a good buy...I just feel more comfortable asking here since there are many people and like a stated in another post...there arn't any flamers...I just like the convo...I gonna post a pic for the horses *** award here in a few that I caught today.

the diawa that asinz posted is about the best mid-priced real you are gonna find. i have a buddy that has one and loves it. also the "cheap" baitcasters are harder to cast because they dont have some of the features that the more expensive reels have like an automatic magnet to help keep you from backlashing and cheap ones have less bearings so that arent as smooth. i have mainly cheap ones and i have had the chance to use better ones, and i can tell the difference. i wont buy cheap again. im not going to go overboard but the diawa above is my choice. also the one slabmaster suggeted is a good one also. i have the older version(20 yrs older) pt33f, has been a good reel. i dont look at price first. i look for features in the reel. more ball bearings and some kind of automatic backlash control, cranking speed, then i start looking at price and cancel out the ones i cant afford and see what is left. hope this helps

 

[slim357]

I started using quantum 1310's as my first baitcasters (almost ten years ago now) and haven't found anything to replace them, there fairly cheap, and can cast baits from about 1/8 an oz and up, but you prob want to start using it with something a bit heavier till you get the hang of it

 

[SnowmanJon]

Well tonight it was raining...the wife was out to see the Kenny Chesney Concert ( I don't particulary care for country) and the garage has an over hang..so I casted the bait cast for about 30min with the helicopter lure..(Thats Right the helicopter Lure...Roland Martins Finnest :lol: ) even though my baitcast has only one ball bearing and is made mostly of plastic...I can cast it almost as good as my zebco...so I think that I'll defiantly spend decent money for my first *nice* baitcast....earlier I said my buddy had a fluter...it's a flueger.(sp?)..I asked him agin...but I guess most of you baitcast guys figured it out already

Jon