Recommendations for Bait Caster

I've had good luck with BPS and Cabelas store brand rods. They're usually significantly less expensive than comparable name brand rods.

Otherwise, when I just want something that won't break, Ugly Stik. They cast well due to the whippy action, but are heavy and not very sensitive

EDIT: I also have a Shimano Musky rod that has been excellent. tough as nails and comfortable.

I've had some Abu Garcia rods I liked as well. I have an old cheapy from Wally World that has caught tons of fish and been kicked around and just won't break. "Onolon", i think.

 

Sensitivity doesn't matter so much to me anyway. I don't have much feeling in my right hand due to an injury (almost cut my middle finger off and half of my palm) and surgery I had years ago. I operate under the "find a fish that hits hard or go home" philosophy... LOL

 

I have 6 Abu Garcia Black Max.
I run spider wire.

Cheap and durable.
I run them until the bearings grind or something happens.
Toss them and get another.
So far I’ve run these for like 5 years so far.
I have had more expensive ones...
For me cheaper is better.
I got a off brand for 20 bucks. Used that for years.
The idea is get the bait in the water.
I also use spinning gear and I also use a old closed face for my flipping rig..

Lol

 

Thoughts on this one? It's a great price point. https://www.cabelas.com/product/fis...ambassadeur-s-round-reel/1701861.uts?slotId=6

 

Those are always solid reels. I have an old 5600 BCX with one clean up it's almost like new. No brake though

 

My first baitcaster was a 6000 levelwind. As mentioned above, a little maintenance keeps it like new. I still use it for catfishing and other large bait fishing.

Probably not a good choice for lighter baits, though

 

I have a level wind.
Bought it only because I wanted to try one.
Spent way to much.
2 things.
You cannot just make a minor adjustment for casting. You need to disassemble and push pins or pull pins to adj the cast drag.
On mine I was very disappointed at the drag capability.
Never thought of looking at it but it’s much less than my other baitcasters.
Level winds are bigger (taller).
Hand position is a little different.

Go there and just grab a couple and hold them.
I won’t buy another..
Now that being said.
I use heavier baits for salt water/river fishing and I cannot get it to birds nest.
And I have tried.

Light baits and wind are not your friend

Just some info for ya..

 

Thanks for chiming in. Good info.

 

Pick the rod you want to match your fishing, that's the most important thing. Then pick a reel that balances well with the rod. I am partial to Shimano but also have Abu Garcia, both brands are good.

 

I run a lews speed spool on a fenwick Rod

 

Abu makes a decent cheap rod that I paired with my Revo, I wanna say it's called Vendetta.

 

Ugly Stix, the Tacoma of the fishing rod world, takes a licking a keeps on ticking.

 

You mean the aluminum colored vengeance?
That's what I run. Love them..
Like 49 bucks

 

Lol they are way to stiff for me..
My arm hurts after a day with them things.. Lol

 

Diawa Type R I have two and love them. One was completely reworked over by Mikes Reel repair soooooooooooooooooooo smooth .

 

I have a Lew's SpeedSpool LFS and a Lew's Tournament MB for bass fishing. Cast a mile, super smooth (especially the MB) and reasonably priced. I've got my LFS on a 6'6" Berkley Lightning Rod MH/Fast and my MB is on a Lew's TP1 6'10" MH/Fast. Pulled a 10 lb. channel cat out of a flowing creek with the Lightning Rod, no problem. There are some complaints about both rods and breakage issues, but I've never had a problem and I've snagged some decent rocks with both. Definitely buy the rods in a physical store though. My first Lightning Rod (ordered online) was super crooked so I took it back and picked over what they had at Cabela's for a decent one. The TP1 I also bought at Cabela's but had a MUCH easier time finding a straight one.

I do highly recommend the Lew's reels though. Take the MB and put it on a 6'6" or 7' Ugly Stick GX2 and you've got enough left over for line/lures. If the GX2 breaks (it won't) or you hate it, save up for something different.

 

Big 5 has the gx2/Shakespeare baitcaster combo for under 60 bucks. Just bought one and watching YouTube videos to set it up. Should be worth a laugh...

 

Get you Lews reel and abu garcia Veritas rod. Of my five rigs thats the combo i use the most. And i highly suggest reading as much as you can about what type of fishing you'll be doing. I was lost when i fisrt got into baitcasters and after 2 years of reading all i could i can say im not quite as lost!

 

I just got a new rod 7’ daiwa Tatula M Fast action for cranking and I’m about to pull the trigger on a Daiwa Tatula ct R. From what I have read it is one of the best bang for your buck. My last reel/rod combo was a lews Mach crush/g Loomis E6x. It is really nice, but I wanted to give daiwa a try. Good luck with what you decide on. Make sure you spend your money on quality stuff so you will not regret it in the end. This is my Mach crush lews/ g-Loomis, you can get the Mach crush in a combo with the Mach crush rod for ~189$. I think that’s a good deal being the reel is 169$ alone.

 

Shimano, Daiwa, Lews and A few other manufacturers make some great reels $100-$150 range in150-200 size. Pair it with a 7' medium heavy action rod. Medium heavy will be the most versatile rod as far as covering different fishing techniques.
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