I know spinning gear seems to be the rod and reel of choice inshore fishing but does anyone like using bait casters? For years I have used them bass fishing and I am starting to use them inshore. I am also trying to pair a new Abu reel I just purchased with a good rod. I am a fan of St. Croix and had the tip brake when the boat shifted in the wind yesterday while snagged on oysters. I bought the Abu Classic C4 and I am running 20lb braid. I am thinking something in the line of a 7’ 6" medium heavy. Any thoughts or recommendations?
I’ve had a C3 on a 7’6" medium Ugly Stik for over a decade now. It’s really worn out lol but is a good combo, just too heavy in the hand for frequent throwing.
I personally prefer a 6’6" medium action if throwing jigs and such on a baitcaster. I find the slightly shorter rod to be more accurate. Graphite is nice, makes it lighter but far more brittle.
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I use one when flounder and sheepshead fishing. Found its harder to throw lighter plastics with when freelineing.
strip…strip…FISH ON!
I enjoy fishing. I don’t leave the dock without a baitcaster AND a spinner AND a fly rod. They all bring me pleasure. 
I haven’t felt a need to use anything except Abu. Bought many brands of baitcaster and… keep going back to my Abus. That 6500 HCL I bought years back is a inshore dream.
I think a good amount of people use them for topwater plugs and hard plastic lures. I will agree that they are a pain to throw anything too light on
I use my baitcaster with a GLoomis Pro Green heavy 7’ 4" for Sheepshead. Bait casters are great in Saltwater for fishing straight down beside structure and in the rocks.
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Yamaha 250 hp SHO
Minnkota Riptide 101
A 6’ 6" medium rod with a soft tip is the ticket for topwater, jerkbaits and 1/4 ounce jigs. You need backbone in the butt end and a soft tip. I had retired an old medium weight 6’ 6" lite ugly stick casting rod and recently put a brand new Shimano Caenen casting reel on it. It will cast a quarter ounce jig head easier and farther than my Saros spinning reel on a Clarus spinning rod. A 7’ 6" MH rod is not too good for anything less than probably one half ounce weight. I used to buy all seven foot rods and now I buy almost all 6’ 6" rods. Much more accurate and much, much easier on the arms and shoulders when casting a lot.
7’6" Shimano Teramar heavy with a fast tip. With a Shimano Calcutta 400 and 30lb power pro will cast a Super Spook a friggin mile. Great for top water stripers, redfish, or down fishing.
“DaSchwabba”
196 KEY WEST BAY REEF 150 YAMMIE
quote:
Originally posted by JEEPORPHAN7’6" Shimano Teramar heavy with a fast tip. With a Shimano Calcutta 400 and 30lb power pro will cast a Super Spook a friggin mile. Great for top water stripers, redfish, or down fishing.
</font id=“quote”></blockquote id=“quote”>hmmm, that sounds familiar!
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Bonzo, I have had that rod and reel set up and love it. L ended up getting me a shimano torium to go on my trevalia jigging rod. That one I can’t wait to use! I have this wierd thing for Loomis Bronze back rods for fresh water fishing and Shimano for saltwater. All accompinied by shimano reels. I have never had a failure on a shimano. However I can tell you of many other reels that have had failures with. Penn is one that is also very reliable I just don’t get to the coast enough to use them. Game is gonna be on this weekend for the torium I hope. I got L and I a guide for “trophy” ha ha stripers this weekend. Great mothers day present if you ask me, much better than a vacuume.
“DaSchwabba”
196 KEY WEST BAY REEF 150 YAMMIE
Thanks for all the replies! I have been researching a lot and will look into some of these set ups… Does anyone have a tide master or a mojo? I looked at those today in 6’6" and 7’ medium fast action.
All I get are huge birds nests. Piss on a baitcaster.
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115 Yamaha
Practice!
I’ve used only two bait casters: A Penn Sargus 64LP (~$250) and a Shimano Caenan (~$80). The Penn is a fine reel and has a beautiful drag. However, the Shimano is far and away my favorite of the two. The release point on a cast is more similar to a spinner and I can cast it a mile with very few bird nests even in the wind. I never could get used to the Penn’s release point. I’ve caught > 30" reds with both. I have the Shimano paired with a loomis medium-light rod extra fast tip and its a GREAT rig… my go-to rig in fact. The price & performance (=value) of the Caenan is very good.
By the way: For those of you who haven’t tried a bait caster - go and get one, and work with it until you are comfortable. It’s worth the effort they are great. I cast one for the first time about 9 months ago and now I prefer to use them.
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Cast easy when it’s breezy is what I go with… Even then I deal with a blow up here and there…
Baitcasters aren’t so bad if you adjust the reel for the amount of weight being casted…that lil knob behind the handle(and drag wheel) that most people dont even know what it does…you tighten or loosen that knob so that while slowly lifting your rod tip the lure slowly drops, yall can thank me later! ha
“Fish On”
The Shimano Caenan that Optiker talks about above also has a centrifugal magnet system under the side plate. It is adjustable, mainly on how good you are at casting with a baitcaster. When I first started casting with a baitcaster 25 years ago, I deployed all six magnets to prevent backlash. Now, I am down to two magnets. As Optiker also stated, all baitcasters have a spool brake knob under the reel handle. This is for fine tuning. Once you get the magnet brakes and the spool brake right, you can cast similar weight lures all day without backlashes. It is easier than preventing wind knots in a spinning reel…especially with braid.
EH-HM…as who stated…
“Fish On”
Sorry, credit to Mister Stumpknocker for calling attention to the brake knob. My bad.
I use as Avet Sxj. It a great little reel. Very light in hand, put it on a 7’6" 15-30# Ugly Stick Lite. Cast great lots of power. I currently have 20# PP braid on it, but I may switch back to 20# mono. I seem to be able to cast farther with the mono strangely enough. It takes some practice, without cast control, but this reel is a workhorse.
Chris
Wilderness Systems Ride 135 “Sauer Trout”
Hobie Adventure Island “Rogue Wave”</font id=“size1”>