Baitcasting reels are seen by many fishermen as harder to use than spinning or other types of reels. They feature a horizontal reel and a thumb-button release. Though they are predominantly the tool of bass fishermen, baitcasting reels are increasing in popularity with skilled freshwater and saltwater fishermen. Used with a heavy tackle and line, you often can cast farther with a baitcasting reel than a spincasting one.
Casting Accuracy
The main advantage of a baitcasting reel is that they are much more accurate than other types of reels. This allows you to cast into areas with a lot of debris without worrying about getting your line snagged. Releasing and stopping the line from leaving the reel with your thumb on a baitcater facilitates accurate drops into the most difficult areas. In a saltwater fishing application, a baitcasting reel also can handle heavier line and therefore be cast farther.
Controlling Drag
Baitcasting reels have superior drag control compared with spinning reels. When tackling a large fish and trying to wear him down, you need only to put your thumb on the line and press down to increase line drag. This allows you to concentrate on landing the fish rather than worrying about your line snapping. Additionally, many baitcasting reels have a drag adjustment knob to help control the distance of your cast more accurately.
Snarled Line
Beginners tend to avoid baitcasting reels primarily because if you are unskilled at casting them you will end up with excessive line tangling in the reel. If you do not place your thumb on the line at the correct moment in the cast, your line loses momentum while the spool in the reel continues to spin rapidly. This leads to line unfurling inside of the reel and tangling into what fishermen often call a bird’s nest.
Maintenance
Baitcasting reels contain complicated gearing mechanisms that wind and release the line. You need to lubricate these with a light oil designed especially for baitcasting reels. Additionally, if you use your baitcasting reel for saltwater fishing, you need to rinse the mechanism out with freshwater at the end of your trip. If the reel was drenched in saltwater, you might need to soak it for 10 to 15 minutes to fully clean it, according to Bob Stearns of FieldandStream.com.
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