Answers
I just recently got my first baitcasting reel. I absolutely love it. I still haven't perfected it, but I hardly ever get birds nests, and can cast it pretty well now. But I do have a few questions that I need answered and I haven't been able to find it anywhere I looked. Any help you all can give me would be appreciated.
First of all, the type of reel I have is a Pennacle Platinum Plus Baitcasting Reel with 6 Stainless Steel Bearings, 8 Magnets with Ten Position Adjustable Cast Control, High Speed 6.2:1 Gear Ratio, Unlimited Anti-Reverse, and 12lb./120ft. Line Capacity.
(1) What type and length rod should I be looking for. I currently have it on the same rod my old spin-cast reel was on (Zebco 1845C 7' Heavy action Z-Glass rod, it doesn't say on the rod or on their website what line capacity it has but the combo was pre-spooled with 20lb mono). Is this rod okay, or do I need to get a different one? Any suggestions, because it doesn't seem strong enough or sensitive enough to me?
(2) What brand, type, and weight of line do you suggest. I am mainly targeting catfish right now and have been using Spiderwire 10lb Braided line with a Trilene 8lb Flourocarbon leader. What do you think?
(3) Any suggestions on how to get it to cast farther. I know a lot of it is in just practicing and getting the settings right, but no matter what setting I have it on it doesn't seem to improve the cast distance. I don't have much of a problem with birds nests because I have good thumb control, so I can put it on any setting. Is there a specific way to get it to go farther, or do you think my rod may be having a negative effect on my cast?
(4) Playing the fish. I've had this reel for about four days and we've gone fishing three times since I've gotten it. Two of those days I hooked up two really big fish but lost both of them because I had trouble playing them. How do you play a fish with a baitcasting reel? Do you have to press the button down so they can pull out the line to run, or will it come out automatically? They don't seem to be able to pull it out without the button depressed, so do you think my drag is just set too high? I've never been too good with getting the drag set properly, so any tips on this would help me significantly. How do you know when you need more or less drag?
Thanks. I know it's a lot of questions, but PLEASE try to answer all of them when you answer if you are able to. I appreciate any help that you can give me.
As for the rod - you're going to want something that compliments the type of fishing you're doing. The line weight that you WANT to use, and the type of fishing determine the rod. For bait fishing for catfish, I'd suggest something like a 7-7'6 rated up to 15 or 17lbs. If you want to continue using 10lb braid, which is no problem, then you'll want to have a rod that's a little on the soft side. This is to cushion the braid since it will have no stretch to it. So a rod like - (http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jsp?_DARGS=/cabelas/en/common/catalog/item-link.jsp_A&_DAV=cat21406_feat&id=0011747112344a&navCount=1&podId=0011747&parentId=cat603770&masterpathid=&navAction=push&catalogCode=OG&rid=&parentType=index&indexId=cat603770&hasJS=true) the GC704 model on this page.
As for the line you're using, that's fine. I wouldn't worry about using flouro on catfish though. They're not that picky. The point with flouro is that you can up the line weight you're using because the fish "can't" see it. You can even just to 15/20lb braided line, since it's only about 6lb diameter, and gain a little strength and save a little money since it will take a little less to fill up the spool. Any 8-12lb mono/flouro will do fine as a leader.
The rod can have a lot to do with how far you're able to cast. If the rod is too stiff, then you're not going to get enough flex in the rod to "spring" your cast very far. The length of the rod also plays into the casting distance, but in your case, I wouldn't worry about it too much since you obviously are able to cast far ENOUGH to reach fish. If you're looking for a longer cast, then a slightly lighter rod with more flex will help you.
And then there's the drag....yeah, if you have to depress the free spool/thumb bar just to let the fish have some line, then you're WAY too tight. The fish should be able to put some flex in the rod before the drag kicks in. However, the way I set my drag is to tighten it little by little, as I test after each tightening by puling on the line. Once it get's almost difficult to pull, you're just about right. you can always tighten the drag a little more (or loosen it) when you're fighting the fish. Then you'll be able to dial in the right setting that you feel comfortable with. And once you get a new rod, that setting might change some.
Buying A Baitcasting Reel
I remember fishing down in a river below a dam spillway where the river was very wide. There was only two shoots open in the very middle. I watched as a guy made a cast with a bait casting fishing reel all the way out to the flowing water and was catching fish. My spinning reel could never reach that far with good line and heavy weights. That is when I knew that the bait casting fishing reel was what I had to purchase and master next. The Zebco Pro Staff PS3030 bait casting reel is a professional quality reel for an affordable price.
