What is a Baitcasting Reel? Learn Baitcaster & Its Use

Things you can do with baitcaster, cannot be done with a spinning reel. There is a big difference between these two most famous fishing reels. Baitcaster reel is something that beginner anglers are always curious to know about.

If you are one of them, that hangs on for a while here, you will get to know everything about baitcasting reel right in this very article. 

Baitcaster Reel

Spinning reels are for the largemouth, lightweight fish species and this reel is very easy to handle and cast as well. On the other hand, baitcaster reel is for the big boys game. Heavy fighting fishes like pike, muskie, bass fish, etc. baitcaster reel is a must. You can use heavier lines on the baitcaster reel which will enable you to last longer and accurately. 

That being said, casting with baitcaster reel is a bit tough, you will need to be experienced in order to cast baitcasting reel. Not only experience, but baitcaster reel also requires good power as well to cast nicely. And once you have cast then it is hard to control the line flow. Spooling the baitcaster is also extremely mandatory, otherwise, they can easily occur bird nest. 

Baitcaster reel isn’t for beginners at all, and nor it is for the intermediate anglers. Using this reel requires a good amount of practice, otherwise, it is impossible to use this reel right. 

Having that said, all the struggles and practices pays off once you learn it. With good skills, you can cast to long-distance and accurately which will get you more opportunities. Plus, you can easily catch heavy fighting fishes as well. 

How does Baitcaster Reel look?

Baitcaster reels look completely different from spinning reels. Conventional reel and spinning reels can be used right out of the box but baitcaster reels aren’t. You will need to do little tweaking before you use it.

If you purchase a new baitcaster reel, the manual should say it all. One humble request to all of you, don’t matter whatever you buy, if that comes with a manual, give a read once. There is a lot of doing and don’t that manufacturer suggests which increases the lifespan of that item. So do not overlook it. 

Read the baitcaster reel manual guide, all the parts, and what you need to do and don’t should be written there. 

Anatomy of Baitcaster Reel

baitcaster-reel-compoments

Now let us have a look at the anatomy of a baitcasting reel. You are probably more familiar with the spinning reel, which is very easy to use. The baitcasting reel is the one you will see a lot of bass fishermen and inshore fishermen use. As I have already mentioned, baitcasting reel is a little different than the spinning reel. One of the differences is that the spool moves on a spinning reel, whereas in a baitcasting reel the spool is stationary.

Now let us take a closer look at the different components of a baitcasting reel.

Spool

A spool is a container that holds the line on a fishing reel. It is usually plastic or aluminum and has a lip that holds the line against the spool’s interior surface while allowing it to be fed out of the reel. Most commonly, the spool is mounted so that it can be turned in either direction by hand or with a switch. On some reels, the spool may be pushed against the inside wall of the fishing rod holder to wind line onto it from above.

When you are casting a line, the spool keeps the line from unraveling as you reel it in. A baitcaster uses an internal mechanism to convert your arm movement into the line being drawn tight or released from the spool, allowing for accurate casting at any time.

Reel Handle

The baitcasting reels usually will have a twin handle design, and the handle knobs are going to be at the end. They could be a variety of materials, from foam to rubber. Often, it is made from a golf grip material. This can also be aluminum or various metals. There is also the handle arm which is going to lead to both of those handles.

Reel Seat

The reel seat is a small platform that sits on top of the reel. It allows you to set the rod down on top of the reel without having to grip it like a handle. The padding also helps absorb vibrations from the water coming off your line. When setting up a new rod or re-entering an old one into your spool, always ensure that the reel seat is installed correctly. Also, some reels will have an integrated reel seat, while others will require you to buy a separate one.

The height of the reel seat can be adjusted, providing you with the option to cast at different heights. The handle can also be adjusted for a comfortable fit and the rod tip angle, allowing you to tune your setup for various conditions and fish species. Each Reel Seat is designed specifically for each lure in our catalog with specific attributes such as weight distribution, line management system, and rod tip angle.

Drag System

Just inside of the reel handle, you have the drag system. Once tighten, you are compressing those drags, and it will slow down the drag as the fish poles line out. When loosen, it makes it a little bit easier for the fish to pull the line out.

Spool Tension Knob

The next little knob you are is the spool tension knob. It slows the spool down on a cast. When you open that up, you have a free spool, and that will slow it down. Sometimes you have to tighten it if you have a lot of lines coming out too fast.

Spool Release Button

The next item is the spool release button. If you push that down, it will open the spool. When the line is coming out of the real, it automatically engages again and then turns the handles and picks up that line.

Line Guide

At the front of the reel, you have the line guide. The line guide is where the line comes in and goes out and attaches to the spool. Every time you turn your handle, that line guide will go back and forth across the reel, and it put the line right onto that spool and keep it nice and even.

Brake

Heading back over to that left side plate, you have the external brake. You can either find the magnetic brake or a centrifugal brake. There are probably a couple of others as well. There is a little dial system on the side. The more you turn, it pushes those magnets closer to the spool, and that will slow the spool down on the cast.

When you are casting your spools, many things move faster than the line, and as a result, the backlash may happen. If you add that magnet, it slows the spool down to eliminate that. Of course, when you are casting, you still have to use a little bit of thumb pressure on the baitcasting reel.

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