Re: Baitcast or Spinning reel for free spooling?
Good question. My preference is to use a baitcaster whenever I can for the obvious reason: you can instantly set the hook by clamping your thumb down. In deeper/ heavier water when there's a legit reason to put shot on the line above the jig, there's also enough weight to pull line off the baitcaster. But in shallower/ calmer water you may need only a 1/4 oz jig and a float. If you're using a baitcaster you may end up hand stripping line to keep the float from swinging (dragging) prematurely when it hits the end of the line (so to speak). In these cases, you're better off with a spinning reel and an open bail. (Alternatively, you can weight your rig more heavily and use a baitcaster with a bigger float.)
My fishing partner Slick still fondly remembers my hitting myself in the face with the spinning reel earlier this year while a 12-13lb chrome hen jumped away. I had been freespooling line and when the float went under I grabbed the line, pulled the slack out and simultaneously struck. So I had a fish on, the rod in one hand and my other arm fully stretched out to the side, and an open bail. I figured that the best thing to do to avoid slack was grab the handle with my teeth and crank enough to close the bail. This was a bad idea for several reasons, mainly having to do with teeth. My next thought was to use my Clint Eastwood-tough jawbone to push the handle against and trip the bail. This, too, wasn't such a great idea (but it did work). I landed the fish but felt like my mother in law had worked me over with a wok. Slick suffered injury, too, by herniating himself laughing, and would have drowned -- I would have held his head under -- had I lost the fish. All in all, a dangerous technique.
So if you're using a spinning reel with an open bail, think ahead of time what your're going to do when the float dips.
Now, to answer your question. For heavy water/ bigger rivers any quality ball bearing baitcaster works well. I use Calcutta 200-250's, but they are spendy and many use the Ambassadeurs with good effect. For smaller water, a Shimano Chronarch and 8lb main line allows lightly weighted rigs to pull line off the reel. But at $170-190 a Chronarch is a fair chunk of change. (Wonderful reel by the way: well worth the money despite fairly limited line capacity.)
If you're going to use a spinning reel, any quality model will work well (with or without the optional teeth attachment on the handle!)
[This message has been edited by Snagly (edited 12-09-2000).]
__________________
If you accept a handed off steelhead, in your next life you'll come back as a Bulletin Board moderator.
|
Linear Mode
