Fishing for Information
April 19, 2004 6:51 AM Subscribe
Can y'all help me out with the pros and cons of open-face versus bait-caster fishing reels? I've found plenty of information regarding the specifications of the various models, but nothing that compares them generally. I fish for walleye and northern pike.
Admittedly, my experience is rather geographically-focussed, based on bass-fishing expeditions with my dad, but I've always been more comfortable with a spinning reel.
With a little zen/discipline/practice/timing you can side-arm your bait practically anywhere you might need it to be. This is particularly effective for fishing under docks and in brush. And the reel-in is completely in your control, with a good feel that comes from the spinning weight of the spool itself. Kind of calming really.
Now, backlashes on a spinning reel can be absolutely brutal, and they will happen sooner or later to everyone.
posted by grabbingsand at 9:56 AM on April 19, 2004
With a little zen/discipline/practice/timing you can side-arm your bait practically anywhere you might need it to be. This is particularly effective for fishing under docks and in brush. And the reel-in is completely in your control, with a good feel that comes from the spinning weight of the spool itself. Kind of calming really.
Now, backlashes on a spinning reel can be absolutely brutal, and they will happen sooner or later to everyone.
posted by grabbingsand at 9:56 AM on April 19, 2004
Generally if you do a lot of casting and/or want a lot of fighting action use a spinning real.
If you are doing things like downrigger trolling or big heavy fish where the goal is not so much action, but to get them in the boat without breaking a line, use an open-face. This is more true for salt water.. or fishing in the Great lakes trolling deep and fast with heavy weights for strippers youd consider an open face.
I don't understand using open face for casting in fresh water like samh says thats an unusual way to go about it spinning reels are very accurate while open face tends to snarl.
posted by stbalbach at 10:19 AM on April 19, 2004
If you are doing things like downrigger trolling or big heavy fish where the goal is not so much action, but to get them in the boat without breaking a line, use an open-face. This is more true for salt water.. or fishing in the Great lakes trolling deep and fast with heavy weights for strippers youd consider an open face.
I don't understand using open face for casting in fresh water like samh says thats an unusual way to go about it spinning reels are very accurate while open face tends to snarl.
posted by stbalbach at 10:19 AM on April 19, 2004
Costs: a good spinning reel is cheaper than a good bait castor. Tangling up the line in your reel is done more often with a bait castor which is not good. The "snarl" is caused by your thumb not being placed properly on the reel while casting. Most spinning rods have a mechanism that prevents "snarls".
posted by thomcatspike at 10:43 AM on April 19, 2004
posted by thomcatspike at 10:43 AM on April 19, 2004
This thread is closed to new comments.
In the middle of the lake, the goal is to hit an area of water anywhere from 20 to 70 feet high, roughly beneath the boat. All that needs to be done is drop the lure straight down, and cut it off when it's in the middle of the lake. The mechanism on a bait-caster for stopping a line can be slow and clumsy, but is more that good enough for this type of casting.
When shore casting, the goal is to hit shallow, shady spots where muskie and northern pike feed, usually less than a foot wide and sheltered by reeds, rocks, weeds, junk, whathaveyou. These awkward targets are usually over 100 feet away, so greater precision is needed. You have to fling the lure out towards the shore, and stop it mid-flight, just as it's over the target. For this type of casting, I prefer the open-face, because I can directly and immediately stop the line by using my thumb to halt the reel. It's a level of accuracy I could never get with a bait-caster, and for me, lots more fun.
posted by samh23 at 9:16 AM on April 19, 2004