To enjoy a good fishing experience, you need a good quality baitcasting reel. And in order to get maximum work out put you need to keep your reel in good shape with proper maintenance. Just like all the other fishing reels, baitcasting reels also need regular and frequent oil coating and greasing. This is important for an extended reel life. Proper lubrication not only allows your reel to function smoothly but also protects the reel from other deteriorating environmental factors that it is exposed to.
However, the greasing and oiling should be done properly. According to most experts, it is not wise to apply a heavy coating of grease or lubricant. A small quantity would do the job when applied properly instead of immersing your reel in an oil can. There are some high quality reel lubricants available in the market including Reel Magic and Lanigan. There is another excellent quality lubricating grease and reel oil available made by Shimano. Nevertheless, in case you are out of reel oil, simply use WD 40. But again, use only as and when needed.
The first step in maintenance is to properly clean your baitcasting reel before applying the lubricant. For cleaning you will need some simple apparatus that is a clean cotton cloth, clean water and water mixed with soap, a soft brush and some cotton buds. Use a tooth brush to clean the stains that remain after cleaning.
Once the baitcasting reel is clean and dry, unscrew the retainer cap of the reel and dislodge the spool. Also clean the spool using soapy water and cloth. Clean the spool thoroughly, removing all the dirt and deposits. Then wash with clean water and let it dry as well.
Now, you need to clean the excess lubricant and oil from previous greasing. These build ups can be removed by cleaning the gears of the spool using a soft bristly brush. Then apply a new coat of lubricating oil. Moreover, clean the bail system using water mixed with soap and a clean cloth. Wash it with clean water and apply a fresh coat of reel oil after drying it completely.
Oiling should not be limited to the interior surface of baitcasting reel, instead once interior greasing is done, an oil coat should be applied on the whole surface area of reel to protect it from other detrimental factors.
Regular oiling and lubrication of baitcasting reel is necessary, even when there is no cleaning required. There is a simple diagnostic test to check whether it is time to oil your reel or not. Try rotating your baitcasting reel by flipping it with your finger. Count how many times it rotates, normally a reel that is well lubricated, makes almost twelve rotations with a single flip. If the number of rotations is less than twelve, it definitely is the time to oil your reel.
Once again, too much greasing should be avoided as it would damage your reel instead of improving its efficiency. Moreover, if you do not want to get your hands dirty in all this maintenance process, better use a pair of gloves.
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Ardent specializes in fishing reel manufacture and supplying other fishing reel accessories. This is a Missouri-based company that sells hand made products made in its factory in Macon, Missouri. All its products are made in United States and are sold with a three years guarantee. Buying Ardent products also gives you the advantage of after-sales services at its main headquarters located in different states.
Ardent is a comparatively new, though quite trusted and credible name in the business. They proudly claim their Ardent XS baitcasting reel to be the best in its class with its excellent casting performance. The best quality of Ardent XS that makes it distinct from its cotemporaries is that it has an improved casting distance along with a better backlash control. Moreover, its ergonomic palming shape makes it very easy to use.
The XS baitcasting reel from Ardent has a very innovative, technological design made of lightweight magnesium frames. These reels are accommodated with all the features needed to make fishing easy and fun. The Ardent XS 1000 Baitcasting reel has an extremely smooth retrieval due to its ten stainless steel ABEC ball bearings. It is a lot appreciated by many critics and anglers. It has been approved by the North American Fishing Club and has won the admiration of professional anglers as well.
The Ardent XS 1000.6 is supplied with ten ball bearings and a 6:3:1 ration. It can take up to eleven pounds of drag weight and has enough room to accommodate one hundred forty yards of an eight pound fishing line. It is available for sale at 269 US dollars. Meanwhile Ardent XS 1000.5 is also equipped with ten ball bearings though it has 5:0:1 ratio. It has a line capacity of two hundred and twenty five yards for an eight pound fishing line. It is available for the same price that is two hundred and sixty nine US dollars. It may seem a little too expensive but if you are in the profession or have a serious interest in fishing, you would know that it is not much of a price for the quality that it offers.
The Ardent XS 600 Baitcasting Reel comes with six ABEC ball bearings with a light magnesium frame. It offers complete lockdown capability with its Strike Saver drag and has instant release side plates to help you access the modifiable centrifugal brake.
This XS 600 reel is available in two different models, the XS 600.6 with a ratio of 6:3:1 and the XS 600.5 with a ratio of 5:0:1. It is sold for one hundred and ninety-nine dollars.
Whereas, the Ardent C400 Baitcasting Reel is the best priced option in Ardent’s baitcasting reel series. This model is supplied with Ardent’s special Comfort Grip frame, which is made of corrosion free aluminium alloy. This lightens its weight and makes it easy to cast. The C400 comes with a gear ratio of 6:3:1 and a fishing line capacity of 120 yards for a twelve pound line. It is available for a retail price of 169 US dollars.
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The Abu Garcia Company, a well-known name for every fishing fan, started in 1921 in Svangsta, Sweden. Although a watch manufacturing company in the beginning, its focus shifted to fishing gear manufacture, due to the efforts of the founder’s son, Gote Borgstrom. Initially, the ideas were rare and it took a lot of effort and a number of sleepless nights before the design of their first reel production, Abu Record, was conceived. And after this came the Ambassadeur and the Cardinal, one after the other.
They became famous with their very first designs. Their modern and avant-garde fishing reels and other fishing equipment became instantly successful. Here is a brief overview of the different baitcasting reel designs from Abu Garcia and their distinctive qualities.
A highly recommended product of Abu Garcia is their Revo Skeet series. These are very popular nowadays and are strongly suggested by the expert anglers and serious amateurs. These are mainly admired for their state-of-art technology, ease of use and smoothness. These are equipped with a large sized main drive gear that enables the user to hold more line and perform well in both fresh water and salt water.
Moreover, these casting reels are produced from X-Craftic, which is an aluminium alloy and is the most resistant to corrosion among all the modern fishing reels. The Revo Skeet baitcasting reels series from Abu Garcia, also have a twenty-four pound drag system, which is three folds in strength when compared to other modern low-profile baitcasting reels. Not just that, the best thing is that these are also the best priced baitcasting reels in the market.
The most admired model in Abu Garcia Revo Skeet series is Skeet Reese baitcasting reel. It is the best among the rest in its category. It is made up of corrosion resistant X-Craftic aluminium alloy with a black and yellow painted frame. It is exceptionally strong and longer lasting, with an exceptionally low weight, just 6.8 ounces, and this makes it the most light weight baitcasting reel available in the market.
Now about its make. It has 6:4:1 gears made of corrosion resistant alloy. These are heavy duty gears manufactured by Duragear. In addition, it has High Performance Corrosion Resistant bearings (HPCR bearings). These ensure a smooth casting and easy retrieval experience, not possible with an ordinary casting reel. These reels have a strong yet steady Carbon Matrix Drag System. It has enough line capacity to easily hold about 145 yards of a twelve pound monofilament fishing line. It also comes in a left handed version, so even if you are a leftie, you still don’t need to fight with your reel.
The Skeet Reese series is admired for its simplicity and smoothness. It makes fishing easier with its extended throw handle, meaning it has oversized handles for an easy retrieval of your fishing line. It is also supplied with an Infini II Spool along with a centrifugal brake, further enhancing its performance.
Another product from Revo Skeet series is the Revo Toro, a low profile sleeker baitcasting reel. For large sized fish such as bass and walleye, Abu Garcia MAX series is preferred. In fact, Abu Garcia is a leader in the line of fishing with leading-edge designs and highest quality products. See for yourself, at your nearest Abu Garcia dealer.
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Penn Fishing is a name that is taken as a synonym for fishing reels. This company was established by a German immigrant Otto Henze. Otto primarily came to America to work at the Ocean City Reel Company based in Philadelphia. With time he learned the tricks of the trade and aspired to become an independent business owner. Therefore, he resigned from Ocean City in 1932 and founded his own Penn Fishing Tackle Company.
Penn Fishing offers three great baitcasting reel models for the professionals and serious amateurs. The prime one is International Baitcast that although made for big fish hunting, can also be used for catching small fish. This baitcaster has a machine made frame with side plates, and gears and pinions made of stainless steel. It is known for its durability and excellent quality; probably the toughest in its class.
The International Baitcasting Reels are available in a number of different models depending upon their particular use. The 965 International baitcasting reels have a two hundred and forty yards fishing line capacity and a 4:7:1 gear ration. On the other hand, International 975 baitcaster can accommodate three hundred and forty yards of a monofilament fishing line and a gear ratio of 4:5:1. Meanwhile, the models 975 CSLD and 975 LD can hold three hundred yards of monofilament each and are available with a gear ratio of 4:4:1.
Sargus Baitcaster is another product of Penn Fishing that has machine cut main gears made of brass, an HT-100 drag, and has double casting control mechanism that is placed externally and can be adjusted easily. It is also equipped with six shielded ball bearings made of steel and a machine made spool of anodized aluminum. Other main characteristics include an ergonomic palming plate on the left side and infinite anti-reverse roller bearings.
It has titanium made line guide and rust resistant ball bearings to ensure a precise and well aligned casting. It also features an effortless drag mechanism and a “soft touch” thumb bar. It is strong and durable with out being hefty and therefore, the reel of choice for inshore baitcasting.
The Sargus model has a fishing line holding capacity of up to two hundred yards, a line retrieval speed of 9.5 inches with every single rotation of the crank and a 6:4:1 gear ration. Penn Fishing publicizes it as their “tournament grade” baitcasting reel and is absolutely justified in making this claim. It is an excellent combination of low weight and high performance.
Pursuit Baitcaster is another fine creation from Penn Fishing. This baitcasting reel is provided with an ergonomic palming plate placed on the left side and an HT-100 drag, along with machine cut gears made of brass metal and also a machined anodized aluminum spool, infinite anti-reverse roller bearings and shielded stainless steel ball bearings.
It is also compatible for saltwater fishing as well. It has an excellent drag and a smooth retrieve, probably the toughest and most dependable low profile baitcaster available in the market; yet another proof of the excellence of Penn Fishing Tackle Company in the fishing gear production business.
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For muskie fishing as is with any other kind of fishing, it is important to take with you the right set of tools. For you don’t want to be quarrelling with the wrong ones and getting frustrated instead of enjoying this recreational adventure. Although, trial and error always works; however, why bother when here we have arranged for you a number of tips and tricks from the seasoned experts in muskie hunting.
So, what baitcasting reel suits you best for muskie hunting? The experts strongly suggest using Abu Garcia baitcasting reels, as these are of excellent quality yet, available at comparatively economical prices. You can conveniently purchase a baitcaster with a number of splendid functions just for seventy five to eighty five dollars. These Abu Garcia baitcasters are very tough and also quite commonly used for muskie hunting.
There are various designs and models available in baitcasters made by Abu Garcia. The ones commonly preferred for muskie fishing include Abu Garcia C3 and C4 Series 6500, as these are equipped with larger spool sizes. They also differ slightly on the basis of having different gear rations with C4 having the higher gear ratio. A higher gear would mean more rapid recovery of line and a quick removal of fish, however, the higher gear ratios also affect the life of a reel and it gets worn out earlier than the other low gear reels. Therefore, out of the two varieties, for muskie hunting C3 would be a better choice.
Though there are available other high class baitcasting reels such as the Culcutta 300 and 400 series from Shimano; however, regardless of their ravishing charming look and innovative technology these are a little too high priced for a new fisher.
Some other baitcasters recommended by the fishing experts include the Revo Toro Reels from Abu Garcia, available for a retail price of two hundred and seventy-nine dollars; the Shimano Cardiff CDF 200A Baitcaster with a retail price of ninety-nine dollars; the Cardiff CDF 201A from Shimano also available for ninety-nine dollars; the Daiwa TD-LUNA 300 Team Daiwa Luna Baitcasting Reel for the retail price of two hundred and fifty-nine dollars; and the 700C31 Ambassadeur C3 Baitcasting Reel also from Abu Garcia for a retail price of one hundred and forty-nine dollars.
Now we know about the different choices in reels, let’s talk about the fishing rods. For muskie fishing the most important thing to consider while getting yourself a fishing rod is that while fishing for muskie you would need to cast your bait many hundreds of times that also if you are lucky, therefore a lightweight rod should be your first choice. Moreover, the rod should be compatible for medium to heavy action.
Last but not the least is choosing the right bait, because after all this is what baitcasting is about. For muskie hunting, it’s preferable to use heavy-duty bait. Also, the choice of spool also matters, and for muskie fishing a Tuf-Line Spool is the most suitable option, as these fishing lines are very thick and extra tough with a high durability.
So, here you are, all set with the perfect gear. Enjoy!
When it comes to high quality baitcasting reels, Johnny Morris takes the lead with its Gold Series Baitcast Reel. Made for those who want to enjoy fishing at its best with the highest quality gear, this baitcasting reel is made from the best quality materials available today. It is a model of excellent craftsmanship. First, because it is absolutely easy to handle due to its feather weight and second, its spool, crank handle and drive gears, all are made of Duralumin which is a hard anodized material that is extremely lightweight and is of the quality that is used in aircraft technology.
Fishermen usually prefer baitcasters because of their smooth and precise functioning. The Gold Series Baitcasting Reels from Johnny Morris are equipped with eleven ball bearings in total. Eight of them are double shielded stainless steel ball bearings, two are double shielded German stainless steel bearings while one bearing is a PowerLock instant anti-reverse. The finishing of these baitcasting reels from Johnny Morris is done in gold titanium, which protects them from external wear and effects of aging. To provide an excellent contact even when the surfaces of reel are wet, as these are most of the times; this Gold Series comes with a Star Drag System that has a firm hold grips and a Recurve handle.
This Gold Series from Johnny Morris comes with a drag pressure of fourteen pounds. These baitcasters have a gear ratio of 6:4:1 and can hold up to one hundred and twenty yards of a twelve pound fishing line. With a single turn of its crank handle, it retrieves twenty-eight inches of fishing line. With the package also comes a cushioned reel gratis to hold your precious JM baitcasting reel in the most stylish and luxurious way.
Another beauty from Johnny Morris is its JM Elite Reel. This is a top class baitcasting reel that is a lot admired for its classy lustrous look. However, aside from having a beautiful exterior and the advantage of being lightweight Elite Reel is also marveled for its excellent performance. It has a ravishing outer finishing done with cobalt blue titanium deposit, which is wear and tear proof.
These Elite Baitcasting Reels make fishing an enjoyable experience with their avant-garde features such as a titanium plated fishing line guide and a machined-aluminum drilled spool, which is very light in weight. Its gears are made of the tough hard Duralumin. It is also equipped with eleven ball bearings with ten being double shielded made of stainless steel and a PowerLock apparatus for a quick anti reverse operation.
Last but not the least is the Signature Series from Johnny Morris. These Signature baitcasters provide an excellent speed of seven point one to one ration and are proven to reduce backlashing. This series is also available in a wider spool model.
Fishing, like every other sport requires some practice and training; however, you can start with learning a few tricks and tips from the masters. No matter, at what age you have started to learn about fishing, with a little perseverance, the reward is not hard to get.
The first skill to learn is how to cast your bait, a procedure called baitcasting. This includes the use of dead or alive bait or an artificial one and a casting reel. Even if you are a beginner; start with buying a medium to high quality baitcaster, as a cheaper version would be more difficult to handle and would prove more costly in the end.
Spooling your Reel:
For beginners it is advisable to use a heavy monofilament fishing line for spooling their baitcasting reel. The reason being, it’s easy to manage and helps you to learn and deal with backlashes. Do not spool to maximum, use half a spool or one fourth of it, as too full spool would lead to faster spinning of the real and would result in overruns or backlashes.
Get Ready with Exercises:
Now that you know how to spool, start with learning a few exercises at home, before you go out for official fishing. First, you need to learn controlling the spool with your thumb. This is easy, tie a small one ounce load at the end of your line and loose the spool to rotate under the weight. Just before the attached load touches the ground, halt the rotation of the spool using your thumb.
One thing to keep in mind: your baitcaster is made for heavy baits that are half an ounce or more in weight, as it is used for catching large sized fish. However, if you are using a lure that weighs one quarter of an ounce or even less than this requires the use of a spinning reel or a spincaster instead of a baitcaster.
Casting your lure:
Once you’re done with learning to control your spool, next in line is the casting of bait. To cast your bait or lure, first place your thumb on the top of the spool and then let the reeling begin (just click the button to release the fishing line). During the casting procedure, keep pressing against the spool with your thumb.
Then cast the lure making a swinging move with your entire arm. First try for short distances and then with practice attempt for longer lob casts. Keep on rotating the reel during casting, while keeping it vertically straight so that its handle faces upwards. Use a powerful wrist movement for casting your bait further ahead.
And once the bait reaches its target area, press your thumb firmly on the spool to stop it from rotating. And there you go! Now you just need to wait for the big fish (that is if you have actually cast your bait in the water and not in your lawn).
It is always better to do your homework before going out for fishing in real waters. It might take sometimes but as is the case with everything, patience and perseverance eventually get you the reward. So, keep on learning the tricks and practicing the above-mentioned exercises and one day you will hook your fish. All the best!
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To enjoy your hobby of fishing, you need not only to invest in good quality fishing gear but also need to keep it clean and well maintained. Regular cleaning and lubrication of your baitcaster is mandatory in order to keep it functioning smoothly for an extended period of time.
To clean your baitcasting reels you would need a few things such as a grease or lubricating oil made especially for baitcasting reels, a regular screwdriver and a Phillips screwdriver for dismantling the apparatus for cleaning and the fixing it back later on, a small box to keep the separated parts in one place, and some soap and water for actual cleaning.
First consult the user’s manual and dismantle all the different parts of the baitcaster according to the given instructions, using the screwdrivers. Once detached, put all the parts in soapy water and soak them for an hour or longer. Then clean the parts, using a soft brush and a cloth, removing all the dirt and grease particularly from the fishing line and the handle. Now rinse them thoroughly with clean water and use a clean towel or cotton cloth to dry them.
Now lubricate the covering of the reel and its other moving parts such as the gears and the wind guide. Use a lubricant that is specifically made for this purpose. Once the reel is properly greased, readjust its barrel brakes and the spring, ensuring to lubricating them as well, as this is necessary to prevent the stripping of the reel. The area between the drag knob and washers need special attention while lubricating, the more it is greased the easier it would be for you to catch the big fish.
Next is the spindle of the fishing line. First clean it with a soft and greasy towel and then put more grease in the gear box and replace the spindle. Wash and then dry the casing of the reel and then finally add some more lubricant where spindle touches the clasp. Now clean the outer surface, first wiping it with a greasy towel and then with a clean one. Wrap your baitcasting reel with a clean cloth or towel. Always remember to add new fishing line either braided or monofilament, before you leave for fishing.
Well, this is all about cleaning and oiling your baitcasting reel. As regards the question that how frequently you should do the cleaning; every time you go out for fishing in salt water. Yes! Every time, though it might look very cumbersome and too much of a job, however, if you have invested in buying a good quality reel, a little more effort on your part would make it function smoothly and perfectly for a longer period.
On the other hand, if you have used your reel for fresh water fishing only, than it would require being soaked in soapy water for a couple of hours and after that a thorough rinsing with clean water. Always use the lubricant made specifically for oiling the reel to avoid any problems in the future.
Fishing has now become a recreational sport. A number of methods have been devised for fishing a fish, one of them being angle fishing or simply angling. Angling actually, refers to the use of bait, dead or alive or an artificial one to lure a fish towards the hook. In this method of fishing, you can use a spinning or a baitcasting reel.
The use of baitcasting reel or simply a bait caster is more limited to the experienced and skilled fishermen. Moreover, these are used to offer ponderous baits to lure the big fish. This baitcasting reel is composed of a reel attached at the top of a fishing rod, with a fishing line containing spool that rotates both ways to release and retrieve the line. In brief, if you are out for catching the big fish, a bait casting reel is what you would need, along with a little experience.
This baitcaster consists of a single piece apparatus, supplied with a drag system to control the line resistance in accordance with the load. Baitcasters are typically made of aluminium that makes the reel tough and stable for a properly aligned cast. Graphite is another material, used in the making of baitcasters. Graphite baitcasters are not that tough or long lasting as do the aluminium ones; however, these are available at comparatively affordable prices.
Bait casters have a handle attached at the side of the reel. This handle is used to release the line as well as to pull it back, as it moves both ways. Various baitcasters are available nowadays, each with a different specification. To catch a larger fish from a boat, an offshore baitcaster would help, for fishing from stationed boats use a bottom reel or use a Jigging bait caster if you want to take your bait deep down near the bottom of the water and. For larger spools use a round baitcaster and in case you need a small length of fishing line use low-profile baitcasters that have smaller spools.
Spinning reel, on the other hand, is more suitable for offering light-weight baits to the smaller fish. These are user friendly and have better flexibility. These reels consist of a spool attached below the fishing rod. This spool does not rotate rather it has an open end from where the fishing line extends out through a metal wire, known as the bail wire. Once you have cast your bait, you release the bail wire mechanism, and the fishing line extends out releasing itself from the stationary spool under the weight of the bait.
It’s better to choose a skirted spool, as it not only accommodates a greater length of fishing line but also helps to protect the internal surface of baitcaster from external detrimental factors such as moisture. There are some new innovative designs available in spinning reels suitable also for casting heavy-duty baits.
Buy a spinning reel that is suitable for the type of fish you want to catch, moreover, also ensure that the reel is equipped with corrosion resistant bearings.
To sum up, baitcasters are used for heavy baits to lure big fish, whereas spinning reels are more suitable for casting small baits, however, its not a bad idea to take both when you plan to go for fishing.
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A lot of people enjoy fishing, as a hobby or as a sport; as now it is no longer a means of earning livelihood. The thought of sitting by the water, relaxing in the sun and at the end of the day having some big catch to take home and boost about, makes fishing such a favorite past time. Fishing involves a lot of different techniques, the most common of which is known as angling. As is obvious from the name, angling refers to the use of an angle or hook, which is attached to a fishing rod by a reel. The fishing rod or fishing pole was traditionally made from bamboo but now various other materials such as carbon fiber and fiberglass are also used in its construction.
Long before, the bait used by fishermen consisted of live or dead worms, insects, minnows and leeches. However, with the changing times as fishing became a sport, the nature of bait changed as well. Now we use artificial bait or lure; this resembles the real bait and consist of hooks to engage the fish once it comes closer.
Baitcasting reels are also known as casting or overhead reels or simply bait casters. These reels have a rotating spool, attached at the top of a fishing rod. These casting reels are mounted on a fishing rod that has a bearing supported spinning spool which accommodates the fishing line. These baitcasting or overhead reels are commonly made of graphite or aluminum. The casting reels made of graphite are more affordable and lighter in weight in comparison to the reels made of aluminum. However, the extra price does not make aluminum reels any less favorable, for these show more stability and rigidity and are preferred by the fishermen to get a perfectly aligned casting of overhead reel.
The advantage of having good quality casting reels is comfort of use and smooth motion. Bait casting gears are composed of either brass or steel or Duralumin, a light yet tough material. Good quality casting reels also come equipped with good quality bearings that are either shielded, double shielded or are sealed bearings. Apart from the gears, the other characteristic features of good quality casting reels include a smooth drag, spools made of aluminum, forged handles and titanium lines.
Baitcasting reels available in market are typically of two different types. First, there is round baitcasting reels that have a large sized spool to accommodate a greater length of fishing line. The other kind is low-profile reels which have the advantage of being ergonomic and easy to use. The choice of baitcasting reel depends upon the kind of fish you are interested in hooking up. For instance, if you are looking to catch bass, you will not be requiring a long fishing line, therefore, a low-profile casting reel is what you need to get. On the other hand, if you are fishing for muskie, salmon, pike or steelheads, a lengthy fishing line would be required and for this purpose a round bait casting reel would be more suitable.
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