Topic: The Best Baitcasting Reels for Beginners of 2023 (Read 31 times)
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This red sports car of a reel even looks fast, but it’s built to take a beating in addition to its 9.5:1 gear ratio. It has 20 pounds of drag and is overbuilt with tight tolerances and a one-piece aluminum frame so that whether you’re pitching and flipping or speed reeling your topwater in to cast at a breaking fish, it stays in one piece. For beginners, it has a six-pin, 27-position centrifugal braking system. So, when you get into a hurry and misapply pressure, it won’t result in a backlash catastrophe. It’s also ergonomically co*fortable for various hand sizes, preventing cramps after a 300-cast day.
Shimano’s Curado DC was the first long-term reliable co*puter-controlled reel at a lower price point than past models. This reel offers many of the Curado’s benefits, at an even lower price point. It has a rigid body, brass gearing, and a handle size that fits hands from extra-small to extra-large. The real selling point is the Digital Control (DC) braking system which produces an audible whir on the cast to let you know that it’s working, and can be adjusted for a range of lure weights, allowing you to cast them into the wind with minimal fear. Yes, some bait finesse reels are made for light lures, but this one has the muscle for heavier lures, and still handles wind with aplomb.
Key Features
Abu Garcia keeps on iterating their proven Revo lineup, each time upgrading the features and technology available. While the highest-price models may have a few more features or styling flourishes, the Revo X LP offers a ton of value in a package with most of the same benefits. Those include an asymmetric design that makes it easy to hold, a pushed-forward line guide to protect your line from sharp edges, and a Mag Trax brake system to minimize backlashes. Any beginner can buy this reel—or several of them—and be confident that it has the same technology found on many pros’ decks.
As the fish you’re chasing and the lures needed to tempt them grow in size, it’s critical to beef up every co*ponent of a reel. That usually co*es at a cost, and while this reel is not inexpensive, it still costs less than replacing one year after year when the fish of a lifetime strips gears or the frame falls apart from too many rough boat rides. It lives at the intersection of Daiwa’s best bass tournament tools—with features like the T-Wing system for long casts—and their saltwater tools, made to handle rampaging tuna and inshore species. It’s heavier than most standard baitcasters by several ounces, but on the properly balanced rod it’s not cumbersome, and because it’s offered in multiple gear ratios from “slow” to “fast,” anglers can find the one that balances their needs, too.
Bait finesse is a relatively new phenomenon that originated in Japan and involves throwing lighter-than-usual lures on baitcasting gear. It can be particularly daunting for beginners who’ve bought into the ideology that such lures can and should be fished only on spinning tackle. This reel should minimize your fear of backlashes and maximize your willingness to try the technique. It’s not clear how they stuffed so much technology, including 12 bearings, into this diminutive package, but KastKing has built a toy-sized product that behaves like anything but child’s play. Whether you’re dropshotting, throwing a micro-jig, or flinging a tiny crankbait, this reel is a super-smooth joy to fish and feels rock solid. It has a carbon disc drag system to handle the big fish that will inevitably ensue.
There are quality baitcasting reels available at price points from less than 50 bucks to nearly a thousand, and while you generally get what you pay for, that’s not always the case. An expensive niche reel may not perform as well as a lesser-priced and lesser-outfitted reel when used for the wrong technique. Furthermore, eventually most anglers want more than one, so if you’re building a team of baitcasters don’t shoot the entire budget on one reel, leaving crumbs for the others.
While big baits might require 20- or 25-pound mono or fluoro, or 80-pound braid, a reel made for bait finesse might only hold a few yards of that strength. On the flip side, a reel made for big baits and heavy line won’t be able to handle 8- or even 10-pound line. Figure out the range of diameters you’ll be using and then find the reel that will not only cast them well, but will hold enough for long casts and line-burning runs.
Yes, small reels can handle heavy lures in a pinch, and vice versa, but by adhering closely to the reco*mended ranges, not only will you minimize backlashes, but you’ll limit strain on the reel’s co*ponents.
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Baitcasting beginners no longer need to fear entering the genre, or losing whole spools of expensive line (braid and fluorocarbon weren’t generally available when I bought my first baitcaster) to unruly tangles. Indeed, the biggest question now is which of the many models at a huge array of price points to buy. If you’re beginning with baitcasters altogether, get a standard-sized reel at a midpoint (6:1 or 7:1 gear ratio) but if you’re trying out a new technique with specific needs, opt for a specialized reel.
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