The choice of fishing reels these days can be overwhelming, and I am often asked which style of reel I prefer for lure casting; bait caster or spinning reel?
In my charters, I am often faced with a situation where some of my clients are not accomplished anglers, yet the most effective technique for the conditions involves casting.
In these instances it’s often easier to put a spinning reel in their hands.
And although fishing a bait caster is no doubt easier and lighter for dedicated lure casters, some of the new spin outfits can certainly do the job.
A few weeks back my mate and Jarvis Walker rep Ash Cotter dropped in, and I took a look at their range of Quantum bait casters, including the newly released Smoke HD.
A few days earlier I’d also had the pleasure of using the Speed Freak spin outfit casting metal slices and managed this nice Spaniard in just a few casts.
Quantum are massive in the States and are really gaining a foothold in the Australian market.
And because most of these reels are designed for the bass market, Jarvis Walker extensively field test them in Australian conditions prior to any release. Why? Because Aussie fish are bigger and tougher haha.
Which is where I come in. Lucky me. So although I’m not paid by Jarvis Walker, I do get to test their equipment and I am wrapped by the reels I get to trial.
But that’s enough about Quantum reels. All the nitty gritty on the reels can be found over on their website www.quantumfishing.com.au.
For the purposes of this blog post, I chat to Ash in the video below about the pros and cons of both types of outfit, bait caster or spin, and have a quick look at the Quantum bait caster range including the newly released Smoke HD, the Smoke PTA, the 7.3 Inshore and the 8.1 Speed Freak perfect for deep vibing.
I guess to summarize, both types of reel will do the job and it comes back to personal preference. Spinning reels can be a bit easier to use, and are certainly just as accurate, however low profile bait casters fit in the palm of your hand and are lighter when casting all day.
Our previous post on preventing line twist when using spinning reels may be of assistance to beginners.
Ultimately, a more important consideration when chasing fishing success, is not so much what gear you’re using, but are you fishing on the fish?
Spending a ton of cash on the most expensive top of the range lures and gear can be a bit counter productive if you’re not finding fish consistently.
Each species is different and has different habits and can take years to nut them out.
If you’re struggling to catch fish consistently, we have some online fishing courses over on our educational website Fish Smarter which may help you have more success.
We also have plenty of resources here on the Ryan Moody Fishing blog. For example;
Catching mackerel using metal slices
Fishing for Golden Snapper (Fingermark)
How does CHIRP sounder technology work?
Finding and fishing Wonky Holes.
For those of you new to Ryan Moody Fishing, welcome and we hope you find our content helpful.
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Hope you enjoyed the video. Until next week, ciao for now.
