Fishing Forum

HI all! I've been fishing in AZ waters for trout since I could hold a rod. I have pretty good luck with trolling cowbells (etc), fishing off bottom/top with worms. I have absolutely NO experience with lures -except that I often lose them []

I am going to Flathead Lake in Montana for b-day vacation. I'm told that the trout we catch here in AZ are "bait" compared to the Montana fish. Do I need a heavy duty rod/reel/line (currently use 5-10 lb line)?

I love the look of the baitcaster reel (I see them at outdoor shows like the RCX Powerfishing baitcast reel) and bought a cheap one. I'm used to the spincast reel and open-faced spinning reel but cannot figure out how to cast the baitcaster. I'm considering buying one like the RCX Powerfishing baitcast reel but am afraid I will just be frustrated. Are there any tricks to learning how to cast these reels? HELP!

Any other suggestions regarding fishing at Flathead are welcomed!
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I don't have a clue about trout fishing. Maybe someone will chime in with a little more experiance from that area with that species. You may also specify what type of trout you are targeting. Different species may require different tactics; and also may be more plentiful at certain times of the year.

Oh, and welcome to the site! [cool]
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Thanks for the welcome and for responding so quickly, Bryan. I'll be frank and say that I have NO specific species of FISH in mind. I'm hoping someone from the area will be able to talk me through it. :-)

Take Care!
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You might also try the specific state board. I have no idea how much traffic it gets, but that's another good place to start. []
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Hi Outfishin,
Good luck on your trip! The baitcaster can be a beast to master. When I started I had two main problems. 1. setting the spool tension. 2. Trying to cast. When I would cast, my line wouldn't release fast enough therefore my lure would slam into the water 3 ft in front of me.
The Fix. Loosen the spool tension knob to the point that when holding the trigger down, the weight of your lure will be enough for the spool to unwind. (if the tension knob is at it's lightest setting and the spool, when open, won't unwind just by the weight of the lure itself. Then you need to use a heavier lure or switch to a spinning reel.
Casting: I found that you have to let your thumb off the spool earlier than you would for a spinning reel. When I cast I will dethumb the line at about the 1 o'clock position instead of the 11 o'clock position for a spinning reel.
I had to teach myself this so I don't know if this is the correct technique or not. lol But it works for me.

Sorry, I've never fished Montana though I think you will be just fine with your rod/reel/line selection. Just make sure you have your drag set correctly for 8-10lb test line.
Good luck
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Awesome reply Barnacles! Thank you. I'm now going to sound ignorant, so excuse me...what do you mean by making sure my drag is set for the 5-10lb line? It's ok to respond as though you are talking to a 2nd grader...LOL! [bobdumb]
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if your using a 5 pound test line, you want the drag set for 4 pounds...

Drag tention is measuered in foot pounds,

if you have a 5 pound sack of taters, hook the line to it and lift your rod, the rod shoud bend and line should come out of the reel slowly, "do not attempt to pick up the sack of taters with the rod.

you can use hand held fish scales to set the drag weight, just tie a loop in the line and pull on the scale and no line should come out of the reel untill you reach about 4 pounds..

most every body dose it by and and by golly.

some of us will reset the drag while fishing, I have a battle drag on my spinning reel, this allows me to have fun with the smaller fish and still if I hook in to a hog, I can tighten up the drag untill it feals right to my perspective of what I might have on the other end not to exceed my rod, reel or line clasification.

bait casting reels have two drags on them, one for fighting the fish, "we have just discussed that" the other for casting. I am going to be honest, I am not the best at using bait casting reels. I never seem to get the casting spindle set right, and I swear that giant oak trees from a foot ball field's distant away will jump right in front of me and tangle me up. [angelic]

if you get the casting drag set to tight, as mentioned earlier, you will experience no casting to lures flying back at your face if you are not carefull... to loose when you cast, your spindle keeps spinning and unwinding line inside of your reel creating a rats nest that you will spend the remainder of your time trying to untangle it.

there is a happy medium for the spool tentioner, put your lure on the end of your line, click and release the casting button, the lure should go to the ground and when it hits the ground the spindle should stop spinning releasing no more line.

if the lure dose not hit the ground, loosen the casting drag, if when the lure hits the ground and you see loose line in the reel houseing tighten the spindle drag just a tad.. Retry this several times to make sure you are at the proper setting

I forgot to mention, you should do the drop test for every time you change the lure, different lures have different effects on your casting... so no one setting dose not fit all, that is why there is a dial and on most of them are a number setting.

onece you get accostum to a particular lure, you can pre set the dial close enough that you wont have to figure out where the settings are

[quote OutFishin]Awesome reply Barnacles! Thank you. I'm now going to sound ignorant, so excuse me...what do you mean by making sure my drag is set for the 5-10lb line? It's ok to respond as though you are talking to a 2nd grader...LOL! [/quote]

Anytime! I think Davetclown covered the drag system very well. Hope that answered your question but don't be afraid to ask if something isn't clear enough. That's what a forum is for!
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You got some good info there in regards to drag, and i'm going to fine tune it a bit to help a bit more.

To eliminate confusion, the knob that controls the spool's rotation is technically called a "brake." As in, stops the spool. I only mention this because, if you're thumbing through an owners manual and get to the reel's parts description, you won't get about what is what.

One thing to remember about bait casters is, you are limited to lures with a tad more weight, versus a spinning reel. If you try to cast a very light lure with a bait caster, no matter how loose the break is, you're going to have problems. If your reel is spooled with braid, you might have a 20 dollar problem if you can't get the back lash out. The way I set the brake on a reel is simple. I tie on the lure and hold it up off the ground. I click the free spool button on the reel, and if it drops to the ground rapidly, it's set too loose. Give the break a turn. Reel it up and try again. The idea is to get the break set where a gentle wiggle of the rod keeps the lure moving towards the ground at a controled speed, not wide open. If it falls with out a wiggle of the rod, it's too loose. If you're having to whip the hell out of it to get the lure to move, it's too tight. Use that logic, and you'll find you're sweet spot. Just note, when you use the break, you will not get the distance casting as someone that is more skilled and does not require the use of the break. So, don't be disappointed with your initial performance, it'll get better with experiance. As you get more comfortable, ease the break off a bit. Remember, as you do this, you're thumb becomes the speed control.

The only other thing i'll touch on is the actual drag settings. The rule of thumb, like Dave mentioned, is to keep your drag set below the test of the line you're using. There are things to consider in this area, that change with the type of fish you are targeting. Fish that are incredibly fast, acrobatic, or have very soft mouths will require a lighter drag setting. The offset to that is having a rod with a slow action, which will absorb the shock with a higher drag setting. An example of a slow action rod is an ugly stick made by Shakespear. Probably the most famous and widely used fishing rod in the world. They make fast action rods, but the standard version has a very limber tip.

I set my drag using "feel." But, I know my equipment, and I can actually sense when a rod or the line has had enough, or is getting close. That is something aquired with experiance, and I suspect most veteran anglers use the same tactic. After you break a few lines and such, you'll aquire that same sense about your gear. Nothing teaches better than trial and error. Write than down. [cool]
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You are right Brian that different species required different tactics. Some fish attract to small creatures and some are attracted to big fish.

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Hmm ,, nice i think this must answer expert fisher man. Am also fishing but i have an clue about this. I love Fishing In Dubai its amazing i love fishing.[fishon]
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About the baitcaster reels. Good advice is to take your time and most importantly Don't give up! Once you have mastered a baitcasting reel you have so much more accuracy with your casts as opposed to spinning reels.

Just keep at it and one day that magical alignment of the stars happens and you get the "feel" of it. From that moment on you will be glad you didn't give up on baitcasters.
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