02-10-2014, 11:34 PM
[#0000FF]I usually carry 6 rods in my sled rod rack. Almost always there are either 2 or 3 baitcasters...along with the spinning rods. I favor the BCs for dropping heavier jigs or for fishing for heavier fish. But there are plenty of times when using a flasher above a light jig that they work fine too. The light tipped "Tiger Rod" in one of the pics below is a perch-whackin' tool...especially when the perch are active and hitting larger jigging lures.
If you properly adjust the tension knob for the weight of the jigs or flashers you are dropping on freespool you will have no problem with either a smooth feed or "professional overrun" (backlash). And there is no doubt that a revolving spool helps prevent line twist. If you are battling a large fish and keep reeling when the fish is taking line...or at a standstill...you can kill a spool of line with a spinning reel. Not so with baitcasters.
I prefer good quality 6 or 8 pound line on my baitcasters...but have tried Berkeley Nanofil with good results...less stretch and no freezing.
The one downside to using a baitcaster with a level wind feature is the small hole on that levelwind. It doesn't matter how big your guides on the rod are if that little hole keeps freezing up. It can be a bugger to keep it clean some days...and it can cost you a fish. Some guys smear Chapstick on it and that helps.
I use longer rods than most...over 40". And by holding the reel cupped in one hand, and the thumb of my other hand resting on the end of the rod, I can make a quick hookset by simultaneously snapping upward with my wrist on the rod hand and pushing down on the rod end with my thumb. With the longer rod I move a lot of line instantaneously and get a high percentage of hooksets. Super jaw jacker.
You don't have to spend a fortune on a high speed retrieve bass reel for ice fishing. But quality counts. Any problems with tolerances, lubrication or smoothness will be accented in cold weather.
I have several different small baitcasters...from Daiwa to Shimano...to Bass Pro bargains. They all work well if properly spooled and maintained. Just be sure to check the tension on the freespool and the drag settings...before you hook a decent fish.
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If you properly adjust the tension knob for the weight of the jigs or flashers you are dropping on freespool you will have no problem with either a smooth feed or "professional overrun" (backlash). And there is no doubt that a revolving spool helps prevent line twist. If you are battling a large fish and keep reeling when the fish is taking line...or at a standstill...you can kill a spool of line with a spinning reel. Not so with baitcasters.
I prefer good quality 6 or 8 pound line on my baitcasters...but have tried Berkeley Nanofil with good results...less stretch and no freezing.
The one downside to using a baitcaster with a level wind feature is the small hole on that levelwind. It doesn't matter how big your guides on the rod are if that little hole keeps freezing up. It can be a bugger to keep it clean some days...and it can cost you a fish. Some guys smear Chapstick on it and that helps.
I use longer rods than most...over 40". And by holding the reel cupped in one hand, and the thumb of my other hand resting on the end of the rod, I can make a quick hookset by simultaneously snapping upward with my wrist on the rod hand and pushing down on the rod end with my thumb. With the longer rod I move a lot of line instantaneously and get a high percentage of hooksets. Super jaw jacker.
You don't have to spend a fortune on a high speed retrieve bass reel for ice fishing. But quality counts. Any problems with tolerances, lubrication or smoothness will be accented in cold weather.
I have several different small baitcasters...from Daiwa to Shimano...to Bass Pro bargains. They all work well if properly spooled and maintained. Just be sure to check the tension on the freespool and the drag settings...before you hook a decent fish.
[/#0000FF]
[signature]