VikingsFan

Hello everyone. I've been bass fishing for two years using only spinning gear. I think its time to try my hand at baitcasting. Since this will be my first and only setup for now I need an all purpose rod and reel. If baitcasting is something I enjoy using I will get several technique specific setups. My price point is about $300. I don't want to spend too much and find out its not for me although I still want to start with pretty good quality gear. I was thinking of going with a Shimano Citica E reel, for the price they seem like very nice reels from what I've read. The part I'm stuck or unsure about is what rod to go with. The Citica is $120 at *** so that leaves me with between $150-180 for the rod. Maybe a Shimano Compre or Crucial? I really like the Airrus Ultra XL, great grips, high exposed reel seat, removable butt sections, good aesthetics, etc. However I don't know much about the brand or their rods in general. Any help regarding rod/reel options would be great.

Rapala Floating Minnow (Silver/black back) and Strike King Double Blade Buzzbait (Super Chartreuse).

Thanks for the help everyone I really appreciate it. I don't need a two piece rod for traveling reasons, thats just what I've always purchased in the past. I'm talking about the sensitivity, power, etc. Sam I can honestly say I've never had that happen, maybe I'm just lucky.

Hello everyone. I've always used two piece rods before, only spinning. Well since I'm researching my first casting rod to purchase I'm curious about the differences between one and two piece rods. Obviously two piece rods are better for traveling purposes. Is there a difference in sensitivity?, power?, anything? Probably a stupid question, but I'm curious.

Rapala Floating Minnows (Silver/Black and Gold/Flourescent Red) I've used these for a couple years and have caught tons of smallmouth and largemouth.

Thanks for the replies.

Hello. I was wondering if any one has used the Lunker Lure brand buzzbaits. From the various websites I've visited they have received good reviews. The price of them is good also at under 4 dollars. Any comments you can give me about them would be much appreciated.

Hello. I was looking online for smaller sized swimbaits that weight around 1/2oz. I couldn't find what I was looking for, so does anyone know of any? Any help would be appreciated.

I will spend time practicing with the baitcasting setup until I get comfortable using it. I think I've decide on the BassPro Extreme reel. From the reviews I've read from BassPro and here it seems like a good reel to learn with. However I have question about the reel. They have three different models available. Each has a different gear ratio. 5.4:1, 6.4:1, and 7.1:1. I'm not sure which one to get. What would be the ideal gear ratio for someones first baitcasting reel? Thanks for all your help so far.

I've had good results using the Strike King double buzzbait. Good luck.

Thanks for the help everyone I really appreciate it. I will check out the reels that you guys mentioned. Thanks again.

Hello everyone. I know this question has been asked many times however my situation is a bit different. I'm going to be looking at purchasing my first baitcasting reel soon. I have a couple criteria's, first it must be a left hand retrieve reel, and second it must cost no more than $80. The reason for the price limit is because I want to find out if I like baitcasting setups. If I do like them I will buy another more expensive setup. But right now I just need a decent reel to help me get started. Okay I've looked online and found a couple reels that might work. Abu Garcia Black Max http://www.***.com/descpageRLCABUGAR-AGBM.html Daiwa Megaforce http://www.***.com/descpageRLCDAIWA-DMF.html They both have received decent ratings from both Cabelas and Basspro but I'm just not sure. Has anyone used these reels before? If so any feedback regarding them is much appreciated. Also if anyone has other recommendations for baitcasting reels I would really appreciate it.

I like Bombers, they work well for me and the price is right.

I'm relatively new to bass fishing so I'm not sure how well this will help you but. I just started fishing buzzbaits this season. I've had good results using a double blade buzzbait, chart with silver blades. In my limited experience I have caught small as well as larger sized bass. Both Largemouth and Smallmouth hit the double buzzbait. One advantage I've found with double blades is that you can retrieve the bait a lot slower. Good luck. Hopefully this helps you some.

Hello everyone. I have not used buzzbaits a whole lot, maybe a dozen times. I've used both single as well as double blade buzzbaits and have caught bass on both. I was just wondering which style buzzbait everyones uses and why.