I've been a reader & lurker here longer than I care to admit, but the information from all of you is great.  I am a mediocre/average angler, been using spinning gear for the past couple of years after getting back into fishing. I bought my first baitcasting rig today, with the thought of learning with it & using it alot, without feeling I need to upgrade anytime soon. The rig is a St.Croix Avid AC66MF with a Shimano Cardiff 100A. For using small to medium spinners, rooster tails & some plastics (worms & grubs) and for a general purpose rig, I hope I did well. I guess I'll find out. I'm really looking forward to practicing with this combination & getting the feel for it. Any, and I mean ANY tips, additional info, or suggestions are certainly welcome by me & please, all, keep up the great work on this site.

Great information!

Thanks,

Mitch

Hey look right up top of this forum Sticky Baitcasting Problems  Pay close attention to the Reel mech articles(links provided) they helped me the most! Also pick Avid's brain he always talks about throwing lighter baits with baitcasters. I am also a begining Bait Caster  good luck 8-)

There's someone who would disagree but the Cardiff 100 isn't the best for a light lure.I got the 100 and 200.I may not have took enough time with them but I haven't had the greatest of results with them except for heavier lures.JMO.I hope you prove me wrong!

Muddy, thanks for the info. I'll do that. I figure it won't be all that easy or all that hard, but it's gonna take practice for sure. CJ, thanks, but honestly, I don't know if the 100A is good for it either. With the ratio it has, it may not be the best, but I bought it on the premise of it being a 'general purpose' BC for me. I concentrated more on the rod, and honestly, I wanted a St.Croix legend tourney basscaster, but was out of my budget, so I went with the Avid instead. From what I've read & been told the 100A will work. Guess I'll find out.

MitchIsFishin,

The key to throwing light lures with any reel, is the rod. If the rod is rated to throw light lure and light line then it will cast them. If the rod is minimum rated for heavier lures and line then you intend to throw, then you are going to have to change rods to one that loads and fires light lure/line.

The whole process is to setup a balanced rod/reel system.....

Some reading for you....Basic Baitcast Reel Setup 101

Remember the key is practice, practice, practice, and practice some more.......

Tight Lines!!!

Exactky what ReelMech said; read his Basic Baitcast Reel Setup 101 and don't just read it, learn it, memorize it, and use it

I own a Cardiff CDF100A and can throw a Zoom trick worm wacky rigged with it because of the rod/reel being set up correctly.

Like said, read Reel Mechanics information on setting up your bait caster. If you are set on casting light lures you might want to consider exchanging the rod for one rated down to 1/8 oz. lures.

I would start out with mono in the 12 to 14 # range and the limp or easy casting type. I use Berkley XL but most line companies have equals. My water is not loaded with wood, weeds, cane etc so all I need to watch are the rocks and check for line nicks often.

Learn in the back yard or drive way. First just to get the practice lure out there and then with accuracy, then distance and accuracy.

After the basics you can start the specialty casts.

If you don't get backlashes that are easier to cut the line off the reel than pick out you will be an exception. I've been using a bait caster for over 60 years and I'll probably do something stupid that causes me to resort to the knife again.

Once you obtain the skills I thinkyou will love using a baitcaster. One of my buddies started using baitcasters about 5 years ago and that is now all he uses. I think he has gone too far.  In the spring I have 4 baitacsters and 1 spinning outfits.

The in the summer it is 3 baitcasters and 2 spinning outfits.