Shimano Chronarch
I never used a baitcaster. Don't they get a lot of backlashs, tangled line. I can barely use a spinning reel. I don't fish much anymore.
If you have a poor quality one or have poor technique, yes. However, a good baitcaster has many advantages. You can use heavier line on a smaller reel and it doesn't affect casting distance as much. You don't have to worry about line twist as much as with a spinning reel. The huge advantage is control, especially for bass fishing. When casting to the shore or structure from a boat, you can lay your lures down VERY softly and with incredible accuracy. My wife (who can't master a baitcaster) marvels at how I can chuck a spinnerbait or crankbait 50 feet and land within a couple of inches of my target. I can lay up on a log or rock and let the lure slide into the water like something alive. It provokes immediate reaction strikes instead of spooking the fish.
While the old school (Japan) Curados are my favorite, I fish crankbaits more than just about anything else. My #1 crankbait setup is an old Falcon 6'6" ML rod with an old Ambassador Black Max 1600 reel, spooled with 12# Berkley Vanish flourocarbon line. It's a compact reel that palms well and the line guide is geared faster than most, so the line lays down across itself. That holds down on the backlash issue. I can back off the tension far more than my other baitcasters and still cast into the wind without backlashes. That enables me to cast farther and reach surfacing fish my fishing partners can't reach. I may go 8 hours with only 2 or three backlashes, and those are easily worked out without cutting off line.
I'll stick with an old Garcia 5500 C. It will out cast most of the newer reels and you can pass it down to your grand kids.
I'll just say I don't like bait casters. I've owned two. Both $200 + reels, and I can outdo both of them with a good spinning reel.
Most all the high capacity line holding 5000, 5500, 6500 Ambassadeur work best for the type fishing I do these days. Which is trolling for walleye/saugeye. Stripping off 4-5 ft. of line several times a day to tie new knots or breaking off lines that get hung use up line quick. I can load up premium 12 lb. test mono once and usually get through the year. Just put 2 new (of the cheaper) 6500's from walmart that was marked down to 30.00 each in service this spring. One went south yesterday. Worked great until the handle bent from grandson fighting a fish then wouldn't lock and had problems after a nice hybrid striper. Ive never had a chance to use any of the real nice baitcaster's because of the price. I am fortunate to have a nice stash of 5000, 5500, 6500 reels left from my dad. The older ones are definitely better.
Ambassadeur 5,000 and 5500c. I have a 5000 that I bought in college in1974 and still use bass fishing. These are the only bait caster for me.
Until you feel my Shimano Aldebaran's on Kistler ZBone rods. Total weight 8.2 oz. that's several oz less that just a 5500C weighs by itself.
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