Post
by Zander » Sat Sep 14, 2013 3:12 pm
Sorry for the delayed reply guys. Has been a rough week, a close friend of mine passed away unexpectedly and just drove back from the service in Reno this evening.
On this subject, the key takeaway from this reel is that it is not just a good caster, but it is a good caster at this price point. Second don’t get obsessed with casting distance, maximum casting distance has many variables, with the reel just being one of them. Fritts says everyday anglers that have the BB1 reel dialed in should be able to hit 65yds., now I’m sure Fritts can do that but I don’t care how dialed in the reel is you better be one heck of a good caster to get that distance. Also distance doesn’t necessarily equate to more fish, yes with crankbaits you cover more water which is good in search mode but I’ve found that extra 10-20 yards doesn’t always equate to more bites, often times a more accurate cast is going to pay more dividends.
If you want maximum casting on the BB1, or any baitcaster for that matter, you want to dial the cast control down to the lowest level that you are comfortable with. For me that was two brakes on the BB1 in normal conditions and one with no wind and heavier baits. You also want to go with a reasonable weight line, I like cranking with 10-12lb. mono. There are a lot of people who like fishing fluorocarbon for that enhanced feel but I can cast better with mono and like the stretch in my line with cranks and ripbaits. Like a spinning reel the reel is going to cast better when it is filled properly. If it is filled too high then the line will rub against the edges reducing freespool, go too little and the line is wound tighter and not only doesn’t peel off the spool as nicely but requires more revolutions for the same distance line to come off the spool.
Lure weight absolutely makes a difference, in our tests we used a lot of 3/4oz. lipless cranks and 1oz. deep divers. If you are fishing small to medium sized shallow cranks accuracy really should be your priority. Ripbaits are a different animal, especially if you’re targeting stripers and in this application I went for max distance with baits like the Lucky Craft Pointer 128 (talk about a lure with an effortless cast).
Next think about friction, it robs casting distance. Friction on the spool, line, guides... it all adds up. So suffice to say traditional braids are not going to be your best option for max distance. The traditional spool tension setting is to adjust the tension so the lure drops slowly. This is my recommendation for general use. BUT if you want that maximum casting distance then you need to reduce that tension and trust your thumb. You also need to lay off the spool with your thumb and only feather it when absolutely necessary. This takes practice and trust me it’s not easy. I have been in a lot of boats where pros get 15+ yards on me with my own gear/setup.
Then you get to your catapult, your rod. If you want maximum casting distance then you need to go with a 7+ foot cranking stick. The rod that you see in a lot of the pictures in the article is an Edge 7 foot 8-14lb 3/16-1/2oz. rated stick but I threw baits up to 1oz. on it with no problem. This rod is a very good caster, though I still am not a fan of the spiral wrapped guides (Cal loves them). I also fished a Powell 8 foot cranking rod that is a glass/composite. When it comes to maximum distance I like a rod that has a long enough rear handle so I can get plenty of leverage with two handed casts. I used to fish a lot of 6’6” rods and over time I’ve gone longer and longer when it comes to casting rods designed for big cranks.
The bottom line, you need to dial the reel in to match how you fish. Reduce as much resistance and tension off the spool as you are comfortable with. But again don’t be obsessed with casting distance. What use is that ultra-long cast if you have to constantly deal with backlashes? Which also reduce casting distance by the way, once that line gets messed up or doesn’t lay properly on the spool casting distance is going to suffer.
Little (ok, a lot) long winded but hopefully it helps guys.
Tight Lines,
Z
the other reel that casts really well for me is the new Abu MGX, with a 1oz. bait and no wind you can just about empty the spool.
