Favorite TYPE of reel for catfishing?

[Flatheadmaniac]

What TYPE do you use?
You can choose TWO types.

[Flatheadmaniac]

Both Baitcasting & Baitrunner style reels.
For med size rivers locally i run baitcasters for heavy work in tree infested waters where i run heavy line and need the power. On the Ohio i use both but mostly use Baitrunner style reels on longer rods for long casts with lighter line.

[Ðe§perado™]

I use baitcasters and before I got that I still have my push buttons.:)

[flathunter]

Baitcasters with a clicker hands down.

[mrfish/OH]

:) I only cast one vote;)
Am I wrong, but isn't a baitrunner a spinning reel ? :confused:

[Doctor]

Abu Garcia 6500, what a reel.!!!!!..........Doc
:D :D :D

[pawclaws]

Garcia! :D

[Flatheadmaniac]

YES a baitrunner style reel IS a spinning reel..but they are not the same...ones for free lining live baits and has an adjustable free spool clicker like a baitcaster , the other is a FIXED spool reel mostly designed for throwing lures..man i thought you knew the difference? ;)
Hey im not sure of the caliber of cat anglers we have here..so i had to throw in regular spininng reels and push buttons..everyone has thier own style they prefer..i was trying to cover all options to get a feel for the anglers here.
Scott

PS i see we had two hits on the push button reels already..glad i added it at the last moment!

[trout]

I like the 6500s too, prior to them I liked Penns.

[BottomBouncer]

I like my Penn 975, not too big and not too small. Holds 340 of 15, great clicker and nice handle. Casts better than any large baitcaster I have used, although my IRON 430 can cast a mile on my big cat rod.

For spinning nothing beats my Shimano BTR!!!!!!

[mrfish/OH]

Baitrunner is a spinning reel. There's two basic types of reels, baitcasters & spinning, with 2 votes....it sort of cancels itself out.
What about non-level wind baitcasters, trolling baitcasters, instant ant-reverse baitcasters, electric baitcasters, line counter baitcasters , syncronized levelwinds vs. non syncronized ? ( My Pro Max is not syncronized- 7000C4 is, etc) Dual drags, star drags, leverdrags ? Baitclickers, non-baitclickers(line out alarms) Low profile, round reels, magnetic brakes, centrifical brakes, combination brakes. They are all baitcasters, but very different too......;) :D
Spinning reels, front drag, rear drag, fighting drags, baitrunners. Manual bails, selfcentering bails, instant anti reverse, trigger bails. Long range tapered spools, titanium coated, graphite, aluminum, etc. Spincast.....it's a spinning reel, the line comes off the spool the same way. All spinning reels.
So my preference for catfishing is a large round syncronized levelwind baitcaster with a line out alarm (clicker) I like the leverdrags and the star drag. Actually, I wish the CT700 had a leverdrag. That is very nice to adjust the tension for the bait & current & fish. You preset the strongest drag on it, so when you set the hook, you can throw the lever all the way on, never have to worry you will over tightening it. Then you can back it off all the way to freespool too. Hold your bait anywhere in between and can give it a gradual tighten up with the lever instead of just thumbing the spool on a running fish.

[BottomBouncer]

Hey Jim, you should check out the Penn 975's. They come in level wind, non level wind and lever drag. It's an awesome reel!

[Flatheadmaniac]

If your that into the lever drag then check out the Abu 6500 Lever crag and the Shimano lever drags..i think the Charter Specials are the ones Robby uses now?
I have a black 7000C Syncro that was my first big baitcaster, you can adjust the drag just like a lever drag by backing off the handle, or adjusting it foreward. I think its like a 70% let-off or increase depending on which way you go with the handle.
I have'nt seen another one used by any other anglers, picked mine up in Florida many yrs ago at Sports Authority. I guess they are a very rare collectors item now, so ive been told?

With the new calcutta TE models having adjustable clickers(for heavy or light current conditions) only other thing they need to do is add an auto 2-speed gear ratio to it to be perfect!

[mrfish/OH]

Robby brought them down when we fished out of my boat in September. I'm real happy with my 7000C4 Abu Leverdrags. It a little strange to get used to them, but then you can see the advantage. Doesn't matter what the current condition are, with the line alarm on, you can adjust from freespool to full drag. Don't need adjustable clickers. Besides.....it's a work of art, a thing of beauty !!:D Even if I don't catch fish, I just look at the 4 CT700's and the 2 7000C4's in the boat & I can say "Life is GOOD !!"
http://66.216.66.212/forum/attachment.php?postid=162381.jpg
See that little notch-tooth there on the side plate? That's a stop, so the lever only goes that far, if you want to go tighter, you push the button on the lever & go all the way. The tensioner knob adjusts the tension on the drag, you set it all the way up for the tightest you want it. That way you never apply too much. When I get a run, I can slide it up gently and have it at various tensions depending on the size of fish, etc. To be honest, I didn't like it at all at first. When it's in freespool, there's no tension & you have to be good with your thumb. You can put it on the 1st click for a little, but once you get used to it, it's no problem. The big adjustment was getting used to not having the button to release the spool, so when re-baiting, I'd pull the lever & I'd get a small overrun on the spool becasue of no tension. Now I'm used to it, got my thumb there, or I leave a little tension on it. It's really a nice reel. Instant anti-reverse, 4 BB beefy drag- no need to upgrade this drag, Abu made it for saltwater fishing.
Quite frankly, I think it's just about as perfect a reel for catfishing that's made.
I guess you can tell I like it, I like those CT700's too. I started to order the TE700 from Singapore, why get one TE700 for $330 when I can get 2 CT700's for $380 ? Won an auction for another St Croix rod this morning too.....MERRY CHRISTMAS !! An Avid musky rod.....1-5 oz rating
I even catch a few nice fish occasionally......

[FishNasty]

I almost bought one of those 975's but decided to get an Ocean master 12 foot surf rod with a Penn 525 mag (actually christmas present) pretty sweet. Just messing with it so far haven't fished with it yet but it cast about a mile

[BottomBouncer]

I was looking at one of the 525's.......only thing is that the line capacity isn't there. I can't imagine casting 4oz. with 15lb. line.

[FishNasty]

the 525 has more capacity than a 6500, and why do you think I need to use 15lb line, LOL Anyway, that 975 may be in my future, it is a nice looking reel.

[BottomBouncer]

15 is what it is rated for in the catalogs, not saying you have to use it.

[mrfish/OH]

I think the manufacturers put those ratings on the reels for more that one reason. Obviously to give you a capacity rating, but also because the reel is designed for that heavy of line. when you look in their manuals they almost always say to set the drag to 1/3 or 1/2 of the maximum breaking strength of the line. My 7000C4 for example says it's designed for 20-30# test but can safely handle 50# line. So now read between the "lines" . Here's what I mean, "between" the warrantees of all reels cover them for a period of time(one year, etc) Except from MISSUSE !!
So if you are putting line heavier than recommended & setting the drag tighter than 1/3 to 1/2 then you have effectively voided your warrantee. I know I've used 60# spiderwire braid when I used to snag for paddlefish with 5 oz, sinkers on a rod rated for 4 oz. I never had a problem. I was using a #16 Ahab reel ( rated for 16# test) and I had the drag all the way down tight too. But if one did have a problem man handleing catfish from a river with 50# or 80# test, and the drag tight......it's not covered if you tell them the truth !!
;) Then again, you know the saying.....I fish, therefor I lie !!:rolleyes:

[Flatheadmaniac]

The line ratings are there to give you an idea of what the reel will hold..sure you can pack as heavy of a line on there as you want..trouble is...you can damage the gears and bend the spool..thats why fishing heavy cover with tight drags and since i run bigger lines than most i quality saltwater reels, upgrade bearings and drags(so they lock down DEAD tight when needed)..this way i know my tackle will handle it.
But if i do damage a reel,which hasnt happened yet(knock on wood) i would just buy the replacement parts to fix them.
There is only one river that i fish this way..i dont recommend this style to everyone..when i fish the Ohio r with the same brand reels, 30lb test is the heaviest i run on my baitcasters..and i use the drags as normal.
Also does anyone in here store thier reels a certain way during winter?? I know most guys just clean them up some and put them on the shelf til next year...i break each reel down and do a full inspection, oil and grease items that needed to be, strip off all the line and i back off the drags all the way so as to not smash them or wear out the washers pads and springs. I do this with both spinning and bait casting reels..i read somewhere before about backing the drags off so as to not mess up the fiber pads? something like that.

[mrfish/OH]

I back the drags off everytime I use the reels. That way I have a fresh setting each time. Storage ? I use mine all year, I don't store them, but I do clean, grease & oil them routinely. Maybe a full deal once annually, and a good external cleaning & oil every time I respool. But even then I'll open it & oil the spindle, etc on the baitcasters.
I used to run my drags a little tight, but found I was ripping the hooks from the stripers & wipers' mouths. Also I could see how their lips were ripped from the pressure. It's a fine line sometimes. I have them pretty loose now on my cat rods, depending on the conditions.
I think the reel manuals recommend to back off the drags after each use too. Every once in awhile I'll read one. ;) I love the way they show how to cast with a baitcaster, so easy to learn !

[katfish]

It is interesting that Don discovered the Shimano 6500 baitrunners a few years back and we kept telling catmen they were nice to fill a niche. The ability to adjust the freeline should be a big advantage to river catmen.

For Don and I they were used as backups in lakes. Once we caught a flathead or reeled in a bait we could lob out a big goldfish on one of the baitrunners to keep baits in the water all night. I caught a 61 on one of them one night(loaded with 30#) and they seem to handle big fish well as long as you have plenty of patience and have the drag set correctly.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid21/pa9aa7dabd0641d9c88c25e9121d70967/fdb70019.jpg

I discovered the Shimano Charter Specials. Don prefers TLDs due to their higher line capacity. I worry about the TLDs bridging since they do not have level winds. When I have a big fish on I want to concentrate on fighting the fish not worrying about the reel:D

Anyway the Charter Specials loaded with 30# have landed several 50+ flatheads for me. The lever drag would be very efficient for river fishermen to adapt their set ups to current and allow cats to run with baits.



Anyone that knows me knows that I check all my equipment thoroughly before fishing. This includes drag settings.

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid27/pf85948c659b35c0fb5a6b5e1321d86b2/fd724202.jpg

This picture shows my favorite set up of Quantum Big Cat rod and charter Special reel.

[Ðe§perado™]

Nice rig Robby!!;)

[BottomBouncer]

how long have you been fishing for flatheads?

[katfish]

I have been fishing for flatheads all my life:D

I started concentrating on big flatheads about 15 years ago.

After searching most of Ohio's water for 5 years I found lakes that consistently produce 40+ flatheads for me.

The last 3 years I have started teaching others tactics to catch trophy flatheads. One of the first lessons I teach these people is the importance of releasing the largest specimens of the fish we are after.

.http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid45/pece8c037c8d27da41adb80c2b4caa14b/fcd3371b.jpg

Like any trophy fishery this one cannot stand to lose its largest individual fish and still produce trophy fish.

As you can see by the diversity of my tackle I am ready to change tactics and baits to suit what is needed when fish change locations or habits. I devote time each year to experimentation with new rigging, tackle and baits. This keeps me confident that I am using the best techniques at any given time. This is important when flatheads go through extended periods when they do not feed.

Flatheads are not the fish for impatient fishermen and the wait is longer when targetting trophy size cats.

[BottomBouncer]

Trust me, I know about the waiting for the big one thing. My largest to date is about 30"..........I'll keep after it though. Thanks for the info!