Fishing with Rod Discussion Forum
Fishing in British Columbia => General Discussion => Topic started by: Chris S on August 27, 2014, 10:56:19 PM
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I have a 10' medium Shimano Convergence rod set up with an inexpensive spinning reel spooled with 30lb braid, which casts a 2 oz weight double the distance then that of a friends 10.5' medium Shimano Convergence rod set up using an Abu C3 spooled with 62 lb braid. My friend also has a 7' spinning rod with 30 lb braid that also casts further then the bait-caster rod/reel.
We are disappointed in the casting performance of the new bait-caster and wondered how much difference would reducing the C3's braid to 30 lb make in casting distance (if any)?
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Lighter line = further casts
But also
Light line = more break offs during snags and backfire casts.
Spinning reels outcast baitcasters but with practice you can get your baitcaster to bomb out just as far.
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I upgraded my C3 with ABEC7 Ceramic bearings and dual bearing ceramic pawl and my casting distance increased by 50%.
You also need to keep your bearings clean to maintain performance.
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I upgraded my C3 with ABEC7 Ceramic bearings and dual bearing ceramic pawl and my casting distance increased by 50%.
You also need to keep your bearings clean to maintain performance.
Stratocaster and I did the same thing with our reels and we're getting the same results! Ultra smooth! My C3 casts further and smoother than it did 10 years ago when it was brand new! Too bad it's a back-up to my C4 that also has the upgraded bearings! Stratocaster's Calcutta 400 B casts ridiculously far and smooth - more so than the C4 IMHO. He also did the same for his C4. The bearings make all the difference!
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Must be something wrong with the C3.
Most baitcasters that I have seen cast as far or farther than a spinning reel.
I think that I can cast close to 200 ft with an upgraded 6500.
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Silly question, perhaps, but i'm still going to throw it out there.
Is the brake set properly?
Is your technique the same?
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Spool tension may be too high, or too much force by finger on spool.
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First ,you can't compare spinning reel to levelwinder.
Second like other posters indicated ,well maintained gears makes a lot of difference.
Third casting technique.
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Yes the brake is set properly.
Technique is the same. Tried other techniques, but nothing else worked for us.
Reel was purchased new yesterday.
Does Mikes Real Repair do the upgrade and about how much did it cost you?
Thanks!
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Ceramic bearings are about $20 and take 5 minutes to install yourself.
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Thanks, where can we find the ceramic bearings?
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X2 for the bearing upgrade, made a huge difference and yes Mikes does the upgrade but they are backed up right now with plenty of orders.
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There are 6 brake weights on your spool. I usually make sure I'm using 3 of them. If you are using all 6 weights, chances are that may make the difference in the distance. Check with Mikes to see if they have some ceramic bearings in stock and ask them if they have time to switch them out for you on the spot. They charge about 7 bucks in Labour for switching them out on top of the 20 bucks for the price of the two bearings. Also consider switching out your standard pawl for a ceramic one. Supposed to be smoother and longer lasting. About a 6 buck upgrade but well worth it.
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Yes we are using all six brake weights. What would be the trade off of using just 3...wouldn't it increase chance of backlash?
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X2 for the bearing upgrade, made a huge difference and yes Mikes does the upgrade but they are backed up right now with plenty of orders.
Mikes can do it on the spot, took my 400B in today and got ceramic bearings and pawl. Took about 20 mins. Time to test it out tomorrow.
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You switched out the bearings on a Calcutta? Was it a worthwhile difference? I'm tempted with my Luna but it's one of those why fix something that ain't broken.
Personally I'm not the best caster, but anything about 3/4 to an ounce, I can cast pretty much as far as my spinning reel but anything lighter definitely my spinning reel takes it, especially 1/4 ounce spoons, never mind spinners. I never expected to cast my level wind like I can with a spinning reel.
Mind you I have fireline on my spinning reel and 17lb mono on my levelwind but still, for me, the spinning reel will bomb farther.
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My upgraded C3 with 30lb Slick8 braid and Shimano Symetre with 8lb Nanofil will cast the same distance with a 3/8 oz spoon - the rod is the limiting factor.
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Yes we are using all six brake weights. What would be the trade off of using just 3...wouldn't it increase chance of backlash?
My 6500 C3 and a buddy's C4 Elite only use 2 brake tabs.
Here's the schematic for a standard C4:
http://www.mikesreelrepair.com/schematics/albums/userpics/10001/6500C4__16_00.pdf
Here's the one for my buddy's C4 Elite:
http://www.mikesreelrepair.com/schematics/albums/ambassadeur/Ambassadeur_6500C4_07_00.pdf
I did the bearing upgrades a week or two ago - got them from Mike's.
They are super busy right now and may not be answering the phone.
We couldn't get through and my buddy just showed up and picked up what he needed.
You may need to go through the schematics to determine what part numbers you need.
If you take your reel in with you, they can probably figure it out quickly.
Very simple to replace - pull the handle side off - pull the spool and replace the 2 bearings on either end of the spool.
You can see the bearings in the schematics.
One is covered with a plastic gear that just pops off - the other has a small o-ring.
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You switched out the bearings on a Calcutta? Was it a worthwhile difference? I'm tempted with my Luna but it's one of those why fix something that ain't broken.
Personally I'm not the best caster, but anything about 3/4 to an ounce, I can cast pretty much as far as my spinning reel but anything lighter definitely my spinning reel takes it, especially 1/4 ounce spoons, never mind spinners. I never expected to cast my level wind like I can with a spinning reel.
Mind you I have fireline on my spinning reel and 17lb mono on my levelwind but still, for me, the spinning reel will bomb farther.
I switched out two bearings on my Calcutta and added another bearing where a bushing was used (mike's site will explain this) Even though the stock bearings are pretty good, I did notice about a 30% difference in casting distance. Also the ceramic bearings require no lubing and less maintenance.
Chris S, Yes, using 3 brake weights does increase the likelihood of a backlash but not by too much. I find using 2 or 1 makes it much tougher (but that's just me). What you need to do is to adjust your tension knob on the side of the reel so that your weight falls from your rod tip to the ground in about 1.5 seconds in a controlled manner (when you set to free spool). Adjusting your tension knob, I find, makes a huge difference in the amount of backlash. You may find you lose a little bit of distance over having the knob completely loose but it you won't have to put your thumb on the spool as much to control the spin.
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BTW O.P. why are you concerned about casting distance?
Ive heard contrary to most peoples belief that fish often bite mid to close range and seldom way out there.
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BTW O.P. why are you concerned about casting distance?
Ive heard contrary to most peoples belief that fish often bite mid to close range and seldom way out there.
Every steelhead I have caught has been 80+ feet away. I try fishing close but on pressured water like the Vedder they often aren't there.
I especially like to follow spey guys. They push them right up against the far bank.
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I think he is bottom bouncing as talked about 2oz, I would take the brakes off try 3 then 2.
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You switched out the bearings on a Calcutta? Was it a worthwhile difference? I'm tempted with my Luna but it's one of those why fix something that ain't broken.
Personally I'm not the best caster, but anything about 3/4 to an ounce, I can cast pretty much as far as my spinning reel but anything lighter definitely my spinning reel takes it, especially 1/4 ounce spoons, never mind spinners. I never expected to cast my level wind like I can with a spinning reel.
Mind you I have fireline on my spinning reel and 17lb mono on my levelwind but still, for me, the spinning reel will bomb farther.
I'll let you know in a few days if it was worth it or not.
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Every steelhead I have caught has been 80+ feet away. I try fishing close but on pressured water like the Vedder they often aren't there.
I especially like to follow spey guys. They push them right up against the far bank.
Totally understand it for steel heading and you want to hit the deep pool on the otherside or that boulder or etc.
Heck personally I think the fish can see you from close up so if you cast out far then they bite close its because they chased the lure.
Guess it all comes down to the applicatjon/technique being applied.
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My baitcaster wont cast anything with 2 oz and below. I put a 6oz just to see how far it would go and I was only getting around 40-50 feet. Has 50LB braided line..
Dont know if I should switch to 30lb braided or 30 LB mono too see what will work better or not, this is the rod and reel I have..
http://rapala.ca/products/delta-casting-combo
(Also buying a new Abu, don't know what would be best for my main line for that one)
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My baitcaster wont cast anything with 2 oz and below. I put a 6oz just to see how far it would go and I was only getting around 40-50 feet. Has 50LB braided line..
That doesnt sound right at all. 50 ft max distance and you need 6oz? and you cant cast 2oz? Are you sure your cast control etc is set right?
Lighter line should increase casting distance but it sounds like something else is wrong ...
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Ya I know, I have 2 other bait casters1 for my lake fishing, one for coho and they work amazing but there both Abu's this is Delta and I dont know if its the line or what, but it sucks at casting and everything is set perfect. I put a 1 oz weight on the line in the park for practise for this one too and it wouldn't go further then 10-15 feet
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I received a PM but can't reply because I'm not a subscriber.
Generally a family of reels will use the same size bearing, but different manufacturers and different families from the same manufacturer will use different sizes.
I like the ones form Mikes because they have the inside races removed for easier cleaning.
Abu C3 uses 4 x 10 x 4mm
http://www.mikesreelrepair.com/ceramic-abec-bearing-p-6349.html
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Ya I know, I have 2 other bait casters1 for my lake fishing, one for coho and they work amazing but there both Abu's this is Delta and I dont know if its the line or what, but it sucks at casting and everything is set perfect. I put a 1 oz weight on the line in the park for practise for this one too and it wouldn't go further then 10-15 feet
Unfortunately it sounds like the reel rather than the line. 50lb braid is plenty thin enough and not much of a difference between 30lb braid. I once purchased a Calcutta 400 copy, made from an obscure company that is no longer in business. It looked nice on the outside but when I tried casting it with 1 or 2 ounce weights it wouldn't go further than 30 feet. Biggest waste of money that I've ever spent and I ended up throwing it away. I've learned my lesson and have since stuck with Abu's and Calcuttas after that.
I suspect that its the cheap bearings that are in there. I honestly though it would cast better without the bearings in them. Maybe I should have tried putting better bearings in but I didn't want to waste any more time on that POS.
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I received a PM but can't reply because I'm not a subscriber.
Generally a family of reels will use the same size bearing, but different manufacturers and different families from the same manufacturer will use different sizes.
I like the ones form Mikes because they have the inside races removed for easier cleaning.
Abu C3 uses 4 x 10 x 4mm
http://www.mikesreelrepair.com/ceramic-abec-bearing-p-6349.html
--Thanks for the answer. I'll just have to try and get a source. Agree Mikes has most stuff.
--There must be some down side? I can't understand why reels over $100 don't come with them I'm sure it wouldn't add much cost to the reel.
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Your tension adjustment needs to be calibrated every time you change weights. Put your weight and full setup on, slacking the adjustment so it falls freely. Then, tighten it until your setup goes from free fall to nearly stopping. It's easier to show in person and any tackle store or experienced angler can show you. Within reason, I'm able to cast any line/weight to anywhere with precision without birds nest or too much braking. Minor adjustments may then be made, if necessary, for special circumstance. Practice makes perfect. Hope it's explained right. Just my thoughts. Hope it's relevant.
Cheers!