Starting up again

[bcarney08]

Good morning all from a chilly Cape Town

Need some advice on bait casting reels, good quality that doesn't cost a fortune.. any ideas? Willing to pay around R1000.00 - R1200.00 for a rod and reel. Or is that a bit low?

I have never casted a bait caster before, but i believe it is the better option and its time to learn and do it properly. Antone with suggestions on what combo to put together and purchase?

Many thanks

Brent Carney

[Jim_From_Zim]

Depends on your area. Most tackle shops will be able to assist you in purchasing a combo in that price range

Best suggestion is Plasticman on this forum (Malcolm at Ol'bigmouth - details on the right of the page)

And despite what people tell you, PLEASE do not spool it up with braid when you are learning to cast a bait caster. Rather pop on a cheap line until you get the hang of it. A birds nest in braid will make your eye's water.

[zulu66]

that explains why when i first used a baitcaster i nearly thru the whole rod and reel into the water....those birds nest teach a man patience

[Riprap]

GOLDEN RULE with any baitcaster, tighten up on the cast control knob on the right and go maximum on the left whether it is centrifugal or magnetic. Loosen up on both with this in mind:
If you get a crows nest whilst still casting - tighten up on the left; if you get one when you land - tighten up on the right. Learn too to use your thumb as a brake.

Simano Caenan comes to mind as a reel paired with a good rod for that price or you will get many other brand suggestions here.

[BassLightyear]

Hi bcarney08, give olbigmouth.com a shot. Best prices and they deliver nationwide. You can contact Malcolm on this site (plasticman) or better yet get the shops contact information from the site and talk to him. If you are close to the shop I would suggest popping in and getting some hands on advice from him. He will sort you out in no time.

[Kassie]

that explains why when i first used a baitcaster i nearly thru the whole rod and reel into the water....those birds nest teach a man patience

[Q]

Brent
At Somerset Sport, I think you will get a Shimano Clarus rod and Shimano Caenan (sp?) reel that will fit your budget.

Of course there are many brands out there, but that would be my choice for low cost quality. I still use my Clarus rods after many years and bought another recently.

[Riprap]

In my part of the world a decent new Clarus and Caenan will set you back R1 045.