Bait Caster not as hard as I thought

[gr8johnson]

I got a BPS extreme bait caster on a BPS extreme 7' MH to do some frogging this year. I strung it up with some 40# red Powerpro. This is my first bait caster and I was nervous. I almost took it back before I even tried it. Well today I took it to the front yard. Well I am not bragging but I did not find it difficult at all. I set it up like many said to. 1/2 oz. casting plug set to fall to the ground and than stop. I tried some shorter casts in my yard side arm. a lot of them went off track left or right. But I found it easy stopping the spool with my thumb without thinking about it. I honestly think that playing video games helps me as it trained my thumbs to do what I tell it to. By the end of the practice I was launching it straight overhead half way through my neighbors lawn (about 30 long paces). I was side arming it to to my neighbors driveway (20 paces) keeping it within the same slab of the drive way most of the time. I starting to drop it in spots in my flower bed under bushes and tree limbs with good accuracy. I am pretty surprised, and if I must say so myself, impressed with how well I did. I am by no means an expert, but I feel I could take the rig fishing and actually be ok. I will most certainly take my spinning rig along though. I do owe a lot to every thread and word of advise I read here. I can't wait to get this rig on the water. I do live in Michigan though, so it will be a while.

[Nickk]

nice!

[coldfront]

won't be long now and you'll have all baitcasters...

[Creel Limit Zero]

That's great, they are great.  Just wait until you hook a big one, you'll never know how you went so long with just spinning equipment. 

[Shawn Mertens]

Congrat's, and those BPS Extreme reels are about the best you can get for the money.

[pretjah]

a lot of them went off track left or right.

First off congrats....bait caster fishing is a must for alot of situations...

i dont know about others but i've found that depending on the weight of lures and the amount of line i have hanging at the rod tip affects my accuracy when side arm and roll casting.  so expirement with the amount of line hanging to see how it affects you casting

[fishintiger]

Congrats on being able to use a baitcaster. I think they are pretty easy to use if you go into trying one thinking you can use it. Like everything else if you doubt yourself you will not be able to do it.

I starting to drop it in spots in my flower bed under bushes and tree limbs with good accuracy.

I've got to say you are pretty brave to be casting into the flower beds. That's taking your life into your hands doing that. Well atleast I would have been.

[gr8johnson]

mind you I am in Michigan, so my wifes flowers are still in the ground.

[topcat]

Congrats you are doing great...and remember when you get your first bird nest that even the Pros get them....i think they come along to keep us humble      so pick it out and keep casting.... and don't forget the spinning reel has a place to in the fisherman/fisherwoman scheme of things..

Topcat

[islandbass]

Congrats! If you are coming from a spinning background like me, you might notice that the release time for your thumb on a bc reel is ever so slightly sooner than with your forefinger on a spinning reel.

If you are right handed and you make a sidearm cast that:

tracks left => your thumb's release time is too late. release your thumb sooner
tranks right => your thumb's release time it too early. release your thumb later.

Just keep practicing in your yard and pick your targets. Pretty soon you'll be so in tune that you won't need to touch the spool with your thumb until just before your plug hits the ground, water, or other object. 

[glfgd82]

I'm going back to baitcasters this year and its such a great feeling to use them again, I shall never return to anything else