# Baitcaster for float fishing.



## oarfish

Any of you guys use baitcaster instead if pin for floating?
I started recently and I like it. I just wondered since I haven't seen much of it out there on the river.


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## FISHIN216

I want to try that....i love fighting fish on a baitcaster

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## steelheader007

oarfish said:


> Any of you guys use baitcaster instead if pin for floating?
> I started recently and I like it. I just wondered since I haven't seen much of it out there on the river.


out west its big but for strickly hardware! It would work for bobbers, but I think you may have to have a custom rod made for anything longer than 9'?


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## fredg53

FISHIN216 said:


> I want to try that....i love fighting fish on a baitcaster
> 
> Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


Yeah I was thinking the same thing the other day.


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## oarfish

steelheader007 said:


> out west its big but for strickly hardware! It would work for bobbers, but I think you may have to have a custom rod made for anything longer than 9'?


That rod on the pic. is a 10' baitcaster from Cabela's. I also have a 15' long baitcaster ( St. Croix two handed spay rod blank) custom made by Frank at the Rodmakers Shop about 7 years ago.
I think I will use it more often this season when the water is colored with good current. The line pulls off nicely the spool of the casting reel.
Have to use a slip bobber however to keep things in a bunch for easier casting. But it casts a mile with a 16 gram slip float and 3/8 oz bullet weight above the swivel. Bellow the swivel is the leader with 1 split shot and the hook. Also works with smaller float and 1/8 oz. weight.


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## thephildo0916

Nice, glad it works out well for you.


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## Chef T

I too am looking at baitcasters for our steel. Raven makes an 11'6" baitcaster and I've seen a few on the streams. Personally, I love fighting and the control of a baitcaster too. I've caught salmon on them and it was a ball. I know the rage is centerpins, but you can get a drag free drift on the baitcaster setup too. 
I am totally on the fence, so we'll see after X-Mas what I choose. Who knows, you might start the new trend OP, lol.


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## monkfish

I've always had such a tough time casting those. Not sure I'd be happy with the bird's nest standing in the middle of a river.


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## Chef T

monkfish said:


> I've always had such a tough time casting those. Not sure I'd be happy with the bird's nest standing in the middle of a river.


I hear that, but today's reels are almost as easy to fish as a spin cast reel. They are able to be fine tuned to the amount of weight you are throwing. Plus, the superbraid lines or stiffer nylon lines you drift with don't bird's nest as easy as regular mono.


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## Smallwaters

Ive been using a 9' st Crox with a 200 Calcutta reel. Works great.


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## MuskieJim

Up on the Catt in NY fishing with some friends, I ran into several Canadian guys who use 13 and 14 foot baitcasters made by Scott. It's a custom rod where the guides actually wrap from the top to the bottom, so the top of the rod is identical to any other float rod. They were also using Shimano Curados with the high speed ratio. It's pretty insane, same pricinples as a center pin in terms of the drift, but once hooked up you have drag and insano fast line pickup.


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## oarfish

MuskieJim said:


> Up on the Catt in NY fishing with some friends, I ran into several Canadian guys who use 13 and 14 foot baitcasters made by Scott. It's a custom rod where the guides actually wrap from the top to the bottom, so the top of the rod is identical to any other float rod. They were also using Shimano Curados with the high speed ratio. It's pretty insane, same pricinples as a center pin in terms of the drift, but once hooked up you have drag and insano fast line pickup.


Now that is interesting!!
I thought I was the only one that had the guides wrap around. Frank at the Rodmakers Shop suggested it and built it that way on the 15' baitcaster.
I also use a fast reel: Quantum Energy with 7.3:1 turning ratio.


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## jjshbetz11

oarfish said:


> Now that is interesting!!
> I thought I was the only one that had the guides wrap around. Frank at the Rodmakers Shop suggested it and built it that way on the 15' baitcaster.
> I also use a fast reel: Quantum Energy with 7.3:1 turning ratio.


Damm, 15'..... I fish steel with a 10'6" and that's hard as hell getting through the woods, couldnt imagine doing it with a 15' rod


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## jjshbetz11

I also gotta say, a baitcaster is gotta be awesome for throwing spoons in the fall


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## Chef T

MuskieJim said:


> Up on the Catt in NY fishing with some friends, I ran into several Canadian guys who use 13 and 14 foot baitcasters made by Scott. It's a custom rod where the guides actually wrap from the top to the bottom, so the top of the rod is identical to any other float rod. They were also using Shimano Curados with the high speed ratio. It's pretty insane, same pricinples as a center pin in terms of the drift, but once hooked up you have drag and insano fast line pickup.


You mind shooting me a link to the Scoot guys. I can find a ready-made 13ft baitcaster to save my life, lol.


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## oarfish

Chef T said:


> You mind shooting me a link to the Scoot guys. I can find a ready-made 13ft baitcaster to save my life, lol.


I think they might have used Scott spay casting fly rod blanks to build the baitcasting rod. 
A rod builder will point you to the right direction but you will have to put out some serious $$. Mine was built from the St. Croix 10/11 weight 3 piece 15' spay rod blank. Cheaper than Scott I think.


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## MuskieJim

oarfish said:


> I think they might have used Scott spay casting fly rod blanks to build the baitcasting rod.
> A rod builder will point you to the right direction but you will have to put out some serious $$. Mine was built from the St. Croix 10/11 weight 3 piece 15' spay rod blank. Cheaper than Scott I think.


Yes, this is correct! I believe the guys over at Scott will build one for you, but it's up near $700. Yikes!

A solid blank and decent guides with a reasonable builder should be $400-$500. If I had the money, I would without a doubt fish with this setup. It's gotta be sick fighting an angry chromer on a baitcaster. Too cool. And the open spool is so similar to a center pin if you set the spool setting as loose as it can go.


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## FISHIN216

jjshbetz11 said:


> Damm, 15'..... I fish steel with a 10'6" and that's hard as hell getting through the woods, couldnt imagine doing it with a 15' rod
> 
> 
> Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


I've fished some small creeks with my pin and 15'6 rod lol.....this thread is very intriguing

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## Chef T

I found a 13'6" IM6 blank online, so I'll be pulling the trigger after XMas. Now I need to find a respectable local rod builder and I'm in business.


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## Scott Mick

oarfish said:


> Any of you guys use baitcaster instead if pin for floating?
> I started recently and I like it. I just wondered since I haven't seen much of it out there on the river.


Nothing new here Oar, have a few buds that do this quite often. 

Chef-T, key is the reel. MUST be a quality spool design, with the ability to freespool effectively with little weight. Guys I know use the Shimano Calcutta TD/TE almost exclusively as their go to reel. Pricey, but in this case, you do get what you pay for. I would suggest placing the $$ in the reel before investing in a custom 12'-13' rod, as I have found reasonably priced rods that lend themselves to floating are available, just not listed as Salmon/Steel applications. Best rod I have located so far, is a IM8 piece that Bass Pro advertises as their signature series walleye "deadstick" rod. 12' in length, a medium/light 8-14 rating, trigger cork handle, and 99 bucks. I own one, and would compare it's action to the old 13' Batson-R/Shadow 1562 blanks, just heavier weight wise. Can't go wrong with this rod if you're just starting to apply this method before you fork over 5-700 for a custom piece thats gunna get beat to hell and back anyway. 
BTW, if in fact you opt to have a custom piece built, make sure you specify that you would like it tied with a Swan/Michigan twist (eyelets), and also take into account reel handle configuration and what will work best for you depending on what you're comfortable with when holding the rod or fighting fish, you don't want a setup that requires you to constantly change hands as you work the streams.

Scott


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## Lundfish

Check out some musky rods. I have a 10 footer from musky innovations. I'm sure they make longer ones but I'm not sure about the action on them.

Bait casters are fun if you can cast them. It takes a little bit. I only use them for musky.


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## oarfish

Chef T said:


> I found a 13'6" IM6 blank online, so I'll be pulling the trigger after XMas. Now I need to find a respectable local rod builder and I'm in business.


I would call the Rodmakers Shop in Strongsvile.
Frank the owner knows his stuff when it comes to rod bldg.


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## oarfish

Chef T said:


> I found a 13'6" IM6 blank online, so I'll be pulling the trigger after XMas. Now I need to find a respectable local rod builder and I'm in business.


I think it would belong to the OGF marketplace but I just mention it here:
If you interested I could depart from my outfit: St. Croix 3F151011.3 blank
rod made to be a baitcaster with top of the line components.
The reel is: Calcutta TE DC100 with electronic brake by Shimano .
Both used very little, like new condition. The reel has the original box and the rod comes with original St. Croix rod tube.

PM me if you are interested, cut you a good deal before Christmas.


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## Chef T

Scott Mick said:


> Nothing new here Oar, have a few buds that do this quite often.
> 
> Chef-T, key is the reel. MUST be a quality spool design, with the ability to freespool effectively with little weight. Guys I know use the Shimano Calcutta TD/TE almost exclusively as their go to reel. Pricey, but in this case, you do get what you pay for. I would suggest placing the $$ in the reel before investing in a custom 12'-13' rod, as I have found reasonably priced rods that lend themselves to floating are available, just not listed as Salmon/Steel applications. Best rod I have located so far, is a IM8 piece that Bass Pro advertises as their signature series walleye "deadstick" rod. 12' in length, a medium/light 8-14 rating, trigger cork handle, and 99 bucks. I own one, and would compare it's action to the old 13' Batson-R/Shadow 1562 blanks, just heavier weight wise. Can't go wrong with this rod if you're just starting to apply this method before you fork over 5-700 for a custom piece thats gunna get beat to hell and back anyway.
> BTW, if in fact you opt to have a custom piece built, make sure you specify that you would like it tied with a Swan/Michigan twist (eyelets), and also take into account reel handle configuration and what will work best for you depending on what you're comfortable with when holding the rod or fighting fish, you don't want a setup that requires you to constantly change hands as you work the streams.
> 
> Scott


Hey, good looking out on that Scott. I found the rod and it looks reasonable so now I can invest in a Calcutta reel. The one thing I've learned is the the reel is the most valuable piece in steelhead fishing. Besides, I can use it and the rod for other purposes.


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