I'm aware that a spinning setup will throw lighter weight tackle than a casting outfit but what would be the minimum weight a round type baitcasting reel will throw? I spent the weekend practicing on a couple rivers with my casting rod projects and during the cast it seemed as if my lure was slowing down but my spool kept spinning causing the outside coils of the spool to birdnest.

When I was doing my test casting I was using about a .6 oz sinker and both rods with different reels were casting like champs. But on the water I was using lighter setups on the 10 1/2' and 7 1/2' rods (the 10 1/2' casted much further) but there has to be a minimum weight threshold that must be met for a casting reel. Just wondering if anyone can tell what what that minimum weight is? Thanks.

Really depends on quite a few factors. The reel used, length and action of the rod, and most importantly, the operator! Most baitcasters aren't designed to cast 1/16oz lures, but there are a few out that are capable of it, and now some are even being designed for ultra-finesse fishing(like the Daiwa Pixy and Presso, rated for 4lb line).

My lightest baitcasting reels are 1970s Ambassadeur 2500Cs. Properly tuned, they will cast 1/8oz quite a ways(actually, the record is something like 150 yards with 5/8oz of lead!). To get the most benefit out of a light baitcaster, a long, limber rod that will load up with very little weight is key.

Tim, I have been using baitcasters to throw !/8 and 1/4 oz jigs to white bass on wind blown flats and points for over 20 years and at times I have thrown 1/16 oz . My rods are spirals made from 3, 4, and 5 wt fly rod blanks that are 8 to 10 feet long. Until the last few years my reels were early model Ambassadeur 5001C`s that I tuned for my application. I use 4-8 lb line. I now use some of the smaller Ambassedeur replicas and small Morrums that were first made for the Japanese market. I know this doesn`t exactly answer your question, but with one of the many new bastcasters and the right rod and line you could cast 1/16 oz and probably lighters jigs quite easily.

Thanks Kyle and Don, what exactly is involved with "tuning" a reel? It seemed like my spool was already outracing the line pullng my lure out causing the outer line windings to uncoil and separate from the rest of the wound spool. If I got the spool to spin more freely, that would seem to exasterbate my problem - unless my thinking is clearly misunderstood. Thanks.

Tim;
Depending on the reel you're using you need to set the reel to the weight lure you are throwing. By either of two ways depending on the bait casters you have, there is a spool tension knob and a spool speed control which is usually on the palming side of the reel if it has one (some reels do not).

You best bet is going to read the directions and depending on if your over runs are happening at the beginning of your cast or the end of your cast adjust the appropriate control to help eliminate that problem.

Educating you thumb to control the spool is the best method in my opinion, but that is something that takes time and experience. On most of my reels I have both controls backed way off and use my thumb in their place.

Tim , Steve certainly has given you great advice, but I go about it slightly different. I like to adjust the mechanical brake ( tension knob) to a place where it isbarely contacting the spool, in some situations it will need to be slightly tighter. I do not control spool speed with my thumb , but with different combinations of centrifugal brake blocks and weight of oil on the spool bearings. Of course this only applies to non magnetic brake reels. There are many other options for spool control but I like to keep it pretty simple and claim to be no expert. I just do what works for me.

Go to www.tackletour.com and look up Daiwa Pixy and Daiwa Presso. Apparently these reels will cast 1/32nd when tuned. 1/16 is no problem at all. 1/8, some claim to outcast spinning outfits although I don't believe that.

Mo

i like to keep the spinning rods for lighter baits(1/16-1/4) and a casting reel for everything above that

I agree with Steve. May I just add my 2 cent to the great info you have already recieved. I would remove the spool balance blocks. Using jewerler polishing rouge or tooth paste polish the spool shfts at the sametime I would polish the inside of the pinion gear. next I would remove all excess oils and greases from the reel. I would re-oil the bearings and spool shaft with th lightest oil You can find. When it comes to the spool tension knob, back it off as far as you can. Next go out and educate your thumb. You well find at first you are going to get lots of birds nest.
Good Wraps Bob I rebuilt and repaired reels for 20yrs

i throw alot of soft plastics in the bays. most of the time i use 1/16 or 1/8 ounce jig heads but have been known to throw them weightless occasionally. with 1/8 ounce jigs i have been known to get more distance then my friends using spinning reels. main thing is when you buy a baitcaster pull the spool bearings out clean them with brake parts cleaner to get the factories crappy oil out of them then put 2 drops of either quantum hot sauce or tournament grade rocket fuel. the new oil will control the spool a little better but the main thing it will do is increase your distance. this works best on reels with some type of cast control whether it be brakes like shimano uses or magnets like diawa. i also remove the shields from the bearings to reduce the friction. some people think it lets more junk get into the bearings but i haven't had that problem yet

Shawn,

A bit curious on the 1/16th where you are casting further than your friends - are they using comparable top notch component? Meaning same line as you, loading the line to the edge of the spool lip, and using similar length rods that are properly built as to guide locations? Honestly curious because I hear this periodically and always wondered about the spinning setup. I find it hard to imagine that a casting setup can cast further than an equivalent spin rig set up properly - but I'm always glad to be corrected.

Mo

no i was only able to outcast my friends with the 1/8 ounce. with the 1/16 we were generally fairly close but i really don't think i got any farther then them. now if i had a smaller casting setup it might be different and i'm actually looking into buying a daiwa sol because it is a little smaller then my 153 so i should be able to throw even lighter weights farther because of the smaller spool.

1 of my friends uses a 7'6" kistler spinning and the other guy uses a 7' laguna spinning. my setup's are 7' cts so i think i might have an edge on them. i know kistler uses loomis blanks but i have no idea who laguna is using now since shikari went out of business but that was their blank of choice

Tim,

My personal opinion is you should use spinning reels to cast the lighter weights, say under 1/3 oz. When you're at the lower end of the baitcasting reel lure weight range, a lot depends on the air resistance of the lure. A texas-rigged plastic worm with a bullet weight will be less troublesome to cast than a Jitterbug, even if they are both the same weight. There may be super high-tech baitcasting reels than can cast light lures, but why not just switch to a spinning reel? I like to use baitcasting, spinning, and fly tackle. They each have their place.