# Baitcasting reel for bobber fishing



## jrv

Finally got my new casting rod for bobber fishing steel and salmon. Now I need a "good for the money" baitcasting reel; any recommendations? For now I'm using a cheap one I pulled off one of my bass rods. Thanks


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## Grand River Rat

I never done bobber fishing for steelhead but I has Garcia.Shamano and Diawa leval winds for plugging.All of the above are of grate quality but all of the above companies allso have enty leval reels


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## Boozer

Abu Garcia C3 5500 or 5501, all anyone could ever need...


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## ESOX

Abus have the best drags of any baitcasters. Bar none. And they are lifetime reels at a very reasonable price. The Abu Record would be my choice, but the C-3 or C-4 have great drags for a few bucks less.


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## ESOX

Bang, Boozer posted after I typed and before I hit submit because I answered the phone..So "What Boozer said"


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## riverman

They also have no clickers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## thousandcasts

As far as baitcasters go, if it doesn't say Shimano on it, it doesn't go on one of my rods, period.


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## Boozer

ESOX said:


> Bang, Boozer posted after I typed and before I hit submit because I answered the phone..So "What Boozer said"


Yeah, even the Record reels are some serious bang for your buck.

I have roached a lot of Shimano reels in my life, never once had an Abu Garcia reel fail me.


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## ESOX

thousandcasts said:


> As far as baitcasters go, if it doesn't say Shimano on it, it doesn't go on one of my rods, period.


Shimanos? That would be my last choice. Limp wristed drags on them. Weak drive gears. Other than that they are OK. LOL Abu and Daiwa both have better made drivetrains and smoother and at the same time more powerful drags on them. Shimano is the inferior "Me too" brand for those who buy into the hype. They are the Dodge Ram of the reel world. How many 15 year old rams do you see around? Not many eh? Wearing out Shimanoes isn't a badge of honor because you fish so much, it's a badge of disgrace for spending your hard earned money on inferior products. Spinning or baitcasting , I never had any Shimano built past the early 90's last more than two years.


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## Boozer

ESOX said:


> Shimanos? That would be my last choice. Limp wristed drags on them. Weak drive gears. Other than that they are OK. LOL Abu and Daiwa both have better made drivetrains and smoother and at the same time more powerful drags on them. Shimano is the inferior "Me too" brand for those who buy into the hype. They are the Dodge Ram of the reel world. How many 15 year old rams do you see around? Not many eh? Wearing out Shimanoes isn't a badge of honor because you fish so much, it's a badge of disgrace for spending your hard earned money on inferior products. Spinning or baitcasting , I never had any Shimano built past the early 90's last more than two years.


Second that...


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## Grand River Rat

I do not no where you guys are baseing your opiniones on about Shamino reels.The Shamion reels either casting or spining are far more superiur to all others.One example to the others is the no fail bail of the spining reels to compairison to others,anyone that has used a Shamino spining will atest to this.As far as drags Shamino drags are = to others butt if the facts were to be known drags are no a big issue when fished here in Michigan except for salmon and big cats or maybee carp.Most steelheads will come to the boat without pulling drag when the reel is matchup with the proper action rods:lol:


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## Trout King

> Most steelheads will come to the boat without pulling drag when the reel is matchup with the proper action rods
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> How many above average steelhead have you landed bobber fishing? lol. Most 5 lbers will pull drag while bobber fishing. It isn't plugging, you don't use 20 lb braid when bobber fishing.  I've had salmon that haven't pulled drag, but that is because I just cable up and don't mind blowing up a couple $40 rods a fall especially fishing the junk. :lol: I've noticed if you just try to crank in a fresh, strong steelhead without giving drag you pull more hooks than if you let him have a bit...
Click to expand...


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## Boozer

I think ole River Rat should use the avatar from that one obnoxious guy that used to post on TSS all the time.

Buckmangler I think is what he went by. Long curly red hair...

They have to be related.


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## Grand River Rat

Trout King said:


> Most steelheads will come to the boat without pulling drag when the reel is matchup with the proper action rods
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> How many above average steelhead have you landed bobber fishing? lol. Most 5 lbers will pull drag while bobber fishing. It isn't plugging, you don't use 20 lb braid when bobber fishing.  I've had salmon that haven't pulled drag, but that is because I just cable up and don't mind blowing up a couple $40 rods a fall especially fishing the junk. :lol: I've noticed if you just try to crank in a fresh, strong steelhead without giving drag you pull more hooks than if you let him have a bit...
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> I will apoiigize about the bobber fishing thing as I never ever done it.I have allways consitered bobber fishing as being a wrong and improper but I have been thinking about trying it out as more pulls could be a result from this style of fishing.I am a plugger and Ive never needed drag for fish to 10 pound and evin over.Below i pictered a 10 pounder that failed to pull drag and the reel is very old Garcia 5500D,when you hold the handle he winds with direct drive,when you let go of the handle he will releace drag and the handle turns backwards.This is not a Shamino but it is in the same catagory as my other reels used for plugging.
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> By the way if I am going to start bobber fishing will be useing a Shamino spining reel over a leval wind anyways.I feel this is proper setup for plugging but with no braided line used,17 pound mono is what i use on plugging rods,the rods have very soft action and are long to take up shock,I wind in the fish with no drag letout at all
> 
> Click to expand...
Click to expand...


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## ESOX

Grand River Rat said:


> I do not no where you guys are baseing your opiniones on about Shamino reels.The Shamion reels either casting or spining are far more superiur to all others.s:lol:



Says the man who then posts a picture of a steelhead, and a rod with an ABU GARCIA reel on it.:lol:


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## METTLEFISH

I set my plug reels drags at about two pounds, and I can count the number of times in twenty years of plug fishing that fish have taken line on the take, by the time the rod loads up it ads a substantial amount of resistance to the drag... in the 10 - 15 pound range. I use shimano reels for chalk lines, flying kites,training puppies, etc. :lol:. Finer Bait cast models are great bobber reels.


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## ESOX

METTLEFISH said:


> I use shimano reels for chalk lines, flying kites,training puppies, etc. :lol:.


OMG that is GREAT!!!:lol::lol::lol:

No matter how pathetically true, it is still funny. I think people are beginning to figure out Shimano isn't what they have been led to believe by the "me too" masses.


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## Boozer

The problem is, unlike a typical chalk line, if you drop the Shimano chalk line on the ground, it never works right again...


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## Grand River Rat

Next time i will show pictures with Shamino reels and fish.I been useing Shimano with grate results for many years.I seldom buy entry leval modells though


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## Trout King

G.R.R...what? You consider bobber fishing wrong and not appropriate, but plugging is ok? That is a stance I've never heard of, interesting though....I guess. Most people I know that plug are also familiar with bait fishing...just a strange stance I guess. 
Baitcasters can be very effective for bait fishing...especially bobbers...just like a pin but you have a drag and casting is easier (yeah I know some pins have drags). It is a bit more versitile though as you can still throw hardware, bottom bounce, walk etc. 

I've been thinking about getting a baitcaster for salmon, but still debating on buying a pin too....I wish I was rich enough to get quality in both.


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