What's a bait feeder for.

OK, I know it's a reel, much like a spinning reel, Correct me if I'm wrong but it seems to be something to do with live bait. But what's the difference between a baitcaster and a spinning reel?

Adrian,

The baitfeeder is a controlled free spooling under it's own clutch to allow live bait to swim relatively freely. A baitfeeder reel has a switch at the back to activate the baitfeeder and a clutch behind to control the flow of line. If you de-activate the baitfeeder once you have hooked your fish, the front clutch takes over to allow you to play your fish.

Now for baitcasters and spinning reels:
The Theory Baitcasters work on a different principle to your standard spinning reels. The spinning reel uses a fixed spool. The line is propelled with the cast and the line is pulled off the spool. As the line comes off the spool the amount of friction increases. This is beacuse the less line there is on the spool, the further the line has to travel to come past the lip of the spool. This reduces the distance that you can cast.
The line coming off of a baitcast spool goes straight off the spool and directly out through the line guards. But, because the spool has to spin to take the line off, other problems are introduced. The same as with a standard multiplier, the biggest problem with baitcast type casting is overruns (birdsnests). This is the single most common cause for people to not use a baitcaster or multiplier reel. Spinning reels are very easy to use and do not have this problem. The benefits of baitcasters paired with a baitcaster rod are increased casting distance and much increased casting accuracy. Especially when casting lures etc around the snags and structures where fish live, this accuracy will produce more fish.

The problem is caused because the spool spins faster than the line is coming off. Good baitcasting is balancing the speed that the cast is going with the speed that the spool is spinning. This problem is also caused when the lure/bait hits the water and line stops going out. The spool is still spinning and you end up with a mess. The baitcasters are also called overhead reels. This is beacuse the reel sits on top of the rod, unlike a spinning reel that sits underneath the rod. There is a very good reason for this. It is so that the spool of the baitcaster is exposed and you can use your thumb to control the spool. Also these reels have mechanisms built into the reel that allow you to control the spool speed and reduce the amount of overruns. But the single most effective spool control method is your thumb! Basically getting the most out of your baitcaster is a matter of thumb education. During the cast you should keep your thumb near the spool. If you think the cast is going too fast or is heading for the trees you can stop it immediately with your thumb. You can also start to feel an overrun happening as the loops of line start to form you can feel them with your thumb and do something about it. And most importantly you have to stop the spool spinning as soon as the line hits the water. As you get better and better at this you can also use your thumb to fine tune the spool during a cast and get your bait or lure right into the correct place.

I've been using my Daiwa SL20SH like a baitcaster for spinning, but find the lure is too light and birdnests easily. I'm OK with stopping the spool when the lure hits, but casting a light lure with a head wind is a no go. For anything over 1oz, it's not a problem though. I would be better off with a spinning reel to be honest, just because they are so much less hassle.

Ian,

That's interesting, you're a mine on info, Thanks again.

Last edited by Adrian on Wed Feb 16, 2005 12:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.

a baitfeeder is a just a fixed-spool reel equipped with the baitfeeder free-clutch function as described above

a baitcaster is a small U.S.-style multiplier reel usually used for freshwater lure fishing with short trigger-grip rods and like a beach multiplier is mounted on top of the reel rather than under it.