What to Look for in a Baitcasting Reel
Reel Drag
Used to, your thumb was your “drag.” If you wanted to turn a fish’s head during a fight you put your thumb down on the spool and pulled hard, not letting any line out.
Things are different now. Today’s baitcasters incorporate a drag function designed to pay out fishing line based upon how hard the fish is pulling.
Make the drag too strong and no line will pay out, possibly breaking the line. Make it too weak and hooksets won’t be effective, or a big fish could spool the reel.
Different Drags for Different Fish
Speckled trout and redfish swim in the same water, but require different drag settings.
Speckled Trout
Speckled trout are called “weak fish” because they don’t fight as hard as other species.
In fact, I use a lighter drag setting for speckled trout because their mouths are soft. I don’t want to rip the hook out of their mouth!
Redfish
When I am sight fishing for redfish I want to use a strong drag, because redfish are much heavier and stronger than trout. I can’t let them wrap themselves around cover or peel all my line off the spool.
Used to, I kept the majority of the redfish I caught, but today I no longer do.
Instead, I tag redfish for TAG Louisiana. Because I am tagging and releasing the redfish, I need them to be in good condition with plenty of fight left so they survive the event.
Yes, it is possible to kill a redfish from fighting it alone, I have experienced this first hand. With a strong drag I am capable of reeling the fish straight to the boat before they have time to wear themselves out.
I have two reels I enjoy for this kind of fishing:
- 13 Fishing’s Concept A
- Abu Garcia’s Revo Inshore
Both are great reels with strong drags.
The Concept A is built with a Bulldog Drag System sporting 22lbs of drag and the Revo Inshore uses Abu Garcia’s Carbon Matrix drag system providing 20lbs of drag.
I have caught and released redfish on both of these reels and I am very happy with them.
Quick Note on Speckled Trout and Heavy Drag
You want a heavy drag so you can be prepared.
It is not uncommon for bull redfish to smash a school of feeding trout, disrupting your trout-catching experience.
If and when they bite your line, you want to land them, wearing them out enough they leave your trout alone and go somewhere else.
A prolonged fight can cause you to nearly lose your tackle or have the trout swim away to somewhere else. Not all of my reels have 20lb+ drags, but when I am tossing one I know I can beat that redfish up in a hurry and save the trout bite.
