I’ve been a spinning reel guy most of my life, at least the last 50 or more years. Last bait casting reel I can remember using belonged to my Dad. I recollect that the reel was a red, or maroon color, was mounted on a metal rod, and more or less, filled with black braided line.
I can’t remember anybody ever catching fish with it, but I do remember we used it some. My dad and uncles would show us kids how to cast-and then how to untangle the backlash. That’s basically what we did…try to cast…and then untangle the backlash. I could have learned to hate that reel, but I didn’t. It was just part of the total experience of “fishing.” I don’t know where the rod and reel is now, probably went to backlash heaven. Last I remember of that old rod and reel is my Dad yelling for us kids to get back as he flailed away with it at a snake in the water. Scared the heck out of us. Memories….
Ah…but then I discovered spinning reels. Mitchell 300s–smooth as silk, no backlash, could cast a mile. Well–it seemed like a mile to me after my Dad’s backlash special. I saved my money and eventually bought a Mitchell 300. It was great. I still have a couple or three. Since that first spinning reel I’ve probably owned another 50 or so of different brands and sizes. Most of them worked fine and I’ve rarely had any problems with them.
Aside from a year in Florida most of my fishing has always been in fresh water. As a result of that most of my rods and reels have been light, lively, and with light line. I usually use a Daiwa ultra light rod and reel. That may have to change.
One of my life long pleasures has been small boats. I design and build them. Though I am primarily a paddler I almost naturally fish out of kayaks and canoes. Boats and water and fish go together. I can catch a lot of fish when I want to. I believe I have an advantage over bass fishing rockets that are always zooming by as I quietly work a shoreline or small cove. I troll sometimes while paddling. That’s a lot of fun.
I remember one particular time I was trolling on Belton lake in very deep water near the sand flats. On one rod I had a Bomber FlatA Slab–a real deep running lure. On the other side I was using a broken back Rapala which was probably running around 8 feet deep. Something hit the Slab and I grabbed the rod. At first I thought the lure must have snagged on a log, but no! I had a fish! A big one. Off we went to the races.
An interesting thing about paddling and fishing in small boats is that a big fish can pull you around at a pretty good clip. I was just hanging on for the ride. There were times the rod bent almost double-the line just twanging from stress. I had 20 pound test line on the reel, but I just knew something had to give. You have to be careful when fighting a big fish in a kayak. If you don’t keep the boat in line with the direction of pull the boat can turn sideways. If the fish happens to turn back under the boat you can get the rod bent double under the boat. That can flip you, or break the rod.
I’d gain a little line on the fish, then lose a little bit. I got the fish close enough for the water to swirl and boil against the side of the boat. Ah man. Line broke. I lost it. It was a big one though. I’m thinking it was a striper or big hybrid. I want to catch a really big striper one of these days. Belton Lake has a good population. That fish emphasized to me my need for some heavier equipment.
Since I’m not one of those rigid, inflexible older guys (my wife says I am!…but what does she know?) I thought I’d give bait casting reels a shot again. After 50 years why not? From the way everybody was talking about bait casting reels I figured the backlashing problem had been worked out. Surely time and years of technical innovation had made bait casting reels a viable choice for a little casting, bait fishing, and trolling. I boogied on down to Walmart and picked up a small Ambassadeur reel for a 7′ medium action rod that I already had. I also picked up another rod and a large Shakespeare Tidewater reel. I figured that baby would handle anything I’d ever catch.
I filled the Ambassadeur with 10 pound test line and the Tidwater with 330 yards of 20 pound test. I didn’t figure to have any problems handling or casting with these reels. After all I’m a lot older, more experienced, highly intelligent, a natural athlete…(well alright, maybe I am getting carried away here). Still I knew the basic theory behind bait casting. Flip this little doodad, turn this knob, feather with your thumb and…zowie…out a hundred yards.
The wind was blowing too hard to take the kayak out on the lake so I went out to the front yard for practice. All I can safely say now is that I know exactly what a 300 yard backlash looks like-and how long it takes to get it untangled. Squint your eyes and hold the backlashed reel up just right, with the sun glinting through the tangles and it’s quite pretty–in a strange way.
Anyway–it wasn’t quite as easy as I figured it to be. Got hung up in a tree twice. The cat was having a blast with the sinker I was using as a casting weight. I’d cast out 10, 20, or 30 feet (never got it up to that half mile figure) and reel it in. The cat would pounce on the slithering sinker, though it tired of the game when I beaned it with the half ounce sinker. Errant cast–really!
I did get some distance one time, about 50 feet out to the left, in the street. The neighbor ran over the line with her car. 20 pound test line will not hold back a big white Cadillac, but it sure was fun until I ran out of line. Felt almost like that big striper–fish–whatever it was.
I still have those reels…but…I…don ‘t…use…them. Maybe a garage sale…