Baitrunner Vs Other reels

[fishii]

Hi Fishraiders

Wanted to know your thought's on a baitrunner reel if you have already used one or own one . Is it better than a normal reel ? Cant the same baitrunner feature be enabled on a normal reel  by reducing drag ? Is it advantageous to have a baitrunner while rock fishing or surf fishing.

Can we use spinning rod and reel from different companies

Thanks

Edited April 6, 2018 by fishii

[Berleyguts]

I have a Shimano Baitrunner 4500 and love it. Silstar also made a Baitfeeder model. The advantage of the baitrunner/feeder system is that you can set the “drag” for the baitrunner and click it into that mode. A fish can take a bait and feel minimum resistance. Then, you wind the handle or click it back into gear and you’re at fighting drag. Heaps better than adjusting the drag all the time. It’s not necessary when lure fishing but you can still lure fish with a baitrunner, if you get my drift.

[rickmarlin62]

they are designed to let a fish run with the bait under minimal drag then clik into gear and have instant fighting drag...good in some situations..but no good in others.determine wether they suit your style of fishin...rick

[Pafisho08]

I use Shimano 2500 Baitrunners when bait fishing for Bream & Whiting as they can feel little resistance until you switch to the

main drag . My hook up rate has improved over time since using them .

Bob

[Berleyguts]

2 hours ago, rickmarlin62 said:

they are designed to let a fish run with the bait under minimal drag then clik into gear and have instant fighting drag...good in some situations..but no good in others.determine wether they suit your style of fishin...rick

I reckon they’re good for jew. But then, I’ve never caught a big jew! However, it’s the same principle as when I fished for schoolies in the Georges with an old gun fisherman. He was a canny Scot and would use longish rods and Alveys. He’d use long traces and picker’s doom (channel) sinkers, feed the trace out, then slide the sinker down to the swivel and bead, then rest the rod across the gunnels with the Alvey lying on its side. The fish could pick up the bait and move off with minimal resistance, then he’d just provide drag with his palm when needed. He caught a lot of jewies.. ?

[Piss'n'Broke]

Great reels for chasing jews. I have two 4500b's, my brother has five 4500b's (3 of which are brand new in their boxes still), and I also have a couple of 4000's thunnus's

Dan

[JonD]

I've got a few that only get used to lend out when fishing with others. Personaly if I want to free spool line out I simply open the bail and let the line slip between my finger and thumb. As for targeting jews I fish with my rod in solid holders ( bechmaster ) with around 4kg of drag set, when they pick up my bait they get hooked instantly.

 

[Jewhunter]

47 minutes ago, JonD said:

I've got a few that only get used to lend out when fishing with others. Personaly if I want to free spool line out I simply open the bail and let the line slip between my finger and thumb. As for targeting jews I fish with my rod in solid holders ( bechmaster ) with around 4kg of drag set, when they pick up my bait they get hooked instantly.

 

Spot on with the jews Jon. The longer you let them run the more you miss. It took me a while a long time ago to work that out, as it was the norm back then.

[Captain Spanner]

14 hours ago, Jewhunter said:

Spot on with the jews Jon. The longer you let them run the more you miss. It took me a while a long time ago to work that out, as it was the norm back then.

I used to fish with baitrunner mode for jews for ages, especially out of the boat but now i fish a set drag. I found that with a set drag you might miss the fish that pick it up and muck around with it because they feel the tension but you miss the fish that smash the bait as the line spews out of the reel and they drop it before you can pick the rod up. The bigger fish or fish in a school i found were more likely to hit it aggressively. I still use bait runner reels but mostly keep them in gear with dead baits and smaller live baits that fit in the fishes mouth. I still fish the baitrunners in baitrunner mode if using BIG livebaits (over about 35cm). Both because i think the bait stays happier if he can take line when he tries to have a bit of a kick rather than wearing the hook holes in his back bigger from jarring, I think they behave a bit better and are less likely to swim in a big circle where you don't want them to. I also let the fish take a little bit of line with the bigger live baits. Not alot but until they are accelerating or have a bit of speed up. If they wack it and dont move but there is weight on the line i will engage the gears and strike.

When slow trolling livebaits for kings i use baitrunners in bait runner mode. 

[JonD]

Ive never experienced Jew messing with a bait theory. How I see it is these fish don't have hands or the knowledge to dismantle a bait,  when they pick up a bait it's with their mouths. My rigs have the sharpest hooks I can find ( now bkk hooks in ocky style), with a hook penatrating both sides of my bait with around 25-30mm of hook showing, I believe it near impossible to not get hooked with the outfit in gear. 

My daughter is away fishing with a young tournament angler who has been missing many jews using livebaits that he lets the fish run with before putting the reel in gear, this is ending in many missed fish. I do fish in freespool targgeting snapper with either free falling baits or very light soft plastics but in those circumstances a baitrunner would put to much tension on the bait unless it was in complete freespool bail open in my option.

Dont get me wrong the baitrunners are good reels but with far lighter stronger dragged easier to use reels they feel very outdated to me. A small Shimano stradic, either ci4 graphite or even the stronger little fk models are better in my opinion, Its just a personal choice thing.

[Captain Spanner]

I agree with all that stuff Jon. When i started fishing for jewies we used to catch alot of fish in the 2-3kg range with a few over 4kg. We were using whole squid and squid strips in the river. I think the fish hit more aggressively in the surf and i also think they hit a bait they can fit easily in their mouth more aggressivley too. We often use mono when bait fishing in the boat and think the stretch in the mono when they first swim off gives them plenty of time for the bait to get a larger bait into their mouth and be facing away from the rod. 

[Gabm]

How about using baitrunners for live baiting?

Been trying now for a half dozen sessions. Twice I've had hits, but each time only 1/3 of the yakka comes back (just where the hook sits). I wonder if it's because the fish feels some resistance?

[Captain Spanner]

2 hours ago, Gabm said:

How about using baitrunners for live baiting?

Been trying now for a half dozen sessions. Twice I've had hits, but each time only 1/3 of the yakka comes back (just where the hook sits). I wonder if it's because the fish feels some resistance?

You have probably been hit by something with sharp teeth like a tailor or small shark, possibly mackerel if you are up the coast. The baitrunner wouldn't have helped you here, only a second hook down near the tail. The baitrunner more suits fish that turn the bait and swallow it whole like kings and jewies. In saying that jewies will take the thing whole anyway if it fits in their gob, as discussed in comments above.

[JonD]

There's a few times I've really enjoyed the baitrunner function.

First is straight after I cast from the shore I flick the reel over to light drag function and walk back up to my rod holder with the line playing out under enough tension that the surf doesn't drag the line along the beach.

Second is when sharks, including gummies pick up the bait and swim off with it under light tension then stop or slow down to take the bait deeper into the mouth, that's when I drop into full power or what ever drag setting I have. 

The baitrunners don't tend to have very powerful drags but what they do have is normally enough and also very smooth. These reels also tend to be pretty good at lasting for many years. 

[Gabm]

7 hours ago, Captain Spanner said:

You have probably been hit by something with sharp teeth like a tailor or small shark, possibly mackerel if you are up the coast. The baitrunner wouldn't have helped you here, only a second hook down near the tail. The baitrunner more suits fish that turn the bait and swallow it whole like kings and jewies. In saying that jewies will take the thing whole anyway if it fits in their gob, as discussed in comments above.

Thanks.

It's Kings that were targeted but agreed something toothy would have been the culprit both times. Botany Bay so probably tailor or similar.

Can I ask, for kings, without a baitrunner, should I loosen the drag giving them time to turn & swallow? Or leave the drag set in the hope they hook themselves?

[fishii]

On 4/8/2018 at 7:22 AM, Piss'n'Broke said:

Great reels for chasing jews. I have two 4500b's, my brother has five 4500b's (3 of which are brand new in their boxes still), and I also have a couple of 4000's thunnus's

Dan

Which is better a shimano baitrunner LC or a thunnus . Does drag matter a lot cause LC have more drag

[fishii]

Thank You all for your info

[JonD]

16 hours ago, Gabm said:

Thanks.

It's Kings that were targeted but agreed something toothy would have been the culprit both times. Botany Bay so probably tailor or similar.

Can I ask, for kings, without a baitrunner, should I loosen the drag giving them time to turn & swallow? Or leave the drag set in the hope they hook themselves?

I simply let them get the bait and allowing just around 1m of rod tip drop then simply let the rod load up and the hook set itself. When a king relises it's hooked it can be pretty explosive, not a time you want to be fiddling with drags or levers, more a case of hold on and hope it doesn't reach bottom. 

Kings are extreme fun, even undersize kings can give you an amazing fight. Drags need to be ready set and every knot and join needs to be the best you can do, they will find that weak spot.

I use circles on kings as it makes releasing them without damage far easier, also you will experience a far better fight from any fish hooked in the corner of the mouth compared to one that possibly gets hooked in the gut or gills.

[PaddyT]

What Jon said- except i dont use circles but usually hook most of my kings on full drag- I catch most of mine downrigging or slow trolling livies, occassionally I get a knock out from the rigger and will drop back until the fish re takes the bait- but i usually hit them as soon as they are rapidly pulling the line out of my fingers. Fiddling with the drag is a great way to blow fish. I used to own quite a few baitrunners but only have one left which i use for blackfish fishing (or did anyway I havent fished for blackies in at least 5 years)- the drags are a bit iffie, the other use a found to be good for them was fishing live poddie mullet for flathead (another form of fishing i havent done in at least 15 years), otherwise they arent worth it I reckon.

[Gabm]

Makes sense. Will keep at it. Thanks guys.

[Piss'n'Broke]

On ‎11‎/‎04‎/‎2018 at 8:27 AM, fishii said:

Which is better a shimano baitrunner LC or a thunnus . Does drag matter a lot cause LC have more drag

I went off the shimano btr's after they introduced the newer model after the B's. I think they are called the LC's, and OC's. I don't own a LC however a few mates do and all they have had is constant problems, to the point that they have set aside these rod and reel combo's for "newbies" on there boats.

I cant fault my thunnus's, have landed kingys to 78cm on them, and jews to 80cm. With the right rod they are a much more versatile than the shimano BTR B's, and lighter. I have mine on a gomoku PE1-3 with 20lb braid,, I love the combo, can flick squid jigs, bottom bounce for flathead, and can chase small jews and kings.

Dan

[fishii]

Thanks for your reply @Piss'n'Broke