Inshore bait caster outfit, part 2

Questions about Saltwater Fishing

Inshore bait caster outfit, part 2

Postby Questor » Tue Feb 14, 2012 9:01 am

It looks like a Curado baitcaster reel for inshore is in my future for wading and kayaking the northern gulf for sea trout and redfish. Can you recommend a good type of rod for this? Is it better to have a stiffer tip for controlling things like Zara spooks and spoons, or something softer for freelining shrimp. I'll do both with this outfit. I'll be using artificials most, with jigs, spoons and topwaters being favorites.

Also, I'm inclined to not use braid for this, using something linke 8# Trilene XT or the comparable Sufix line, in clear. But will use braid if it makes sense to do so.

Can you make some recommendations?

How light a bait will I likely be able to cast with an outfit like this?

Thanks!
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Re: Inshore bait caster outfit, part 2

Postby Bantam1 » Tue Feb 14, 2012 9:27 am

What state are you going to be fishing in? I know the people in Texas prefer different rod actions compared to the other states. Usually a little shorter rod is preferred for wading.
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Re: Inshore bait caster outfit, part 2

Postby Questor » Tue Feb 14, 2012 9:28 am

Florida panhandle, mostly
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Re: Inshore bait caster outfit, part 2

Postby RhettWheeler » Tue Feb 14, 2012 10:11 am

why no braid?
"Fear not the man who knows 10,000 kicks but has practiced them one time. Fear the man who knows one kick and has practiced it 10,000 times."
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Re: Inshore bait caster outfit, part 2

Postby Questor » Tue Feb 14, 2012 10:34 am

Very clear water. And always had good results with 8# mono.
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Re: Inshore bait caster outfit, part 2

Postby Henry Schmidt » Tue Feb 14, 2012 11:38 am

Good luck finding that rod! Ive been fishing out of a yak since before it became the in thing. Manufacturers think they know what works for that and have made models their "prostaffs" praise on various yak forums. All of them have longer butt ends than rods I use for regular fishing. Totally useless for fishing from a sitting position. The yak fishing "professionals" jigging straight down or dunking bait must have conned them into those designs. Good luck walking the dog. As a matter of fact, the manufacturers have completely ignored fishermen who need or want rods that are shorter than 6'8" let alone come with shorter grips. They only cater to bass anglers who stand on ideal casting platforms. And dont even let me start to rant about reels! The Shimano Clarus before its new upgrade had a few models that fit the bill perfect. Their V rod if you can find them sitting dusty on a rack somewhere offered a shorter grip on some models. Ive tried the cutting bit and using a balancer but never found that satisfactory. Makes them hard to use a Scotty holder or a tube rod holder.
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Re: Inshore bait caster outfit, part 2

Postby Questor » Tue Feb 14, 2012 12:51 pm

Henry:

I can relate to that. It explains why I've got more rods than I need. Changing requirements.

You may want to have a look at the Cabelas Fish Eagle casting rods. They come in one or two piece, and some of them have a 7" butt instead of the more common 10" or longer butt. I don't own one of these, although I own other Cabelas rods and have been very satisfied with them. A two-piece is on the short list of rods I'm considering so far.
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Re: Inshore bait caster outfit, part 2

Postby Nolegsinmiami » Tue Feb 14, 2012 9:14 pm

Check out the "2011" model Shimano Crucial 5'9" Mh - have two and they are great. American Legacy has them.
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Re: Inshore bait caster outfit, part 2

Postby Questor » Wed Feb 15, 2012 8:49 am

I did a little more looking and decided on the Revo Inshore combo offered by Cabelas. Salt Striker 2 piece 7 foot rod, 1/4 to 1oz. Reason is that the Revo has some additional corrosion protection and has had good reviews by salt water users. I like the finish on it better. Line will be 8# Trilene XT clear with a Seaguar fluoro leader, longer than usual, probably 20 feet of 12#. There's a lot of brand bias in this decision. I've had good luck with products from all those makers.

One irritating thing about both the Curado and Revo is the marketing. There are so many configurations of Revo that they are not even comparable. For example, the internals of the Revo Inshore differ substantially from the internals of even the closely comparable STX model. Inshore has a centrifugal brake and the STX has a magnetic brake. Similar criticism of the Curado. You really have to compare the individual configurations. Another example is salt water suitability. Some of the Revos appear not to be very good at it, while others are. This reminds me of why I switched from Crest toothpaste to Colgate: Crest began offering so many options that I couldn't comprehend them anymore, so I stopped buying it after decades of brand loyalty.

The Inshore and the most closely comparable Curado is that the Curado may cast lighter lures than the Revo, judging by user feedback. Doesn't seem to be a big difference. Bottom line was that it was almost a coin toss, but the additional corrosion protection and finish of the Revo was the deciding factor. Another factor was the clear intention in naming. "Inshore" implied use for saltwater, while I got lost in the Shimano nomenclature 300, 300E, etc.

I also liked the package deal from Cabelas. When shipping and tax are included, you get a good rod in addition to the reel for about $50 more than the reel alone. I've got enough experience with the Salt Striker rods to have a lot of confidence in them. I own three of them, two spin and one casting, and I honestly don't know how any rod can be better than they are, unless a specialized application is at hand. I also like the 2-piece option offered by Cabelas, which is a rarity in the world of casting rods. I like to be able to take the rod down and put it in the trunk of my car.

About the line, I'm sticking with XT because it's been a good line for me. I like the strength, abrasion resistance, reasonably low memory, and good knot strength of this line. I've tried a number of other lines and often had problems with knot strength and memory. In this case, I want a clear line. I recently returned to using mono for inshore casting and find that mono is better all around than braid, at least for what I do, which is mostly casting on or near flats and fishing the beaches with relatively short casts. I just get a 1000 yard spool and replace the line every week or so.
Last edited by Questor on Wed Feb 15, 2012 9:49 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Inshore bait caster outfit, part 2

Postby Bantam1 » Wed Feb 15, 2012 9:48 am

All of our reels are approved for use in saltwater. We did not feel the need to make "inshore" specific casting reels when they are all able to be used in the salt. As far as too many models in the Curado? We offer a 5, 6 and 7:1 gear ratio option. 3 models total. I would think the 7:1 would be perfect for topwater and plastics applications. The 6.5:1 is another option if you do not like the faster gear ratio reels.

Rods- Rods have a lot to do with personal preference and needs. I would think a shorter butt would be needed for walking baits while fishing from a kayak. Maybe I'm wrong. I fish from a boat and prefer to stand while I fish. I have zero experience in a kayak. The Crucial CRC68MA is a popular rod action and length for the wading anglers in Texas. They use it to fish smaller spooks, Mirrolures and plastics. I find it to be a little light for topwater but they really like the "softer" rods. You said you are going to use 8# so this rod action would be correct. The rear grip is 9.5".

I have fished Texas several times for Redfish and trout. We fished ultra clear shallow water and I used 30# red Power Pro with no leader with plastics. I had no problem catching Redfish and trout without a leader. When they are feeding you can catch them. If fish knew what line was they would be in the boat with us...
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Re: Inshore bait caster outfit, part 2

Postby Questor » Wed Feb 15, 2012 10:15 am

I think you're referring to the current configurations. I had to wade through the information about the previous configurations that had been released, reviewed, commented on, and then replaced over time. Some of the designations I saw were 50, 100, 200, 300, maybe 301, E designations vs non-E designations, and probably at least a few more. There were a bunch of them and I had to wade through all of that info to sort through user reviews. In any case, Abu got the money this time largely because of the way they communicate it, the reel's clear lineage in the model line over time, and its constant position in a niche over time. The Daiwa Coastal was similarly endearing. The only thing that attracted me to the Curado was user reviews and recommendations. I didn't mention it earlier, but I don't like the finish on the Curado either. I handled one the finish didn't look durable, and it looked like one of those cheap reels that's made just to look good in the store.
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Re: Inshore bait caster outfit, part 2

Postby Henry Schmidt » Wed Feb 15, 2012 10:44 am

Good luck with the Revo. If you ever get the chance check out alan tani's reel service forum. Very in depth info from alot of reel repair men there. Its after the fact now but theres some scary info for you about the pig metal parts of the Revo there. Frankly almost all reels have dissappointed me recently. Ive now gone back to the classic swedish made Abu C3 for all my baitcasters.
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Re: Inshore bait caster outfit, part 2

Postby Questor » Wed Feb 15, 2012 11:00 am

I guess I must be an incipient Ambassaduer fan. I've just been gravitating that way for the past few years. Not out of any militant agenda, it's just kinda worked out that way. I have a Record bait caster that has been truly excellent. It's a bigger reel than for this latest application, and has a wider spool. They make a narrow spool version too. I haven't opened it up, but my understanding is that the componentry and construction is very good. You might like it. It's not terribly expensive. I also have a Soron blue (STX, I think) model spinning reel that has been absolutely superb for the past two years of saltwater fishing. It's the best spinning reel I've ever owned, and it is fantastic with braid. No tangles.
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Re: Inshore bait caster outfit, part 2

Postby Questor » Wed Feb 15, 2012 11:13 am

Bantam:

Maybe you can help me with future purchases. For one thing, I appreciate your insight into the Crucial. I never considered those, but having good info about a product is, shall we say Crucial, to deciding whether it fits. What's the best way to get good comparative information about Shimano tackle products? There are so many price points and models that it's dazzling, and that is the main factor that has kept me away from buying Shimano products in recent years. I just get bogged down in all of the options. And it takes so much time that I usually just give up.

In terms of total time I don't spend that much time researching options. Maybe a few hours on the web, a couple of trips to a good tackle shop, checking the web retailers like Cabelas and TackleDirect if I can't find it locally, and that's it.
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Re: Inshore bait caster outfit, part 2

Postby Montague » Fri Dec 14, 2012 8:53 am

I wade fish a ton and like the chronarch 50mg... they are hard to find but i did buy several Curado 50e's while onsale at Academy. i actually like these better as the tolerences are not as tight and you can beef up the drag.

for wading i use a fast to med fast action 6'6" rod of good quality. I prefer Laguna rods but Waterloo make some good one also. the idea is to keep the weight down while wading... good luck.
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Re: Inshore bait caster outfit, part 2

Postby Seachaser » Sat Dec 15, 2012 10:00 am

My personal preference only: I fish the nothern gulf of Florida out of a yak, wade, and boat. I prefer spinning reels in the 4000 size and 7.5 - 8 foot lengths. I can sling a bait a mile and the rod is long enough to go completely around my yak if the fish is big. I have caught reds to 30+ pounds so I know it has the muscle and can toss into the wind if needed.
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