Using Baitrunner (Question)

[fyremanjef]

Ok, I finally broke down and picked up a baitrunner reel (I got an Okuma CD90 on Ebay) and a Shimonna 4500 from BPS.

Last night, a nice croaker hit the okuma and with the bait runner on, it took line, (was pretty cool).

When do I engage the reel? I thought about it afterward, is it bad for the fish, line or reel to turn off the free spool when the fish is running? Is it best to wait until after the first run?

It seems like there is a sudden stop and a bit of a shock. I will have to play with my drag to make for a smooth transition.

But just looking for experiences with this.

Thanks,

Jeff

[FL FISHERMAN]

When deadsticking I don't wait to engage the reel. Especially with circles, I just turn the handle quarter crank and lean back to turn the circle in the fishs mouth.(not set the hook like a wild man ;) ) Now when live lining for rockfish I let them run about 10 seconds because sometimes the rockfish will actually grab the bait from behind or the side. After initial run they will spit it out and grab it head first if it was too big to swallow. Again this is just what I do.. mho :D

[shaggy]

Okay, but what do you do when the carp hit 'em? :rolleyes:

Have Jeep will travel :D

[striperswiper]

grab dat thang and hold on if its a big carp man dem thangs gots some powa

[shaggy]

Hey striper, tell Al, Neil and Teo I am feeling a road trip coming! :cool: Figuring out the work schedule, and hoping sometime in May if not early June. Then you rednecked rebels will see what a friendly Yankee can do. Oopps, never mind, me a rednecked, transplanted 'Bamma boy, so guess that makes me a rebel without a cause.

Have Jeep will travel :D

[NTKG]

done been told

[CAST DADDY L]

To Your ? Jef Is With The 4500b Just Turn The Handle And If You Have Circle Hooks On Then Start Reeling. I Use 3/0 Penn Sea Circle Hooks For Croakers And I Have No Problems With Them

[sand flea]

Depends on the fish and the hook.

With circle hooks, just pick the rod up and start reeling steady. Lean back--don't jerk--when you feel pressure.

If you're fishing J-hooks (and there's no reason to use them--circle hooks have much higher hookups), you're looking for a deep hookset. Let the line pay out for a few seconds before giving a hard jerk.

The only exception here is with cobia. Those little buggers never just grab a bait and run off. They mouth it, make a small run, then start moving again. Most anglers give them plenty of time before hitting them, even if they're using circles.

[RuddeDogg]

I have caught striper,blues,weak fish, etc on my Okumas and never had a problem. I use circle hooks for all of my fishing trips. The circles "set" themselves when you lock the reel.

[fyremanjef]

So, I guess the bait runners are designed for a sudden stop (meaning a running fish then switching the bait runner off). I was worried about causing damage to my reel during a sudden run/stop.

But with different fish, they take bait differently, so I will have to play it all by ear.

Thanks to eveyrone for their input.

Jeff

[RuddeDogg]

Jeff,
Bait runners are all designed to do the same thing and they are made to take that sudden jolt. Just make sure you have the right size no matter what the make to do the job and you'll do just fine..... :D