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Baitcaster

28 (45.2%)

Centerpin

34 (54.8%)

Total Members Voted: 60

[coryandtrevor]

coryandtrevor,
you know stick slashing is now a penalty.  If it results in my broken Easton Stealth, I'll be going to the box also for a 5 minute major. 
As far as the cp/bc thing goes, I find the bc more versatile.  I can float fish, fish cranks, spoons, spinners, jigs.  I know you can do that on a cp, but try burning a buzz bait or fishing spinners or spoons w/o a float and current.  If I'm going to resort to a cp, I'll just get my spey rod and fly fish.  Just my 2 C. 

Well dont get too carried away Bertuzzi. Now if you 'sucker me from behind and drive my head into the ice' I have something to go on. Its not my fault that the new brittle graphite sticks succumb to the my 1st Gen. Easton Alumininum golden axe.

I just bought my first BC yesterday and cant wait to use it. ! CP's look cool but I would just look like more of a posuer than I already am, so maybe I will wait untill I catch a few fish first.

[bentrod]

post was deleted.  You're right Rodney, I'll post in sports section.  BR

[Rodney]

Topic is starting to sidetrack. Start a new topic on sticks in the sport section if interested please.

[BigFisher]

back to the topic though... baitcaster IS more versatile in the sense you can float fish then switch to spoons and such but the natural drift with centerpin cant be beat and if im going to toss spoons ill be doing it all day anyways so a spinning reel is fine..\

Pretty much summed it up kingpin.

[bentrod]

I can understand the thrill of fighting a fish with a 1:1 ratio, but as far as a natural drift thing goes, I'm confused.  I have absolutely zero startup and spool friction on my calcutta's.  I free spool the line all the time when I'm drifting and don't influence the drift at all.  With that said, how does a cp give you a better drift? 

[nosey]

Got my first CP in about 1968, tried a baitcaster for a couple of years, I'm pretty sure they were just a fad as everyone's going back to center pins now.

[bbronswyk2000]

Baitcaster if I am gear fishing, but its rare that I am gear fishing

[Nicole]

5:1 gear ratio all the way... I did own an avon royal for awhile, and needed cash so I sold it... Never went back...

I still use the same shimano speedmaster from 1987. It was expensive back then, but worth every penny.

The money I spend on new gear is for spey stuff... That's  where it's really at, for me anyway!

Cheers,
Nicole

[DionJL]

a 5:1 ratio only helps if the spool diameters are comparable. Think of how large the diameter of a centrepin spool is, a 4" diameter reel brings in over a foot per hand crank where as a baitcaster has less than an inch in diameter so therefore brings in only about 3" per spool rotation and 15" per hand crank (on a 5:1 gear ratio). Only 3" more than a centrepin. So give the whole gear ratio advantage a rest. Oh, and hand crank diameters are nearly equal too.

[younggun]

Ive fished with a baitcaster all my life, i owned one at one time, and the centerpin out does the baitcaster by far. Only thing a centerpin lacks is a drag but it makes up for that in the drift and looks section.

[Nicole]

a 5:1 ratio only helps if the spool diameters are comparable. Think of how large the diameter of a centrepin spool is, a 4" diameter reel brings in over a foot per hand crank where as a baitcaster has less than an inch in diameter so therefore brings in only about 3" per spool rotation and 15" per hand crank (on a 5:1 gear ratio). Only 3" more than a centrepin. So give the whole gear ratio advantage a rest. Oh, and hand crank diameters are nearly equal too.

That's a good point...


Nicole

[firstlight]

So then why are are CP so much slower to retrieve than the BC?

Only way i can bring in my CP fast is if i free wheel it otherwise its way slower than my Calcutta.

[mr.p]

You have to take into account the amount of line on the spool.
If you are fishing a full BC spool, the brings the diameter up.
Look at the stats on most common BC reels.  Each retrieve brings in 24-36 inches.
Compare that to the 12-18 inches by CPs. 

Both CP and BC have their advantages.  However, the CP is the only one with
disadvantages.  In the hands of a good angler, the baitcaster will always outfish a pin.
Especially for steelies.  More time in the water = more fish.

With a BC you can cover alot more water and spend more time in that water. If you are fishing
close to shore with a short drift, then CP is fine.  But as soon as you start bombing casts
across the river, the gear ratio of the BC comes into play.
CPs are slow..slow..slow. You spend all day retrieving.

As far as the natural drift issue. I think it is a myth.  Or more so a sellling point for CPs.
Any decent BC reel made in the past 5 years has NO startup drag or friction on the free spool.

[bentrod]

It looks like a fairly clear choice to me.  If you want to be a "purist", go with the cp.  Otherwise, if you want to take advantage of technology, buy a nice bc and go fishing.  I completely get the elitist attitude that some....many fly fishers and cp'ers have.  It's part of their culture.  I cater to it when I have rich clients.  The first thing I do is compliment them on their sweet Hardy, and the day goes by so much better for them because you've acknowledged their expensive gear. 

As far as what's better; if we were all purists, we'd still be riding horses and spear fishing.  I prefer my Silverado and Calcutta.

[mastercaster]

CPs are slow..slow..slow. You spend all day retrieving.

That slower retrieve of the CP has without a word of as lie caught me at least one and sometimes  more fish for every weekend I fish up at the Thompson.  It wasn't as many times this year but in the past usually 15 + days a year.  My buddies who fish BC's never hook steelies on their retrieve because its way too fast.  I'll take those "bonus" fish any day over a faster retrieve...besides that extra reeling helps to keep my hands warm.

Also, when that thermometer dips into the-10 or colder range their BC are constantly freezing up (doesn't matter what make or model) and that can ruin their day....that NEVER happens to a CP which has far fewer parts.  When it comes to casting distance with a float setup, I can get it out just as far or further than most because I'm fishing off a 12' rod whereas most BC tend to use 10'6" rods, which makes it even tougher when you have 7-8 or more feet of line between your float and lead which you need to do in certain runs.

And puttting the "fun" factor aside when playing fish on a pin... its also far more effective when playing fish....you can play the fish better when you are supplying the right amount of drag at all times. Guys who know how to use them lose less fish and can get the fish to hand much quicker which translate into less stress on the fish and a far more successful release.

BC's are great for spoon fishing or bottom bouncing deep holes if the bottom is good enough to do it.  I even prefer to use them when chucking blue foxes instead of a spinning reel but when it comes to drift fishing I'll stick to my superba or one of my other pins for the reasons stated above.