Surf fishing with baitcaster

Hello all. Getting caught up reading the message boards and starting to get ready for our annual trip down there from Dallas. I've received a lot of great advice over the years and I'm back for more.
Last year we did our usual surf fishing out front (probably not the best spot but we have little ones that we watch at the same time we fish). Last year we did ok, but not great. I brought an old Penn Jigmaster reel with me that I've had for ages. I didn't have a casting rod for it, so I used an old Penn Spinfisher (not ideal but it worked). My regular set up is a 10' rod with a Penn 7500SS. Does anyone surf fish with a reel like the JigMaster? It's obviously not ideal for what I'm doing, but I feel weird leaving a reel at home when I'm heading to the beach. Two rods seems better than 1, though the JigMaster is more work. Should I bother to get a proper surf rod for the reel (say 10' casting rod) or just keep fishing the 7' SpinFisher rod since it's not an ideal set up to begin with. Casting a baitcaster like that while chest deep in the surf isn't the easiest thing to do without creating a sanctuary for condors with the resulting backlash.

The Penn Jigmaster is conventional style reel. I believe these are used more for trolling and drop fishing from a boat. I've seen guys using a baitcaster on the shore, so that's totally doable. The Jigmaster would be REALLY hefty to use on the shore.

Conventional vs. BaitCasting Reel-What?s the Difference

yes, it's definitely not designed to be used as a surf reel. I can manage with it, but it's far from ideal. Just wondering whether it's worth $100 to get a casting rod specifically for it, or just stick with what I have now and if I ever want a second set up, bite the bullet and buy another spinning set up.

my thought (which is often not worth much) is to use what you have. it might be less than ideal, but better than an impulse buy to get something you think works in the moment, when there might be something better out there. i just know i've caught fish on the most random gear that i only used because it was part of what was at my disposal. i think you can make it work. it all depends on cash flow and how often you'll be using it. i even caught a very nice whiting in the surf with my hands once...haven't even thought about replacing them.

I was just about to ask why not a spinning setup? The Penn Fierce combos are reasonable and work really well.

Conventional reels outcast spinning IF you have the technique, especially for heavy payloads. For most of us improving our technique will improve distance more than buying a new rod or reel.

Would be fine......if.....you yak the bait out or swim it out......otherwise not really good to cast.....for me more trouble then it would be trying to fish it......

What, if any, is the difference between a conventional and a baitcaster?

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Originally Posted by witler

What, if any, is the difference between a conventional and a baitcaster?

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About $150 - $300 ;-) lol









j/k I always called trolling and drop style reels "conventionals" (think 4/0 and 6/0), and
a "baitcaster" has a line guide and a bunch of bearings.

But that isn't 'official'...

witler, check out my link above. It give a pretty good description. Pier#r, when you say line guide, would that be the same as a level wind?

That is a good basic description.
It could be said most 'conventionals' are for power (low gear ratio and casting distance)
while 'baitcasters' are for casting distance and speed (higher gear ratio).
When I think "levelwind" the twin bars of a Penn 209 or 350 comes to mind.
When I think "line guide" it's a more modern or high tech bar with a hole in a ceramic ring for less casting resistance.

Toe-may-toe, toe-mah-tow really though ;-)

When I think surf casting conventionals, it's more in the genre of Penn's Longbeach or Squidder series. They can easily be modified (or 'magged') to cast more like a baitcaster (Lew's Ambassadeur, etc.).
Nowadays almost all 'baitcasters' have magnets to help manage the spool rotation for more efficient casting.
But I'm not a fan of an open worm gear in the sand.
For that matter, I don't care for spinning reels with holes in the spool that allow sand into the rotor either.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Pier#r

That is a good basic description.
It could be said most 'conventionals' are for power (low gear ratio and casting distance)
while 'baitcasters' are for casting distance and speed (higher gear ratio).
When I think "levelwind" the twin bars of a Penn 209 or 350 comes to mind.
When I think "line guide" it's a more modern or high tech bar with a hole in a ceramic ring for less casting resistance.

Toe-may-toe, toe-mah-tow really though ;-)

When I think surf casting conventionals, it's more in the genre of Penn's Longbeach or Squidder series. They can easily be modified (or 'magged') to cast more like a baitcaster (Lew's Ambassadeur, etc.).
Nowadays almost all 'baitcasters' have magnets to help manage the spool rotation for more efficient casting.
But I'm not a fan of an open worm gear in the sand.
For that matter, I don't care for spinning reels with holes in the spool that allow sand into the rotor either.

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When I was looking up that link for the conventional vs. baitcaster I came across a thread on StripersOnline about modifying and magging the Penn reels. Looked like a really interesting upgrade!

And to your point about spinning reels, that collective sentiment across this forum is what made me save up a little extra and opt for my SpinfisherVs for surf fishing.

I wouldn't waste money on a new rod for that reel. It's designed for power and just what it says, jigging in deep water. They're cheap but industrictable and made for deep sea fishing. Leave it home or bring as a back up only.

Jigmasters cast just fine if it is part of a balanced outfit (line, rod and payload) and your techniques​ are sound. There are however, numerous reels that outperform the in casting distance while being more forgiving in regard to technique.

If you're dead set on using your JM, just go on and do so. Keep in mind that you will have your work cut out for you and your results will be less than optimal no matter how well you do it. The good news is that optimal isn't always needed to catch a fish or have a good time trying.

Thanks to everyone for the replies. It was nice having two rods out there last year, and I was able to cast the Jigmaster/Spinfisher combo ok enough to make it effective and caught fish, but it was a fair amount of work and probably not worth the effort. If I find myself just dying to get another surf set up, I'll get a decent set up and be done with it. Besides, the more time I spend messing around with the Jigmaster, the less time I have to fish my small spinning set up closer in while the big rod soaks bait further out.