How To Spool A Bait Caster

One of the most important pieces of equipment that you will need to use when fishing is a reel. The reel plays an essential role in being able to successfully catch fish when you are on the water. Likewise, the type of reel that you use will have a huge effect on the number of fish that you are able to catch. 

Of all the different types of reels that exist, one of the most popular is the bait caster. This type of reel has skyrocketed in popularity because it is able to produce outstanding results, and it is also surprisingly easy to use. But, despite its ease of use, the first time that you use this type of reel can still be pretty scary.

If you have recently invested in a bait caster, and are looking to spool it for the first time, you are in the right place. In this guide, I’ll be taking a look at what a bait caster is, and how to spool it. So to find out more, keep on reading. 

What Is A Bait Caster?

First things first, let me take a quick look at what a bait caster is. If you are fairly new to fishing, then you might not be familiar with this piece of equipment, but as we have said, it is a type of reel. Of all the types of reels that exist, the bait caster is one of the preferred options, let’s take a look at why. 

A baitcaster is a type of fishing reel that sits on top of your fishing rod instead of beneath it. Due to the positioning of this reel, the spool of the bait caster can be found parallel to the rod once it has been fitted. But, it isn’t just the positioning and appearance of this type of reel that is different, the way in which it works is different too. 

When you cast a bait caster, the line of the reel comes off of the spool in line with the rod. This is very different to a traditional spinning reel, as these reels let off the line away from the rod. For this reason, the baitcasting reel is one that is preferred by experienced fishermen because it is a lot harder to master.

Most of the time, beginner fishermen will be advised to master the spinning reel, before moving onto the baitcaster once they have gained experience.

Is It Hard To Spool A Bait Caster?

As I have just said that the bait caster is a difficult reel to master, it is likely that you are expecting it to be difficult to spool this reel. But in reality, it isn’t. While the bait caster is recommended to advanced fishers because it is difficult to cast, even a beginner at fishing would be able to spool this reel. That is because the bait caster is designed to be easy to spool, even if it is difficult to use. 

Spooling a reel can be one of the most tedious jobs that you have to do when you are out fishing. So, you will likely be glad to hear that the more experienced you become, the easier this task becomes. While casting a bait caster is harder to master, the fact that it is easy to spool definitely helps.

That is why I would absolutely recommend switching from a spinning reel to a baitcaster once you have gained some experience with fishing. 

How To Spool A Bait Caster

So, now that you know how easy it is to spool a baitcaster, let’s take a look at how to do this. There are a couple of ways in which you can begin spooling your bait caster, but this is the method that I would always recommend. 

The first thing that you need to do when spooling a bait caster is choosing your line. Baitcasters work best with monofilament, fluorocarbon and braid lines, so I would recommend deciding on one of these lines for the job. If you use one and find that you do not like it, then you could always move on to one of the other types of lines for your bait caster. 

With your line at the ready, I would suggest beginning by running your line through all the rod guides on your rod. Once you have done this, you can then move on to running the line through your baitcaster’s level wind guide.

The rod guides play a very important role when spooling your baitcaster because they add extra tension to the line. The extra tension means that the chance of your line looping or tangling is much slimmer, and this makes the overall job a lot easier. After all, loops in the spool can be detrimental when you are out fishing. 

After you have run the line through all these essential points, you should then move onto the spool. Run the line around the spool, and then use an overhand knot to tie around the line. You should then tie an arbor knot on the end of the line, and pull on the mainline until the knot tightens onto the spool. Next, you should trim the excess line as close to the knot as possible, this is critical to avoid tangles and catching. 

Finally, you can begin to reel the line in. This is one of the easiest things to do, but there is always a risk of line knotting during the process. To avoid this, I put pressure on the line by holding onto it with my fingers.

This means that the line must run through your fingers when you are reeling it in, and this will add tension to the line. The tension will reduce the risk of tangling by a great amount. Once your line has reached around one-eighth of an inch away from the top of the spool, trim the end, and your job is complete. 

Summary

In short, while a bait caster is a reel that is better suited for advanced fishermen, rather than beginners, it is surprisingly easy to spool the line for it. In this guide, I have told you everything that you need to know about spooling a bait caster reel.

So, if you want to find out how to do this, check out the guide above to make the task as easy as possible.