Low profile Baitcasters for UK Sea Bass/Lure Fishing, (Curado DC)

[SeaFleaTV]

Hi, new to the forum, my first post.
Dose anyone use Low profile Baitcasters in the UK for Sea Bass/ Lure fishing, e.g. Shimano Curado DC 201 HG, and what are peoples opinions on the subject.
I know they are all the rage in the US and some parts of Europe, they also seem to be popular with Pike fisherman and for Bfs but i don't see a lot of sea anglers using them.
Would love to get peoples opinions on pros and cons.

 

[DaveH]

I’ve got one that I bought in the USA about 20 years ago and it’s still fine although I don’t use it much. It’s hanging on the wall in my lounge/kitchen/dining room. It’s got spiderwire braid on it and it’s attached to a zebco two piece rod that came from bass pro. The reel is a Bill Dance quantum.


View attachment 68752View attachment 68753

That looks like a nice bit of kit for pike.....

 

[ante]

The thing with those baitcasters is that they're designed for single handed rods so you need to wind with your weak hand & use your primary hand to hold & control the rod, and cast & control the spool, same as a fixed spool,
so the reel in the pic is for lefthanded casting.
Lots of people buy them wrong way around because boat & beach multipliers you wind with your primary hand, so that you can adjust drag during the fight, while your weak hand just holds the rod.

I am not sure what you mean by "those are made for singlehanded rods", are there specific reels for double handed rods?
Anyway I'm right handed, my first BC in the early 80s, a RH Amb. 5600 C. (no lefty reels then) I throw with my right arm, hand at the reel and pulling the rod end with ny left with double handed rod) I always crancked a spinning reel with my left hand, my first set up as a kid was a spinning reel only availabe with a fixed lefthand crank configuration.

So with the 5600 I kept throwing with my right arm, shifted hand and cranked with my right hand. It soon became natural, done so for decades now and I do this with all my BC reels no matter perch, pike or shore fishing for sea trout. Now I use a 2012 Exsence DC with a 9'6"-35g Salty Stage se bass rod for my sea trout fishing, a great combo that handles head wind very well in my opinion, i like BC for this, try it if you feel comfortable with a BC reel. A cold windy day, hands freezing i might pull out a spinning combo, a rod with larger guides that doesn't freeze as easy as the small guides on my Salty rod.

 

[Topwater]

Always best to do what suits you best! There're no hard and fast rules on this. I find it very useful to be ambidextrous, particularly with a fly rod. Others seemingly can't entertain it, but undoubtedly dexterity can be learned by many if they choose to

 

[Trampster]

Welcome to the Madhouse @ante !

 

[Angrybear]

I am not sure what you mean by "those are made for singlehanded rods", are there specific reels for double handed rods?

I mean the single handed 'baitcasting' rods with a very short handle, a lowered reel seat & often a fixed 'trigger grip' on the underside for the index finger while your thumb on top controls the reel.

The rod in post #15 is a good example, (set up for left hand cast, right hand wind) although his does not have the 'trigger' but the handle is clearly too short for two handed casting,
Where as a beachcaster or a Salmon spinning rod will have a much longer handle so that both hands are used to cast big heavy baits a long way.
Here you go.

 

[Beach]

It's a welcome from me as well ante

 

[JLD]

I use baitcasters, left and right hand wind, cast with my right arm 'cos I am right handed, retrieve with either left or right, makes no difference.

 

[Angrybear]

Re-reading my post #25 I should probably add that the design concept is that you use your dominant arm/hand to hold the rod & control the reel during the cast, during the retrieve you work the lure via rod movement, and you control fish during the fight by directional rod pressure,
leaving your less dexterous hand the simple job of winding the handle, exactly the same concept as with fixed spool reels.

The low profile simply reduces the reel weight 'twist effect' by putting the C of G as low as possible to the rod below it.