Northwest Fishing Reports

what is the difference between an average baitcaster reel, you see the guys fishing for bass with, and one of these

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=baitcast ... ,s:0,i:133" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

these reels just look heftier and would be better for salmon, and give more control? if im looking to use more baitbasters is that the reel i would choose?

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As a general rule either the low profile or round reel will work for Salmon, I'd have to give the nod to the round simply because of line capacity. A big salmon can sure run! the low profiles have more gears to break so price probably means more and the same for the drag system, some only go to 10 or 12 pounds on the other hand most have a more sophisticated casting brake system. Not much to worry about with a round reel, they just work but, you may spend more time learning to cast it.

The low-pro rigs run pretty sophisticated magnetic spool control/anti-backlas systems etc and need a big bearing count because usually you are trying to cast a lighter weight with a shorter pole a longer distance. The bigger round baitcasters generally don't have the spool control and instead focus on a beefier drag system for bigger fish. The spool control and bearing count is less important because baitcasters are generally used from a boat(most bankers I know use spinning gear with a few exceptions) so you can use the boat to position the bait rather than trying to direct your cast to a very specific spot like basssers. Basser make quick casts to cover a lot of water with different presentations, whereas in most river situations you are either side drifting or back bouncing into a known set of holes. Bassers can also cheat quite a bit in gear selection because bass in general are less spooky to line weight & lure presentation and often strike purely on reaction/aggression where a salmon/steelhead presentation takes a much more stealthy presentation.