10 Best Baitcasting Reel for Bass 2022

When selecting good bass fishing reels, it is preferable to have a tournament-grade option. A baitcasting reel provides the accuracy and control that a bass angler requires. It is exceptionally well-designed so that you can easily handle any heavier tackle.

All of these factors contribute to anglers’ preference for the bass fishing. To ensure that you are making the most of your investment, we have reviewed the best baitcasting reel for bass.

Why should you use a baticaster when bass fishing?

A baitcaster fishing reel casts farther and with greater ease than a spinning reel. It’s ideal for fishing in lakes or streams. A good baitcasting reel makes fishing more enjoyable and less stressful. How do you find the right reel for you when there are so many to choose from?

The baitcaster reel is different from other types of reels in that it sits beneath the rod and towards the ground. It improves both the distance and accuracy of the casting.

The two-grip handle gives you more control over the retrieval. That is why anglers frequently recommend baitcasters as the best bass fishing reels.

We’ve compiled a list of only the best bass baitcaster reels, as well as a detailed guide and FAQs. Continue reading to become a pro before investing in the most popular bass fishing reel.

Best Baitcasting Reel for Bass

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#1 Shimano CURADO DC: The Best Baitcasting Fishing Reel For Bass

It’s the best low-profile baitcaster that is mostly used for bass fishing. This low-profile baitcasting reel comes with easily adjustable spool braking settings from one up to four. Similarly, the spool tensioner can be adjusted trouble-free as it doesn’t require being specific for each lure like most models.

It’s enough to set the spool tensioner once and change the brake settings according to the lure type and casting distance. The reel is not completely backlash-proof but happens less comparing other baitcasting reels.

If you are doubtful about the digital control feature that claims to have a higher braking system with minimal backlashing, this is a phenomenal baitcaster for you. It casts smooth and quick. The sound of the braking system annoys I would highly recommend this low-profile baitcasting reel for freshwater bass fishing.

It’s not the one for those who are pitching docks or making a long-distance cast in the wind. If you want to know what Baitcasters do pros use? Shimano CURADO is used by professional bass anglers.

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#2 KastKing Royale Legend II Baitcasting Reels

KastKing presents this Royale Legend Baitcasting reel that is engineered for the highest comfort, functionality, and longevity. This model comes with a graphite frame and side covers to fit perfectly in the palm. It feels comfortable for a longer time on the water.

The reel consists of ten levels of magnetic braking system that reduce backlashes and ensure long-distance casting even in the wind. Its adjustable eight button brake makes controlling a breeze.

It features high ball bearings and sleeves to maximize the smoothness of the reel under load. The machined brass pinion gears ensure the baitcasters strength, durability, and smooth cranking.

The overall performance makes it an amazing bass fishing reel. It comes with both left and right-hand orientation options for your convenience. You can also select between the two gear ratio options to meet your fishing requirements.

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#3 Abu Garcia Pro Max & Max Pro Low Profile Baitcast Fishing Reel

This is a professional baitcast fishing reel for bass anglers. This low-profile baitcaster is an immediate-priced reel that most bass anglers can afford. It is well-made and feels so much sturdy. The baitcaster reel is durable enough with no sign of loosening or grinding even using after several months.

The Abu Garcia reel performs well for bass fishing and easy to operate than other baitcasting reels. It casts and cranks a mile smoothly. The drag is adequate along with the braking system settings, just like the higher-end bass fishing reels.

It features an adjustment dial that helps to adjust the brake with a single turn. It’s rare to find such an easy adjustment braking system even to the higher-end Abu Garcia reels. That’s the reason it is suitable for both a learner and professional bass fishermen.

The Abu Garcia baitcasting reel offers the utmost durability, reliability, and ease of use. I would recommend this bass fishing reel for years of dependency. Use this baitcast reel to migrate yourself from spinning reel in a short time ever.

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#4 RUNCL Baitcasting Reels Svallet, Baitcaster Reels for Bass Fishing Freshwater

The RUNCL Svallet comes with a comfortable feel in the hand. It is the best baitcasting reel for bass fishing in the freshwater that feels solid and sturdy. When it pairs with a good fishing rod it provides the right balance and control required for bass fishing.

It also features a nice spool that can hold heavier lines and lures perfectly. What we’ve liked most is the side plate that pops out and down nicely. The side plate is attached well to ensure no losing the plate and magnets frequently.

It casts great and the drags work fine and tight with an adjustable button on the handle. The magnet braking system offers the highest stability of line control. It has 10 levels of spool braking to reduce any overrun frustration.

The high-speed ratio ensures quick tightening of the line that helps to retrieve the fishing line faster and efficiently. The overall construction and functionality make the baitcaster highly recommended for beginners and expert bass fishermen both.

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#5 Tailored Tackle Bass Fishing Baitcasting Reel Gear Ratio – 6.3:1

It’s the best bass baitcaster reel and rod combo for beginners. The spool can be removed quickly to fix any rat’s nest and tangles easier and faster. This bass fishing baitcasting reel also comes with great quality construction for the most durability.

It casts smoothly and the magnetic braking system it has is easy to adjust. The drag & spool works good as well. This LMB baitcasting reel is engineered for providing you the highest performance and comes with the required features you need to learn about fishing.

The fishing pole is suitable for largemouth bass fishing in both fresh and saltwater. It is perfect to use all the popular bass baits and rigs.

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#6 Lew’s Team Lew’s HyperMag Speed Spool Baitcast Reel

It’s one of the best baitcaster in the lineup. It is lightweight but tough enough to catch big fish. The smaller size is easy to palm and comes with an ergonomic handle for a whole tournament day with comfort.

It is great for both flipping and casting. It casts like a breeze. This HyperMag baitcast reel is easy to set up and covers enough casting distance for bass fishing. I would say it is perfect for drop shot as well.

It’s a low-profile baitcaster that weighs only 5.4 oz. The manufacturer wants to provide the most lightweight baitcaster for bass anglers and this is the product for you. They’ve engineered a magnesium frame with c45 carbon side plates on that occasion.

The baitcast reel features a higher bearing system along with hard-anodized aluminum alloy gears for smooth casting. It has a compact U-size spool that is faster than larger spools. As a result, the spool can hold the light line and lures comparing the conventional baitcasting reels.

It never compromises the power and functionality like the size. So, it can be your choice for bass fishing.

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#7 Piscifun Torrent Baitcasting Reel 18LB Carbon Fiber Drag

It is an amazing baitcaster for the money. Pair it with a torrent baitcasting rod for the best performance. I’ve spooled it with a 30 lb braid and it cast like a breeze without any rat’s nest. It offers plenty of casting distance that is great for bass fishing.

The tension knob and brakes work fine and the most appealing part of this reel is the adjustable knob clicks.

This baitcaster is the perfect one to start who wants to migrate from spinning reel for more accuracy and control. It is great for fishing largemouth bass with no problem so far. The reel feels good in the hand without failing to drag while fighting with the big bass.

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#8 Sougayilang Baitcasting Fishing Reel

IT’s another best affordable baticasting fishing reel that comes with excellent quality. It fits in hand very nicely and feels smooth as silk. The reel performs smoothly during casting and retrieving both with the high bearing count on it.

It features spool tension and magnetic cast control that helps in the alignment of this reel. Its side plate can be removed easily to access the spool for fixing any tangles or so. Controlling while a big fish-like bass is caught out there is amazingly easy.

You surely can’t beat this baitcaster for its higher quality and affordable price. If you have a tight budget, go for it without any second thought.

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#9 Lew’s Inshore Speed Spool LFS Baitcast Reel

It’s a dual-purpose baitcaster that works well for both fresh and saltwater fishing. It requires a little maintenance after each time you use this reel in the saltwater. The LFS baitcast reel casts light and heavy both well with the adjustable settings.

It also casts well in wind with no backlashes at all. Spool it with a 30 lb braid works great for bass fishing. The reel is perfect to catch any large bass. The drag also works better fighting on those big bass to experience a smooth retrieving and casting.

The reel comes with an aluminum constructed frame and equips with 2 bearing pinion gear. It lasts for a longer time and is highly recommended for bass fishing.

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#10 KastKing Royale Legend Elite Series Fishing Reel for Bass

It’s a nice bass baitcaster reel that comes with a compact design to fit in the palm. Pair it with a KastKing rod for the highest performance and choose the 7:3.1 gear ratio for bass fishing.

The experience of reeling is smooth for both casting and retrieving. Its handles are rubberized for a non-slip action even with wet hands. It has an attached side plate to access the magnetic braking system. It reduces the worries of losing the plate that can ruin the reel. The adjustment knob is a bit small for my fingers. But, it can overlook for its easy adjustability.

The reel is convenient and versatile to use with both braid and monofilament. It’s all-around a great baitcasting reel to consider for the value.

If you’ve paired it with the right fishing rod (KastKing Speed Demon Rod), it will turn out to be your best baitcaster for bass fishing.

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What to Look For in The Best Baitcasting Reel?

A baitcasting reel often defeats a spinning reel for the impact of the fishing job. But, investing in a cheap one may ruin your expectations. That’s the reason you should keep your eyes on a few matters while choosing the best baitcasting reel for bass. The following buying guide will help you find a good bait caster.

Baitcasting reel defination:

In a baitcaster reel, the rotating spool sits at the top of the casting rod. It is just the opposite of a spinning reel where the spool sits underneath the fishing rod. The line of the baitcasting reel coincides directly with the spool with the rod. It works fine with monofilament, or braid line types.

Gear ratio for Bait cast reels:

Gear or speed ratio is the thing you need to consider wisely according to your fishing style. Likewise, a spinnerbait should use with a reel that consists of a 7.1:1 gear ratio. On the other hand, it is more effective to consider a 5.4:1 gear ratio for working with a crankbait.

The most common speed ratios in a bait caster are 5.4:1, 6.4:1, and 7.1:1. The first number in those ratio sets means the number of revolutions makes the spool in every turn of the handle. For example, with a 5.4:1 gear ratio, the spool revolves 5.4 times in a single crank of the bait caster handle. You can retrieve more lines in the same working effort with a higher number speed ratio.

The most popular baitcasting reel consists of a 6.4:1 gear ratio excluding those who are looking to catch giant bass. For certain fishing techniques, you need to consider the higher or lower gear ratio for the best deal.

It’s better to consider higher speed ratio bait cast reels for small strike zones. It speeds up the way of getting back the bait to the boat so you can be prepared for another cast quickly.

Braking system:

Baitcasting reels feature a braking system to control the rotation speed of the spool while casting. It helps to reduce the deadly backlash from happening often. We’ve found two braking systems that are equipped with a bait caster reel.

Centrifugal brakes utilize pins inside the side-pate that makes able to adjust the rotation manually by the anglers.

Magnetic brakes work in a different and complicated principle that relies on the spool and magnets. Anglers can adjust the revolution rate of the spool manually as well.

Whatever the braking system, an angler should know to utilize to thumb the spool accurately for the best casting. Practicing with the various braking system makes an angler perfect to thumb the spool correctly.

Round vs low profile baitcasting reels:

Also read: Best Salmon Landing Net

Other things to consider for the best bass reel:

Ball bearings:

It’s better to have quality bearings in a bait caster instead of having a lot of quantity. You should go for the baitcasting reel that consists of shielded, double shielded, and sealed bearings.

Frames:

The most bait caster comes in either aluminum or graphite construction. I would recommend choosing a complete aluminum-made frame for the best bass baitcasting reels. Graphite frames are lighter but do not last long like aluminum.

Spools:

 I’ve mostly found aluminum spools for the majority of baitcasting reels in the market. A few high-quality bass fishing reels come with anodized aluminum spools for your convenience. They are a bit stiffy and rigid to be scratched. The drilled spools may be the better option for easier reeling. Invest a bit more to experience better spinning of the spool.

Handle:

Find those handles that are ergonomic and comes with soft rubber knobs.

Line guides:

It’s always better to consider titanium line guides instead of ceramic ones. They are cost-friendly but can get cracked or broken from malicious abuse.

For many fishing sports, spinning reels work well undoubtedly but not for hardened bass fishing. If you would like to attempt flipping or pitching, fighting big fish, or casting heavy lures, then consider a bait cast fishing reel. It’s not so scary to apply a bait caster for the first time with us.

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Is a Baitcaster good for bass fishing?

Bass fishermen call baitcaster a workhorse reel for bass fishing from the past to the present. They are specially designed to be stronger than conventional fishing reels. Baitcaster also ensures the highest casting accuracy and control over the line. They come with a braking system for more betterment than spinning reels.

Moreover, bait casting reels are better for fishing bigger versions of crankbaits and spinnerbaits.

What is the best brand for a baitcaster?

It depends on your fishing activities and how many brands you’ve considered for a baitcasting reel. For me, It is Abu Garcia that brand remains popular from the years for manufacturing a few best baitcasting reel for bass fishing.

The bait casters from this brand are durable and offer ultimate control while fishing. They also come with strong construction and functionality to reduce the chances of backlashing often.

Despite this best baitcaster brand we’ve also enlisted a few more top-class brands in our baitcasting reel reviews:

Why is Baitcaster better than spinning?

Both the baitcaster and spinning fishing reels are used for almost any type of fishing in any situation. They are better and choices of anglers for various fishing techniques.

These reels can be used for both fresh and saltwater fishing depending on their size and features. The betterment depends on the situation of fishing mostly.

Anglers mostly choose a baitcasting reel for large and strong fish-like bass. There require heavyweight lines and lures along with the highest accuracy. This is the situation baitcaster beats spinning reels for the most times.

If you’ve considered your lure types like jigs, crankbaits, and spinnerbaits, baitcaster will give you the utmost precision than any spinning reels for sure. I didn’t mean that you can’t do it with a spinning model. But, it’s always better to have a baitcaster for those heavier lure types.

If you are looking for smaller to medium fish with simple setups, spinning reels are the most popular choice for anglers.

Reel Type	Spinning	Baitcaster
Large fish	No	Yes
Heavier lines and lures	No	Yes
Small to medium fish	Yes	No
Light lines and lures	Yes	No
Backlashes	No	Yes
Tangling	No	Yes
Twisting	Yes	No
Easy to operate & maintain	Yes	No
Extreme high speed ratio	No	Yes
Precision	No	Yes
Longer durability	No	Yes
Higher Price	No	Yes
Most line capacity	No	Yes
Highly versatile	Yes	No
Long distance and precision cast	No	Yes
Jamming	No	Yes

Also read: Best Closed Face Reels Reviews

Why do bass fishermen use Baitcasters?

Professional bass anglers always prefer bait casters for accuracy and control. Most of them carry from 20 to 30 baitcasting rods and reels while fishing large or smallmouth bass.

Newcomers find spinning gears easy to use than baitcaster. As it is a bit difficult to cast than a spinning reel and reduces the chances of backlashes. They remain happy with spinning gears for years for the easy spinning tackle. After a while bass fishermen used to migrate to the bait casters. They are often convinced by professional bass anglers as well.

Bass fishermen require using heavier lines & lures and the highest precision & control while fishing. A baitcaster reel is the best choice on that occasion.

What pound test should I put on my baitcaster?

Baitcasters doesn’t design for holding the light line, good to use 20 lbs or above. Remember heavier lines come off the spool trouble-free and not spread over. If you are a newcomer, start with a 20 lbs mono line that is too much easier for the first experience.

Can you jig with a baitcaster?

I’ve used so many different baitcasting reels but it really difficult to get light jigs over there. I think it’s better to stick with a spinning gear setup for jig fishing.

Is 20 lb braid good for a baitcaster?

A thin diameter line is a perfect match for spinning gears but not for baitcasting reels. Anything below 20 lb braid will dig into the spool if you’ve caught a big fish. It will surely cause knots and tangles and help to experience you a “bird’s nest”.

Like I mentioned earlier, if you are a baitcaster user, make sure you have braid over 20 lbs or equal.

Final Verdict:

In conclusion, let’s talk about which bait caster reel, in my opinion, is the best fishing gear for bass. My pick for the best baitcasting fishing reel for bass is the KastKing Royale Legend II.

It is not only one of the more affordable baitcasting reels for bass, but its smooth performance, high-quality components and construction, and long-lasting materials make it my choice for the best baitcasting reel for bass.