Rod for 5500C3

[Bruce]

Bought a 5500 for my cousin's son. I put some Fireline on it. Was I wrong to buy this reel for him, since he mainly throws smaller, bass size baits? Does he need a stiff rod to throw heavier baits? Is this reel capable of throwing small lures? and if so, what type of ros should we be looking at? I put 12 lb Fireline on this reel. Thanks for all replies.

[Tom B]

If he throws bass lures, how about a flippin stick or a crank bait rod. A 5500 works great for cranks and rattle traps and the like.

I would suggest that if you do use fireline, to either use backing line or tape the line to the spool.

Tom B

[Musky Fever]

Bruce,

How old is he and how tall is he.
I started my son out on a 6' rod (9 years old) and short, he is now 12 and can handel a 7' rod this year. Take him with you and make sure the rod is comfortable for him, I wouldn't go any bigger than 7'.
A medium action rod with fast action should be perfect.

[Bruce]

I did put backing on the reel and used some plummer's thread tape under the Fireline so it won't bury. My main question is can a "muskie' reel toss lighter baits ( bass ) without causing the youngster to get frustrated with using this equipment? He's around 5 feet tall now and age 13. I haven't seen him since August so he may have grown. The problem I had when first using my 6500 was a too whippy of a rod and it would throw the bait straight down into the water. Problem was solved with a 6'6" stiff Ugly Stik. Can this reel toss small, light lures without causing major headaches for him? Thanks.

[Tom B]

Yep, I throw Rattlin Raps all the time. Actually, that might be the best bait to practice with. They cast a mile, are easy to retrieve and nortons and bass love em. I have caught a couple of muskies with them, but not enough for them to be "confidence" baits. The key to casting lighter baits is setting the spool tension correctly. Show your son how to do that and make sure that he knows to redo it when changing baits that are significantly different in weight and you should cut down his troubles.

Another thing you can do, teach him casting correctly the first time. With a right hand retrieve reel, I cast with my left hand (I use my left thumb on the spool.) By doing this, you save a ton of time and effort changing hands when casting. If a person learns it right from the start, it eliminates the hassle of relearning down the road.

I decided a couple of years ago to start casting left-handed on the opener. The first 1/2 day was kind of rough, threw the rod in the water at least twice, thought RK was going to pee his pants. After the initial difficulties, I am now smoother casting left-handed than right.

Good luck and have fun!

Tom B

[Bruce]

Thanks for all the comments! He may be up here from Phoenix for spring break in a week or so. If he brings the reel with we'll go hunting for a rod somewhere. Trial and error I guess. Think May. bhw

[Musky Mike]

No problem tossing bass weight baits with a 5500. A couple of my Abu Garcia reels (5000 and 5500) I've had for over 25 years and have tossed about everything except flies with them. The trick is to match them to a rod with properaction (the lighter the lure, the more rod flex is req'd). I have found that if I set reel tension so the weight of the lure causes it to slowly decend to the ground with the reel in free spool and not result in overspooling, it is properly set. As reel tension decreases, more thumb control is required to prevent overspooling during the cast. The biggest difficulty is in trying to throw light lures too far a distance.

[Bruce]

Thanks, Mike. That helps. I thought that the amount of B.B.'s that a reel has, would make it easier to throw lighter baits. Ah what do I know.:D

[Musky Mile]

Bruce:

The number of ball bearings a reel has probably does help in casting light baits, but I believe the bearings help more in the retrieve due to smoother cranking, especially with large lipped baits, than reels utilizing bushings. The 5500 is a smooth reel which casts and retrieves really smooth and easy. You, your cousin, and his son will all be pleased with the reel you selected.

Hope you all have an enjoyable and productive season.

Now if we could just get rid of all this ice!!

Mike