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Multiplier Reels 

Fishing reels with matching lures

I have fished for 3 Years with multipliers now. It all started after trying a new trigger rod with a ABU 6501 C3 which had long been lying around. I used this combo on a fishing trip to Holland piking with jerkbaits and big plugs and somehow got the hang of it. I bought more trigger rods in different strengths and a few smaller baitcasters down to Mörrum 1601 SX, capable of casting lures from 5g upwards. Now I really prefer using a multiplier(bait caster) over a fixed spool reel (spinning reel), if the conditions allow.

Comparison Spinning Reel - Multiplier (Baitcaster)

Criteria Spinning Casting
Lure weight Super for light lures but increasingly uncomfortable with lure weights of about 45g or more.  From 30g upwards casting is no problem even for beginners. The lighter the lure and the less compact it is, the harder it gets. Even experienced casters have problems with lures lighter than 5g. 
Lure flight Lures with several trebles and unstable aerodynamics tend to get tangled. Also the direction of the cast can become a bit unpredictable. The constant resistance of the line leaving the reel keeps it in a more direct line and stabilizes the lure in the air. This gives you less tangles and more precise casting.
Casting precision precise enough for most applications. Overhanging Trees can be a nuisance though. The calmer and more relaxed casting style is good for more precise casts. The direct line makes it easier to cast below overhanging trees and bridges.
Room needed for casting Often a small hole in the bushes is all it needs to make an acceptable cast. Great for  fishing from densely vegetated shore lines. the calm fluent movement of the cast needs more room. Ideal for fishing from the boat.
Lure behaviour after hitting the water The lure can sink straight down right unhindered. After the lure hits the water it hardly pulls any more line from the reel on its own. Straight sinking is not so easy to achieve.
Fault tolerance Easy to handle even when the wind blows into your face. Tangling lures can get on your nerves though. Takes some practice, especially if you want to cast for with light lures. Wind from the front can be very uncomfortable and casting mistakes lead to backlashes.
Casting weight range You are pretty much free to chose any size of lure you want, the limits will be given by line diameter and your rod, not the reel itself You need a smaller reel (a lighter spool) for lighter lures. Each reel has a lower limit for the weight of the lure it can cast
Rods Big selection of rods to chose from. In our Region only a very limited selection of suitable rods with trigger grip.
Line retrieval Usually retrieves more line per turn of the handle plus fast reeling is a bit easier. Small handles and low diameter of the spool make it quite difficult to retrieve line really fast. But slow lure presentations are delightful.
Line wear The sharp angle at the line roller puts considerable stress on the line. Also the system causes a constant twist to be implied to the line The line goes straight on the spool in a without twisting or a sharp angle.
Ergonomics The reeling and the position the rod is held in stress the wrists. I used to feel pain after about 3 days of intensive fishing for pike. the position of the hands is very relaxed. It will be even more comfortable if you can palm the reel in your (right) hand. When fishing with multipliers I didn't feel any pain even after 6 days of fishing with heavy lure and fighting quite a few pike.

Switching from Fixed Spool To Multiplier

In our region most people start fishing with fixed spool reels and there is a good reason for this: They are easier to cast with. This is a simple fact you should always be aware of, if you dare to try the change. Especially your casting distance will not be as good as with the fixed spool reels in the beginning. Depending on your skill and the frequency of your practice that means in the first months to years. But casting distance isn't always the most important thing in Lure fishing. On the other hand the multiplier gives you some distinct advantages when you're fishing lure over about 30g: less tangles of hooks in the line and no pain on your index finger. And you'll find that heavy lures are just so much easier to handle with a multiplier because you need less force to cast them and reeling them in is much easier. Relaxed fishing is possible with Jerkbaits in the 60-100g weight range. When your used to a fixed spool reel you should consider the following points:

  • Left-hand reel
    You can use your hands the way you're used to. There'll be enough new stuff you have to adjust to.
  • Trigger grip
    A rod with a trigger grip will just lie so much better in your hand. Without a trigger you'll miss the stability you achieved by taking the reel foot of your fixed spool reel between your fingers. Casting weight should by high because you'll be better of starting with heavier lures.
  • Heavy lures
    Start with lures weighing at least 25, better 30g and you'll be casting succesfull in no time. When you use light lures it will be easier casting spoons out of thick metall and soft bait with chunky jig heads. Balsa Plugs and Spinner are more difficult to cast.
  • Thumb!
    The thumb is the most important part of your body when your casting with a multiplier. You should always keep in touch with the rotating spool or the line coming off it. As soon as the lure hits the water the thumb stops the rotation of the spool. When you start getting light headed and loosen up the casting drags you can feel the bird's nests building up with your thumb and increase the thumb pressure if you do.
  • Picking out bird's nests
    You will end up with bird's nests an your spool in the beginning (later on they will be called "professional overruns") but the majority of them will be easy remove, if they haven't been caused by a completely uncontrolled rotation of the spool: A) press your thumb firmly to the spool and pull out line until it locks. Identify the loop which causes the lock and pull it out backwards until the spool is free again continue with A). My impression is, that on multipliers the birds nests caused by braided line are easier to pick out, than with mono. Just the other way round than with fixed spool reels.
  • No violence
    You have to cast much smoother than you're used to. in the beginning I had most of my bird's nests because I automatically wanted to improve casting distance by using more power. That works for fixed spool reels, but not for multipliers ( at least not for beginners. Better try to loosen the drag a bit.
  • Cast sideways
    Fro some reason most beginners do much better with sideways casts, for- or backhand, than with the "traditional" overhead cast. Probably because you're more prone to do a soft cast sideways.
  • Get better, start playing with the drags
    There'll come the time when you're not a bloody beginner anymore. Once in while you'll hinder a birds nest with your thumb and it's time to think about the drags. The first thing is the easy to reach button (usually) on the handle side of your reel. Carefully open it up a bit, until you start getting the beloved bird's nests again. The conservative setting of this drag is usually described as follows: Put the reel in free spool and set the drag so that the lure dangling from the horizontally held rod just starts taking a bit of line if you shake the rod a bit. A slightly more progressive setting says the lure should fall, but the spool should stop rotating when it hits the ground. Thumbing fetishists say to open this drag as far as possible without giving the spool any additional room for sideways movement. Then there is the another drag, centrifugal or with magnets, which often cannot be reached from outside. But you should really play around with this one also, when you get better. The centrifugal drag is mostly effective in the first part of the cast, when the spool spins very fast, the screw pressing on the spool takes over the most work during the end of the cast. That means if your spool overruns right at the beginning of the cast you should apply more centrifugal braking force (or cast a bit slower) if you get overruns towards the end you should tighten your spool drag or make better use of your thumb. If the spool overruns in the middle of your cast you'll have to find out for yourself...