In its strictest sense, a baitrunner reel refers to a reel that uses technology advanced by Shimano. In actual fact, the term 'baitrunner' is a registered trademark belonging to Shimano and so it has been since 1987. Therefore reels by any other builder using similar technology should be called 'freespool' reels, not baitrunner reels. However, anglers have been using the term baitrunner for so long to divulge this type of Fishing reel, just as we tend to say the word hoover which is a brand name when we should say vacuum. And so what is a baitrunner reel?
A Shimano Baitrunner reel has an extra installation as well as the normal drag. The majority of fixed spool reels have a clutch principles on the front of the reel spool or sometimes at the rear of the reel. This clutch can be adjusted to allow a running fish to take line more or less of course in order to forestall breakage of the main line during playing a large fish.
Shimano Fishing
This extra baitrunner installation can be used to let line flow freely from the spool even when the bale-arm is engaged. However, with one part turn of the reel handle or a flick of the baitrunner switch, the reel is located back into the engaged position and normal clutch tension is again restored.
Why do specimen and carp anglers need this? Well, suppose you have positioned your rods in the rod pod or rod rests and set your bite alarms and detectors, you can now simply set the baitrunner clutch to the free spool position and set the baitrunner tension. Now when a fish takes off with your bait, maybe already hooked if using a bolt rig, the line is of course pulled freely from the reel and your alarm will sound. Fantasize however if your line still been fixed, then the reel would be back winding or worse still your rod may have been pulled into the water. Worse still, the line could have snapped causing injury to the fish. With a baitrunner reel correctly set up, you can reply to the alarm by a turn of the reel handle or a flip of the baitrunner back to the finished position and your fish is on.
Baitrunner reels still have the normal clutch installation and this should be set to control the tension during the playing of the fish. There is also one other setting that controls the freespool tension when the baitrunner is on. This is ordinarily positioned at the back of the reel below the baitrunner clutch and in front of the rear drag at the rear of the reel. This can be tensioned up a wee tighter when there is a danger of a fish screaming off towards a snag whilst the baitrunner is in free spool mode.
The best way to set up your baitrunner reels is to have your rod or rods supported on a rod pod. You can use rod rests if you prefer but rods should not be held by the angler at all. This way there will be no movement of the rods or line until a bite registers. When the baits are cast and rods are set up in their rests or pod, flip the baitrunner lever forwards into the freespool position allowing the line to be taken with wee or no resistance detectable by the fish. This can be adjusted to suit distinct wind conditions etc. On the strike, simply make a small turn of the reel handle or switch the baitrunner back into the engaged position again. Tension is now again controlled by the commonplace drag. Personally I do tend to hold the spool still using my fingers to apply tension when I assault and then as soon as I know a fish is on, I start to reel in order to re-engage the baitrunner.
Baitrunner reels are best used with a bolt rig. These rigs were designed to scare a fish as it picked up a bait and felt a hook or resistance from the weight, thus causing it to bolt off and hook itself against the weight of the lead, hence the name bolt rig. If you are using a bolt rig and not using a baitrunner reel, a large carp can bolt off and of course pull a rod into the water. Worse still, for the carp anyway, it can snap the rig or main line, causing distress and injury to the fish. A good carp rig should of policy be designed to pull apart or break away in an incident like this.
Baitrunner Reels - What They Are and How to Use Them
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