Using a Centerpin reel for Largemouth Bass Fishing?

The centerpinreel is one of the simplest of all reels, but also one of the most difficult to use. Therefore, you are not likely to see many largemouth bass fishermen using a centerpin reel. Casting with the centerpin takes skill, especially if you are using a heavy bass bait over long distances, which is one of the main reasons for its dramatic decline in popularity after the easy-casting fixed spool reel was introduced to the mass market in the 1940s. The centerpin isn't very likely to be able to handle many lures for bass that you will find on the shelf of your local bass and pro shop. Centerpins are still used by some anglers in the UK and Europe, but they are virtually unknown in the US and scarcely used in Canada.

The centerpin consists of a flanged drum that carries the line and revolves freely on a steel axle. Most have a ratchet mechanism and some also have a drag system, but it's the reel's free-running action and the way that it can be controlled simply by thumb pressure that are its main advantages.

Because the line winds directly onto the spool, instead of first passing over a bale arm, the centerpin gives extremely sensitive control over float tackle that is being allowed to drift smoothly downstream with the current. Since most lures for bass are not a floating bass bait, this is not very useful for largemouth bass fishermen. With a centerpin, the line can be retrieved rapidly by giving the drum a series of sharp taps with the fingertips to spin it, or it can be wound in by using a handle fixed to the outer flange of the drum.

The amount of line retrieved for each turn of the handle depends on the drum diameter: the larger the drum, the more line it will wind on with each revolution. Most centerpins have a drum diameter of three to six inches.

The centerpin reel is an excellent little reel for a lot of light tackle fishing (like fly fishing). However, there are not many fly type lures for bass. A bass bait is a little more sturdy than most fly baits. To confirm this, the next time you are at your favorite bass and pro shop purchasing a fishing license, check the shelves to see the difference in a fly and bass lure. I think you will be able to tell that largemouth bass fishing lures are different.