OutdoorFrontiers
March 28th, 2009, 05:21 PM
Ok, kind of embarrassed to ask this but here it goes.
I have used baitcaster rods and reels only for 3 years now so kind of still learning them. I can use them with easy and no problems however I would like to gain a few more feet (10 to 15) on my casts, never had anyone teaching me how to adjust them so I figure it out on my own by reading about it. Right now I have the brake set at 7 or 8 (on those that go to a 10) and the way I do it is by holding the rod horizontally and let the bait drop to the floor, adjusting the small spool knob until the spool barely spins after bait hits floor, if I just lower the brake settings I got a really pay attention in order not to get backlashes.
Part of the problem is there is a limit to how far a particular weight lure can be cast! People expect a baitcast reel to be able to cast just about any lure they wish however far they want and that just isn't the case!
With a baitcast reel, the "pull" of the lure starts the spool turning, which pulls line off the reel, through the guides, allowing the lure to arc through its cast.
Lightweight lures react to wind resistance much more quickly than heavier lures because they have much less momentum. So on a baitcast reel, when you cast, it begins turning the spool at a fairly high rate of speed. The problem comes in when you're using a lighter lure or one with increased wind resistance, something like a buzzbait. These lures start out fast, but slow down quickly.
The problem is, the spool is still rotating at the high rate of speed, but the lure isn't pulling line out at the same rate. Thus, a backlash is born!
So, in order to cast a lure of the same weight, you'll have to increase the speed of the lure, or decrease the resistance on the reel spool. Doing either will increase the liklihood of a backlash.
So, what can a person do? Well, first of all, be content with the distance you're casting now, or refine your technique. In order to do that will require practice, Practice and more PRACTICE.
First of all, most people don't realize that the rod is doing the work of casting and are using too heavy of a rod to cast the lures they want. Find something with a fast or extra fast taper, but instead of using a heavy action rod, scale back to a medium/heavy (or whatever you're using, drop back one level in power).
Others will try to muscle the lure out there. That doesn't work as smoothness suffers and jerky movements will cause erratic reel spool speed which increases the liklihood of backlash.
Most people, when casting will pull their thumb too far from the spool while casting too. You only have to lift your thumb during the casting stroke just enough to release the spool, no more than 1/16th to 1/8th of an inch. If you do this, you'll actually feel the line beginning to backlash microseconds before the incident actually happens and can "feather" the spool to slow the rotation and let the line come off the spool unencumbered.
As you back off on your brakes adjustments, don't initially try for distance. Simply practice casting with consistency the goal with the lighter brake setting. As you cast several dozen times without backlash, then gradually apply more power to your cast to increase distance. Work on just a few feet at a time, don't try to get all fifteen feet at once.
So, practice and make all your movements smooth and consistent. Work on educating your thumb, and make sure your tackle is balanced and the right tool for the job!
Steve
I have used baitcaster rods and reels only for 3 years now so kind of still learning them. I can use them with easy and no problems however I would like to gain a few more feet (10 to 15) on my casts, never had anyone teaching me how to adjust them so I figure it out on my own by reading about it. Right now I have the brake set at 7 or 8 (on those that go to a 10) and the way I do it is by holding the rod horizontally and let the bait drop to the floor, adjusting the small spool knob until the spool barely spins after bait hits floor, if I just lower the brake settings I got a really pay attention in order not to get backlashes.
Part of the problem is there is a limit to how far a particular weight lure can be cast! People expect a baitcast reel to be able to cast just about any lure they wish however far they want and that just isn't the case!
With a baitcast reel, the "pull" of the lure starts the spool turning, which pulls line off the reel, through the guides, allowing the lure to arc through its cast.
Lightweight lures react to wind resistance much more quickly than heavier lures because they have much less momentum. So on a baitcast reel, when you cast, it begins turning the spool at a fairly high rate of speed. The problem comes in when you're using a lighter lure or one with increased wind resistance, something like a buzzbait. These lures start out fast, but slow down quickly.
The problem is, the spool is still rotating at the high rate of speed, but the lure isn't pulling line out at the same rate. Thus, a backlash is born!
So, in order to cast a lure of the same weight, you'll have to increase the speed of the lure, or decrease the resistance on the reel spool. Doing either will increase the liklihood of a backlash.
So, what can a person do? Well, first of all, be content with the distance you're casting now, or refine your technique. In order to do that will require practice, Practice and more PRACTICE.
First of all, most people don't realize that the rod is doing the work of casting and are using too heavy of a rod to cast the lures they want. Find something with a fast or extra fast taper, but instead of using a heavy action rod, scale back to a medium/heavy (or whatever you're using, drop back one level in power).
Others will try to muscle the lure out there. That doesn't work as smoothness suffers and jerky movements will cause erratic reel spool speed which increases the liklihood of backlash.
Most people, when casting will pull their thumb too far from the spool while casting too. You only have to lift your thumb during the casting stroke just enough to release the spool, no more than 1/16th to 1/8th of an inch. If you do this, you'll actually feel the line beginning to backlash microseconds before the incident actually happens and can "feather" the spool to slow the rotation and let the line come off the spool unencumbered.
As you back off on your brakes adjustments, don't initially try for distance. Simply practice casting with consistency the goal with the lighter brake setting. As you cast several dozen times without backlash, then gradually apply more power to your cast to increase distance. Work on just a few feet at a time, don't try to get all fifteen feet at once.
So, practice and make all your movements smooth and consistent. Work on educating your thumb, and make sure your tackle is balanced and the right tool for the job!
Steve