Baitcasters 101

[hoosieroutdoorsman]

Well this could be a very long session so will start off with the basics.
Baitcasters come in all flavors and sizes, Which brand is the best?? Thats probably the biggest and hardest question to answer. If you don`t go broke buying it and you practice with it and it seems almost to simple to you to use then that is the best one for you as a individual. Personally I am a Quantum man,,they are not tooo pricey,,durable,smooth as silk and come in a wide variety of retieval ratios.
Retrieval ratios? or gear ratios as more widely known,, that is the 4:1-1 or 6:1-1 that you see on the boxs, that is the ratio of truns of the crank to amount of line rewound on the spool during a retrieve.
4:1-1 being one of the lowest is good for slow reteives and power fighting big fish,, 6:1-1 is great for fast retrieves like buzz baits,spinnerbaits etc. Learning what gear ratio for what type of lure or fishing situation is one of the biggest keys to success with any reel. If you are using a jig in cold water and a ultra slow retrieve is needed you certainly wouldn`t choose a 6:1-1 reel, a 4:1-1 would be prefect. Sometimes the wrong speed reel can make the best lure on the market at the best time of fishing the biggest loser in your tackle box.
Now so I don`t take up the whole forum I will end this session,,feel free to post any questions and I will answer to the best of my ability. Each day I will post a new tidbit and go from there.

[hoosieroutdoorsman]

Ok,,now say you have baught your first baitcaster.. You buy a new pack of line and you just wind it up on the reel correct? It could be correct,,but truth be known that incorrect loading of the spool is a big part of alot of backlash problems. The line HAS to come off the filler spool the same way it will set on the reel spool. I have found that having someone hold the filler spool with a pencil through the center hole and reeling the line so it is coming off the bottom of the filler spool will put the line on the reel so that when you cast it will keep its memory from the filler spool.An easy way to test any reel to see if you are spooling correctly is to reel for 10-15 turns staying about 6 feet from the filler spool. then stop reeling and put about 2-3 feet of slack in the line and see if it kinks or twists on you. If the line kinks or twists then it is going on the reel twisted and will cause many problems casting and will not go away until you strip the line off the reel and refill. Now if the line just lays down nicely onto the floor then you are filling correctly. If it does twist then just turn the filler spool over and start reeling again then stop and put 2-3 feet of slack into the line and check for twists. This should make the line lay flat when slack is introduced and you will be filling the reel correctly.

[michihunter]

Now that's something I never really thought about Tracy. Are you saying that the line will be flat and not have a coiled affect if done properly?

[hoosieroutdoorsman]

yes,,it will be like it was made onto the reel spool,,won`t twist or curl on you.

[bassrod2 - TJ]

Yeah Ted, If you have any type of twist or curl in the line you'll be looking at a MAJOR BACKLASH!!!! You really need to have the line as FLAT as possible. This is true for any reel you add line to.

[hoosieroutdoorsman]

The next step in starting out with a baitcaster is to set the tension on the spool,,now alot of the reels today have a magnetic anit-backlash adjustment. This is usually on the left side of the and is numbered 1-10. When starting out with a baitcaster I would recommend setting this on 8-9 to start with,,keep in mind the higher you have this set the more you will reduce your casting distance AND this adjustment will not fully put a stop to backlash ! ! ! The main spool tension seeting adjustment is the small knob by the reel handle,,put on a quarter ounce bullet or any style sinker, just tie it directly to the line and hold rod at a 10 o`clock angle and release the spool with thumb or side bar.watch the sinker for how fast it descends to the ground,,for starting out you want a slow descent so you will turn the spool adjustment knob clock wise while the sinker is dropping to get the desecent you want. Then you are ready to cast,,start with an overhand cast, bring the rod tip behind your shoulder to about a 2 o`clock position and keep your thumb firmly on the spool with thumbar pressed. Bring the rod tip forward and release your thumb slightly to allow line to unspool,,keep your thumb against the spool at all times adjust the pressure as to how far you want to cast.One of the biggest causes of backlash is lure entry in the water,you have to watch your lure and the moment it is hitting the water stop it with your thumb, if you don`t the lure stopping itself upon hitting the water will cause the spool to keep unwinding and giving you a monster back lash. It takes alot of practice casting to get proficient, practicing thumbing the spool upon release and upon entry to the water are the 2 main keys,,as you get better you can back the magnetic anti-backlash adjustment down a couple of notches at a time and practice,practice,practice

[michihunter]

I noticed when I began casting a baitcaster that the release timing is quit a bit different with a baitcaster. For example, if you want to release so the line travels in front of you, you haqve to release a lot sooner than you would expect.

[hoosieroutdoorsman]

alot of that is due to the direct line travel because of a level wind baitcaster,,spincasters and spinning reels are similar but baitcasters do take alot of practice,,but once you get comfortable with them you won`t switch back.

[DocHolladay]

hoosieroutdoorsman said:

The main spool tension seating adjustment is the small knob by the reel handle,,put on a quarter ounce bullet or any style sinker, just tie it directly to the line and hold rod at a 10 o`clock angle and release the spool with thumb or side bar.watch the sinker for how fast it descends to the ground,,for starting out you want a slow descent so you will turn the spool adjustment knob clock wise while the sinker is dropping to get the desecent you want.

I tighten up the main spool tension knob and then crank up the lure to the last eye. I then push the button and slowly turn the knob until the lure starts falling. Once it starts falling, I can speed it up or slow it down by turning the same knob. I want the spool to stop spinning by itself without my thumb on it once the lure hits the ground, if it is set right. I also check the adjustment everytime I put on a new bait because of different weights.

I have found that when casting a baitcaster, to roll the reel to one side or the other after the release instead of keeping it with the line up and on top. I cast with my left hand, so once I make the cast I roll the rod and reel so that the reel handle is down towards the boat deck or ground. It seems to produce less birds nests and trouble. Hope this tips help.

[wiffleballbatboy]

Also make sure your rod, line and lure weight are all compatible. Trying to cast a lure that is too light for your rod will result in backlash also. Too heavy will just break stuff. I also set my spool just shy of completely free and keep my thumb on the spool at all times. Only problem I really have is when I get hung up on a backcast and then the spool develops so much speed on the forward cast that your thumb cant stop it and you have MAJOR birdsnest.

[hoosieroutdoorsman]

Batboy you may try putting some medical tape around your thumb. I know what you are saying about the forward momentum and not being able to stop the spool, try the tape trick and it will help keep the BURN down when trying to stop those hi-speed line drives