Northwest Fishing Reports

This year I have gotten my first bait caster. I am in the process of getting more comfortable with it and am interested in what tips I can gather on its use. I seem to be able to cast side arm with lower instances of backlash the more I practice. But if I try and cast overhead the backlash gods rain fury down upon me. Any tips of the trade would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Your thumb is your friend
Set the reel spool tension for the weight of your lure
your thumb is your friend
Adjust the reel brakes
your thumb is your friend

http://pages.infinit.net/fishing/page7.html


Once you get a backlash.. Stop ton't touch it! tighten your drag all the way down. put your thumb on the spool and reel crank several revolutions. Now click the spool release and gently pull the line out towards the first eye on your rod. This will easily fix most backlashes.

Dilbert ... thanks and great link. Quick question on the correcting the backlash ... what does the tightening of the drag do to help clear the backlash?

It makes the spool spin when you are thumbing it under pressure and cranking. Otherwise, the spool will just stay in one place as the drag does its thing.

That makes sense now ... took a little bit for all the voices in my head to catch up ... laughs!

dilbert wrote:Your thumb is your friend
Set the reel spool tension for the weight of your lure
your thumb is your friend
Adjust the reel brakes
your thumb is your friend

http://pages.infinit.net/fishing/page7.html


Once you get a backlash.. Stop ton't touch it! tighten your drag all the way down. put your thumb on the spool and reel crank several revolutions. Now click the spool release and gently pull the line out towards the first eye on your rod. This will easily fix most backlashes.

I got my 1st baitcaster last spring, the above helped alot! Another thing somebody told me that made a far bigger difference than I ever thought it would (at least for me) for an overhead cast was to twist your wrist so that the spool is facing sideways, not up. Once I started doing it, my casts improved dramatically.

Great bit of information. That would explain why my side arm casts are better than over hand. If I think about it when I cast side are the spool ends up sideways during the cast.

Ultimately, baitcaster use is a matter of timing. Oh ya, and did you get that part about your thumb is your friend.

I bought one last spring and promptly re-sold it in that spring's garage sale. For the life of me I couldn't cast without backlash. I did the thumb thing but probably didn't give it enough time to get a softer touch on it. With all of these tips, especially the side-arm tip, perhaps I would have gotten the hang of it.

Anyway... I'm back to my spincast setup (bass gods please spare my life, bait casters please spare me the tongue-lashing) and still catching fish. ;-)

Good luck to you, though!

I think I also need to practice while sitting in my lawn chair. I am thinking of using it while in my float tube ... so the quick recovery from a backlash is an important tip. Being in the tube and doing a side armed cast is not always practicle either.

Adjusting that reel spool tension to the weight of the lure is a big thing. It seems for me, the lighter the weight I try to throw the more apt I am to backlash. I can throw a 1/4oz jig, but I try to throw an 1/8oz and nearly every time.

I think if you're backlashing more on the overhand than side arm casts, you're probably releasing too early. Is your lure going straight up or rainbow-style? Try not to release until your fishing rod is pointed at about 10:30 or 11 o'clock.

[quote="Drewp"]I think if you're backlashing more on the overhand than side arm casts, you're probably releasing too early. Is your lure going straight up or rainbow-style? Try not to release until your fishing rod is pointed at about 10:30 or 11 o'clock.[/quote


right on drewp my thoughts exactly. just keep practicing your release point and you should have it down in no time at all. it took me awhile to get catch comfortable with the overhead cast.

I will be working on it more ... thanks for all the tips!!!

I got good casting a bait casterby throwing big 1 and sometimes 2 ounce weights on the Columbia river for cats and smallmouths. It actually was good practice, cause when throwing stuff that big you normally don't get the bird nests, and it help me with casting smaller stuff.
Now, i can cast pretty much anything easily with only a rare backlash.
And if you try the sling something over your head as hard as possible, your gonna get backlash no matter what. It makes the spool spin to fast from the start, and it automatically tangles. lol.

You'll enjoy the baitcaster. Bird nests will occur,it'll get much better after you get some practice.
I occasionally have issues if I throw a heavy bait(large crank or swimbait) and then switch to a lite weight such as a bucktail.
Just practice,you'll do fine

My first baitcaster was a Phluger Supreme.Then I graduated to the ABU Garcia Ambassadors.First with a 5000c then a 6000c.The ambassadors are nice because you can change from a southpaw to a righty very easily.I use a Shimano now because the faster retrieve.I remember fishing Allentown for salmon and steel using a Penn 9.
Almost all my gloves have the thumbs removed just because of using baitcasters.

Gringo Pescador wrote:Adjusting that reel spool tension to the weight of the lure is a big thing. It seems for me, the lighter the weight I try to throw the more apt I am to backlash. I can throw a 1/4oz jig, but I try to throw an 1/8oz and nearly every time.

This makes a huge difference and also cuts down on Backlash,..depending on the weight of your bait your gonna have 2 adjust your tension,..after tying on your bait,..hold your pole at 11-12 o'clock and release your line,..ideally the bait should fall 2 the water and as soon as it hits the water the spool should stop feeding line,..if it dosen't stop then adjust it until it does,..with practice it'll become easier 2 do,..then the backlash will be few and far between,..also the more bearings {$$} the less likely 2 have backlash,..all my Baitcasters are at least 5 bearrings or more,..I learned the hard way purchasing the more inexspensive models and getting frustrated,..then BF taught me HOW 2 adjust quickly,..I do still use a Shimano Calisto wich is only 2 Bearrings and it works great! Keep at it BnG!

BB

Just got my quantum pt tour edition left hand model in the mail and oh baby so smooth cant wait to break it in on saturday Maybe a BIG musky HAHA ever since i pitched BBD's at the picnic i was like holy that thing is nice but i didnt tell him that:-$

SPARKY101 wrote:Just got my quantum pt tour edition left hand model in the mail and oh baby so smooth cant wait to break it in on saturday Maybe a BIG musky HAHA ever since i pitched BBD's at the picnic i was like holy that thing is nice but i didnt tell him that:-$

Nice SMKING,..I just picked up a nice Daiwa Lefthand 2,..I normally go with righthanded but I seen this and had 2 have it,..I must admit though it felt a bit uncomfortable at 1st till I acclimated again,..been using righthanded all season so now I have a lefty 2!

BB