baitcasting frustration

[tincansailor]

I have recently purchased a baitcasting reel thinking that is the way to go if I am to be serious about bass fishing. I have set it up like everything I can find about doing that and have practiced in my backyard. Went to the lake yesterday all hyped up about catching a big bass on my new reel. I spent most of the time picking out the birdsnest I got time and time again until I just threw it in the bottom of the boat and picked up my spinning rod and reel. The reel is not an expensive one, Shakespeare, since I've had very limited experience with baitcasting reels (all with the same results, birdsnests). I will keep trying to get to where I can cast with it but in the meantime I will stay with the spinner. By the way, I did catch about a 2 lb.er on the spincast set up.

 

[shootisttx]

I know exactly how you feel. I picked up a baitcast reel again about 5 years ago after 30 years of using spinning gear only. The words that came out of my mouth are unprintable in a family forum, I have to tell you. And it still happens from time to time, but I have learned patience and always carry a backup reel in case the birdsnest is unfixable on the water. (By the way, a tiny crochet hook really helps pick those out) Plan on giving up some distance by tightening the spool tension knob (on the handle side of the reel) so that the lure will just barely pull line. Engage all of the brakes, then practice flinging it out there. Then gradually start disengaging the brakes as your thumb gets "educated" as to when to stop the spool. That's how I got past the "fling it-birdsnest-cuss-spend 15 minutes trying to clear the tangle-giveup-and-get-the-spinning reel" blues.

Oh, and light lures do not work well with baitcasters unless they are top-quality and tuned perfectly. Throwing against the wind can be really difficult, too, for the inexperienced. Just hang in the and keep trying. And by the way, cheaper reels are more difficult to tune and throw than better-quality reels that have rigid frames and smoother bearings...but that's a whole 'nother topic.

I am sure more experienced casters will correct me...this is just the way I overcame the problem.

 

[Nickk]

I'd say don't give up. Use 12-14 mono and try throwing 1/2 oz lipless cranks and keep the spool fairly tight, so it just creeps down on a free fall. Use 75% of you brakes and don't try to throw into the wind. Once you get the timing you can loosen the spool and disengage some brakes.

 

[Mattman]

Lots of practice is usually required.

Baitcasters are a place where buying a nicer reel can pay off right away in performance. Low end baitcasters can be much more difficult to use.

shootisttx gave you the right advice...hang your lure from the rod tip and loosen the tension until the bait slowly drops...start out short and slow...quick hard snap casts are bad...gradually build up in distance and power as you get more comfortable...avoid casting directly into the wind...start out with heavier baits...

 

[ilinimud]

I agree with Matt. My opinion is to buy a higher quality reel. May sound stupid since you dont know if you like them or not, but i bought a Daiwa Megaforce as my first baitcaster. I had A LOT of birdsnest and the internal workings of the thumb bar started to depress on the cast and it would grind bad. I brought it back, found out Wal-Mart had the Abu Garcia Revo S on sale for 99 bucks, but none of them in my area had them in stock. So i went to Gander Mtn and they matched me the price on it. My luck has been much better on it. The only time i have had a nest is when i switched it to Fireline, but once i got use to it, it was ok.

So my long winded answer is to buy a better reel. LOL. I also have a Pinnacle Vision XL that i got off Ebay for 79.99 and i love it! Maybe better than the Abu.

 

[shizzy77]

I would agree with the quality reel comments. I dont own a bait caster, but usually grab a spare when I am in my friends boat. It was a good Abu reel and they gave me a few hints and told me to just start tossing. I picked it up right away with only a few minor back lashes. the one thing they told me for when I decide to get my own is to not bother with a cheap reel.

 

[bcritch]

I have a few different baitcasters. All of mine have 2 adjustments. One for the drop down rate of the lure. I adjusts this so the lure drops slowly when you disengage the reel. The second adjustments is for the brake. If your just getting started use a lot of brake to avoid the birdsnest. You will not be able to cast far but you shouldn't get the birdsnest. As you feel more comfortable you can back off on the brake adjustment to gain further distance in your casts.

Casting:
I keep my thumb on the spool when I bring the rod back behind me to load and up until the release point. I then remove my thumb when the rod tip is pointed in the direction that I want to cast. I then put my thumb back on the spool right before the lure hits the water. For me the best cast is a moderate throw with a smooth release. (I use a sidearm cast) Every time I try to gain a little extra distance and whip the rod it usually causes a slight birdsnest.

The best suggestion that I could make is to have someone with some experience help you make the adjustments and show you how to cast.

You never know you may end up having a new friend and a fishing buddy :wink:

 

[ho_shi]

practice practice practice

to learn to thumb pretty fast open it up pretty loose and use it to pitch and flip in the back yard. You learn thumbing REEL fast that way. then tighten it down to barely drop when free spooling and go to the lake. to get some more good practice in fish at night. that way you have to listen to the reel and thumb as it slows or falls towards the water.

Fishin at night and pitchin n flippin took my baitcaster backlashes from a lot to just a few!!! Even the best anglers still backlash its like taxes and the weather, it will always be there.

also i use braid -power pro- and that helps with the backlashes i can pull most of em out instead of pickin em out

 

[willfishforfood]

I have a lot of new to baitcasters in my boat so what I do is cast as far as you can strip off 10 yards of line then take 6" of black tape.
Now when you reel back up the line(do this dry) stick the tape on the back of the spool and reel it up.
Make sure you keep the tape smooth as the line goes over the tape.
Now if you back lash you only have to clear the line on top of the tape.
At the end of the day remove the tape.
If you hook a fish that pulls off drag past the tape just grab the tape and pull it off as the spool turns.
I do this with fast running salmon and only had the tape ball up one time and still got the fish.
Smaller spools can use less tape but it needs to go around the spool 1 1/2 times.
WFFF

 

[tincansailor]

Hey, you guys are the best. Thanks for the advice and encouragement. I came home the other day with the birdsnest I told you all about still in my reel. The next morning I began to work on clearing it out and wound up removing all of the line. I had 12 lb. test on it. I had intentions of not using the reel any more until I read your comments so now I will put new line on the reel and start again. Thanks for your support.
I am severely limited in funds available to upgrade any of my equipment so I will have to use the reel I have until I can sock away enough to buy a better one. When the birdsnest that I mentioned occurred I had a light lure on the line so that is a lesson learned. Will stay with 1/2 oz. or more while learning.
Thanks again guys.

 

[BensalemAngler]

Never take your thumb off the spool. And cast side arm with a flick of your wrist. Let the rod do the work of casting.

Most od my bird's nest comes when i am not paying attention and my thumb rises from the spool. I have a Cabela's fish tournament one and have zero issues with it. I also practiced 5 days all summer long a week 2 summers ago when I could not get out to fish. I was stuck home b/c of people being sick in my family so i would go out back and set up kiddie sand buckets and pitch into them then I started setting up lawn chairs and casted under them.

 

[ilinimud]

Persistence pays off. Good luck with it!

 

[Brine]

Hang in there! I FEEL YOUR PAIN.

A couple things I learned that helped as a beginner

1. Practice on a lawn. It's less frustrating when you get a bird's nest and it doesn't cut into "fishing" time (as long as bird's nest isn't literal )
2. Use 12# or greater Monofiliament.
3. Hold your rod at a 45* angle and set the tension so that once you release the spool the lure falls slowly and the spool STOPS SPINNING as soon as the lure hits the ground. (repeat this process throughout your practice to ensure the reel has not come out of adjustment, which it proably will, slightly, after several casts)
4. Practice casting at targets rather than on distance. As your aim gets better, gradually move further from the target. Once you've gotten good at aim, you will find the "control" of a baitcaster is greater than a spinning reel.
5. When you release the lure, turn the palm of your hand face down towards the ground. Depending on whether or not your reel is left or right handed, your handle will either be facing the ground or the sky. Most "off the shelf" models are right-handed and the handle will face the sky with a right handed caster.
6. Keep your casting elbow against your hip. This is proabably one of the easiest ways to notice a novice. Most of the movement in your arm should come from below the elbow, and most of that movement should come from the wrist. If you try to "throw" the rod with all of your arm, you will have a hard time. FYI - this was one of the hardest things for me to overcome, as I grew up on spinning gear where bigger arm movements gave me longer casts. You really just need to watch the distance the tip moves in an arch which can be created by using the wrist alone. The centrifugal force provided from your wrist during the cast is enough to cast a weightless plastic 30-40 feet easy.

Lastly, figure out how a baitcaster can "enhance" your fishing ability and focus on that. The way I fish and the style I fish lends itself more so to spinning tackle than baitcasting. That said, I own twice as many baitcasters as I do spinning. #-o Unfortunately, it's taken alot of Bass Pro gift cards to realize that.

 

[shamoo]

Sounds like everyone has given excellent advice, for those bird nests, try to stop them as soon as possible(thumb), than turn your drop rate knob all the way tight, hit your release button and pull your line out of the reel, the line will have tension on it and should pull the nest right on out.

 

[shamoo]

The best suggestion that I could make is to have someone with some experience help you make the adjustments and show you how to cast.

You never know you may end up having a new friend and a fishing buddy :wink:

CORRECTOMUNDO

 

[slim357]

Hang in there! I FEEL YOUR PAIN.

5. When you release the lure, turn the palm of your hand face down towards the ground. Depending on whether or not your reel is left or right handed, your handle will either be facing the ground or the sky. Most "off the shelf" models are right-handed and the handle will face the sky with a right handed caster.

I never heard of this before, so I went out to give it a try, and it just doesnt feel right. That might be because Ive been using them for a while and trained my hand, but I cant imagine doing a roll cast like that. The handle will only point up if im casting left handed, or flipping. If im casting right handed then my handle will be facing down

 

[russ010]

Hang in there! I FEEL YOUR PAIN.

5. When you release the lure, turn the palm of your hand face down towards the ground. Depending on whether or not your reel is left or right handed, your handle will either be facing the ground or the sky. Most "off the shelf" models are right-handed and the handle will face the sky with a right handed caster.

I never heard of this before, so I went out to give it a try, and it just doesnt feel right. That might be because Ive been using them for a while and trained my hand, but I cant imagine doing a roll cast like that. The handle will only point up if im casting left handed, or flipping. If im casting right handed then my handle will be facing down

This is one of the best things you can learn to do with a baitcaster. It will also give you an extra few yards on each cast. If you think about it - there is less friction because as the line goes through the line holders on your rod, there is less friction because instead of the line coming out at a 45* angle, it comes out almost at 180*...

Also, I helped a kid who bought one of those shakespear rod/reel combos from wally world for about $25. He kept getting birds nests, and I thought I could show him how to use it, as well as set it up right for him. I couldn't get it to do anybetter.. I stripped his line, put some of my Triple Fish 15# fluorocarbon on it and it did a little better, but there just wasn't much distance to the cast with a 1/8oz bullet weight, 4/0 EWG Owner hook, and a 7.5" Yum Ribbontail worm.. I took that line back off, and told him I'd try one last thing - Stren Superbraid 30#.. that solved most of his problems... might help you out too. The line cost almost as much as his reel, but he was a happy kid and I was glad to help out.

You can get good with baitcasters though - I don't have to thumb spools with any of my reels. I've got all the brakes set up right and I sling the chit out of it. I get a few overruns, but very seldom to I get backlashes.

 

[Brine]

Hang in there! I FEEL YOUR PAIN.

5. When you release the lure, turn the palm of your hand face down towards the ground. Depending on whether or not your reel is left or right handed, your handle will either be facing the ground or the sky. Most "off the shelf" models are right-handed and the handle will face the sky with a right handed caster.

I never heard of this before, so I went out to give it a try, and it just doesnt feel right. That might be because Ive been using them for a while and trained my hand, but I cant imagine doing a roll cast like that. The handle will only point up if im casting left handed, or flipping. If im casting right handed then my handle will be facing down

That's ok. It's a fairly common technique for beginners. This is not a roll cast tho. Sorry I don't have a video to go with it. I guess because I'm familiar with it, I took for granted how it could be interpreted. You did mention that your handle points up when you flip. The reason is because that postion (more than likely) gives your wrist the widest range of motion. The same applies when using an over hand cast. The motion is similar to a screwball for you baseball fans.

I'll look for some videos that show what I'm failing to explain.

 

[slim357]

No video needed, it was just something I never heard of and wanted to give a try

 

[jkbirocz]

Just keep practicing, and you will be fine. All the tips given will help you tremendously. I started using super old baicasters that my great grandfather gave me when I was 10, and I am 23 now and have $200+ reels and still seem to get a backlash atleast once a trip. Of course I am trying to cast as far as possible on practically every cast, but that is no excuse. Keep at it, baitcasters are the way to be 8)