i'v brought a baitcaster ? oh god help me plz !!!

[youracodfish]

???plz help me i'v got myself a baitcaster and i'm finding it verey hard to use as i am new to the world of fishing all i can get it to do is make a birds nest no fault to the rod or reel just i'm not sure on how to use right if any one can help me with some tip's i would be most gratefull

thanx rob

[Luke]

G'day Cod,
Have the tension set so that when you have a sinker on your line in freespool it only drops slowly and don't try and cast to China until you get used to using your thumb gently on the spool as a brake as your bait or lure hits the water. I readjust the tension all the time depending on what weight I'm casting.
Still get birdsnests occasionally. Practice mate.

[Simon]

Rob,

I would invest in some casting plugs or use and old lure minus the trebles, something that is a little bit more visible than a sinker to stop the overruns on landing.

I would tighten the spool tension to the point where the spool stops wobbling on the axil and use a very heavy thumb to begin with. I wouldn't try and cast more than about 7-10m to begin with just keep the thumb tight you'll get the feel. Even if to begin with you only get 1- 2m of line off the spool its all about thumb control and feathering the spool and getting a feel for that. More or less its your thumb that dictates the distance and accuracy of the cast not the effort/strength you put into the cast.

The most important rule though is don't flick the cast it gives the opposite effect to what you wan't. That is the plug will snap to its maximum speed and then slow down forcing the spool to move faster than the plug, instant birdnest. Start slow and get faster with the cast that way the spool won't move faster than the plug. Try and use just your wrist and not your arm.

Give yourself a target at that 7m mark then 10m 15m etc. and go atleast 50 casts to each one and get them perfect as such before you move on. It will seem impossible to begin with but get the basics right and you will have less tangles everytime you use it.

just keep at it

cheers

Simon.

[youracodfish]

Hi Luke & Simon
Thanx for the advice on how to use my baitcaster i really appreciate it

I went to the lake to day and practiced for 3 hours in the rain i'm getting the hang of it now
I lost 1/2 my line but had some fun >

Thanx once again Rob

[webby]

unless your willing to put in a lot of practise time, with
one of these reels, go bck to the reliable threadline. we all
have overruns no matter how good you think you are. the
most common cause for overruns is bad technique. a jerky
cast will get you away, but within seconds the spool speed
overtakes the bait or lure speed. resulting in overruns.
casting must be smooth and in one motion. as was stated
above get your sell a casting plug, and practise hitting a
target in your back yard. the cast dont have to be long.
then pick several target at different distances and keep
practising. till you feel compentent at tat distance.
adjsut tension for different weights. the thumb is the most
inportant part of the cast. if practising on water wait till the
bait hits the water then apply thumb pressure hard, this will all
come with practise. a warning if trying to use braid when
your not compentent enought your in lots of trouble.
as it is thin and digs in and cause massive overruns,
and vertiually impossible to untangle and with the cost of the
damn stuff. if you insist on using braid, fill your spool with
mono and leave 5-8mm for your braid.
i like to know the number of b/caster that are stashed away
in garages as the owner could not come to terms with it.
u go out to enjoy fishing not spend all day untangling spools.
brian

[Fitzy]

Hi Webby,
Good advice there.
There is a time & place for the short, sharp power casts but these should only be tried once experienced with that reel. You're right, we all still get over runs occasionally.
At the recent plug casting shootout at the Brisbane boat show, we all still got them, but we were throwing power casts straight at the target at max velocity. Not really a good thing to be showing the general public I suppose.
As harro taught me years ago (with the odd clip around the ear for good measure) "educate that thumb boy". One of the best lessons I ever learnt.
A smooth cast with even exceleration can & will get the same distance as the short sharp snap casts that we sometimes (often incorrectly) use.
Over heads can be mastered with practice. Their advantages are generally smoother drags, no line twist and better accuracy but less distance.
If using braid on overheads, check that the drum is level, not tapered inwards as is seen in some models. This can cause the braid to gather at the centre o the drum. Braid also needs to be wound on under some pressure to help stop it biting into itself. If done right, it works a treat.
Over runs in braid are ususally much easier to get out than if using mono.

Cheers,

Fitzy..