How to cast a baitcasting reel

[oneshotkill]

I just got a Shimano Bantam 50 magnum baitcasting reel.  Do you have any tips on how to cast with out getting major spool ups but still getting decent distance?  I would like to use it to cast buzz bombs for salmon on the salt.

[JBar]

I could show you how not to cast it!  I really suck at baitcasters, never could get the hang of them.

[jackelope]

it's a pain in the ass to learn but once you figure it out....

there should be a small adjustment dial on the handle side of the reel. if you release(push the relaese button) the spool, i turn that adjuster to the point where the lure will freely pull line off the spool and drop but not out of control...once you get that you're ready to cast. you gotta figure out the right amount of pressure and timing to use with your thumb on the spool acting as a brake. you have to maintain the pressure to keep the spool from spinning freely yet allow the lure to fly, then when the lure hits the water, you gotta completely stop the spool from spinning right away.

[jackelope]

i suck at explaining things like this...hopefully that helps.

[rasbo]

on one side of the reel is a small knob not the drag.hook up what your gonna use for a lure and release the thumb bar or what ever you have,back the knob off till the lure hits the floor without back lash..hope this is making sense.when I cast my thumb is in the spool and I like to hold the reel sideways,just when your lure is about to hit the water,I put a little tension and slow it down so it dont make as much noise.and sets down easy..go outside and practice all ya can you can be deadly accurate with a baitcaster..I wish I had the right terminology for you..

[JBar]

The backlash usually stops my lure for me! Good Luck oneshot!!

[Crunchy]

The trick is thumb pressure, or at least that is how I learned.  That and a steady semi-consistent cast does the trick.  THe cast control knob is only about 30 percent of the equation.

[Hoytstaffshooter83]

they are quite easy, but I have been using them since I was 5, the magnetic drag on the side of the reel as already mentioned needs to be adjusted depending on what weight you are casting, that controls the spool speed.... you dont ever have to use yout thumb with a BC if all is set right, also most people try and cast way to hard when they go for distance.... a smooth fluid cast will always produce more distance then a hard jerky one.......... good luck!!

[tlbradford]

Set that spool tension knob tight to start with, just enough where your weight is barely dropping.  As you start practicing, gradually loosen that tension and begin to use your thumb more for control.  To start the cast, have your thumb holding that spool tight.  Let go with the thumb the rod tip is even with your body.

[rasbo]

they are quite easy, but I have been using them since I was 5, the magnetic drag on the side of the reel as already mentioned needs to be adjusted depending on what weight you are casting, that controls the spool speed.... you dont ever have to use yout thumb with a BC if all is set right, also most people try and cast way to hard when they go for distance.... a smooth fluid cast will always produce more distance then a hard jerky one.......... good luck!!

you must not bass fish heavy cover..you have to use your thumb to stop it were ya want it,

[jackelope]

you dont ever have to use yout thumb with a BC if all is set right

i've never been able to achieve that milestone.
 

[Bofire]

The book says, set your rod up, with weight you will use, adjust the friction so that when you push the release the weight will drop to the ground but when it hits the spool stops turning. that is a good start. But you gotta use your thumb too in real life.
practice it aint that hard.
Carl

[Buckmark]

Hold the rod and reel firmly with both hands, start back behind you and swing your rod forward with a smooth and fast swing, now let go with both hands.... You now dont have to worry about casting the baitcaster any more....
Seriously, practice and practice some more, all good advice from the other guys..
Set up buckets, flower pots and such to practice yoru casts, sometimes when you concentrate less on what your doing and more on were you want it to go that helps.

[rasbo]

Hold the rod and reel firmly with both hands, start back behind you and swing your rod forward with a smooth and fast swing, now let go with both hands.... You now dont have to worry about casting the baitcaster any more....
Seriously, practice and practice some more, all good advice from the other guys..
Set up buckets, flower pots and such to practice yoru casts, sometimes when you concentrate less on what your doing and more on were you want it to go that helps.

I did that with a big rod of my dads...gone forever right off a pier ..That was a long day waiting for him to come home .. I was 8 thought I might not see 9..he was cool.

[cohoho]

I don't know Hoyt, I can zing the heck out of all my Bait Casters and have to use my thumb....   Maybe it is a habit and form I couldn't even begin to pull my thumb away.....  Even with the 2 lb Sturgeon balls...  I learned on an old and I mean very old Shakespear level wind reel my dad gave me from his Dad.  It was probably a 50's model of some sorts.....  It is the Only reel type I use, but do own a spinning reels or two a couple fly reels....  

[rasbo]

I don't know Hoyt, I can zing the heck out of all my Bait Casters and have to use my thumb....   Maybe it is a habit and form I couldn't even begin to pull my thumb away.....  Even with the 2 lb Sturgeon balls...  I learned on an old and I mean very old Shakespear level wind reel my dad gave me from his Dad.  It was probably a 50's model of some sorts.....  It is the Only reel type I use, but do own a spinning reels or two a couple fly reels....  

:chuckle:youre bring back memories..was it one where the handle spun also

[robodad]

I don't know Hoyt, I can zing the heck out of all my Bait Casters and have to use my thumb....   Maybe it is a habit and form I couldn't even begin to pull my thumb away.....  Even with the 2 lb Sturgeon balls...  I learned on an old and I mean very old Shakespear level wind reel my dad gave me from his Dad.  It was probably a 50's model of some sorts.....  It is the Only reel type I use, but do own a spinning reels or two a couple fly reels....  

That dude you had out the other day casted with his thumb on the line above the reel, between the round foam part and his thumb and never touched the reel till the gear was in the water  I thought it was a little scarey at first with braided line but he managed !!! and caught fish !!!   

[h2ofowlr]

it's a pain in the ass to learn but once you figure it out....

there should be a small adjustment dial on the handle side of the reel. if you release(push the relaese button) the spool, i turn that adjuster to the point where the lure will freely pull line off the spool and drop but not out of control...once you get that you're ready to cast. you gotta figure out the right amount of pressure and timing to use with your thumb on the spool acting as a brake. you have to maintain the pressure to keep the spool from spinning freely yet allow the lure to fly, then when the lure hits the water, you gotta completely stop the spool from spinning right away.

I have bait casters on most of my salmon rods.  Kind of like mentioned above.  Set the drag, so that the lure being used slowly falls when the button on the spool is released.  The ticket on casting is light pressure with the thumb so that the spool doesn't travel faster than the line to avoid a birds nest.  Even the most experience will get a back lash from time to time, the experienced typically know how to untangle them fairly quickly.  The novice cut the back lash out and start over.  Also make sure you have decent tension on the line when your filling the reel.  If the line is filled to lightly and your using heavier gear, it will sink into the filled spool causing it to catch and potential back lash.  Good luck.  It takes practice.  I used to live on the East Fork of the Lewis, so I was able to practice fishing everyday. 

[SpokaneSlayer]

Some good tips already given.  I just got my first baitcaster in June, and it didn't take that long to get the hang off.  I would start with braided line.  It seems easier to get the backlashes out than fluorocarbon or mono.  Plus you get more strength with less line diameter. 

[ICEMAN]

Loosen the control on the non-drag side of the reel, place a 2 ounce sinker on the line, and cast as hard as you can muster. Keep you thumb off the spool and let the weight plunge into the water. Look down at your reel. Now throw the entire rod into the river and go home.

[Alchase]

Loosen the control on the non-drag side of the reel, place a 2 ounce sinker on the line, and cast as hard as you can muster. Keep you thumb off the spool and let the weight plunge into the water. Look down at your reel. Now throw the entire rod into the river and go By a spin cast.

there fixed it for ya

I use my baitcasters for trolling reels, lol

[Rgrady35]

Sometimes when people explain the same thing in a different way it helps. My stepson was having issues with a baitcaster. I told him that the lure pulls the line off the reel as it's going out, it seemed to work better for him after that. Remember when the lure stops so must the spool on the reel.  

[Straight Shooter]

It's a practice, practice, practice thing.  The first thing that I would do is make that I know how the reel works (buttons, levers, etc).  Then I would practice with 5-10 foot (underhand or side casts first) casts, so you get can get a feel for the thumb pressues to use... and just work your way up to longer casts and eventually... over-hand).  When I was kid, I remember a friend and I would stand in field or the middle of the street and sling 2-3 ounce lead with conventional saltwater reels.  It would tear the line up, but we would replace it before we headed out fishin'.   

[Crunchy]

I had my Abu Garcia singing last last.  Its all about thumb control if you want to cast long distances.  I honestly dont pay too much attention to the cast control knob. I let it rip, my thumb lets me know when its getting too loose on me, and i apply very very very light pressure. 

[Hoytstaffshooter83]

they are quite easy, but I have been using them since I was 5, the magnetic drag on the side of the reel as already mentioned needs to be adjusted depending on what weight you are casting, that controls the spool speed.... you dont ever have to use yout thumb with a BC if all is set right, also most people try and cast way to hard when they go for distance.... a smooth fluid cast will always produce more distance then a hard jerky one.......... good luck!!

you must not bass fish heavy cover..you have to use your thumb to stop it were ya want it,

I dont bass fish at all, I dont see the point in using heavy line to wrestle a 2 lb fish out of heavy cover, a 2lb fish that does not fight as hard as my 3lb shad for bait in the columbia current, just not my thing....

[Hoytstaffshooter83]

I don't know Hoyt, I can zing the heck out of all my Bait Casters and have to use my thumb....   Maybe it is a habit and form I couldn't even begin to pull my thumb away.....  Even with the 2 lb Sturgeon balls...  I learned on an old and I mean very old Shakespear level wind reel my dad gave me from his Dad.  It was probably a 50's model of some sorts.....  It is the Only reel type I use, but do own a spinning reels or two a couple fly reels....  

that could be it, the old reels you certainly had to use one, come fish with me, ill glady show you I dont use my thumb AT ALL..... on my bank rods for 100+ yd casts, or on my steel/salmon gear for the rivers...... last year in ak I was tossing a  1/8 ounce meps spinner around 120 ft with a 8'6 lami and a abu  reel........ fun stuff