A baitcasting reel is highly recommended for heavy lures in both freshwater and saltwater. It is more effective for longer casting as compared to other spinning reels. But it’s not simple to cast a baitcasting reel. In a spinning reel, the line rotates on a stationary spool while in baitcasting spool also rotates in the opposite direction of the line.
The angler commonly faces problems of backlashing and bird’s nest with a baitcasting reel. That’s why beginners are often concerned about how to cast a baitcasting reel?
Rather than only giving a simple idea about casting a baitcasting reel, we will also discuss in detail how you can overcome backlash and bird nesting.
Things to consider before casting as a beginner:
Before starting casting, you just need to keep in mind a couple of things.
Baitcasting Reel Selection:
If you are new to casting, then the right selection of a good baitcasting reel is crucial. For beginners, the recommended length of the baitcasting rod is between 6 to 7 feet. Along with that, the middle-speed gear ratio of 5.4:1 to 6.4:1 is best. At the start, it’s difficult to control backlashing in high gear ratio reels. While it’s not simple to cast longer with a small gear ratio.
Another important thing to notice while purchasing a baitcasting reel is line weight. It’s good to have a heavy line of almost 30 pounds for better casting.
Garden Casting Practice:
Before going for water casting it’s good to have a casting practice in the backyard. This will give you a more clear idea of how you can control the reel. It is a good practice to start will a small distance while focusing on smoothness. Rather than using a brand new baitcasting reel, use an older one to set your hand. After having good backyard practice, you can move into water casting. Now we are discussing how to adjust and cast a baitcasting reel effectively.
How to cast a baitcasting reel? Complete Guide:
Whether you are a pro or a fresh angler, this ultimate guide will help in learning how to cast a bait caster reel.
- First of all, it is necessary how to hold a fishing rod perfectly. There are a number of ways to hold a rod. However, the point is to hold the rod efficiently to ease the casting. According to my experience, it’s better to hold the rod parallel to the arm with the ring finger on the trigger and the thumb on the spool. That’s how your thumb will control the spool effectively to reduce backlash.
- After positioning the rod and holding the reel accurately, you need to adjust the lure speed. For this, fall lure on the ground rather than water. Remove thumb from spool to release the lure freely to the ground. Carefully notice the speed of the lure while falling to the ground.
- Use the tension knob to set the lure speed. If the lure falls quickly then tighten the knob to slow it down. Contrastingly, in the case of a slower lure just lose the tension knob to increase its speed.
- Next, lift the rod to keep it at eye level to be ready for casting.
- Then bring the fishing rod back to your shoulder and swing it forward like a pendulum while depressing the thumb bar. This is the most important step in casting. If you find early backlash in the cast, then it means your spool is still loose.
- So, tight the tension knob further to avoid early backlash. On the other hand, if your lure does not cover enough casting distance and falls quickly after casting that suggests the speed control knob is much tight than recommended. So, for covering enough casting distance without early backlash it is necessary wisely adjust the tension knob.
- The braking system plays a vital role in smooth casting. It helps your lure to travel smoothly against the air without any distraction or backlashing. Therefore, if your lure is falling short in windy conditions. Adjust the braking system along with the tension knob. Surely, your lure will easily reach the target after proper braking adjustments.
- The last step In this guide on how to cast with a baitcasting reel is thumb education. During casting thumb is a key to success. Just carefully observe the lure’s trajectory when the lure reaches the highest level and is ready for a downward moment. Apply pressure with the thumb on the spool to slow down the lure. That’s how your lure will hit the water comfortably without splashing or backlash.
How to overcome bird’s Nest in Casting:
Bird’s casting is one of the major concerns for anglers in a baitcasting reel. That makes using a baitcasting reel more difficult than spin casting or spin casters. So, it is essential to know about a bird’s nest if you want to learn how to cast a baitcasting reel?
The problem of birds nesting creates due to over spinning of the line on the spool. As a result, the line starts rolling in layers and knotted. It makes further casting impossible. So, it is necessary to avoid this situation.
Though it’s not difficult to prevent a bird’s nest however it required a lot of practice. Just keep an eye on the line and thumb on the spool while casting. If you saw any mishap in lines then just press the line with your thumb to keep it rotating smoothly. So, just focus on the line throughout the whole cast and fix any tangles quickly.
Backlash Solutions:
First of all, it is important to know when the backlash occurs, so then you can resolve it. Normally, there are three possibilities of backlash while casting. Either, there is an early backlash or when the lure is at its highest point or when it hits the water.
The early backlash occurs if the tension knob is not tight enough. In the case of losing control knob lure will fly too fast and cause a backlash. You can simply overcome this by tightening the tension knob.
If backlash occurs in the middle then the reason behind that is air disturbance. When the air force the lure to fall then backlash will occur. In this situation, you need to readjust magnetic brakes to make sure your lure flies freely in the air without any resistance.
The last one that just happens when the lure touches the water or occurs in the water is due to the timing of the thumb. As a beginner, it is very hard to reduce this but you can do it with practice. To prevent this, just focus on the lure and start applying pressure on the spool line with the thumb when the lure changes its direction from up to down.
This step needs regular practice and you should do casting again and again to eliminate the late backlash. After going through this, you will be able to learn how to cast a baitcasting reel for beginners.
Frequently Asked Questions:
What is the easiest bait caster to cast?
If you are a beginner and looking for a baitcasting reel that makes casting easier. Then you go for a baitcasting reel having a heavy line of almost 30 pounds and a medium gear ratio between 5.3:1 to 6.3:1. According to my experience, the Daiwa TTU100H Tatula Baitcasting reel is perfect for easy casting. This lightweight reel is extremely magnificent in performance as well.
Why can’t I cast my bait caster very far?
If you can not cast long distances, there may be a couple of reasons. Firstly, your tension knob may be too much tight. Secondly, you may be putting continuous pressure on the line with the thumb. If your lure is not going very far after fixing both problems.
Then the problem is with your lure, either it has a lower gear ratio or it may be damaged.
Is it hard to fish with a bait caster?
Yes as a fresh it is tough to do fishing effectively with a bait caster. But after learning how to cast a bait caster reel? And after having an easier bait caster reel one can efficiently perform fishing without any difficulty.
Why is bait caster better than spinning?
Though, it’s difficult to cast with a baitcasting reel as compared to spinning. But baitcasting reels can easily handle heavy lures. Moreover, baitcasting reels provide longer casting because of the high gear ratio. So, if you are looking for long casting then baitcasting reels are the right choice.
Bottom Line:
In the end, I would conclude don’t panic while casting with a baitcasting reel. Just follow the above procedure carefully while casting. To avoid backlash and a bird’s nest reel adjustments are vital. Keep sure the tension knob and braking system are perfectly balanced for a long smooth cast. Asides, with regular practice you will be able to control the thumb movement. We are confident, that after reading this article you will know how to cast a baitcasting reel.
