Should I Use Baitcast Reels
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With the line trapped and the bail open, swing the rod back past your shoulder and then forward again in a swift, smooth arc. At the appropriate moment (while rod is still moving forward) the finger holding the line is straightened, and the casting weight is thrown forward, towing the line behind it.You need to get this release timed right. If you release too early in the swing, the bait will fly up into the air and land who knows where. If you release the line too late in the swing, chances are it will go into the ground or water by your feet. One way to get the timing of this release right, is to swing the rod forward and as your casting arm begins to extend, point the line holding finger straight at your casting target. Most times, this will release the line at the correct moment and also direct the cast where it should go.The technique works with short and light single-handed rods. With the single-handed rod, your free hand and arm does not come into play very much, but when casting with a two-handed rod, your other hand is needed, to anchor the rod butt and provide a fulcrum for the cast. During the cast, this other hand holds the butt down and in front of your body to act as a pivot point, while the reel hand swings and pushes the rod through the casting arc. While spinning reels are not as accurate as baitcasters, they are great for finesse fishing with light lines and lures.
Baitcast Reels
Baitcast reels fit on the top of the rod and are used for a variety of techniques in bass fishing. Most have a free-spool capability, which allows the spool to rotate without resistance for casting. Some have mechanical or magnetic brakes, a drag system, and often a level wind mechanism for even line lay.
How to Cast
I know from firsthand experience that it can be a little frustrating using one of these reels for the first time, but if you give it a little time and patience, it's one of the best types of reels to use. There's a lot happening when you cast. You have a reel and a rod, with a bait tied on the end. When you cast, the force of your cast sets the bait in motion. The line is pulled off the spool by the force of the bait travelling through the air. The faster the bait travels, the more line goes out, but there's a lot of principles at work here, such as trajectory, velocity, gravity, inertia, drag coefficient, etc. You don't necessarily need to know all of that, but just remember that the perfect cast, involves releasing at the right angle, with the right force and with the right drag on the spool.
The baitcaster has been around for ages. It's one of the first types of reels designed and one of the most versatile. There are two main types:
Open faced round style baitcasters
This is the one that has been around for a long time. It is the hardest for a new
fisherman to use and will take the most patience. Most all of these baitcasters involve the "thumbing technique". This is when you place the thumb of the hand holding the reel against the spool of line and use thumb pressure to control how much line goes out. These reels usually have one brake adjustment on them. This adjustment is a cap that tightens against the end of the shaft of the spool. It's a friction brake. If set too tight, the cast will be very short. If set too loose, the spool will accelerate faster than the line feeding out and the result is a "birdnest",
Take the rod in your hand and hold it at the 2 o'clock position. Place your thumb on the release bar and as you press and release it, press the front part of your thumb on the spool. Your thumb pressure on the spool needs to be firm during the cast, so the line does not move. Now make the cast and just as you are about to come back to the 2 o'clock position, let some pressure off the spool. If you set the brake the way I mentioned earlier and you keep some pressure on the spool, the weight will probably only cast out a few feet from you. That's ok. You should not have any loose line on the spool, so there's no birdnests. Keep trying this, gradually letting off thumb pressure till you start to notice loose wraps of line on the spool. Now you know what I mean by thumb pressure acting as a brake. All you have to do now, is back off the reel's brake a little at a time, to increase your distance, while using your thumb pressure to keep the spool under control.
Low profile baitcasters
These cast the same as the older style reels, but they have made advancements
in adding a "second brake" to the spool. These brakes are on the opposite side of the reel from the handle. If they are the "magnetic" style, they usually have a knob to turn with markings from 10-100 or 1-10. The higher the number the more braking action is applied against the spool. I usually set these reels up in the following way. Set the off side knob halfway between the settings. Set the regular brake up the way I stated before, holding the rod out and setting the brake so that the weight does not fall freely, when the release bar is depressed. The magnetic brake will allow you to use less thumb pressure and once you learn how to cast well, you can set the brakes up as described and not use your thumb at all. But it takes practice! The other style secondary brake is the "centrifugal brake". It is also found on the side of the reel opposite the handle and is usually accessed by removing a cover (see your owners manual). Once the cover is removed, you will see a mechanism with six pins sticking out. These pins have plastic sleeves which can be backed off or extended. The more of them extended, the harder the braking. Try starting out with 3-4 of the plastic sleeves extended. The idea of this, is that as the spool increases in speed, the centrifugal force increases and the plastic sleeves are "thrown out" against an outer metal drum (in the cover you took off), resulting in harder braking the faster the spool spins.
Practice with the weight and brakes set tight, till you understand the thumbing method. Practice till you can cast twice as far as you ever could with your spinning reel. Practice till you can cast into a coffee can every time. These reels are very accurate and flexible in the way they cast and retrieve. Catch a few bass with it and you will fall in love with the baitcaster, or you will still hate it!
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