New bait caster :):(

[JamesMac]

Bought a new baitcaster reel

i dont know whether this is good or bad i have practised and practised and failed and failed and guess what failed again, so i was wandering anybody got any tips or anything at all to help

Thanks alot

[Kieran Moore]

I also would welcome some advice

Cheers

Kieran

[Joel Eadie]

what is the problem your having? are your casts going short or are you getting birds nests?

[nadders]

crank up the spool tension (knob next to the handle) so when you hold your rod out and freespool, the lure drops down slowly without freefalling

turn the casting brakes to max (depending on what reel you have the casting brakes will be in different positions)

go out and practice casting with smooth movements (no sharp flicks etc) and get used to thumbing the spool lightly as you release it on the cast. get a feel for your thumb locking down just as the lure hits the ground/water

start loosening the spool tension knob bit by bit and get comfortable with feathering the spool while you cast. you will eventually learn how much you need to feather the spool and what it feels like when you're about to overrun and get a birdnest. it's not something that can be explained very easily, or thought about specifically its muscle memory you develop

keep casting away

[Mr FeLiX]

nadders wrote:

crank up the spool tension (knob next to the handle) so when you hold your rod out and freespool, the lure drops down slowly without freefalling

turn the casting brakes to max (depending on what reel you have the casting brakes will be in different positions)

go out and practice casting with smooth movements (no sharp flicks etc) and get used to thumbing the spool lightly as you release it on the cast. get a feel for your thumb locking down just as the lure hits the ground/water

start loosening the spool tension knob bit by bit and get comfortable with feathering the spool while you cast. you will eventually learn how much you need to feather the spool and what it feels like when you're about to overrun and get a birdnest. it's not something that can be explained very easily, or thought about specifically its muscle memory you develop

keep casting away

Great advice, couldn't of said it better. Don't worry chief, I had the same drama when I brought my 1st baitcaster, took me a while to get it right and I still get the occasional birds nest

[hooked_on_trout]

nadders wrote:

start loosening the spool tension knob bit by bit and get comfortable with feathering the spool while you cast. you will eventually learn how much you need to feather the spool and what it feels like when you're about to overrun and get a birdnest. it's not something that can be explained very easily, or thought about specifically its muscle memory you develop

keep casting away

Crap you mean you have to manually control the spool?

I am buying a Daiwa with MagForce anti backlash.

Cheers

[nadders]

with brakes on full and casting tension up you don't have to do much at all, but i turn casting brakes as low as possible and spool tension as light as i can, as with a trained thumb i can cast further than if purely relying on the brakes

cheers

dan

[fishingfon]

its not that hard when you get used to it its just a matter of pratice