Need Tips Casting Lever Drag Overhead - Shimano Tld

[ShienXIII]

Hi,

I'm new to this forum, so if I made some mistake please let me know.

I have a Shimano TLD 20 reel which I bought recently along with a Daiwa Sensor Surf(11.6 ft).
This is my first time using an overhead reel and casting a rod this large.
I'm confident with casting a baitcaster, largest that I've used is a Corvalus, but I might have been relying too much on the brakes and spool tension knob, and it's not on this one.

I've practised using what I know from my baitcaster experience by adjusting the drag knob so that the baits fall down slowly, but the best I can do goes as far as my usual baitcaster cast(around 10-15 m), along with a light birdsnest. I even tried releasing my thumb earlier during casting.

Any looser and a birdsnest occur pretty quickly, killing the distance to only a few metres, even if I had my thumb lightly on the spool.

If anyone can provide me with any tips I'll be really grateful.

Also, I have a size 3 star sinker and a 6-7 cm x 5-6cm squid for the bait(spproximately), do I need more weight for my setup?

[rickmarlin62]

tld 20s aren't the best casting reel designed for trolling..use more lead..hang sinker at least 4/5 ft from tip and use long pendulum swing at 45 degrees over shoulder and thumb heavily..ps try wetting line before you cast. stops burnt thumb...I use a tld 30 off breakwall down here for jew but I use 8 oz snapper lead..you may be better off buying a sealine or other surf style o/hd reel..rick

[Binder]

honestly never used a lever drag unit for casting, always used them on boat rods.

Cant see why you couldnt use a smaller one like the 20 for it though.

Sounds like you need some extra braking on the spool - have you tried with the spool engaged but the lever backed right off?

[ShienXIII]

4 hours ago, Binder said:

Sounds like you need some extra braking on the spool - have you tried with the spool engaged but the lever backed right off?

Actually, that sounds like a good idea. I'll give it a go the next time I practice

[rickmarlin62]

you will find if you engage the lever enough for the drag to rub you wont get any distance...you will either have to learn how to throw it or throw IT and buy a suitable reel..rick

[Junky]

TLD's are very hard to cast over shoulder like a baitcaster. 15's are ok but the bigger dia are not really designed for this.

I cast my 25 and 30 from the boat and i tend to cast from the side at a 45deg up, sort of lobbing the bait but it still goes a fair way out. Mind you i have an 8 or 10 ball sinker on and only a 7ft m10 style overhead rod. 

 

If you want distance from an overhead on a surf rod then get your hands on an abu garcia ambassador 7000. Can get them in star or lever drag. 

I remember the late Russel from browns plains bait and tackle getting phenomenal distances from them on 13ft surf rods. 

 

Cheers.

[ShienXIII]

13 hours ago, rickmarlin62 said:

you will find if you engage the lever enough for the drag to rub you wont get any distance...you will either have to learn how to throw it or throw IT and buy a suitable reel..rick

Nice one. I'm gonna learn to cast it. I should probably cast the rod with my Corvalus baitcaster(can get around 270m line on this reel or more) and get used to the rod before going back to this reel. Think that'll help?

[collvan]

On ‎18‎/‎07‎/‎2017 at 0:14 PM, Junky said:

TLD's are very hard to cast over shoulder like a baitcaster. 15's are ok but the bigger dia are not really designed for this.

I cast my 25 and 30 from the boat and i tend to cast from the side at a 45deg up, sort of lobbing the bait but it still goes a fair way out. Mind you i have an 8 or 10 ball sinker on and only a 7ft m10 style overhead rod. 

 

If you want distance from an overhead on a surf rod then get your hands on an abu garcia ambassador 7000. Can get them in star or lever drag. 

I remember the late Russel from browns plains bait and tackle getting phenomenal distances from them on 13ft surf rods. 

 

Cheers.

I was lucky enough to go salmon fishing in Sweden and we used 12 foot rods with the abu ambassador series reels. Worked very well and light on the thumb. Fished all day casting cast after cast with no problems. I would look into getting something similar.  

[Joe Devereux]

I use a penn senator (not a good reel for casting) for floating baits for Mackerel and I use mother nature i.e.  I blow a ballon up and let the wind blow it out It takes a while but It works.