That is an excellent explanation Steve.

"Steve @ OutdoorFrontiers.com" wrote in message
...

"Dave" wrote in message
...
I have a Shimono bass casting reel. I am new to casting for bass. My
problem is that every time I cast with this reel I get a birds nest of
line bunched up on my reel. This is very frustrating. My question is how
do I properly cast this rod & reel so that I don't have this problem? I am
so fed up with this happening that I want to give up on casting reels and
stay with my open face reel.
Thanks a lot for your help and suggestions.

You don't say which baitcasting reel you're using, but here's some of my
thoughts when people say they're having problems with baitcasting tackle.

Baitcasting tackle was designed with heavier line and lure combinations in
mind. Casting rods usually have more power and backbone and are better
used in areas where there is more cover and snags likely to be
encountered. Much more pressure can be applied to a fish to muscle it
away from snags than with typical spinning tackle. Light lures are
typically much more difficult to cast on baitcasting equipment too. One
thing I see all the time is people are trying to cast lightweight lures.
Start out with nothing lighter than 1/2 oz. and stay using heavy lures
until you can casts consistently for at least an hour without a backlash.

There is a longer learning curve to casting with baitcasting equipment too
over spinning. It's not something that people usually pick up and
immediately begin pounding out 100 foot casts, but it's not impossible.
Then too, many people make the mistake of spending as little money as
possible on a baitcasting combo because they are not sure if they'll like
it. Bad Idea #1....

Bad Idea #2 is putting cheap line on, again they don't want to spend a lot
on an outfit they're not sure is going to get used. And, based on the
knowledge that they're going to have some backlashes, they buy the
cheapest line available. This is definitely the wrong thing to do.

Bad Idea #3 is IF they practice at all, they start with too light of a
casting plug and try to muscle that lure out there as far as they can.
Then they get frustrated when they get backlashes and before long, park
the rod and reel.

Bad Idea #4 is new users don't understand how to adjust the reel's braking
system.

Bad Idea #5 is because of a combination of the first four, they park that
#$%^@#! rod and reel in the garage and claim "I just can't use one of
these things!"

Let's break these five Bad Ideas down.

#1 - There's a reason rods and reels are priced the way they are. Cheap
reels are built with cheap components, so they're not free-spinning and
smooth. This makes them difficult to cast in the first place. I've had
clients show up with cheap tackle and even I had difficulty casting their
gear, even though I've been using casting tackle for over forty years.

#2 - Cheap line has a lot of memory and is stiff. This makes the line not
flow through the guides well and makes it more difficult to cast. Mono
line, when it gets backlashed gets kinks. Kinked mono line is a weakened
line. My suggestion is to load the spool up with 50 pound PowerPro. Yes,
it's expensive, but it doesn't get weakened with kinks and 50 pound is a
large enough diameter to pick out backlashes.

#3 - There is a technique to using a baitcaster and it takes practice.
Casting lightweight lures with baitcasting tackle is a difficult task and
that comes only with time, experience and practice. Start with at least a
1/2 ounce practice plug and don't even think about casting for distance
initially. I tell clients new to baitcasting that until they can
consistently cast thirty feet without a backlash that they shouldn't even
consider trying for greater distance. That comes with time and practice.

#4 - I don't know what it is, but many of the clients I've had that have
issues with baitcasting tackle have no concept of any braking system for
their reels and no clue that there are different adjustments to be made
for different lure weights! I guess reading the manual is some violation
of the "Man Code." Take the time to read the manual and actually
understand HOW THE REEL WORKS!!!!

#5 - Again, because of the first four B.I.s, they stop far too soon.
Evidently no one wants to look inept, or "I'm a man dammit, I can do
this," or they're too proud to ask for help/instruction, it's easier to
quietly admit defeat and go back to spinning tackle.

Get out the manual and ACTUALLY READ the darned thing so you know how it
works. If you no longer have the manual, there's a good chance you can
find one online. Download it, print it out and READ it!!! Once you
understand the principles of the reel's braking system, you're ready for
the next step.

Tie on a 1/2 ounce practice plug and head for the back yard. Adjust the
cast control knob on the side of the reel fairly tight. If it has a
magnetic control, adjust that to the middle setting. Holding the rod
horizontal, push the freespool button and take your thumb off the spool.
The lure should slowly fall and if the reel is adjusted properly, when the
lure hits the ground, the spool should make no more than 1/2 turn. If it
makes more turns, pull out the loose line until you're down to tight line,
reel back up, adjust the tension a little tighter and try it again. Do
this until the fall rate is correct for the practice plug's weight.

IF you have the reel adjusted properly, and IF you can cast a pushbutton
spincasting reel, you can use a baitcaster. The same motions are used
between a Zebco 202 and a Calcutta 200, with the addition of one extra
step, clamping your thumb down on the spool just before the lure hits the
water or the practice plug hits the ground.

Don't try to rocket out long casts with a flat trajectory. Concentrate
instead on making easy lobbing casts ten to twenty yards at most. Stop
the practice plug when it's about three feet in the air. Keep doing this
until you're consistently casting without backlashes. As you become more
comfortable, start adding a little more effort into the cast. You will
find that additional distance will come. Once you're at the end of that
cast distance on the reel setting and you're not backlashing, you can back
off a little on the cast control (the little knob by the reel handle) and
you'll find that you'll be backlashing again.

Your thumb needs a little education during all of this. You don't have to
raise your thumb all the way off the spool, simply raise it 1/8th of an
inch off the spool, and you'll feel the "beginning" of a backlash. Then
you can lightly apply pressure and feather the line, eliminating the
backlash before it happens.

Now practice, Practice, PRACTICE!
--
Steve @ OutdoorFrontiers
http://www.outdoorfrontiers.com
G & S Guide Service
http://www.herefishyfishy.com