Would Upgrading Bearings Add Backlash Risk?

[leadslinger]

I've been reading about people changing/upgrading to different bearings for increased distance. My Revo's (S,SX,STX) are stock and dialed in fairly well, with only VERY rare backlash issues(knock on wood). I'm satisfied with my casting distance, but.....if I chose to reach for a little more distance by upgrading the bearings, would that increase my odds of the dreaded birdsnest? I watched a video of the Revo S after switching to the Bocas, and the spool spun like a top. It would seem with less resistance I may be introducing a risk that the potential added cast length may not be worth.

Thoughts/experiences?

Thx.

Bill

 

[J Francho]

The short answer, yes. Anytime you want more distance, you will use less braking and less spool tension.  9/10, the use gains very little with upgraded bearings since they cinch down the spool tension and use brakes to control the cast.  The way to get the most out of the reel is use your thumb as the brake.

[.RM.]

The short answer, yes. Anytime you want more distance, you will use less braking and less spool tension.  9/10, the use gains very little with upgraded bearings since they cinch down the spool tension and use brakes to control the cast.  The way to get the most out of the reel is use your thumb as the brake.

X2  

[MrSwimJig]

The short answer, yes. Anytime you want more distance, you will use less braking and less spool tension.  9/10, the use gains very little with upgraded bearings since they cinch down the spool tension and use brakes to control the cast.  The way to get the most out of the reel is use your thumb as the brake.

Till I just did a bearing upgrade on one of my reels I would have agreed with you.  But I upgraded this reel with Boca ABEC 7 Ceramic bearings and used the same rod, lure, line and brake settings as I was last year and I am getting better distance with the same amount of effort.

[J Francho]

It's in your head.  You could have likely properly cleaned your old bearings, properly lubed them, and gotten the same effect - that is unless the old bearings were shot, or you were already using very little to no spool tension.  That would be the remaining 1/10.

[MrSwimJig]

It's in your head.  You could have likely properly cleaned your old bearings, properly lubed them, and gotten the same effect - that is unless the old bearings were shot, or you were already using very little to no spool tension.  That would be the remaining 1/10.

I usually have my spool tension set on the tight side and the reel is just about a year old.  I guess the bearings that were in their could have been overly packed with grease and just in need a good cleaning.  I will take my other exact same reel and clean the bearings really good and re-lube and replace in the reel and see if it performs just as good if not better.

[J Francho]

Give us a report.  I think you'll be surprised with the hidden potential in most reels.

[tomustang]

Either your bearing is moving faster and you need more brake, or your bearing is slower and you need less brake, works out similar in the end..

[skeletor6]

Yes it will, you will need more breaks on and a more talented thumb. Since the spool will spin more freely and faster it is more prone to get spinning too fast which is the main cause of a backlash. You probably wont see huge differences in casting distance but it will be easier and require less effort to cast similar distances as it did without the bearing upgrades.

[shootermcbob]

Another option that goes unspoken for the most part...it is "easier" to cast getting the same distance with the upgraded bearings ( or cleaned and properly lubed bearings), so you have less wear and tear on your body...I have found the distance between me really trying to "bomb" a cast out there and a nice, evenly controlled cast is very little, but the effort is much greater, and the chance for a bird's nest is greater.

 

Of course, maybe I am just getting old

[MrSwimJig]

Give us a report.  I think you'll be surprised with the hidden potential in most reels.

So both reels have been completely stripped down to the frame thoroughly cleaned and lubed and reassembled.  Both reels have the same line on them and from just spinning them on the table the ceramics spin longer and faster and definitely spool up faster.  But as we all know we do not fish from the table.

 

So if the weather will give me a break so I can get outside I will see how they compare.  The freshly cleaned reel without the ceramics I will admit spins much easier and longer now then it did when it was new. So I am very pleased with that.  True test will be on the water or in the yard if mother nature refuses to not cooperate.

[Felix77]

My friend gave me a baitcaster because he was fed up with backlash.  It was a cheaper Quantum with only two bearing.  The one on the spool and the one by the magnetic break.  The other one was a plastic "bearing" where the tension knob was.

 

I was curious about bearing replacements so I decided to upgrade them with Boca bearings.  Not the orange ones but one price point below.  In brief here were my findings

 

1 - Doing the spin test went from less than a seconds to over 8 seconds.

2 - I could cast lighter lures with less effort.  (1/4 oz or less)

3 - I got a ton more distance out of regular weights (1/4 oz or greater)

 

It's certainly worth it if you feel you can manage the extra "power" it provides you.  So much of mastering the baitcaster is the person behind the rod and not the bearings.

[new2BC4bass]

Another option that goes unspoken for the most part...it is "easier" to cast getting the same distance with the upgraded bearings ( or cleaned and properly lubed bearings), so you have less wear and tear on your body...I have found the distance between me really trying to "bomb" a cast out there and a nice, evenly controlled cast is very little, but the effort is much greater, and the chance for a bird's nest is greater.

 

Of course, maybe I am just getting old

 

 

I am not getting old.  Already there!    I find the same thing.  Backing off on casting effort results in casts as, or nearly as, far as ones with extra effort....and with far less backlashes. 

 

To the OP, it is MPO that increasing spool performance increases the likelihood of backlashes without a corresponding increase in thumb education.  But then I now run all my spools at minimum tension regardless of lure weight.  My thumb isn't out of high school yet. 

[BobP]

I've never had ABEC7's hot rod a reel's performance so much that I'd throw stock bearings away to use them.  Increased casting distance?  Maybe a few feet, about the same as switching to a 6" longer rod or from a soft to a hard surface line.  If your reel performs to your satisfaction and it's dialed in to your casting ability, I say don't bother.  I understand the allure of super fast bearings.  If a reel needs bearings anyway, they're an excellent choice.  But to marginally increase casting distance?  Been there, done that, got the T-shirt, now use it as an oil rag.

 

Increased backlash risk?  That depends on the particular reel and your casting habits.  Everybody backlashes occasionally but yeah, theoretically, if your spool turns marginally faster, you are marginally more likely to backlash.

[Grantman83]

I upgraded the bearings on a reel and to me it is most noticeable on mid range and precision casting.  I would be tempting fate if I attempted a bombing cast as the startup is much quicker than it was stock.  However, for regular casting I do feel there has been a noticeable improvement.  I have had to be more wary of my thumb control though but I feel this is making me a better caster overall as I am more away. 

[J Francho]

So both reels have been completely stripped down to the frame thoroughly cleaned and lubed and reassembled.  Both reels have the same line on them and from just spinning them on the table the ceramics spin longer and faster and definitely spool up faster.  But as we all know we do not fish from the table.

 

So if the weather will give me a break so I can get outside I will see how they compare.  The freshly cleaned reel without the ceramics I will admit spins much easier and longer now then it did when it was new. So I am very pleased with that.  True test will be on the water or in the yard if mother nature refuses to not cooperate.

 

Looking forward to your report, once you get on the water.  Hopefully, you'll see some improvement in your stock reel.

 

I want to be sure, there are other reasons to upgrade bearings in your reel.  I have a few reels with Abec 7 ceramic hybrids, but I didn't install them for performance reasons, more for freezing conditions.  I run them dry, with dry lubricant.  They're not my favorite, and not the smoothest either, but once it warms up, it's a simple swap back to my SS bearings.

[Silas]

I think when my bearings start to freeze up would be a great indicator that it's time for me to be off the water!! Lol!!  I've only been on the water ONCE, when I was young, when the rod guides froze up and the line wouldn't shoot through.  Packed up and went in!!   Of course I don't have to deal with the conditions a lot of you guys face, thank goodness!   We just have Hurricanes!!

 

On a more serious note, I've had upgraded bearings in 4 reels.  I don't ever wish for more casting distance down here on the bayous.  But, I DO find that there is LESS EFFORT on my regular casts.

 

  But, as Franco says, a good cleaning may have done exactly the same thing.  I HAVE noticed that the ceramic bearings on one reel are "Screaming MiMi's!"  But, the older and deafer I get, the less it bothers me.

[Capt.Bob]

I did one reel with ceramics a couple years ago, saw very little difference but I have seen a big difference in every reel I ever serviced by stripping the seals and degreasing them and lubing with proper oil for the enviornment they are used in. I have had more than one customer think I tuned their reel just by servicing it the first time. If I have a reel that needs new bearings (usually because of neglect or contamination) I use abec 5 SS and have never had an unhappy customer, quite the contrary. 

[Brian Needham]

I had dvt super tune and install abec7 ceramics in my shimano cores and lews TP......I still aint used to them yet and they backlash at a drop of a hat.

I am really hoping to get out more to use them more so I get used to them.

tuning and bearings really speed up the spool and they take some getting used to once back. proceed with caution first few trips out.

[new2BC4bass]

I had dvt super tune and install abec7 ceramics in my shimano cores and lews TP......I still aint used to them yet and they backlash at a drop of a hat.

I am really hoping to get out more to use them more so I get used to them.

tuning and bearings really speed up the spool and they take some getting used to once back. proceed with caution first few trips out.

 

I would expect centrifugal or dual brake reels to be less backlash prone than a magnetic only reel from my personal experience.   My first b/c reel was a Fuego, and I sent it right out to Nitroman77 for a bearing upgrade and tuning.  (I had immediately bought into the idea that tuning was the only way to go.)   I assume that is the main reason I originally ran spool tension heavier than what I should have been.  Had to compensate for my inexperienced thumb somehow.

 

Although I feel spool speed is one of the reasons for backlashing, it isn't the only one by a long shot.  A rod with the correct line and lure rating for what you are using is no doubt helpful towards trouble free casting.  The faster the spool, the smoother you need to be with the cast.  The faster the spool, the better your thumb needs to be educated.  Lure weight also plays a part...for me anyhow.  I have no problem throwing 3/8 oz, with my ito or the first Sol I got (Both stock faik.  However, the ito spool is pretty fast stock.).  Drop down to 1/4 oz. or less, and I start running into backlashes.  Of course much of this is no doubt due to my lack of experience with b/c reels.  Many of you get out more in one year than I've gotten out in the past 4 years.

 

On the other hand, I almost have to work to backlash my Curado 51E even with a 3/16 oz. spinnerbait (stock, but cleaned by DVT).

 

Brian, I feel that practice will help you a lot.  The first year I backed off spool tension on all my reels to where I had just enough to remove side-to-side play was almost like having to learn how to cast all over again.  It was worth it, tho.  I believe that once your thumb gets re-educated, you will enjoy the upgrades you have had done to your reels.

[Brian Needham]

I think you are right......I just need more time with the tuned reels. I really loved them before and rarely lashed....but now with peak preforming reels I have to rely on my thumb and that is something I really never did.

 

i am also trying some lighter weights as well ..... 1/4 oz shaky heads and such with the cores. I am not sure how big of a fan I am of the cores, time will tell there to. and I hear ya on the lure weights too, I been really trying to dial in the perfect head/lure combos for my reels, even to the point of putting it on a scale, lol

 

Dont get me wrong I am not knocking DVT at all, I was ansering to the point with tuned reels you may need a little more experience with a trained thumb. And that is something that I really do not have at the present. Bearings and tuning is well worth the money, if your experience matches the level of work you paid for.

[leadslinger]

All- thanks for the input on this topic. I have a feeling curiosity may get the best of me, and I'll upgrade one of my two Revo SX reels, and keep the original bearings on hand. I've only been using bc's for about a year, so I'm sure I need to improve my casting/thumb skills.

 

Now if only the cold weather would break. I'm sick of mid 40's and 25mph winds.

 

Great fishing all !