Has anyone attempted to fish with all breaks off?

[jbrew73]

6 hours ago, Outdoors said:

Would you say there's really any idea weight of a lure to remove all breaks? I've heard most guys used two on and two off, but I was wondering if there's any good reason to remove all.

Wouldn't you have to limit your casting to slow casts?

not at all.  i may pick out a backlash or two on any given day but its not a problem to me.. i feel like im better off picking out a backlash here and there than over tightening my brakes and feeling like im loosing distance when needed or even worse having to work hard for every cast.. 

i'm no expert at all when it comes to casting.. maybe im just lucky being able to cast with little to no brakes.  now if i could actually caught more fish that would be great!!!!!!

[Catt]

I could but I ain't!

 

My Calcutta has centrifugal brakes, 6 pins, every other one off or 50%.

[Outdoors]

3 hours ago, jbrew73 said:

not at all.  i may pick out a backlash or two on any given day but its not a problem to me.. i feel like im better off picking out a backlash here and there than over tightening my brakes and feeling like im loosing distance when needed or even worse having to work hard for every cast.. 

i'm no expert at all when it comes to casting.. maybe im just lucky being able to cast with little to no brakes.  now if i could actually caught more fish that would be great!!!!!!

What reel are you using?

[jbrew73]

all my reels are lews.  i have the $100 lfs up to the $200 bb1 pro..   honestly i think the rod is more important than the reel when ot comes to casting.

[.ghoti.]

the short answer is: only once.

[dam0007]

7 hours ago, Outdoors said:

Yeah, I currently own a Shimano Curado 70. I haven't dared to turn all the brakes of yet... If you're familiar with the Curado's system, generally how careful must you be when operating a buzzbait with all the brakes off?

Is that on a Curado's system?

Used to be, now Tatulas/Zillions

[new2BC4bass]

2 hours ago, Catt said:

I could but I ain't!

 

My Calcutta has centrifugal brakes, 6 pins, every other one off or 50%.

 

Glad to see someone with a lot of experience sets their centrifugal brakes like I do.  All this time I thought everyone else used 0 or 1 brake.  I can do 2, but 3 makes it worry free.  My Patriarch XT has one centrifugal brake on and 3 on the magnetic dial.  Probably the least amount of brakes I use on any reel as a standard setting.

[Davidhorowitzski]

I've done this on a couple of Daiwa reels I own. Bought them in bad condition and when re building them I found the mag brake had come unglued and become stuck in full mag (common problem years back). I just used them pitching 1/16-1/10 oz finesse stuff. Worked great. But I see NO advantage at all to this. I usually set the brakes at the outtet limits to begin with but it's good insurance.  That being said the newer more expensive reels I own make these brakes so easy to use with out limiting casting quality.   

[CTBassin860]

Magforce set on 2 with just enough spool tension.I don't feel like cutting out line for the sake of cutting out line.Its not a matter of IF your going to nest.You're going to nest.I've got a pretty good thumb and I still do it on occasion.I don't trust myself to free spool.I do like it on the edge though.

1 hour ago, new2BC4bass said:

 

Glad to see someone with a lot of experience sets their centrifugal brakes like I do.  All this time I thought everyone else used 0 or 1 brake.  I can do 2, but 3 makes it worry free.  My Patriarch XT has one centrifugal brake on and 3 on the magnetic dial.  Probably the least amount of brakes I use on any reel as a standard setting.

That's how I do my PQ. Every other one off.Magnetic at 2.5

[Catt]

9 hours ago, new2BC4bass said:

 

Glad to see someone with a lot of experience sets their centrifugal brakes like I do.  All this time I thought everyone else used 0 or 1 brake.  I can do 2, but 3 makes it worry free.  My Patriarch XT has one centrifugal brake on and 3 on the magnetic dial.  Probably the least amount of brakes I use on any reel as a standard setting.

 

No reason not to!

 

You don't loose distance, you don't work harder, all ya loose is backlashes.

[RB 77]

I do it all the time with some reels. Most of them are at zero or maybe one. A few get one or two at the most. On the rare occasion maybe three with a super light weight bait on a super windy day.

[Outdoors]

3 hours ago, RB 77 said:

I do it all the time with some reels. Most of them are at zero or maybe one. A few get one or two at the most. On the rare occasion maybe three with a super light weight bait on a super windy day.

How do you avoid backlashes? Just don't swing hard?

[hunterPRO1]

i tried for 20 minutes, 30 seconds of that was casting.

[RB 77]

15 minutes ago, Outdoors said:

How do you avoid backlashes? Just don't swing hard?

 

To clarify, I rarely "swing for the fences" when bass fishing. Some presentations call for it when covering massive amounts of ground or "bombing" a cast to breaking fish. Most casts are more precise in nature once the electronics have done a bit of the ground work. Backlashes happen to the best of us. That's just the nature of a bait caster. A sudden gust of wind will humble anyone. A few of my reels are a PITA to adjust the brakes at all (Calcutta D) so they stay permanently off. I usually always start with the breaks off and add as needed. Most, if not all my rod and reel combos are very technique specific at this point so they stay designated for one technique and one technique only. For example, my C-rig setup is a Falcon Lowrider Lizard Dragger with a Curado 200 E7 with 12lb Yo-zuri Hybrid. Because of the nature of using heavier weights (1/2-3/4 oz mostly) and the way the rod loads the bait I do not need any brakes or one at the most. Heavier baits IE: Lipless cranks, C-rigs, big jigs, etc. usually get the hall pass...

[Outdoors]

3 hours ago, RB 77 said:

 

To clarify, I rarely "swing for the fences" when bass fishing. Some presentations call for it when covering massive amounts of ground or "bombing" a cast to breaking fish. Most casts are more precise in nature once the electronics have done a bit of the ground work. Backlashes happen to the best of us. That's just the nature of a bait caster. A sudden gust of wind will humble anyone. A few of my reels are a PITA to adjust the brakes at all (Calcutta D) so they stay permanently off. I usually always start with the breaks off and add as needed. Most, if not all my rod and reel combos are very technique specific at this point so they stay designated for one technique and one technique only. For example, my C-rig setup is a Falcon Lowrider Lizard Dragger with a Curado 200 E7 with 12lb Yo-zuri Hybrid. Because of the nature of using heavier weights (1/2-3/4 oz mostly) and the way the rod loads the bait I do not need any brakes or one at the most. Heavier baits IE: Lipless cranks, C-rigs, big jigs, etc. usually get the hall pass...

Do you think you could get the same distance with half brakes on, and half brakes off if you bombed it? Obviously that would eventually grow tiring, though.

[RB 77]

1 hour ago, Outdoors said:

Do you think you could get the same distance with half brakes on, and half brakes off if you bombed it? Obviously that would eventually grow tiring, though.

 

Honestly, no I don't. With that being said maximum distance is rarely, if ever more important than an accurate or well timed cast. An angler also has to take into consideration that proper adjustment of the cast control knob in conjunction with properly set breaks (centrifugal and/ or magnetic, sometimes also in conjunction)  according to what they are trying to accomplish, what bait they have on, rod rating, etc. Some really light weight baits, extra fast action, etc will definitely get a pin or two on the centrifugal system from me. Pitchin' and Flippin', heavy baits, etc will get less or none.

[Catt]

My #1 setup is a Calcutta 100A it's on a 6' 10" medium heavy extra fast.

 

I have every other pin on & cast, flip, or pitch every thing from a weightless trick worm to 3/4 t-rig by simply adjusting the cast control knob.

 

Adjusting your rerl is completely personal preference!

[jbrew73]

like catt said, the settings for "your" reel is totally up to you.. nothing wrong with asking for recommendations but at the end of the day just try a few different settings and see what works best for you.. i wouldn't get too hung up on how others set up there reels.. 

[Outdoors]

Just got myself a rod for the reel; a Shimano Clarus. The recommended max line on the rod is 17 lb, but is it safe to use 20 lb braid? 20 and 30 seems to be what most of the baitcasting guys are using.

[Outdoors]

On 2/16/2017 at 5:43 PM, new2BC4bass said:

 

Glad to see someone with a lot of experience sets their centrifugal brakes like I do.  All this time I thought everyone else used 0 or 1 brake.  I can do 2, but 3 makes it worry free.  My Patriarch XT has one centrifugal brake on and 3 on the magnetic dial.  Probably the least amount of brakes I use on any reel as a standard setting.

Just having one brake doesn't off balance the reel?

[new2BC4bass]

47 minutes ago, Outdoors said:

Just having one brake doesn't off balance the reel?

 

No.

 

EDIT:  I have an older blue Patriarch XT.  I run it with one centrifugal brake on and 3 magnetic brakes on. 

[RMax]

On 2/16/2017 at 0:27 AM, Outdoors said:

Is that even possible with something like a buzzbait?

I have a Tourney Special from a year and a half ago (still works fairly well, although I can't wait to upgrade) and I fish it with all brakes off, even when changing from light to heavy lures.

[lmbfisherman]

Yes twice, 1st time was like well that sucked, years later I'm better now....I should be able to handle it.  Uh no, brought back down to earth again....will never ever do it again.  Why do we need to anyway?  I can still cast far enough with all breaks on to catch a fish.  

[Bruce424]

Short roll cast ... yea somtimes. Just need a lil more pressure with the thumb

[Outdoors]

9 hours ago, RMax said:

I have a Tourney Special from a year and a half ago (still works fairly well, although I can't wait to upgrade) and I fish it with all brakes off, even when changing from light to heavy lures.

I have a Curado 70, and I was wondering if there should be any difference in cast distance with all brakes off, and on a high number, compared to half brakes off, and on low number.

 

In your reel case, is there a noticeable difference?