My spinning reel had issues

[Er13]

Hello people,

I'm pretty new into fishing and I just bought my first rod and reel combo. It is the lews carbon blue gt spinning rod and reel combo. However while I have been trying to fish the only thing limiting me from catching more fish is my casting distance. It seems whenever I try to cast the line just gets caught up in the air too much and the whole process is not smooth. Although I'm not entirely sure if my technique is perfect, I'm sure it has something to do with the reel or line. I have tried both 8 lb fluorocarbon and 10 lb monofilament but both have the same problem and I have tried re spooling them multiple times. After re spooling them the line seemed tight enough, and all the equipment seemed lined up as far as their specs, but it still has problems. Any suggestions as to what the problem could be and what I could do to fix it without buying a while new rod and reel?

[islandbass]

Based on what you described, my best guesses are 1) you being new (don't worry, we're all been there, myself included and I wore those shoes) and 2) casting mechanics.

 

When I first started fishing, I had no one to show me the ropes so I had to rely on books like fishing for dummies, but books can only take you so far.  The rest is trial and error and learning from experience and mistakes.  Luckily for me, I like to analyze and trouble shoot. From my experience, I learned that:

 

If the casts you are making are "sky high" such that the cast goes farther vertically than forward (more of an inverted V trajectory instead a nice parabola), chances are highly likely that the angler is letting his finger off the rod to release the line too early.

 

Sometimes, in addition to this, the angler did not allow the lure's weight load the rod and instead used speed generated with his arms to make the cast. Signs of this? You hear your rod whipping and nothing to show for it except a sky-high cast. Also, when whipping your rod forward you did not feel the lure's weight load the rod.  Being able to use the lure's weight to load the rod to make a cast is absolutely key to making the most efficient casts with the least amount of effort and not necessarily throwing as hard as you possibly can.

 

Find some open space outside sufficient that you won't break any windows and tie on about 3/8 or 1/2 oz. weight. Next, go through the steps to make a cast, i.e., hold the line between your forefinger and the rod and open the bail.

 

Picture a clock with 12 o'clock above you, 9 in front of you, 3 behind you.

 

Hold your rod out pointing at 9 o'clock and the weight dangling about 1.5’ from the tip. At a moderately-fast pace, bring the rod to somewhere between 12 o'clock and 1 o’clock and stop abruptly while trying not to let the rod go passed 1 o’clock AND without letting the line go.  If done correctly, you will feel the lure’s weight bend the rod behind you and after the rod loads, it springs forward like a catapult.

Repeat this until you get a feel of the rod bending backward and then springing forward.

 

After you get accustomed to that, try the same drill but start 12 and bring it back until about 2-2:30.  Once again you should feel the rod get loaded by the weight.  You can also gently rock your rod back and forth from 10 to 2 letting the weight load the rod both ways.

The purpose for this is for you to get an idea of how the weight loads the rod. The reason for the relatively heavy weight is so that you will definitely feel it.

 

Now that you got that, it’s time to actually let go.  Ready?

 

If your casts are still going sky-high, we already know that the line is being released too early.  Using the same clock convention, the release point going to be between 11:30 and 12:30 give or take a little from there for a good cast.  For that sky-high cast, the line was likely released before 2 o’clock.

 

If you find your casts slamming into the ground, then the release time was too late.

 

Sidearm casting follows the same principles. You just have to orient your clock accordingly.

 

Since you started with spinning first like I did, just keep this in mind when you add casting gear to your arsenal.  The thumb’s release point on a casting rod is even sooner than the forefinger’s release point on a spinning rod.  I will bet a Rapala floating minnow that your first cast will slam into the ground, lol. Mine did and as I watched my weight slam into the ground, a heck of a bird’s nest immediately appeared since my thumb was not stopping the spool from spinning.

 

To Summarize:

 

1)      Learn to allow the rod to be loaded by the weight of the lure

2)      Strive to make sure the release point is somewhere around 12 o’clock (directly above you)

 

Now if this doesn’t work, then we can blame the reel and rod, lol. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[GrumpyOlPhartte]

@islandbass: I've got a question for you. First, that's an excellent discussion, but have you found you use more wrist action when casting with a spinning rig than with a bait casting rod? I found that when going for distance I had better control and accuracy (accuracy for me being any cast that results in my lure being in the same zip code as the target) that if I didn't try to "heave" the lure I did much better. Actually, I learned this from @Glenn while watching his "How to Cast" vids on YouTube when he suggested in holding a piece of paper between your arm and torso while practicing. For me, that really helped. He has a couple of good videos on how to cast. I don't know if they will help in this case, but they really helped me. I learned to use less arm and more wrist.

[islandbass]

@grumpy: I would have to say yes, to your question. Definitely.  Sometimes my cast with spinning is a mere flick of the wrist.  One thing I learned is sometimes if your casting reel is not dialed in getting too much wrist increases chance for overrun for those whose thumbs haven't yet been seasoned enough to compensate for the extra speed that can be generated by the wrists. Indeed that "heave" cast you described is what I was trying to get at about making that mega cast, the rod is being whipped so fast that the rod didn't get loaded. Yeah, Glenn has some good videos.  If I'm not mistaken, be lives in my neck of the woods (Pacific Northwest) but I haven't met him yet. 

 

 

[The Fisher]

Also make sure you close the bail manually otherwise you'll eventually get line twist

[Docks Hound]

Check that you are not overfilling the spool on your reel. If you fill it too full the line will come off in bunches and definitely effect casting. Don't fill all the way to the edge of the spool. Leave some space. Better to slightly under fill than over fill.

[Scott F]

What size baits are you throwing? What are the specs on the rod? What size baits is the rod rated for?

[frosty]

13 hours ago, islandbass said:

The thumb’s release point on a casting rod is even sooner than the forefinger’s release point on a spinning rod.  I will bet a Rapala floating minnow that your first cast will slam into the ground,

Looks like I owe you about a half dozen floating minnows  I started with more sidearm casting, it's always great to try to parallel the bank and end up on it! 

[islandbass]

2 hours ago, frosty said:

Looks like I owe you about a half dozen floating minnows  I started with more sidearm casting, it's always great to try to parallel the bank and end up on it! 

I can relate, believe me. Been there, done that so many times, I can't count that high. Consider yourself in good but rare and exceptional company.  Executing this type cast intended to go parallel to the bank that ends up on is a skill that only a true rod-wielding jedi could hope to attain, lol.