Eric J Posted June 19, 2018 Author Posted June 19, 2018 9 minutes ago, Koz said: My first baitcaster was a Lew's American Hero. Not only was it inexpensive, but it was a great one to learn on. I recently upgraded to a Lew's Mach II SLP. It took a little bit of work for me to get it dialed in where I like it and moving from a 6'6" to a 7' rod was an adjustment as well. But now I really, really like it. I've heard nothing but great things about the reel and I have the spinner version which I love, both carbon Fire rod and reel. Quote
Eric J Posted June 19, 2018 Author Posted June 19, 2018 39 minutes ago, greentrout said: Thanks... Quote
thinkingredneck Posted June 20, 2018 Posted June 20, 2018 Some days your timing will get off and you will backlash a little, after years. Also, you will always backlash if you hit something with your bait or your bait flies off. Gonna happen. Hang in there. Great advice above. 1 Quote
Super User OkobojiEagle Posted June 20, 2018 Super User Posted June 20, 2018 30 minutes ago, thinkingredneck said: Some days your timing will get off and you will backlash a little, after years. Also, you will always backlash if you hit something with your bait or your bait flies off. Gonna happen. Hang in there. Great advice above. ... or you unknowingly hook something behind you with your bait!? 1 Quote
bassin is addicting Posted June 20, 2018 Posted June 20, 2018 good advice from others... this helped me a lot.. take enough line out that you think will be your max cast distance......then place a small piece of tape on the spool....this will keep any backlash from going any further in the spool 1 Quote
Eric J Posted June 20, 2018 Author Posted June 20, 2018 After a morning of fishing I got to Dick's and got my reel replaced.... Get home, respool and sure enough SAME ISSUE WITH THE BRAKE! Called Lew's and they're sending out a new side panel. Looks like a bad batch. Since it's nothing I need to worry about as far as learning to use a baitcaster I started pitching in the back yard... Dialed in nicely and started pitching short distances at a target. After a while I increased the distance and started varying near/far different points to hit. Even had a few premature stops. Out of a whole mess of casting over a combined hour plus I had one nest that was a problem early on and a couple that just needed me to back out a couple turns. All I can say is I LOVE THIS THING!!!! I will give it more practice before getting it wet, casting with different weights etc... and getting the overhead cast down better but man I am enjoying it. Baitcasting Frustration?? More like Baitcasting ELATION!! 2 1 Quote
Steve1357 Posted June 20, 2018 Posted June 20, 2018 my experience... The brakes seem to affect the beginning of the cast and the spool tension cap affects the end of the cast. When I first started, using a pistol grip rod, I would backhand it until I built some confidence. Also someone once said, NEVER take your thumb off the spool...... Do you have most of your thumb pressure on the button while you're adding a little thumb pressure to the spool? I use an old Abu 5000 round reel, it give you a cross bar to push as hard as you want to with your thumb while giving the spool only a light touch. I can roll my thumb forward a hair onto the spool changing the pressure without moving my thumb. Hell, maybe that doesnt make any since.... Like has been mentioned, start with like 14lb BigGame and some 3/8 or 1/2 spinnerbaits downwind! If it hasn't been mentioned, roll off how far you think you'll cast it practicing and put some tape around the spool. That way you don't blowup the whole load when it does go nuts, just lose line down to the tape. 1 Quote
Eric J Posted June 21, 2018 Author Posted June 21, 2018 I actually got out last night and took both my Spinner and the baitcaster set ups. Not going to lie, I was pretty apprehensive. I tied on a topwater hollow body frog and started pitching short till I felt confident enough to cast farther. I built up the distance and worked short for accuracy. Through the 2 hours of fishing I nested once somewhat bad, but was able to clean it up without line loss and couple other instances where I was able to just pull out a foot of line and straighten it out. I was astonished by the distance I was getting with so much less effort than on my spinner! 1 Quote
Jaderose Posted June 21, 2018 Posted June 21, 2018 Too late now but this, my friends, is why I took the advice of NOT buying a baitcaster during fishing season. Who wants to learn this while they are actively trying to fish? I couldn't imagine too many thing more frustrating. Buy baitcasters at the END of the season and you have all winter to get good at it. By the time spring rolled around, I was an old pro. Just my .02. 1 Quote
Eric J Posted June 21, 2018 Author Posted June 21, 2018 3 minutes ago, Jaderose said: Too late now but this, my friends, is why I took the advice of NOT buying a baitcaster during fishing season. Who wants to learn this while they are actively trying to fish? I couldn't imagine too many thing more frustrating. Buy baitcasters at the END of the season and you have all winter to get good at it. By the time spring rolled around, I was an old pro. Just my .02. Great advice... But fools rush in... Yup... But out of 2 hours fishing last night I spent ten minutes, maybe, dealing with nests. Sure, I have plenty to practice on and get the habits ingrained. But I needed that second rig and buying a 4th spin rig was not a good use of my money right now. I am impulsive by nature and at 58 that hasn't changed much... Maybe after the season I'll grab a second rig to practice on... Eric J 1 Quote
Jaderose Posted June 21, 2018 Posted June 21, 2018 1 minute ago, Eric J said: Great advice... But fools rush in... Yup... But out of 2 hours fishing last night I spent ten minutes, maybe, dealing with nests. Sure, I have plenty to practice on and get the habits ingrained. But I needed that second rig and buying a 4th spin rig was not a good use of my money right now. I am impulsive by nature and at 58 that hasn't changed much... Maybe after the season I'll grab a second rig to practice on... Eric J Totally understand, Brother. My take wasn't criticism. It's one of the few times in my life I DID take advice. I wanted one real bad and would have had the same problems. I was NOT GOOD with it when I started and would have wound up throwing it in the lake. Quote
Eric J Posted June 21, 2018 Author Posted June 21, 2018 1 minute ago, Jaderose said: Totally understand, Brother. My take wasn't criticism. It's one of the few times in my life I DID take advice. I wanted one real bad and would have had the same problems. I was NOT GOOD with it when I started and would have wound up throwing it in the lake. lol... I know the feeling. I took it as constructive advice. and appreciate it. The one REALLY frustrating thing last night were the carp and or bluegill nipping at the trailer bands on my frog, pulling it under making me thing I was getting hit... Maddening! Eric J Quote
Jaderose Posted June 21, 2018 Posted June 21, 2018 Frogging is one of the only things about this sport I can honestly say I'm pretty good at. Frogging can be VEERRY frustrating when you are starting on it. It's all about timing and feel. I do what I call combat frogging. I throw into heavy slop and wood, and duck weed and twitch it out. There is nothing finesse about. No walking or anything like that. When a blow up happens or you hear what sounds like a toilet flushing, your first instinct is to set the hook. You will miss that fish 99% of the time if you do. You must wait until you can feel the fish. Could be up to 2 seconds which is an eternity in that situation. Also, a lot of times the fish is trying to stun the frog and won't actually take it. I've had fish knock my frog 5 or 6 feet in the air. They will also miss it a lot of the time. If you set the hook in that case you are liable to get a frog stuck back in your forehead or groin. Bad deal. It's a technique that requires a LOT or practice, IMHO, to get good at but hot d**n is it worth it. It is to me, anyways 1 Quote
Eric J Posted June 21, 2018 Author Posted June 21, 2018 2 minutes ago, Jaderose said: Frogging is one of the only things about this sport I can honestly say I'm pretty good at. Frogging can be VEERRY frustrating when you are starting on it. It's all about timing and feel. I do what I call combat frogging. I throw into heavy slop and wood, and duck weed and twitch it out. There is nothing finesse about. No walking or anything like that. When a blow up happens or you hear what sounds like a toilet flushing, your first instinct is to set the hook. You will miss that fish 99% of the time if you do. You must wait until you can feel the fish. Could be up to 2 seconds which is an eternity in that situation. Also, a lot of times the fish is trying to stun the frog and won't actually take it. I've had fish knock my frog 5 or 6 feet in the air. They will also miss it a lot of the time. If you set the hook in that case you are liable to get a frog stuck back in your forehead or groin. Bad deal. It's a technique that requires a LOT or practice, IMHO, to get good at but hot d**n is it worth it. It is to me, anyways Agreed. I do well with poppers but frogs are new to me and I'm excited for the learning experience. Topwater hits are amazing! Quote
Jaderose Posted June 21, 2018 Posted June 21, 2018 1 minute ago, Eric J said: Agreed. I do well with poppers but frogs are new to me and I'm excited for the learning experience. Topwater hits are amazing! Yep....for me, there are 2 techniques in bass fishing. Frogging and "everything else". My home lake gets a ton of duckweed and slime every year. A lot of the regulars give up and go elsewhere at that point. Not me, Baby! That's when it gets fun for me. I'll sit out there until my shoulder can't throw a frog anymore and then I'll walk a spook along the edges. At 50 years old, it's ALMOST better than sex for me. ? Quote
Eric J Posted June 21, 2018 Author Posted June 21, 2018 1 minute ago, Jaderose said: Yep....for me, there are 2 techniques in bass fishing. Frogging and "everything else". My home lake gets a ton of duckweed and slime every year. A lot of the regulars give up and go elsewhere at that point. Not me, Baby! That's when it gets fun for me. I'll sit out there until my shoulder can't throw a frog anymore and then I'll walk a spook along the edges. At 50 years old, it's ALMOST better than sex for me. ? Wait till you're 58... ? Quote
Jaderose Posted June 21, 2018 Posted June 21, 2018 1 minute ago, Eric J said: Wait till you're 58... ? It WILL be better then! I've always likened frogging to golf. A sport I gave up because I was TERRIBLE at it. I would shank after shank after shank and then...occasionally...I would hit a good ball and you could tell immediately. The solid *click" of the driver hitting the ball. I just couldn't do it often enough to keep me interested. When you get the timing of frogging down and drag an 8lber out of the muck, it's the best. Then, of course, you will realize you need a froggin rod. Lol. I have my regular arsenal of gear and then I have my froggin rod. I carry it like Minnesota Fats with his best cue! It is far and away my best rod. 1 Quote
Super User WRB Posted June 21, 2018 Super User Posted June 21, 2018 If you are backlashing a new baitcasting reel that is adjusted correctly the problem isn't the reel. My guess is you have a MH fast action rod and your casting motion is the same as you use with a spinning rod, fast snap cast. Baitcasting is all about your casting technique, let the rod load up to launch the lure. If the lure is too light or the rod is whipped too fast the rod can't load up, the reel spool excellerates faster then the lure is moving creating a backlash. Use a lure weight in the middle of the rods recommended use weight; 1/4 to 1 oz = 5/8 oz practice casting plug. Use your wrist and fore arm keeping your elbow near the your side, within a few hours you will be casting without backlashing. Slow down, take a deep breath and enjoy your new baitcasting outfit. Tom 1 Quote
RB 77 Posted June 21, 2018 Posted June 21, 2018 There is some pretty solid advice in this thread already. Besides what others have said, most of all just be patient. It will take time and there is definitely a learning curve. I would error on the side of caution and use a little heavier weights than normal to learn with and keep the brakes and spool tension set a little on the "heavy" side. It looks like you have discovered the "thumb trick" of stopping the spool with your thumb just before touch down. While this seems so intuitive for us that have been doing for a few moons, it may not be for a beginner and its such a crucial part right along with "feathering" the spool during the cast. Good luck and stay with it! 1 Quote
Jharl Posted June 22, 2018 Posted June 22, 2018 Ditto on WRB's post. If you are having problems, your rod is too heavy and your lure is too light. 1 Quote
MightyLucks Posted June 23, 2018 Posted June 23, 2018 Admittedly I didn’t read this whole thread so I apologize if this has all been said but I just tought my wife to use a baitcaster and these tips helped her. Obviously set it up for every lure you use. Turn the brakes up. Don’t to to cast it like you would a spinning rod. Start off with a smooth swooping motion. Don’t try to cast it a mile. Feather the line with your thumb while it’s in the air. Practice. Quote
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