Baitcasters at night...

[Eric J]

Anyone else have trouble fishing with baitcasters at night? If the moon isn't full and overhead I can't see the lure hit the water and/or anticipate the contact to stop the spool.

 

How do you deal with this?

[georgeyew]

I keep my thumb on the spool. And I try to estimate the amount of time the lure will be in the air. It comes with some practice time.

[NHBull]

I shorten my cast and chooses close targets. Also add a break and fine tune the spool for the times you don’t see the lure hit the water

[scaleface]

I have no   problem unless I cast in  an unseen tree .

[Dwight Hottle]

Consider a dc model like the new curado dc.

[WRB]

It's true you have almost zero depth perception at night but you shouldn't be totally blind because it's dark. I have always used a baitcasting reel at night and no issues casting regarding backlashes because it's dark. Casting 10' up on the bank or into a tree, I've done more often then I am willing to admit.

After making lots of casts you develop a sense when to stop or slow down the spool.

Tom

[slonezp]

Your thumb is your friend. 

 

I learned how to cast a baitcaster before there were all these fancy accoutrements they call brakes.(if you have to look up the definition of the word, you're probably younger than I am) We had nothing but our thumb to prevent backlash. The thumb still works today.

[LionHeart]

21 minutes ago, slonezp said:

Your thumb is your friend. 

 

I learned how to cast a baitcaster before there were all these fancy accoutrements they call brakes.(if you have to look up the definition of the word, you're probably younger than I am) We had nothing but our thumb to prevent backlash. The thumb still works today.

Up hill in the snow both ways?... Had to man.

 

[Eric J]

24 minutes ago, slonezp said:

Your thumb is your friend. 

 

I learned how to cast a baitcaster before there were all these fancy accoutrements they call brakes.(if you have to look up the definition of the word, you're probably younger than I am) We had nothing but our thumb to prevent backlash. The thumb still works today.

Lol... I'm 58. Degree in English and published in several genres and mediums... But, however... New to baitcasters.... My thumbs have been with me for a bit though...

[rtwvumtneer6]

I've got in tune (with braid) to listening to the rpms of the spool on a long cast.  Kind of like shifting gears in a vehicle (if that exists anymore ? ) There's a clear difference between the beginning of the cast, apex, and decent.  

[Catt]

Educate your thumb, setup your reel so your lure hits the deck without backlashing. 

 

Depth perception?

You don't need no stinking depth perception!

Get off the bank!

 

I quite often fish New Moon nights. ?

[A-Jay]

On 7/10/2018 at 9:06 PM, Catt said:

Educate your thumb, setup your reel so your lure hits the deck without backlashing. 

 

Depth perception?

You don't need no stinking depth perception!

Get off the bank!

 

I quite often fish New Moon nights. ?

Yup - anyone can cast when you can see . . . .

And here's another example of how being an effective night basser improves ones skill.

Now you can cast blindfolded. 

"Look Ma - No Eyes".

A-Jay

[Mobasser]

As Catt said, set up your reels before you go. Set cast control, mag brake, etc. When it's fully dark, your ready.

[WRB]

What does night have to do with proper reel set up, your reels should always be set up properly.

Agree with getting off the bank but sometime that is where the bite is, so stay off the bank a distance you are comfortable casting accurately and maintain that distance, casting becomes automatic night or day with good boat control.

Tom 

[Bluebasser86]

Pay attention to your reel and you should be able to feel and hear when it's starting to slow and you need to thumb the spool. As long as it's set correctly you shouldn't get a big overrun if you're just a second delayed from when your bait splashes down. Maybe it's a learned skill as I've spent a lot of hours fishing after sundown but I don't have any issue other than unseen objects catching my bait or line. 

[MisterDeadeye]

I just picked up baitcasting again recently(about 10 years after high school when I didn't fish at all) and I've spent the past two nights practicing in my yard without any issues. There's no street lights so it's pretty dark. Of course, I dialed the brakes and set the spool tension in the daylight. 

 

I used to fish older Abu Ambassadeurs when I was a teenager, so there were no brakes and I just learned to feel out when to start applying pressure with my thumb. As the spool slows down, you can hear it. Once you've used a particular reel enough, it'll be second nature, assuming you use your thumb to slowly stop the spool at the end of the cast rather than watching your lure and trying to time it just right. You shouldn't really need to focus on your cast too much, generally speaking. Obviously if you're trying to pitch to some cover or cast right up against a grass wall, some extra care might need to be taken.

[JustJames]

I agreed with @Cattto set up your reel for night fishing. Setup where you have a little to no over run when lure hit water. You might not get good distance but you should have no problem with backlash as bad.

This is, I see the most advantage of magnetic reel especially Daiwa. 

Once you get used to with blind casting you should be able to slow spool down with your thumb without seeing your lure, unless of course you cast into tree or rock.

[Catt]

4 hours ago, WRB said:

What does night have to do with proper reel set up, your reels should always be set up properly.

 

Yes your reel should always be setup properly!

 

Most anglers have their reels setup for for visual castings that is they watch their lure in flight & then apply thumb at the appropriate time.

 

Casting at night is all about feeling your line rotating & listening to your reel. 

 

I recommend a newbie start night casting with a slightly tighter adjustments until they're comfortable.

 

As for depth perception that's usually not the issue it's shadows. Even on a New Moon night there are shadows. If you have depth perception problems they will be present during days light hours.

 

[Jig Man]

Go out into your back yard with a casting plug.  Close your eyes and practice casting.  Do it until you get the feel for it then hit the water.

[flechero]

Lots of ways to get there...  but to shorten the learning curve to about 2 casts, just tighten the brake a hair. (before dark)

 

I have all my reels set so loose that if you dropped the lure to the deck, it will backlash. (sorry Catt) Always have.  Not that it;s right, but point being I night fish as much or more than i day fish.  I know my equipment and don't try to cast 50 yds at night.

 

My son is 9 and he night fishes with me occasionally.  I set his reel so that I can cast it with no thumb. Unless you drive one into the water, it's just not an issue.  So I would suggest that your reels are not set up properly or something in your set up is out of balance. (maybe baits that are too light, line too heavy, light baits on a hvy rod, etc.)

 

Also, there is no shame in a spinning rod.  It may allow you to night fish more productively. 

[WRB]

Your eye pupil at night in the dark is dilated wide open making depth of field very poor non existent. We use our memory of the size of objects to calculate distance in lieu of 3 dimensional reference we see during good light. Add night blindness, slow recovery time from bright light at night, distance judgement is more impaired.

Time on the water trains our muscle memory where casting specific distances is automatic without consciously being aware of what we do. My problem at night is not seeing or misjudging shoreline terrian, trees etc, then casting 25 yards instead of 20 and it happens occasionally, good reason to use weedless presentations, sometimes it's a crankbait bite and treble hook lures in trees or on the bank doesn't work out to good. The more we fish at night the better we get  doing it, Catt spends a lot time of night fishing, so he is the expert.

Tom

[kenmitch]

Night vision goggles! lol

 

Only thing I can really add is make sure your line doesn't tangle around the tip of your pole before you cast your lure into the abyss. I've caught a fish or two and during the unhooking process the line has tangled around the tip of the pole....In total darkness I'd imagine it's not so easy to detect.

 

[Mobasser]

Tom I've overshot cast at night in the past. Now I mostly use plastic worms rigged weedless. What you've said is true. Our eyes can adjust to the darkness. Still I sometimes I have trouble with judging distance.I love to fish big slow moving topwaters at night- musky jitterbug is an old favorite. Casting into trees or brush with this is a real mess, as are any treble hook baits. I guess I'm banking that some bass will always hit plastic worms. 

[Catt]

One would be surprised how much ambient light is available. 

 

As far casting practice, practice, & practice some more!

 

This is on the side of my house, the opening on the left is 12 steps, the farthest right off camera is 28 steps.

 

I'm 68 yrs old & I practice daily pitching between each bush & at the base. I was doing it this morning at 4:30!

 

 

 

Edited July 11, 2018 by Catt
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