Adjusting the brakes on my new SLX reel

[pauldconyers]

I am used to my BC reels having external brakes on them. My new Shimano SLX has internal brakes on it. Does anyone have some tips on adjusting it and other points that might shorten my learning curve?

 

Also, about this reel I read this on Tackle Warehouse:

 

Using centrifugal force rather than magnets to control casting, the Shimano SLX Casting Reel employ and advanced VBS (Variable Braking System) to virtually eliminate backlashes and extend casting distance.

 

Is this just sales pitch or is there something about the design and settings that actually do lessen backlashes? I need to get my wife a new reel and with her history and frustration with backlash perhaps she gets this reel from me!

[Hulkster]

i haven't used an VBS shimano in a while, but from what I remember I used to just set every other brake to ON and then never touch it again. Set it and forget it.

 

I would adjust the cast control dial with every lure change though.

 

seems to me it should be like the old ones, very user friendly. Enjoy!

[LionHeart]

Just a fancy way to say they are centrifugal brakes.  Most reels worth buying nowadays have them.  As the speed of your reel spool increases, those little plastic pins you see when you remove the side plate will extend due to the centrifugal force, and rub against an inner race of your reel.  This will cause the spool to slow down just as you would manually do when you press your thumb to it.

 

Guessing this reel has either 4 or 6 of these little pins.  The pins can be set to 1 of 2 positions, engaged or disengaged.  The more pins that are engaged, the more your spool will be slowed by the braking.  Be it 4 or 6, I think what most people do is engage half the pins for a good starting point.  I recommend using the spool friction knob sparingly but many treat it as the primary braking system on a reel.

 

 

[pauldconyers]

Is a pin "engaged" when it is pressed down or up? When you suggest engaging half the pins does it matter which ones? If so I labeled them here 1 through 6 if you can make a recommendation. Thanks! 

[Josh Smith]

4 minutes ago, pauldconyers said:

Is a pin "engaged" when it is pressed down or up? When you suggest engaging half the pins does it matter which ones? If so I labeled them here 1 through 6 if you can make a recommendation. Thanks! 

 

This is just like Abu Garcia's system.

 

The brakes will activate when they're out. #5 is active. #4 is not.

 

Snap them all back in.

 

Now, take activate half of them, numbers 1, 3, and 5. Practice casting and go from there. If you go down to two brakes, then turn on only #2 and # 5. Four brakes, #1, #6, #3, and #4.

 

Centrifugal brakes work more at the beginning of the cast, and magnetic, more toward the end of the cast. I hardly ever use magnetic brakes, and only have one reel with them on it -- it's my crankbait reel, an Ambassadeur 4600, that has both centrifugal and magnetic brakes.

 

I'll turn the magnets on if I'm casting into the wind.

 

Otherwise, it's all centrifugal (like the one you're showing) and thumb.

 

I suspect that magnetic brakes are cheaper to make, and therefore are used the most. I don't like 'em all that much. Centrifugal are, in my experience, superior.

 

Regards,

Josh

[pauldconyers]

14 minutes ago, Josh Smith said:

 

This is just like Abu Garcia's system.

 

The brakes will activate when they're out. #5 is active. #4 is not.

 

Snap them all back in.

 

Now, take activate half of them, numbers 1, 3, and 5. Practice casting and go from there. If you go down to two brakes, then turn on only #2 and # 5. Four brakes, #1, #6, #3, and #4.

 

Centrifugal brakes work more at the beginning of the cast, and magnetic, more toward the end of the cast. I hardly ever use magnetic brakes, and only have one reel with them on it -- it's my crankbait reel, an Ambassadeur 4600, that has both centrifugal and magnetic brakes.

 

I'll turn the magnets on if I'm casting into the wind.

 

Otherwise, it's all centrifugal (like the one you're showing) and thumb.

 

I suspect that magnetic brakes are cheaper to make, and therefore are used the most. I don't like 'em all that much. Centrifugal are, in my experience, superior.

 

Regards,

Josh

Awesome advice Josh! I'm probably going to give this to my wife and she still has problems bird nesting. On TW website they said this about this reel:

 

Using centrifugal force rather than magnets to control casting, the Shimano SLX Casting Reel employ and advanced VBS (Variable Braking System) to virtually eliminate backlashes and extend casting distance.

 

Is there some truth to this or is this someone just trying to sell a reel? If this reel/design somehow did reduce bird nesting I would be more apt to letting her have it. Opinion?

[dodgeguy]

Centrifugal should cast further. They come off as spool slows. Magnets stay on. Diawa I think has magnets that act centrifugal. Not sure how there's does it . Regular magnetic brakes stay constant. I'd rather have a loose spool and more centrifugal. Once you use your thumb you will get used to it. The very best centrifugal brakes are externally adjustable with a dial and can be found on Abu  Garcia's MGX and some Lew's reels. They can be set up to be basically thumbless during the cast and then you stop spool as bait hits the water.both of these reels will cast really far if set this way.

[Shimano_1]

1 hour ago, Josh Smith said:

 

This is just like Abu Garcia's system.

 

The brakes will activate when they're out. #5 is active. #4 is not.

 

Snap them all back in.

 

Now, take activate half of them, numbers 1, 3, and 5. Practice casting and go from there. If you go down to two brakes, then turn on only #2 and # 5. Four brakes, #1, #6, #3, and #4.

 

Centrifugal brakes work more at the beginning of the cast, and magnetic, more toward the end of the cast. I hardly ever use magnetic brakes, and only have one reel with them on it -- it's my crankbait reel, an Ambassadeur 4600, that has both centrifugal and magnetic brakes.

 

I'll turn the magnets on if I'm casting into the wind.

 

Otherwise, it's all centrifugal (like the one you're showing) and thumb.

 

I suspect that magnetic brakes are cheaper to make, and therefore are used the most. I don't like 'em all that much. Centrifugal are, in my experience, superior.

 

Regards,

Josh

Set them up with 1,3 and 5 on and adjust cast control to where ur bait falls slowly.  This should make it very easy to avoid backlashes.  Once you get the feel loosen cast control up little by little. I have a few of these reels and I run them all this way or with 2 brakes on and they're set and forget. Sweet little reels for sure!

[zell_pop1]

To me they are a newer lighter version of my Citica 100 DSV's. I highly recommend them.

[gilkeybr]

On 6/2/2019 at 11:33 AM, pauldconyers said:

Using centrifugal force rather than magnets to control casting, the Shimano SLX Casting Reel employ and advanced VBS (Variable Braking System) to virtually eliminate backlashes and extend casting distance.

 

Is there some truth to this or is this someone just trying to sell a reel? If this reel/design somehow did reduce bird nesting I would be more apt to letting her have it. Opinion?

No, there is no special sauce that Shimano has that makes this reel less likely to backlash than a comparable casting reel.  It is marketing hype, IMO

[MAN]

They are about to release the SLX DC. Maybe trade up. 

[Hook line and savior]

I have an slx xt too. First non hand me down Walmart reel. Love it so far. Way better than magnets. I started half on half off. I think I’m ready to use less. Will it mess up the centrificalness ( professional term) of it if I only have one or two engaged?

[softwateronly]

8 hours ago, Hook line and savior said:

I have an slx xt too. First non hand me down Walmart reel. Love it so far. Way better than magnets. I started half on half off. I think I’m ready to use less. Will it mess up the centrificalness ( professional term) of it if I only have one or two engaged?

 

Now that I'm a better caster, I do 1 or 2 on most of my 4-6 brake models with no problem.  Just oppose the brakes you do have engaged.  Your centrificalness will hold up just fine. 

 

scott

[Chris Catignani]

9 hours ago, Hook line and savior said:

... Will it mess up the centrificalness ( professional term) of it if I only have one or two engaged?

I think the term you're looking for is "centrifugal force"....and the answer is no. But if you use two...they should be antipodal.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

By definition every braking system “decreases backlash” it’s what they’re for. Some systems are little more user friendly but none are magical. Your wife will need to master bait casting technique. She’ll be better off for it. In general, I find centrifugal brakes more user friendly than mag only with the exception of Daiwa inductor brakes. The STX is an affordable quality reel that one can learn on and not “outgrow “. 

[Hulkster]

On 6/3/2019 at 2:20 PM, MAN said:

They are about to release the SLX DC. Maybe trade up. 

DC reels are for amateurs 

[MAN]

24 minutes ago, Hulkster said:

DC reels are for amateurs 

Yet non amateurs continue to keep buying them  

[Hulkster]

19 minutes ago, MAN said:

Yet non amateurs continue to keep buying them  

that's cause they are still actually amateurs

[Glenn]

Here are step-by-step instructions: