Educating my thumb?

[txchaser]

So I hear about an "educated thumb". Where can I learn more about how to do this besides time on the water casting? Over time I've started to get a sense for when the fluffs are getting too far out of control, although lots of times the lure will pull them all out in the last third of the cast, so it seems like if I slowed it down I'd just be shortening the cast. I can kind of sort of tell when it's gone too far. Related, all my reels are daiwa magforce, and I understand (although can't yet verify) that whippy or overpowered casts aren't optimal for magforce.

 

Seems like if I was better at it I wouldn't be in the 8-11 range all the time on the brakes, and I'd probably backlash less often. Fixed the most common backlash I was getting which was underpowered cast when I was making a shorter but overhand cast. Now I just ride the spool and cast like I normally cast.

 

How do I get better, faster?

[Bluebasser86]

Having the reel set properly will help a lot. A proper casting motion will help also. Ultimately, an "educated thumb", is a trained thumb, and the only way to gain training is through time and experience. After doing to long enough, you won't even realize you're doing it anymore.

[Tennessee Boy]

Time on the water or time in the back yard.   It’s time well spent.  I don't know if there are any short cuts.  No reel manufacturer will ever match the breaking performance of an “educated thumb”.

[PhishLI]

5 hours ago, txchaser said:

How do I get better, faster?

Practice pitching, especially longer pitches to a target, with less brakes or spool tension than you're comfortable with. This will force a reaction from you at a pace that's different and slower than while overhead casting. An overrun is also less dramatic during pitching as everything is slowed down. You'll have more time in which to process what's happening. You'll find, rather quickly, that improvements here will translate during regular casting.

 

All braking systems require the spool to be spinning to actuate them, or turn them on, but there are some important differences between how magnetic and centrifugal braking systems actually work. Understanding these differences may help to shortcut your learning curve which will allow you use less braking.

 

Centrifugal braking, as found in most Shimano reels, relies on mechanical friction which is practically instantaneous. The moment the spool spins the brake arms are engaged with the braking surface. In some cases this is a brake drum or race, and in others it's a thrust plate. This is why it's generally understood that centrifugal brakes are more effective at the beginning of a cast.

 

Magnetic brakes as employed in fishing reels are unusual in that while there are magnets present, the moving part, the spool, is not magnetic material. In other words, a magnet will not stick to your reel's spool. This system requires motion to generate a magnetic field. The faster the spool spins the greater the field, or more magnetic force. This is a simplified explanation for the purposes of this exercise. Looking up "Eddy current braking" will further your understanding here.

 

The bottom line is this: Unlike centrifugal brakes, as found in Shimano reels and others, that "turn on" fast, magnetic brakes "turn on" slower. This is especially true when the spool is farther away from the magnets. The dial on your Daiwas moves the magnets either closer or farther away from the spool's inductor ring. The deeper the inductor ring is inserted into the magnetic gap the more magnetic force is present, but only when the spool begins spinning, and increases with spool speed. But, there's a slight "lag" before force is applied. There's very little magnetic force "present" at the beginning of the cast. It ramps up with increased spool revolutions. This is why an instantaneous backlash is likely if you whip a cast with a Daiwa reel. There are essentially no brakes "on" for a split second. The upside here here is that a harder cast is not necessary, and is actually counterproductive.

 

Understand that you can cast hard with a Daiwa reel, but, there are subtleties involved in unloading the rod as you launch the lure. Any jerkiness during that process can result in a quick backlash or a mid cast fluff up just before the apex of the cast. Mono is more forgiving in this scenario and may self correct, or sort itself out. Braid will usually just wrap around the spool resulting in a backlash. This is why people describe a "lob' or a "sweep" cast when explaining transitioning from a spinning reel to a baitcaster, especially one with mag brakes.

 

You'll have to learn what this feels like while your thumb control increases. As you get better at feeling the rod load then unload during launch without jerkiness or a bounce, you'll be able to go farther down on the dial which will increase your casting distance without incident. You'll also find out that not much thumbing, if at all, is required in the middle of the cast where the mag brakes are most effective, just slightly in the beginning on power casts. If fluffing does occur midcast your thumb will kick in automatically. However, a minor adjustment of the brake dial or a slight dash of spool tension should tame those without sacrificing much distance at all.

[jbrew73]

Training you wrist is equally important as your thumb.  Arm action or even lack of is very important in preventing backlash. 

[jimmyjoe]

   There are a couple things you can do that will help you "educate your thumb". Just remember that there's no magic. Time and practice will get you where you want to be. It's kinda like bowling.

   1) Put something on your thumb that's slick. I have used Band-aids and I've used duct tape. All this does is give you a more predictable and consistent surface to apply friction. But consistency does help.

   2) If you're determined to use the thumb, start with a spool that's not full of line. This increases the RPM of the spool, making your thumb (and the brakes) more effective. Try about a 3/4 full spool. As you use whippy rods and rigid rods, as you cast slower and faster, and as you cast to your strong side and your weak side, the way the spool reacts will be more obvious.

   More obvious is much better; it'll give your reflexes a reference point to sort things out. And that's what it's all about; reflexes. Your thumb controls the spool by means of your reflexes, not your mind. If you have to think about what the reel is doing so as to control it, you're way behind the ball. That thing can bird's-nest so fast that it'll make your eyes water. You can't see it coming ..... but your thumb can feel it.

   Practice in an open area. Start off soft and slow, and then increase your casting force a little bit each time until you get the feel of what's going on. So try increasing 12 times (like a set of exercises) and then do it all over again (like a rep). Do 12 or 20 reps, and you'll be amazed at the improvement you see.

 

   When you get there, it's like @Bluebasser86 said; you won't even realize what you're doing.       jj

  

  

[new2BC4bass]

You can practice some thumb control while sitting in front of a TV.  Practice thumbing the spool as the lure drops.  This is how I learned I had much better control with my off hand..the left thumb.  The right was more like a light switch.  It was either on or off.  For the longest time I had to cast left handed when I was using a reel that wanted to backlash a lot.  It took a lot of time to 'educate' my right thumb.  More practice would have shortened that time. 

 

I get fluffs as well.  I don't change any settings unless they are consistent.  As you said, they are gone (most times) before the end of the cast.  You are correct in thinking that whippy or overpowered casts aren't optimal for magforce.  When I was trying to use a 1/4 oz. lure on my Sol (for the first time), it was backlashing a lot.  I finally got ticked off and started throwing harder.  Backlashes gone.    At the same time trying to overpower a cast requires diligence on my part.

 

Like you my brakes are set in the 8-10 range for reels that go to 20.  Brakes are set in the 6-8 range for those that go to 10.  I do keep spool tension very loose as I feel higher brakes give better distance than more spool tension.  I fish from shore so distance is a factor for me.

 

There is an exception.  Reels that I have had tuned (and often upgraded) usually require less braking.  Also less force on the cast.  On some I can drop down to the 3-4 range.  Took a while, but I finally reached that place where I feel I am doing well with the right thumb.  Finally got it to the place where it no longer acts like a light switch.

[Fishes in trees]

Send your thumb to thumb school.When your thumb is educated enough you will get a graduation present in the form of lower line expenses.   Then you can get in to better quality fishing lines, your next present will be increased line expenses.   Your third present will be that your more expensive line will probably last a little longer.

 

You can go for advanced degrees, you can get an educated crank bait thumb, an educated pitching thumb, and more

[JustJames]

I agreed with @Bluebasser86. You don’t really need to do anything instead practice casting sidearm and overhead cast, aim for accuracy and consistency, short and long distance. Those will help your thumb to learn how to control and tether spool.

[5/0]

Reading the OP and the responses I started thinking about ways to accelerate the learning curve on educating the thumb without depending on the Cast Control knob, concentrating instead on the brakes with the Cast Control set to minimum when practicing at home. With times the way they are these days, there is plenty of time to pick out any mistakes. Would this approach work?

I am well aware of the adage that accuracy is better than distance in most instances. But there are times when a backlash free cast falls short of the intended target, especially when not in control of the boats positioning.

[Big Hands]

8+ on the mag brake is pretty heavy. You might try tightening the spool tension ever so slightly and then back off on the mag brake. I find my sweet spot at around 4 (or possibly less) on most of my reels, including 6 Daiwas with magnetic controls.

 

As for the thumb, it's too bad they don't sell 'educated thumbs' at BPS or TW. They'd sell a grip of them. 

 

The old saying goes that practice makes perfect. I disagree. Practice makes permanent, and only perfect practice makes perfection possible. I know if I haven't fished for a while, my thumb gets stupid until I get some casts in. 

[txchaser]

16 hours ago, PhishLI said:

there are subtleties involved in unloading the rod as you launch the lure. Any jerkiness during that process can result in a quick backlash or a mid cast fluff up just before the apex of the cast.

Hmm this is an interesting concept. Thinking back, when I stop the rod at launch, I tend to get a bad result vs. some follow-through on the cast. Thanks for raising my awareness on what I'm doing in the last third or quarter of the cast.

 

16 hours ago, PhishLI said:

 

The bottom line is this: Unlike centrifugal brakes, as found in Shimano reels and others, that "turn on" fast, magnetic brakes "turn on" slower.

If I were to imagine the cast itself as broken in thirds, in which third(s) should I be at peak power? Or am I asking the wrong question?  

 

And it sounds like what my thumb should actually be doing is just slowing down the spool just a smidge shortly after launch? Explains why if I get a backlash it is usually early on.

 

15 hours ago, jimmyjoe said:

It's kinda like bowling.

If we bowl together you should wear a helmet. I probably should too.

 

Out of curiosity, assume I'm running the brakes at say 4 or 5 - how much difference in distance? Or just less effort for the same result?

 

Thanks everyone for the really thoughtful responses. I think it'll make a difference for me.

 

[jimmyjoe]

4 minutes ago, txchaser said:

Out of curiosity, assume I'm running the brakes at say 4 or 5 - how much difference in distance? Or just less effort for the same result?

 

   When you change the brake setting radically (like from 8 to 4 or 5) you'll lose control. Your reflexes aren't used to that yet. As you get better, you'll find out that you have a certain sweet spot, and that's where you should fish the reel. Like I said, you should work into that spot gradually. And that spot is different for different people; don't try to emulate someone else's settings and techniques. Watch them and learn, but apply it to yourself your way.

   Like the old hippy said, "You gotta be you, man."    

   That being said, you should probably make casts with less effort first. Then later, as you get more consistent, you'll be seduced by the Dark Side ....... distance casting.     ?  ? ?          jj

  

[new2BC4bass]

9 hours ago, txchaser said:

Hmm this is an interesting concept. Thinking back, when I stop the rod at launch, I tend to get a bad result vs. some follow-through on the cast. Thanks for raising my awareness on what I'm doing in the last third or quarter of the cast.

 

More a fact than a concept.  Baitcasters hate jerkiness.  I didn't start using a roll cast (not a fly fishing roll cast) until later in the game.  I like to suggest people learning to use a baitcast reel use a side arm roll cast.  This avoids the stop and start at the end of the back stroke.  Which in turn smooths out your casting stroke.  Which in turn helps eliminate some of the backlashes.  There are times I can't use the roll cast.  That is when I am more likely to get an overrun or backlash.  Especially if I stop shorter than I had planned on the back stroke.  When this happens I sometimes overcompensate on the forward movement...jerking it forward...not giving the tip time to reach its furthest rear position.  BAD.

[txchaser]

1 hour ago, new2BC4bass said:

More a fact than a concept.  Baitcasters hate jerkiness.  I didn't start using a roll cast (not a fly fishing roll cast) until later in the game.  I like to suggest people learning to use a baitcast reel use a side arm roll cast.  This avoids the stop and start at the end of the back stroke.  Which in turn smooths out your casting stroke.  Which in turn helps eliminate some of the backlashes.  There are times I can't use the roll cast.  That is when I am more likely to get an overrun or backlash.  Especially if I stop shorter than I had planned on the back stroke.  When this happens I sometimes overcompensate on the forward movement...jerking it forward...not giving the tip time to reach its furthest rear position.  BAD.

Thanks. Makes sense - I can't recall the last time I had a backlash on a roll cast. Distance isn't great, but accuracy is really good.