Side casting a baitcaster

[newbiedmv]

I just got my first baitcaster. I love it but I can only do overhand  casts right now.

I used a spinning reel before and it was all in the wrist. I've heard suggestions but don't understand them. Can you just use your arm below the elbow then a fast flip of the wrist? Or do you need to get your shoulder moving a lot?

We're getting Ida for a few more days then I can practice some more. Too much rain, fishing is out for at least two weeks due to flooding and such( they tend to hide super deep in high water around here, plus I don't want to hit a car, log, or house)

[the reel ess]

I use the sidearm a lot because I kayak fish and that's how I cast or skip under trees and docks. It's a matter of rotating the bait underhanded and allowing the tip of the rod and the bait's centrifugal force propel the bait when you release the spool. Look up "roll cast" on YouTube. Keep practicing. You'll get it. I've been using a baitcaster since I was 13. There are still a few things I'm not too good with it like a backhand cast or skip.

[Sam]

New, casing a baitcaster is a personal thing and you need to hit your pond or go out in your boat with only the baitcaster and your favorite bait all rigged up and ready to go.  Here are some suggestions to avoid backlashes as you learn how to cast your baitcaster:

 

1.  Set up baitcaster with your line and have the reel on the rod with the bait attached.

2.  Turn the drag to the position you want it.

3.  Turn the spool tension knob so that it holds the bait when you point the rod tip to 11 o'clock.

4.  Release the spool and tighten or loosen the spool tension knob so that the spool stops spinning when the bait hits the ground.  You will have to drop your bait a few times doing this to get the spool to stop spinning when the bait hits the ground.

5.  Go outside and cast the bait as far as you can.

6.  Take three arm lengths of line off the spool.

7.  Take some electrical tape (or Scotch tape) and put a small piece across the line on the spool.

This will stop any backlashes at the tape.

8. Always balance your rod and reel in the above manner (1 thru 4) and use the electrical tape as a necessary backup.

 

If you balance your rod and reel in this manner you will not encounter any backlashes when you are casting.

 

To answer your query:  Can you just use your arm below the elbow then a fast flip of the wrist? - YES YOU CAN. IF THIS IS COMFORTABLE FOR YOU. PRACTICE WITH DIFFERENT LINE DISTANCES FROM THE ROD'S TIP (6-inches, 1-foot, two-feet) TO SEE WHICH MEASURMENT IS BEST FOR YOU DEPENDING ON THE BAIT YOU ARE THROWING, THE TECHNIQUE AND YOUR BAIT.

 

Or do you need to get your shoulder moving a lot? - NO, NOT NESCESSARILY. MOST US US USE OUR ARM FROM THE ELBOW DOWN TO CAST WITH YOUR ELBOW EITHER AGAINST YOUR MIDSECTION OR OUT AWAY FROM YOUR BODY.

 

As stated above, your casting method is your casting method so what is good for me and others may not be the best for you.

 

Go out and practice, practice and practice.

 

Good luck

[newbiedmv]

Thanks, so thats what is meant by a roll cast. I don't have issues with birdnests the reel I have tuned in works great, although I'm still tweaking the brake.

I'm in the late 50s and my shoulder is toast, got a shot today so it should be ready in a few days.

I'm used to casting with a fast flip of the wrist with my elbow at my side.

Oh the balance of the set up seems real good.

17 minutes ago, the reel ess said:

I use the sidearm a lot because I kayak fish and that's how I cast or skip under trees and docks. It's a matter of rotating the bait underhanded and allowing the tip of the rod and the bait's centrifugal force propel the bait when you release the spool. Look up "roll cast" on YouTube. Keep practicing. You'll get it. I've been using a baitcaster since I was 13. There are still a few things I'm not too good with it like a backhand cast or skip.

Underhanded? Like rotating the rod so the eyelets are pointed down?

[newbiedmv]

Just watched a few... man I was doing everything wrong. I mean everything. I'll have to learn to use my left hand to pivot for the flip and keep the right hand steady and brake with my thumb.

I was casting one handed, no line out, using a backhand swing......

Well I'm a newbie ?

[slonezp]

Practice

[jimmyjoe]

3 hours ago, newbiedmv said:

Just watched a few... man I was doing everything wrong. I mean everything. I'll have to learn to use my left hand to pivot for the flip and keep the right hand steady and brake with my thumb.

I was casting one handed, no line out, using a backhand swing......

Well I'm a newbie ?

 

 

 Everyone has to start somewhere. I was where you are, back in 1963.

Don't get hung up on the right way and the wrong way; success will naturally guide you into the right way without your even realizing it. It's just like driving, sex and ice skating ..... although maybe not in that exact order.  ? ?

 

And remember ...... fishing is FUN.  Good luck!            jj

[the reel ess]

11 hours ago, newbiedmv said:

Thanks, so thats what is meant by a roll cast. I don't have issues with birdnests the reel I have tuned in works great, although I'm still tweaking the brake.

I'm in the late 50s and my shoulder is toast, got a shot today so it should be ready in a few days.

I'm used to casting with a fast flip of the wrist with my elbow at my side.

Oh the balance of the set up seems real good.

Underhanded? Like rotating the rod so the eyelets are pointed down?

No, like this. It's very useful in placing a quiet cast to a target.

 

[bulldog1935]

Back in the '80s, I had two coast guides specifically tell me what was wrong with my spiral cast for free shrimping - this was an old Ambassadeur, a bare 2/0 hook, and a live 3" shrimp.  They were each throwing spinning tackle, and I demonstrated to each I could double their cast distance.  

@jimmyjoe is absolutely correct.  Find your cast.

The more different ways you find to load the rod and get the result, the better you will fish in different situations.  

[redmeansdistortion]

32 minutes ago, bulldog1935 said:

Find your cast.

This right here.  I've been fishing baitcast gear for 35 years, still can't get the hang of the overhead cast if my life depended on it.  My trajectory arcs way too much.  My roll cast, side arm, and backhand are pretty top notch though, with my backhand being by far my best.  I prefer to cast one handed much of the time due to the greater range of motion.  As such, I tend to stick with shorter rods because the butt section is shorter overall making it easier for me to cast one handed.  

[Jaderose]

There is no right way and there is no wrong way.  There is your way.  You'll dial it in to do the things you want to do.  The ONE thing I will say is this is exactly why I always recommend to BC newbs to buy them when the water is hard and the snow is blowing.  You can practice, practice, practice with no worries about the outcome.  I've yet to catch a fish casting in my yard or flipping in my garage.  Unless you count a "CAT" fish.  

It's like the difference between using a LH or a RH reel.  Who cares?  Use the one that feels like an extension of your central nervous system.

[A-Jay]

Easier perhaps to show it rather than  trying to explain it.

So here's my version of it.

A-Jay

[islandbass]

On 9/1/2021 at 5:34 PM, slonezp said:

Practice

Indeed, but I will add this… Focused practice. The practice has to be intent on focusing and being intent and attempting to be corrective, addressing mistakes. 
 

Just liken it to millions of golfers who go to the driving range to “practice.”  I am willing to bet 95% of them aren’t practicing but more likely just mindlessly hitting balls. They aren’t working on drawing or fading the ball or the flop shot, or intentionally hitting the ball with a lower trajectory. Nah, they’re just whacking away. 
 

When I first started using a bc, I was at ground zero and alone. Knowing this going in,   Through trial and error I figured things out. 
 

For example, my side arm casts (RH) was always flying to the right. Why? Hey dummy (me talking to myself), you’re releasing the thumb from the spool too late. 
 

There I am with my new curado 201bsf, which I spooled with 30#. Didn’t know anything about braid. I make my first cast. It was an overhead cast. The result was my casting weight slamming into the ground right front of me. And before that, the spool spun so fast  and immediately after the weight hit the ground, that infamous thwurrruppp sound. Instant birds nest. The overrun was so bad that I had to cut it off. Lessons learned:

 

1) Holy moly — the release point is way earlier than it is with spinning gear

2) For the cost, braid is NOT ideal for a greenhorn newbie. 
3) Turn your brakes on. I honestly thought I could use my thumb to manage the speed of the spool and none of the centrifugal brakes were on. What an idiot, lol. 

[Mobasser]

Many experienced casters cast overhand and sidearm, as they need to. You could watch a video of some good ones. Larry Nixon is a great example. Moving along, he cast sidearm or overhand, depending on distance etc. Practice is the key.

[BrianMDTX]

On 9/1/2021 at 6:55 PM, the reel ess said:

I use the sidearm a lot because I kayak fish and that's how I cast

Same here out of my inflatable. The tricky part at first is not casting with a jerky, flicking motion. Let the bait come back and load up the rod. 

[Catt]

1 hour ago, BrianMDTX said:

The tricky part at first is not casting with a jerky, flicking motion. Let the bait come back and load up the rod. 

 

Rods cast, reels hold line, set your reel up properly & let the rod do its job, it's better at than you!

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

Roll casts are the most effective for me, accurate and allows soft entry into the water. A true backhand cast is helpful should you fish from the back of a boat. Backhand is a good way to hit targets as you pass hitting spots the front may have missed