Casting Weightless Plastics with a Baitcaster

[Catt]

Your reel does not cast your bait; that is your rod's job  

If your reel is set up properly and you are still back lashing the problem is an uneducated thumb.

I cast a wacky rigged Zoom trick worm with a Calcutta 50 mounted on a Castaway CSB66 Medium Heavy Bait Cast, Length: 6' 6 Line Class: 8 to 14 lbs., Lure Weight: ¼ oz to 5/8 oz.

[Raul]

Hey Raul The rigging is correct but if you can help me with the hookest I would appeciate it, maybe on another thread so we don't hijack this one. A lot of the fellas have suggested that I go to MH, I would like your opinion. I am catching a lot more fish, but I am missing enough to know I am the problem

When fishing with softy rods you don 't set the hook with a yank of the rod, you let the fish impale itself on the hook; first of all, "skin" hook your baits if you have them rigged weedless ( T-rig, shakey ) or if skinning causes much problem T-expose the hook, then maintain your line at 10 o 'clock, when you feel the fish taking the bait, reel in the slack and lift the rod to tighten the line at the same time, when the fish pulls the bait it 's time for using the power of the rod by lifting the tip to 12 o 'clock and maintain the pressure, if your hooks are sharp the fish impales itself on the hook.

It 's a matter of practice Dom, I myself learned to do it fishing for bluegills with 2 lb test line.  

[Guest muddy]

Thank you much Raul. RW,LBH and Avid also have told me just about the same, thanks to all the fellas.

[Davis]

UNTIL.......I cast out my SPRO Bronzeye Frog....($11.49 + TAX) here in Canada ........ And "PING!!!!!" Line breaks Bye Bye Bronzeye...I am hoping to borrow a boat tomorrow and retrieve it from the lilly pads......and fish my lake properly.

;D Same thing happened to me except I was throwing it with my spinning gear because I don't have a bait caster. Sucker sailed a ways. Never found it or got it back because I didn't have my boat. Either someone nabbed it or a fish is swimming around with it.  >

[islandbass]

i really don't consider a senko a weightless plastic because it has so much salt in it it's far from weightless.

That's right. A 5" senko is about 3/8 oz all by itself!

Brooks, I think it is great you are getting the hand of using a bc reel. Some of the things I do to minimize overruns are:

1) When casting, to let the rod do the work.  Allow the lure's weight to load the rod and toss the lure forward. You just might find you can make very long casts that way. Getting too wristy is a potential cause that infrequent backlashed cast.  If you have ever played golf, it is in the turning of the wrists that the golfer's swing goes through its greatest change in velocity. Do the same thing with a bc reel, and too much speed will be applied to the spool than it can handle, leaving backlashing the end result.

2) No matter what type of cast is made, stop the spool before the lure hits anything, be it the water, the ground, or a shrub.

The latter of the two is the only thing I told my daughter to keep in mind and she has gotten the concept. I also did the same for a friend who has never used a bc reel in his life and he didn't backlash for the rest of the day.

I am glad you realized that about the thumb.  90% of time I don't feather the spool anywhere in the first 85% of the cast. No need to give up distance.

[Numpty]

I got my Frog back today....didn't get a boat....

It took me about 20 casts but I was able to snag it with a Jotterbug.....WooHoo

I think I was more impressed with my accuracy with my baitcaster and getting my Frog back than I was catching a fish while trying to get the frog.

The info on here has lessened my learning curve immensely.

Thanks to everyone

[Bendo562]

Something I like to do is I run a top shot,braid to a floro,mono leader about 2 ft long. Braid cast so much better then mono our floro,I throw Berkely 4 Inc flat head minnows on my bc setup all day. If you are familiar with that bait,you know there is absolutely no weight at all to them my hook is hevier. I spool 20 lb power pro and then top shot with a RP knot our Aussie quickie knot. It's the perfect presentation for super light plastics,braid floats just enough on the surface while the mono sinks,slow twicthes while u reel. This setup doesn't work well in the wind,works good on pressured ponds.

[OnthePotomac]

Throwing weightless plastics (no slip sinker) on baitcasting gear is not rocket science. Generally, if the bait weight less than 3/8oz use a 1/8-3/16 slip sinker for trouble free casting.  If it is Senko type bait (they weight 3/8oz) you do not need additional weight and can therefore throw them weightless. Assuming the line is in the 10-15lb range.  All of my weightless rigs go on 15lb Invizx (.013 dia)

[Glenn]

Here ya go!

 

[NathanDLTH]

I’m spoiled. My Tatulas and Zillions backlash very little when throwing weightless senkos, worms, and others. SV spool helps and it’s been good with weightless plastics. 

[Mikeltee]

Practice throwing weight before throwing weightless and good luck in the wind. I find that the rod has a lot more to do with it than the reel does when it comes to light weight. 

[OnthePotomac]

Glenn, your video emphasizing elbow at your side reminded me that in early 2013 I had my right shoulder completely overhauled and when spring came I was determined to get on the water.  I quickly learned that to escape the healing pain of casting I had to discipline myself to keep my elbow tight to my side and depend on the wrist only.  It broke some bad habits I had gotten into over the years ago in casting.  A painful way to correct myself however.