Magnetic Brakes, Centrifugal Brakes or Both

[Pantera61]

What is the difference between the mag brake and the centrifical? Just started to use baitcasting reels and I am getting confused?

Centrifugal brakes are internally adjustable (usually) sliding blocks mounted on pins. Most reels have 2,4 or most commonly, 6 of them. Those brakes effect the spool and initial spin up of the spool, the hardest part of the cast to control and prevent the spool from over spinning on the first part of the cast.

Mag brakes are normally externally adjustable, fixed magnets that are moved closer too or farther away from the spool end using an adjustment dial. Mag brakes come into play towards the end of the cast as the lure is losing momentum in it's trajectory and prevent the spool from spinning faster than the lure is taking out line. Reels without mag braking force the user to learn thumb control of the spool as the means to keep that from happening.

There is an exception to this, Daiwa's mag force braking system reacts upon the spool during the cast somewhat like Centrifugal brakes do. It's a completely different design of mag braking than other manufacturers.

If you want to really learn to use a baitcaster, a reel with only centrifugal brakes is the way to go OR a dual brake reel and leave the magnetic brakes turned off. It's really a great idea to learn thumb control. Much the same way everybody should learn to drive a stick shift automobile.

Actually, the centrifugal brakes are activated at the beginning of the cast but affect deceleration of the spool.  The lure, with the line are moving at one rate of speed and the spool is moving at another rate of speed.  The centrifugal brake is attempting to maintain equilibrium between the two.

This is why I always recommend beginners start with the spool tension set lighter than most.  If you have the tension control knob set too tight, it requires more power to get the lure moving.  What happens next is the spool is moving to fast and you're in backlash city.