Great day, or the Greatest day?

[fishinghusker]

Today, after class, I decided to respool my revo premiere and head out to a local lake.  I was stoked, my thumb is getting better on the baitcaster, and knowing that the fish don't really bite much there, I thought it would be great practice.  Well, I get out there, and with my Husky Jerk (which had caught me a  14" white bass and 13" lmb last week) attached, I was just happy to be casting.  On my third cast, I caught up in a tree, thinking no big deal, this happens sometimes, I proceed to try and get it out.  Little did I know, other people had lost bobbers up there, and there was a ton of excess line that it got caught up in.  Well, I'll just try the bow and arrow to get it out.  My lure flew out into the lake, and now I can't find it.  Well, I decided that shouldn't dampen my spirits too much, lures are lost a lot of the time, and you can always replace it.  I threw on a BPS XPS crank, and am casting my heart out.  One of my friends showed up, and asked me to scoot to the right a little.  Since the tree was overhanging, I was casting side arm to get it out there (I feel more comfortable casting side armed, is that normal?), and I threw it pretty hard to get it out there, and shattered my crank on a small tree stump that I hadn't noticed before.  Not only that, but I had the biggest backlash ever, and now my spool isn't as taught as is was before going out.  I also couldn't find my Husky Jerk, which I thought would have blown to shore.  What a disappointing day, but there is always tomorrow.

[firefightn15]

All in all not a bad day, you didn't lose an eye! ;D  Sorry, couldn't help it.  When things like that happen back to back it just makes you want to shake your head.  Side arm shouldn't be natural but it is beneficial.  It's kinda like baseball, learn how to throw properly first.  This gives you the targeting/aiming practice as well as the eventual distance you can gain.  Side arm and backhand shots give you the diversity you need to hit the hard to hit spots.  Getting under trees, or skippin' docks for example.

Better luck! 8-)

[D4u2s0t]

side arm casting is much easier at first than overhead casting... keep going, will get easier!

[fishinghusker]

So it would be good to work on overhand casting?  Side arm just feels more comfortable, and when I try overhand casting it seems I always release too late and it just goes 20 yards and just rockets down, and if I try and release earlier, it seems I backlash.  Any tips?

[D4u2s0t]

takes practice to learn the right time to release... when you first were learning side arm, you probably threw it to the right or left for a while... practice your form by casting smoothly, and not too hard. let the rod do the work. sometimes with hard casting, you have to use the thumb very lightly through the cast if you're not using a heavy bait. when you cast hard, what happens is the spool starts out very fast, and if it's a light bait or there's a breeze, the bait starts to slow down, but the spool is still spinning, which is feeding out the extra line with no where to go. that's why you get a backlash. took me hours of practice to be able to cast overhand, and many more hours before I could consistently do it without backlashing.

If it makes you feel any better, I got my first baitcaster fall of last year, and used it for maybe a month before the ice hit. In that month, I primarily practiced casting... throw out the bait, burn it back, throw again. non stop casting, I wasn't trying to work the bait, wasn't trying to catch a fish, nothing. But I learned very quickly what works and what doesn't, and this spring, I went out and i've been casting with no backlashes, accurately, and great distance. so stick with it, takes some patience, but it's worth it.

I did a write up when I first got it, i'll find it.  I had some tips for beginners there.  I found that many times when researching online, while the majority of the info was good, there wasn't much geared towards a beginner. 

[fishinghusker]

Thanks very much man.  That would help a lot, I've been trying to read about it, and when they say to keep the reel handle facing up, something about that just seems weird to me, maybe because I cast side armed, with the handle facing down.  Now, when equating it to pitching/throwing a baseball, is a 3/4 delivery good at all? or is it just overhand and side armed?

[D4u2s0t]

here's the link:

http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1253809144/9#9

you don't have to keep the handle facing up, thats just how some people think it's more comfortable, and easier to use your thumb.

[XPSbasser]

Dont feel bad dude. When I first started using a baitcaster I didnt think I was ever gunna get the hang of it lol. At times I just wanted to throw it in the pond and pick up my spinning gear but I kept at it and now Im fairly decent at it I think. It will come to you with practice but look on the bright side, atleast you got out there and tried.. keep it up man, baitcasting is well worth the time it takes to get it done..