Casting tip quiestion....

[BucketmouthAngler13]

I have read several places that when casting a baitcasting reel, your crank side of the reel should be facing up by the time the lure hits the water.

Today i just tried it a couple times to see if it worked, and it didn't seem to help anything... :-/

what is it suposed to do? prevent backlash? further casting distance? Becuase i have no clue what it even does, let alone if it works...

Thanks

Matt

[5bass]

Did you also hear that you are supposed to be able to fold a newspaper and put it under your arm and not let it drop out when you cast?That was a training method from WAY BACK.

[Guest avid]

I heard that if you set the spool tension to the correct setting for your lure weight,   And then set the brakes to the optimum setting per your skills and wind conditions, that the lure has a reasonable chance of going somewhere in the vicinity you intended.  :

[Keithscatch]

Classic Avid right there folks  

[dink]

Too funny, Avid!

[Gotta Love It]

Take Avid's advice.... set the reel up properly and practice! Eventually you will become proficient at casting a baitcaster! I have seen many posts that say you should practice in your backyard... I feel you should practice on the lake! Take your baitcaster and your favorite lure (confidence lure that matches your setup) and fish the lake you know the best! It won't take long until you are making accurate casts and catching lunker bass!

Kevin

[fishinyank]

I cast the way you describe most of the time, at least when I remember to. The only difference I find is that I never accidentally knock the handle with my hand on a hard long cast. I don't know how it happens, but when I cast spool side up, I will occassionally do it and it engages th spool, violently stops the cast, and the reel usually makes a very unpleasant sound. >

[Chris]

Well, when you make a cast with your palm down your wrist is able to flex more and when you make a cast this way with a two handed cast you will cast a greater distance than if you hold the rod in a different way. You are able to load the rod more. If you are a deep crankbait fishermen this is the way most cast.

[GAMEOVER]

I think hes really just asking a simple question, id have to say it dont make any difference. I havent noticed anything bad nor good come from anything like you stated in your question BMA.

[phisher_d]

I can cast way better overhand with the handles up (I cast and reel with the same hand). I get less backlashes, more distance, and better accuracy.  I hold the reel vertically for pitching as well. For sidearm casts I don't think it really makes a difference.

[BucketmouthAngler13]

I can cast a BC reel with very liitle backlash. Even though i've only been doing it for a few months, i got the casting part down fairly well. 9 out of 10 of my casts have no backlash whatsoever.

The question i asked was what this "tip" did and if it really worked... so far no one has answerd my question.... :-/

Matt

[senile1]

I learned to cast with the palm down and the handle up so long ago that I don't even remember the reasons for doing it this way.  Chris's statement regarding the wrist sounds pretty good to me.  

[BucketmouthAngler13]

I just saw Chris' post. That makes sense.

Thanks Chris

Matt

[Bassassasin12]

I find it slows the spool down a little bit more before the lure hits the water. I wouldn't say it increases casting distance

[NBR]

Chris is right on. You get a lot more wrist flex with your palm down and overhead casting. Side arming if you are right handed gives you more wrist flex with your palm to the left. In golf its club head speed and in bait casting its lure speed the yields distance. Lure speed will be higher with more wrist flex.

Unless I am really tring for an ultra long cast (very seldom) I don't use much arm at all.

[Chris]

Also if you do a lot of pitching it is better to have your palm facing down. If you learn to pitch this way you will become more accurate and be able to put the lure in the water softer and pitch at a greater distance. With overhand casting you are able to whip the rod faster and if you take the rod outside and mess with it you can hear the difference in the sound the rod makes in the air. You get more speed with the rod on a cast.