New At Baitcasting

[FibWi]

Thank you all for the help. I'll go ahead and go with the left hand retrieve.

I have yet, another question, and since I would rather not post a new thread, I'll ask here.

I plan to use some PP with my future baitcaster, but I understand that it would be adequate to spool on a good amount of mono before spooling on the braid. May someone guide me to the light on how this would be good for the braid? What exactly is "slipping" when spooling on the braid without a mono spool?

Thank you!

[redboat]

The reason to have the crank pointed up for a right handed caster is to have the correct wrist motion.

It works better this way: The top of the reel is pointed to the left for a right handed caster, so the spool is vertical with the handle up. This was not natural for me, I had to learn it, but for some reason you get fewer backlashes this way.

A couple of comments: Right handed reels versus left handed, you will find a better selection of baitcasters with the handle on the right and unlike spinning reels they cannot easily be switched. This was the reason I went with right hand reels.

Also, after several hundred backlashes, short casts "thumbing", etc, etc, I bought a BPS Johnny Morris baitcaster (made by Pfluger but much less expensive) which has both centrifugal and magnetic drags. Good instructions in it about how to set both, I won't repeat here; but if it's set correctly I can cast heavy crankbaits and C-rigs a mile without thumbing or backlashes. I also spray the line on the spool with silicone (I use Reel Magic) before the first cast and occasionally afterwards.

Of course when it DOES backlash it can be a long process to pick it out; the silicone helps there also.

I was used to spooling about 50 yards of line only, since a long cast is usually less than that. A guide told me if I'd fill the reel almost full I'd get fewer backlashes. This didn't make sense (still doesn't) to me but once I tried it I found out he was correct.

I don't know why anyone would use a 6:1 baitcaster, seems like a compromise to me. I use 5:1 for cranking, Texas and Carolina rigs, since I have a bad habit of retrieving too fast; and a 7:1 for buzzbaits and frogs.

Good luck, hopefully you won't get frustrated when it backlashes and throw the whole thing in the lake!

[Colton Neal]

Just do whatever you're most comfortable doing and work on it.