Bait Casting Help

[green]

Hello everyone. I just purchased my first baitcast reel, and i am running into problems trying to cast accurately. When i cast side arm (with right arm) my bait is going way left of my intended target, and when i cast overhand its the bait is line driving straight into the water. I have used spinning reels my hole life and can cast very accuratly with them and have never run into a problem like this. I am curious as to if you think my settings are off, or it is just the nature of a baitcaster and something ill have to get used too.

PS. I have tension knob set to let bait slowly fall, and have brakes off.

Thanks in advance

[IneedAnewScreenName-972354]

Sounds like you are not loading the rod and releasing either to early or too late. To load the rod you want to start your backward motion, then stop the rod and as you feel the rod flex from the butt to the tip in a backward motion you can start bringing your arm foward. This is causes the rod tip to flex back and allows the tip to do most of the work during the cast Then practice your release point on spool to direct the cast where you want it. I would start off a short distances for practice and work your way out to longer casts. I use a 3/4 arm cast motion most of the time. Just a little time is all it takes!

[green]

ok, i was told to use a long swooping cast or spool will accelerate to fast causing backlash. Can i cast like i do with spinning set up and flick wrist quickly? also how much different is the release point concerning a baitcaster and spinning reel

Thanks For your input

[Deleted account]

Are your casts landing consistently left by a similar distance? or are they all over the place?

[green]

it really depends on how hard a try to cast but overall its pretty consistent. I think its a release problem but i feel like i release it on time than it drifts left further and further until it hits water

[QUAKEnSHAKE]

Well first thing I would suggest is to put some brakes on. You dont have your thumb trained yet so the brakes will help on the star-up inertia.

Your errant casts I think are a result of you using force to overcome the spool tension then this force is not controlled by the brakes or you thumb. Am I stating this clearly I hope.

Maybe start at max brakes or 3/4ths and work down I dont know type you have. On the spool tension Im thinking your slowly might be a bit too slow, just loosen it til the weight falls just fast enough to where the spool stops with less than one rotation after hitting ground. Start with like 1/2oz weight plug,sinker something with low wind resistance.

[Kimist]

I've only been using a bait caster for a year, but it sounds like you are releasing too late. I find that the timing is different from a spinning reel.

[green]

thanks for the help everyone, ill keep experimenting and practicing and see if i can correct my accuracy issues

[sdoug805]

Hello everyone. I just purchased my first baitcast reel, and i am running into problems trying to cast accurately. When i cast side arm (with right arm) my bait is going way left of my intended target, and when i cast overhand its the bait is line driving straight into the water. I have used spinning reels my hole life and can cast very accuratly with them and have never run into a problem like this. I am curious as to if you think my settings are off, or it is just the nature of a baitcaster and something ill have to get used too.

PS. I have tension knob set to let bait slowly fall, and have brakes off.

Thanks in advance

What is the weight of the lure you're trying to cast? I would recommend that you engage the brakes and try casting the lure as you normally would with your spinning set up. If you're casting an unfamiliar way to try and avoid a backlash, doing this will help minimize the chances of a backlash so you can spend more time getting comfortable casting. Once you are comfortable casting accurately you can fine tune the reel for distance. Heavier lures require less braking, and lighter lures require more braking.

Also, this may sound obvious but it's worth noting, don't use the thumb bar as a trigger for when you want your line to be released during the cast. I press the thumb bar down, and then use my thumb to keep pressure on the line, and then just release my thumb from the spool during my cast.

[tomustang]

Since you're new to castin' you should really have some brakes on

[Triton_Mike]

Several things I do to help clients that are novice to bait casting gear.

1. I personally make about a 30 yard cast and put tape on the spool and then reel on the 30 yds of line over that tape. This will prevent backlash getting too deep and help you concentrate more on casting. Duct tape has many usages

2. I would reccomend a somewhat heavy bait to start out with while learning and graduate to a lighter bait. A spinnerbait or sammy type bait would be a good starting point then work your way to say a weightless senko.

Mike

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

Think of it like throwing a ball. The release point dictatesthe direction of the throw. Start easy and don't over power your casts(throws) the distance will come.

[green]

Well i went out and practiced casting a little bit today, and i think i have figured my problem out. I was using to light of a lure, because when i put heavier one on i could hit my locations no problem. Is there a specific way i have to tune my reel for a lighter baits? does the tension knob have to be looser than you would normally adjust it too?

Thanks again

[new2BC4bass]

How light are you talking? Casting any lure under 1/4 oz. requires you to be proficient with a baitcasting reel. Not many reels can handle weights below 1/4 oz. very well The rod needs to be able to load with those light weights. It has been my experience so far that a rod with a nice parabolic bend will cast a light lure further. YMMV. I've got an Alphas ito on a Daiwa 6'6" Medium XF and a Curado 51E on a Falcon Expert 6'6" Medium. I'm getting more distance with the Falcon rod. I don't think it is the reel, but haven't switched them yet to be sure.

Do a search and you will turn up plenty of material to help you master your casting. 12-15# mono line (braid...40# minimum...is good to learn on IMO, but more expensive), !/2-3/4 oz. lure (choose towards high end of the rod's rating), don't try for distance, load the rod, be smooth.

Even with the above, many caster's first throws are exactly as you describe. I came from using 100% spinning gear. I could put the lure pretty close to where I wanted it most times. Not so with the b/c reel. Timing is quite a bit different between the two. Going too light with the lure wight only makes it a LOT worse. Only way to improve timing is to practice, then practice some more.

EDIT: You didn't mention the reel you are using...or the rod. Both would help to a certain extent in being able to give you some useful advice. You are not going to cast a 1/8 oz. lure using a low cost reel on a MH rod. Or light action rod for that matter.

[tholmes]

I've only been using a bait caster for a year, but it sounds like you are releasing too late. I find that the timing is different from a spinning reel.

^^ This. If you're used to using spinning reels, you'll need to adjust your release point with a baitcaster. Because a baitcaster has a revolving spool (opposed to a spinning reel's stationary spool), you have to compensate for the fraction of a second that it takes for the spool to start turning. Your release point on the cast needs to be just a hair earlier in the casting motion than it is with a spinning reel. Experiment with it out in the backyard, it takes some practice to adjust.

Tom

[Michael DiNardo]

If you are just starting don't worry, what is happening is normal. The tape suggestion that someone made is a good one. Also don't just use a heavy lure it will accelerate too quickly. When this happens your thumb will not "learn" to control the spool. Use a big heavy spinnerbait. Start with learning to control shorter easy casts. Most of all just keep practicing, you will get it.

Mike

[BrASSmonkey]

I find that with spinning gear, I tend to use a hard snap when casting. However, when i use baitcasting gear, I try to make sure my casting motion is much more smooth in order to allow the spool to accelerate proportionally to the speed of the lure flying. I find when I snap cast, the line flies off the spool initially really fast, but the lure's flight does not maintain the speed to keep up with the line coming off the reel. It seems to me that a smoother cast does not do this as badly.

Also, with respect to accuracy; aside from the aforementioned lure weight, I find that my release point with a smooth casting motion is different than with a snap cast. In general, I tend to release the line sooner in teh casting motion with a baitcaster as compared to a spinning reel. I have actually had problems releasing the line too early when going back to spinnning gear, and sending the bait almost straight up. I once sent the bait backwards, but the line slipping off my finger... I swear...

[hatrix]

The release point is for sure earlier on a casting reel then spinning. It just take a little practice to get the timing down. Also the tape idea is a great trick to help you out. I would try casting the heaviest most wind resistant bait you have to start off with. Things like spooks and lipless cranks have like no wind resistance and are some of the farthest casting baits IMO. Some people said to use a spinner but I would personally disagree with that. They can helicopter and do all kinda of things in the middle of a cast that will slow it down and only cause you more problems controlling the spool.

I taught my brother how to use a casting reel last week and he nailed it in a day. It helps a great deal having someone to personally show you what to do. I did teach him with no spool tension as I consider it a crutch and think you become to reliant on it and it is really not needed if using heavier baits that cast far.