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Bait Cast or Bust
Tips on Learning to Cast a Bait Cast Reel
By
Eric Royer aka Big E
Member Augusta County Bass Jon’s
(2009)
During my thirty some years of fishing, I have heard the same statement spoken by many fishermen “I cannot cast a bait cast reel”. I have heard many fishermen considering leaving the fishing rod in the lake after fighting with the bait cast. One gentleman offered to sell me his brand new bait cast outfit he purchased for less that half the price he paid because he could not cast the reel. Don’t be ashamed if you fall in this category. My first experience with a bait cast reel I would compare to learning how to ride a bike. Things were moving fast and the feeling is awkward. You swing the rod forward release the spool with great anticipation and watch the line sail through the air then you hear and see the bird nest of line at your reel. Numerous times you clear the mess of line from the reel and try again and again. Occasionally you gain a little confidence let your guard down and backlash again. The bait cast reel is very simple device that has frustrated the best of fishermen. Hopefully with practice and a better understanding of what is going wrong, you will cast smoothly.
The earliest experience I remember with a bait cast was back in the 1980. I had never owned bait cast reel and fell in love with the bait cast combo on display at the local fishing supply store. Oh, I thought the mere feel and touch of the Diawa Procaster Magforce mounted on the Berkley Lightning rod seemed to release an unseen power of fish catching ability. I acquired the combo at Christmas. With my mighty bait cast at my hand I now was ready to unleash the power of my new weapon. In the backyard I tied a weight to the Stren Prime monofilament. With so much excitement in the air what could go wrong. I pick a target to cast toward, a shrub bush along the side of the garden approximately fifty feet away. As if I were casting into my favorite honey hole I swing the mighty lightning rod and released the Magforce. Oh I thought to my self the fish will bow before me. As quick as I would release the cast a buzz and flutter of line formed the biggest mess of line around the reel. Discouraged I tried over and over adjusting the switches and knobs on the reel. After reading through the manual and a lot of time and practice the backlash problem was cured.
There was a moment in my first experience with the bait cast that I wondered why anyone wants to use bait cast. The bait cast reel offers superior reel retrieve speeds, optimum drag components and a high line capacity. Serious fishermen want all these qualities. The largest fish species are usually caught on bait cast outfits. Think of the huge barrel reel used to catch the monsters of saltwater. Bait cast they are. Technology is constantly improving the performance of all reel types and one should use what they are most comfortable with.
Before beginning to cast your bait cast reel understand the mechanics of the reel understand the mechanics of the reel. Generally the reel consists of a spool mounted in ball bearing housing. The spool will spin freely with very minimal resistance. Reels will have a mechanism in which to provide resistance to the spool this is usually called a tension knob. The tension knob can be tighten to prohibit the movement of the spool or loosen to totally free the spool.
The tension knob in this illustration is the small silver knob just behind the star shape drag level between the handle and reel.
Another mechanism that affects the speed of the spool is backlash control. This control most often located on the opposite side of the handle is a dial control with an off and on and variable adjustments. This mechanism is an arrangement of pins surrounding the spool to apply a breaking system to the spinning spool. When the spool is in rotation the pins gradually slow the spinning spool to a resting position.
Use a heavy weight when starting out to cast. Try a ¼ ounce to ½ ounce weight. Lighter weights are harder to adjust to than heavier weights. Think about the weight on the end of the line as a pendulum. The weight swings back and forth from the point of the rod tip. The force of the weight in motion is absorbed into the rod itself; you feel the most pressure when the weight is in the bottom of the swing motion and the farthest point from the rod tip. When you swing the rod, feel the rod load up due to the weight on the line. When the rod stops the weight swings and reach the maximum load at the farthest point then reacts by swinging back toward the rod tip. When casting you want to release the spool just has the weight reaches that heavy point. The load generated by the rod moves into the momentum of the weight and launches into the air. The weight travels pulling the line behind. The friction of the line in the guides and the turning of the spool are the forces acting to slow down the weight. Too much force the weight does not travel very far, too little resistance and the spool will release line faster than the weight is traveling resulting in a back lash.
Just like a weight tied to a sting attached to the end of a stick, the weight will travel to the length of the sting and stop or swing around. The goal is to allow the weight to fly away with little resistance but enough resistance in the spool to prevent to spool from back lashing. If we allow too little resistance a backlash occurs. There is a balance between the two. Speed of the cast and the ability of the reel to slow down the line speed while achieving the desired cast distance.
With the rod held horizontal release the spool and watch the weight fall to the ground. Three things will happen. The weight will not fall at all or very slowly to the ground. The weight falls very fast and suddenly stops while the line on the spool continues to spin. Or the weight falls and stops on the ground at about the same time the spool stops spinning. Adjust the tension knob to the correct tension so the weight will fall to the ground and the spool will stop with little extra line released. This point may require you to twitch the rod in order to get the weight moving.
Now let’s adjust the backlash mechanism on the reel. Set the mechanism at about half way range. Depending on your reel this may be measured by numbers or a symbol. This will help to slow the spool when the weight slows during the cast.
Reel up the weight and release the spool allowing the weight to fall free. Adjust both tension knob and backlash preventer until the weight travels the fastest without the spool over running with line.
Think of the weight dropping to the ground and stopping as a fifty foot cast. You want the same outcome for each. Releasing the spool is as if you swung the rod and released, the weight falling to the ground, is as if the weight is projected through the air, and the weight stopping on the ground is as if the weight is slowing down and lands at the desired location. All with no backlash. Practice releasing the weight and allow to fall to the ground. Then apply short swings with the rod and releasing the weight each time observing the spool and if the line is stopping or back lashing. If the line backlashes go back and adjust more tension form the tension knob. Slowly increase the cast distance say ten feet to twenty feet. When reach a distance you cast with minimum line tangle use you thumb to apply a little pressure toward the end of the cast. You will slowly gain confidence and ability to cast farther and farther. Use the same casting motion and develop a motion memory in your mind. Your brain is actually calibrating the cast for you. You brain remembers the feeling of the cast and whether adjustment are needed. Once you have mastered your cast you may trying different casting techniques and rod swings.
