FS Digest

How do people get 100+ ft consistently with their baitcasters??? No matter how hard I try I can never seem to do it and end up backlashing :/

For context, I have a shimano slx 6.3:1 on a shimano zodias moderate 7'0 crankbait rod and I am tossing a 1/2 oz squarebill on 10 lb mono. I currently have 2 brakes activated as when I try to go lower I get massive backlashes, and I set my spool tension to where the bait falls fairly slow when I press the button. I am only getting 70-80 ft max, any tips to cast farther? Also how do people utilize their thumbs? I usually just use my thumb at the end of the cast.

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by yellowarmpit47

brianleffler Loc: Fairport N.Y. 14450

100 feet? Everytime I try to cast a baitcaster all I get is a GIANT bird nest and high blood pressure. Then I switch back to my bail caster or okay I'll admit it Zebco... It still works great and I've had it since I was 10 so that makes it almost as old as me (64). Now I feel old and gotta take a nap... I wish it was on a boat with a line in the water with an alarm incase I get a bite...
Keep on Catchin'
Brian

Pro XS 250 Loc: Lafayette, Louisiana

I didn't see where you mentioned, magnet control knob. Not all reels have them but most do. Some will be on the opposite side of the tension knob and some will be underneath on the front left side of the reel. The longer the rod, the farther you will be able to cast. I would try a 7.5 to 8.0-foot medium heavy rod with a medium tip. I would also spoil my reel with 20lb braid and a 10lb fluorocarbon leader. (If that's the size line you want for whatever application your fishing) I wouldn't fill the spool like most of us like to do. Braid will cast farther than mono or fluorocarbon. Also, some reels just won't cast as far as others. I use mostly Curado's and I can flip cast a texas rig with a Senko and a 3/16oz weight around 65-70 feet. Not that I need to flip that far but it's pretty easy to do.

OJdidit Loc: Oak Creek Wisconsin

I am certainly no expert with bait casters, but you may need to tune your reel to the lure you are using. As I understand it, when you press the “button” to release the spool, the lure should drop at a steady fall rate and the spool should stop as soon as the lure hits the water? Please fellas, correct me if I am stating this incorrectly. As for the thumb, I let mine rest lightly on the spool during the cast. The length and action of the rod plus the speed of your wrist, forearm and shoulder all combined produce the distance of the cast. I hope most of this is correct and that some of it helps?

Don Fischer

Ypu ned to learn to tune your reel is great advise! Unless of course you meant 100 yds! Been using bait casting reels some 55 yrs and I have never been able to cast 100 yds! I think that require's heavier longer rods than I use and heavier weight's. 100 ft is a short toss!

Grizzly 17 Loc: South central Pa

Hi yellow I'm not celebrity or a salesman of any kind. I have been fortunate enough to talk to pros like Kevin Van Damm at bass pro shop seminars. Got tips from them on baitcasters. Rule of thumb is set spool where lure stops on contact. Pros acvice start there and gradually loosen your reel up. It definitely takes alot of practice n adjustments till you get it right. With a longer rod n the reel loosened up you'll be surprised at the distance you gain. With the reel loose you will need to stop reel with your thumb when lure when it makes contact. One more thing I'd loose the mono n go with floro or braid. Good luck. Baitcasters just take time n practice

MuskyHunter Loc: Torrington, CT

Following that process will reduce your casting distance if you are using heavier lures since you will put a significant amount of tension on the spool. I am not saying don't do it if that's what it takes to be successful.

My best advice is to perfect your technique so you can use less tension. This takes a lot of practice but can be done. I set the spool tension so that the side to side free play is taken out of the spool and disable the centrifugal brakes. Then you will get very long casts all the time. Things to be careful of:

1. Don't THROW the bait with great force. It isn't necessary. Just use your wrist. If you are throwing your arm out when casting, you are trying to hard and inviting a backlash. You can police this by making sure your elbow never leaves your side.

2. After following number 1, make sure you allow the rod to do the real work.

3. Master your thumb. Practice so you can feel the line going out with almost no tension on your thumb.

4. Use your ears. You can hear as a backlash starts. This is the time to start using your thumb more heavily to slow the spool.

5. Be careful when changing directions (into the wind and with the wind at your back). This is a moment when the risk of backlash increases.

6. Some lures catch the wind. These are more likely to cause a backlash as they slow down quickly when they leave the rod.

7. Changing the weight of the lure also invites a backlash until you mentally adjust.

I have been teaching people to use bait casting rods for over 50 years and they have all learned these techniques quickly and use the rods with reduced tension and brakes.

My son mastered the bait casting reel at the age of five.

Practice makes perfect!

Jakestake83 Loc: Mooresville NC

If your lure drops slowly when you release the spool, your clutch is set right. try setting the breaks at it's mid point. If that doesn't work, you need to build up your shoulder because you might not be throwing it hard enough. Maybe even a longer rod will help. 100 feet should be no problem with average gear.

hemihappy Loc: pawleys island s.c.

Braid I hate the stuff but it sure casts goo.

harleypiker Loc: WA

This might be a fair deviation from other contributors but i will just throw it out there after 70 years of "practice". Of course 70 of repetition does not mean constant improvement.
Start with a long 8 of 9 foot pole. I set the spool bearing by starting with the slow fall mentioned elsewhere. /then i back it off 2 or 3 clicks so the lure falls very freely. I back off the centrifical/magnetic brakes all the way usually. Then i heave the cast hard. Yes, i know that sounds like a huge backlash. But during the very first few feet of the cast, you need to apply noticeable thumb pressure to overcome the initial surge. During the middle of the cast you can leave all or most of thumb pressure off the spool, depending on wind and the weight of the lure. You apply instant thumb pressure just as the lure hits the water. If you do that, there is no need to tighten your spool bearings to stop the spool when the lure hits the water. That shortens your cast noticeably. You will need to graduate to this level educating your thumb just as a BB player or baseball player practices thousands of times to achieve muscle memory. If you want the mechanics of the reel (spool bearings and drags) to do it automatically for you, then you are just going to have shorter casts.

gmorariu Loc: Coos Bay, OR

Practice

Ben Bragg Loc: Dayton Ohio

I’m trying to understand why you would need to get 100+ on a square bill that has a dive depth of about 5 ft

I bomb cast deep diver cranks knowing that a big portion of that cast distance will be needed to get the lure to max depth.
A square bill gets down to max pretty quick
I can cast baits a very long distance with the way I’m set up and dialed in. But I rarely do.

MuskyHunter Loc: Torrington, CT

Even though I commented about how to achieve long casts, I am close to your viewpoint overall. I RARELY need to cast that far. I like to get fairly close to my targets and use precision casting to put my baits exactly where I want them. This is especially true when fishing muskies and bass. These fish seems too really like very precise spots. It is much easier to be precise with short casts.

Tyee Loc: Normal, Illinois

Frequently when I’ve been casting with fluoro or mono, and I switch to braid, my first braid cast will end up 40’ high in a tree.

7+’ medium heavy rod w soft/moderate tip, small diameter braid, 5/8 oz lure, proper reel brake settings, Wheaties for breakfast, and I can do 100’. Even when my target is only 50-60’.

Huntm22 Loc: Northern Utah. - West Haven

I need to come take lessons from you MH. Just starting to use bait casters for Muskies. Not confident in them yet as I have always been a spinning person. I finally got so I was down to only one nest in about 20 casts. But that was last year and it’s been a long winter LOL. My memory of what I was doing is the second shortest thing I have now. Thanks for the advice above. Our water is still a little thick and 3-5 of snow tonight-tomorrow night. We are still in the severe drought in over 60% of the state. We did have a record setting day of 70 degrees a few days back. Crazy!