FS Digest

I broke down and bought a black max a few months ago. Spun up some 8lb mono I had. Dinged around with it in the yard for a few days until I thought I had the hang of it. Took it out once and birdnested it on the third cast. Brought it home and tried some braid I had. Felt better using it in the yard again. Took it out a second time. I had about a dozen solid casts, then it actually birdnested mid-cast, before the lure even hit the water. I wrapped it up and took it back home.

After the second birdnest, I used my spinners and a spincast for a few trips, and I started thinking I'm probably doing ok with them. Maybe I don't really need to use a baitcaster. I can get the lure where I want it 9/10 times with other gear. The most frustrating part isn't the birdnesting, it's losing the time associated with the birdnest. That and all the wasted line. If I just used a spinning reel, I could spend more time fishing instead of untangling.

I'm wondering if maybe baitcasters aren't for me. Maybe I should keep working the spinning reels instead. That, and I think my neighbors are starting to talk about the wierdo fishing in his yard.

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by ET2-SW

FS Digest

I understand the birdnest on the spool over runs once the bait hits the water but ive had the same thing where mid cast it just locks up and birdnests. Its super annoying. Not sure why it is happening

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by tsbphoto

FS Digest

its because the spool is spinning faster than the bait is taking out line.

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by datbeerdude

FS Digest

some of that is tension knob.. tighten it some if possible. and you can tune your brakes up to reduce issues when the bait has met the water. also, feathering the spool w/your thumb is a learned technique, which requires some patience/practice and then it'll be mostly muscle-memory from there.

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by biscuitsboi

FS Digest

Casting into a headwind.

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by Vandilbg

FS Digest

There u go!

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by ourtime93710

FS Digest

If it happens in the front half of the cast you need more brake weight and if it happens in the second half you need more side spool pressure!

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by PEZZZZZZZZZZZ

FS Digest

It's because braid will dig into itself and will stop the spool from spinning

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by pp

FS Digest

You're casting to hard. Only a handful of baits can be rocketed with a side cast. Typically aerodynamic hard baits (lipless) and large swimbaits.

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by darthraider520

FS Digest

Should thumb the spool when the bait hits the water or a little before, tricky to time but you’ll get it down with some time.

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by barstoolmoderator1

FS Digest

If u have braid it could be because of line pinch where the line sticks to the spool because it get wedge into the spoiled line and causes a disturbance when it’s unwedged during a cast and can start to cause a birds nest

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by Blake-M-W

FS Digest

I've never even bothered to try, after watching a friend wasting all his time untangling instead of fishing. To be fair, he got the hang of it after a while, but it takes practice.

I'm telling myself I don't spend enough time casting heavy lures, for it to be worth it.

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by iircthatis

FS Digest

Took me 3 attempts or buying and returning lol, on the final go I just made my self learn it no matter how much i wanted to punch baby animals because of the backlashes . Here I am 3 years later and its all I use, unless a lure calls for a spinning reel.

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by Jayjohnson86

FS Digest

I’m the exact opposite I learned and am good with baitcasters but still find spinning gear to be far superior for almost all applications

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by liquidsahelanthropus

FS Digest

That's what I found, you really get what you pay for, cheap wal-mart baitcasters are a headache. Money talks with baitcasters.

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by Jayjohnson86