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Old 07-05-08, 04:18 AM   #1
islandbass
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Default Zero Brake Setting for Casting Reel



I broke out my right-handed Abu Garcia 5-Star round reel earlier today. When I last checked it out a couple weeks ago, I discovered that something was wrong with it. The retrieve was uneven and not smooth. However, attempting to fix it was the last thing on my mind with my broken ankle on the mend.

Today, I finally had the chance to look into it found out that putting the handle side back in place was difficult to do. The brakes (two little white shoes) were preventing the reel from closing properly. They hung out farther than the rim that contained them. Also, when I managed to close the reel, the brakes rubbed against the same rim at certain times with each revolution of the handle. This was the cause of the uneven and rough retrieve.

Without the brakes in place the reel was easily and quickly assembled. The turning of the handle became buttery smooth.

Next, I thought, hmm…. Can I cast this baby without brakes? I wasn’t sure but I was going to try. I gave my thumb one instruction: “Stop the spool dead cold if it spins out of control. Do not wait or stare like a deer in the headlights.”

I mated the reel to a low-end 6’ rod, rolled out to the driveway in my office chair with my good foot (won’t be able to try walking until August), took a breath, made the cast, and wow! Holy smokes!! I have never seen this reel spin so freely!! It was beautiful. My thumb served as my personal, “islandbass DC (digital control - digit comes from the Latin word for finger or toe). J

There weren’t more than 3 loops of overrun but now my thumb knew the when and where for future casts.

I made right and left handed casts from the chair and stood on my good leg to make an occasional pitch to a manhole and other objects.

The zero brake setting yielded about the same or slightly farther casts but not by too much versus having 2-3 brakes of a centrifugal system on. I noticed that the thumb is definitely more involved and part of me thinks that is part of the fun I experienced. The other thing I noticed was that it took less effort to make those casts. The less effort just might help out in the long run of a long day of fishing.

How many of you fish with zero brakes as the setting on the reel and if you do what are your thoughts about it” To be honest, I expected some nasty overruns. I was surprised that they didn’t happen. I think I am going to try a zero brake setting on my Curado 101D.

If you’re willing, if you’re daring, give the zero brake setting a whirl.
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Old 07-05-08, 05:54 AM   #2
WTL
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If I fished indoors, I would go without breaks. My thumb can handle a reel with no brakes dialed in. I bought a Johnny Morris BPS reel last month and for the first few days I cast without the brakes being activated.

The problem comes when you start making difficult casts or especially when wind becomes a factor. Like I said, in a room doing straight overhead casts I would never ever backlash, even without any brakes. But with all the variables that casting different angles, switching overhand to underhand, lure aerodynamics, then the changing nature of the wind makes it a different game. In that case the brakes create a safety net so to speak.
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Old 07-05-08, 08:25 AM   #3
Jim80
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after a while of casting on my last trip i started to get comfy and started backing off the brakes on my reels well i almost made it to no tension (the magnetic brake was already at zero) and then disaster struck now mind you i had no probs casting for distance but when i aimed for some low hanging trees that in a spot or two were touching the water well as you said I've never seen the the reel spin that freely , most of the backlash was prob my own fault for not being quicker with my thumb but none the less i ended up haveing to reline the reel it was so bad . so for now at least i'll be sticking with a higher brake setting .
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