Just bought my first Baitcaster opinions, suggestions

[Jackl]

SNAKE,
One tip that I always use when I teach an beginner to cast a casting reel is to use a belt or rope and tie thier casting arm to thier body just above the elbow. This way you dont get in the habit of pulling your arm back over your head when casting (The quickest way there is to get a backlash) Practice using your elbow and wrist to cast when using an overhand cast. An easier cast to learn is to use a roll cast. keep your arm in to your ribs and stand at a 45 degree angle to your target. Drop your rod paralell to the ground or water, hit the release button on the reel and hold your thumb on the spool. Allow the lure to drop a little to where you have about 8 to 10 inches of line hanging down and work the lure to where it is making a circle foreward from the bottom, ovr the top and down the back side of the rod tip. When the lure gets to the bottom of the arc, give the rod a little snap in the direction you want the lure to fly and release some tension off the spool, allowing the spool to feather under your thumb. This will cast the lure to the target just above the ground or water and give you a much quieter entry into the water. This is a very good cast to use when it is windy as your lure does not get up to where the wind can catch it. It is also good for casting under overhanging tree limbs and boat docks. Both types of cast are good to practice as you will use them quite a bit. I probably use a roll cast about 90 percent of the time if I am fishing from the front of a boat, as it is much more accurate and keeps the lure just above the water for a quieter entry.

JackL