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Old 04-03-08, 09:10 AM   #1
Snake2715
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Default Just bought my first Baitcaster opinions, suggestions

Alright,

So I have never used a baitcaster seriously, in my life. I had tried to cast them a time or two but went back to what I was familiar with.

So I picked this one up:
http://www.silstar.com/guide/products.aspx?Pid=318



SENTARA™ Baitcast Features

» 8 Stainless Steel Bearings

» Metal Frame and Metal Gear Box

» Easy Dial Centrifugal Brake System

» High Speed 6.2:1 Gear Ratio

» Unlimited Anti-Reverse

» Titanium-Shielded Line Guide

» Quick Access Removable Side Cover

» Audible Click Star Drag

» Multi-Stack Trulon Drag Washers


I had read last year about ways to practice the cast, etc.

My question is, is it a decent enough reel to get started on?

And secondly:

What type of line does everyone suggest I start with, given I am new to the Baitcasters? I have heard start with cheap line as you will mess it up learning to cast, and then i have heard start with better line as it will help you learn quicker. I guess my direct question is should I use Mono or Braid for starters, and once I get the hang of it is one preferred over the other on these types of reels?


Any tips or insight will be greatly appreciated. I am getting excited as ever for the new season!
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Last edited by Snake2715; 04-03-08 at 09:42 AM.
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Old 04-03-08, 10:16 AM   #2
WTL
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I'd go with braid, it will backlash some but not as badly as mono IMO cause of the lack of memory. The flip side to that is if you really get it backlashed it can be a mess, but we arent gonna let you really backlash it.

That is a fine reel to start on, especially since its the one you have. Throwing baitcasters is easier than spinning, I want you to remember that. The line is much more predictable.

Tighten up the drag so that you can't hardly backlash if you try. Then go at it. Just keep loosening the drag the better you get. Don't really go for distance, you are training your thumb here. Like I said, imo baitcasting is the easiest, with the exception of spincast, reel to master.
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Old 04-03-08, 10:26 AM   #3
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I recommend mono. As a once again newbie to baitcasting, you can expect to have a number of backlashes right off the bat. Putting on expensive braid at this time isn't exactly economical if you know what I mean.

Use mono until you get accustomed to using a baitcaster. I am speaking from experience. 150 yrds of PPro ruined after one cast.
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Old 04-03-08, 10:29 AM   #4
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Thats true, mono is cheaper. The main thing is tighten that drag way up. If you do it right, you wont backlash that much even if you are just beginning.
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Old 04-03-08, 10:53 AM   #5
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My advice.... return it now! baitcaster = birdnester!!
MY better advice .... patience/practice...
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Old 04-03-08, 12:44 PM   #6
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I am new to the baitcast scene to. Just bought two baitcasters and put braid on them both. One tip I read about said tie on the lure hit the release on the reel, with the pole vertical, and if the lure dosn't move the brake is to tight. If it birds nest when the lure hits the ground the reel the brake is to loose. If it hits the ground and no birds nest perfect. This was a good routine for me when I first threw it a couple of times. The better I got the more brake I took off. Never tried mono on mine, but I really like the braid. Hope this helps, Good Luck!
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Old 04-03-08, 02:07 PM   #7
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WTL, since we are on baitcasters (and I will try not to hi-jack the thread), do you thumb/feather the spool of the baitcaster while pitching?
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Old 04-03-08, 02:30 PM   #8
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A suggestion if I may: 3 things I wish I would have done while I was learning the baitcaster...

1) Use a mono line for backing with a braid line, braid is much more forgiving than other lines when it comes to baitcasters

2) pull out about 40-60 yards of line off your spool and use electrical tape across the reel to keep the line from going any further than this point..this way if you do have a bird's nest..excuse me..when you have a birds nest it won't be as difficult to untangle

3) get a step-stool or stand on a chair and practice, practice, practice...start with heavy lures and try just flippin' to short targets

It will take some practice, but try not to get frustrated and stick with it..once you get it down..you will understand why so many fisherman use them
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Old 04-03-08, 02:43 PM   #9
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Yes I do. Probly not as much with a regular cast though.

Its kinda like when you learn to drive. You have a car in front of you about 15 feet, and you are taught to not break, but just put you foot close enough to the break so that should you need it, its there. I can sense the backlash unravling and my thum is always ready and it normally applies a little pressure at splashdown, but not as much as if I were flinging a spinnerbait or something.

But for the purpose of disclosure, while I primarily pitch and never flip (even when I'm close), there are others with sounder pitchin technique on here if the distances they achieve are to be believed.
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Old 04-03-08, 03:36 PM   #10
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Ditto what Rip Lipper said, except tighten the brake a little more so you have to flick the tip to get the bait to fall. Also, keep your elbow into your body and just use your wrist to cast with and keep your thumb on the spool. you're better off to short cast and club the bait into the ground than to pick out the backlashes. Good Luck, B.T.
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Old 04-03-08, 03:49 PM   #11
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I leanred baitcasting using mono. After I got good, I switched to braid. Now I use braid, mono and fluoro on my baitcasters, but for starting STAY AWAY FROM FLUOROCARBON.
IMO, braid blacklashes worse than mono (worse does not mean more often), but the backlashes are easier to remove from braid. I turned my brake up all the way, and when I could cast relatively backlash-free, I turned it down a bit. I started fishing with baitcasters last summer and my brakes are almost off. I had no problem learning with mono and that would be my line of choice for a beginner.

Also, when fishing windy conditions, turn your brake up. I learned this the hard way.

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Old 04-03-08, 03:54 PM   #12
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Just don't give up, a baitcaster is a wonderful tool for fishing, once you learn it you'll never forget it.
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Old 04-03-08, 04:14 PM   #13
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take the time to read the instuctions and properly adjust the reels anti reverse. Dont think you have to cast 4 miles right off the bat. Just take your time and let the rod and reel do the work. Once you have everything on the reel in sinc its a piece of cake.
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Old 04-03-08, 05:21 PM   #14
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best advice i can give is to not get mad and quit. just hang in there, pratice, pratice. even us old timers have trouble with the birds, lol.
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Old 04-03-08, 05:33 PM   #15
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Opinions - never used the reel so I don't have one. Looks like it will work.

Suggestions
1) Put "backing" on first to fill up half the spool and then use whatever line you plan on using. I use old 17 or 20lb line as backing.
2) Learn the difference between the drag, centrifical or magnetic brake, and the casting control or mechanical brake. Your reel has a centrifical brake and a mechanical brake. The centrifical brake is located on the opposite of the handle on the inside of the reel. The mechanical brake is the silver cap on the side of the handle. The drag is the star mechanism just inside/next to the handle.
3) Adjust the centrifical brake. Open the side of the reel and find the plastic brake blocks (look like little plastic hats - you may need to use the instruction manual for this). You'll find 6 of them. Push them all out or away from the center. This is the highest setting. As your ability improves and you want to increase the distance of your casts then push them in one at a time and test the reel to see how the bait you most commonly use with this reel casts.
4) Tighten the mechanical brake. Normally clockwise to tighten, counter-clock to loosen. Once you have a bait tied on....I recommend a heavy jig to start with, something around 1/2 oz or bigger....then loosen the mech. brake until the jig just starts to drop once the thumb bar is depressed. If the jig falls quickly then slow it down by tightening this brake.
5) Tighten the drag so that when the reel is engaged and you pull on the line there is a fair amount of resistance. Good enough for practice. You'll adjust this once you get a real hook set.
6) Begin casting. Try short distances at first. Learn to control the line speed with your thumb. Known as thumb control. As you change lures and you improve you'll learn to make adjustments. Make small adjustments at first.
7) Get cocky and whip one cast out there and get a backlash. Now the real fun begins. Next lesson - How to remove a backlash.

PS - The handle is on the wrong side!!!
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Old 04-03-08, 05:49 PM   #16
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[quote=WTL;183333]
Throwing baitcasters is easier than spinning, I want you to remember that. The line is much more predictable.

quote]

hmm i'll have to remember that next time you come on here complaining about a professinal over run the so big midget pygmies could live in it..

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Old 04-03-08, 06:10 PM   #17
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For one thing if I get a bad backlash, its my fault, I don't whine about them.

For another, I rarely get bad ones. Spinning really does give me much more trouble. I'm getting better watching line twist and doing things to prevent coils from getting packed onto the reel, but spinning still causes me to go through 10x as much line as baitcasting. Of course I learned on baitcasting, then fly rod, the spinning then spincast; I was perfectly backwards from the normal progression.
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Old 04-03-08, 08:25 PM   #18
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bcklash View Post
Just don't give up, a baitcaster is a wonderful tool for fishing, once you learn it you'll never forget it.
Two words from this quote's author: READ NAME!

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Old 04-03-08, 09:15 PM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by WTL View Post
I was perfectly backwards from the normal progression.

explains alot don't it..

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Old 04-03-08, 10:15 PM   #20
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Yep. I knew I was serving that one up as I writ it. Well played, Sir.
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Old 04-04-08, 01:48 AM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Wishing2BFishing View Post
WTL, since we are on baitcasters (and I will try not to hi-jack the thread), do you thumb/feather the spool of the baitcaster while pitching?
I hardly ever put the thumb on the spool unless I have to, and you'll always know when. Properly set brakes minimize the need to feather the cast except until the very end and even them I don't even have to do that. There is a commercial with Larry Dahlberg casting what I think is a calcutta and with a huge cast, he made all of the line come off with the cast. His thumb was no where near the spool because it didn't have to. That is how I usually cast a bc reel.

Casting or pitching. This is with the Shimano, Pfleuger, and Abu Garcia reels that I have.

Feathering does help when first learning because beginners tend cast too hard anyway. But with experience, one will realize, a properly set reel and a properly loaded rod will make an excellent and optimum cast with very little effort on the angler's part. Trust me.
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Old 04-04-08, 09:12 AM   #22
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You guys I had some time this morning to read through everything here. Now I feel like I have a homework assignemt, THANKS!

I will get the line loaded up and get out to practice ont he week of 4/8. I will be bringing my current reel rod combo as to get some fishing in if (when) I do backlash a few good times!

I am guessing the backing is not attached to the casting line correct? Anywas great advice so far, its really appreciated.
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Old 04-04-08, 10:32 AM   #23
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Right on, Snake2715!

I'll leave you with a few things that I learned when I first used a bc reel that I think you will find helpful. It is what I taught my daughter when she was 6 and a buddy who had never used a baitcast reel in his life. I give him this tip and over a 3 hourd span of time he didn't even suffer a loop of overrun.

Assuming there is no strong wind and that the reel is properly set for the lure's weight, all you need to do is this:

1) Before the lure hits anything, be it the water, the ground, a shrub, or whatever else, your thumb has to stop the spool from spinning. Feathering the spool to a stop or stopping it dead cold, it doesn't matter. The bottom line is that the spool has to stop spinning before your lure hits something.

The reason bird's nests occur is because the line is coming off the spool faster than the spool can dish out the line. There are numerous cases of causing this such a casting too hard (thereby putting too much energy into the cast, the lure hitting something, or the wind (head wind) slowing the lure's speed down so that it is less than the speed of the spool letting out line, and also improperly set breaks.

As for the backing being attached, that is up to you. I have tried it both ways (knot and just tape) and both work. The easy way is with tape but the more secure way is via a knot. I would recommend the latter if the potential to catch larger fish like salmon is high. I've had my curado d get spooled by a salmon when the reel was a full capacity.
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Old 04-06-08, 08:49 AM   #24
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Snake2715 View Post
I am guessing the backing is not attached to the casting line correct? Anywas great advice so far, its really appreciated.

I would attach the backing to the casting line. You have a few choices of knots to use. And I would practice a few times out in the yard or on the drive way before getting on the water. Don't want to spend your day on the water messing with backlashes....not much fun.
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Old 04-06-08, 11:23 AM   #25
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1) Don't try to overhand cast until you can control all overruns 99% of the time...

2) If you do get an overrun, don't pull on the line running to your lure to get it out. Pull on it until it tightens up, then find whatever line is holding it back on the reel, and pull the line on the reel out, not the line that goes to your lure. The line on the reel should have a type of 'U' shape trapping the line in the crotch of the 'U'. If you pull on this 'U', then pull on the line running to your lure, you should be able to get it all out...

3) Make sure to thumb your reel when undoing an overrun or it will overrun even worse...

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