Thanks Island! I will definately study up on it - last weekend I went a couple times and got some practice in. I started out with all brakes on and spool tension set so the weight (1/2 oz) wouldn't fall until shaken. Then slowly started loosening things up as I practiced. Then switched to a lighter weight (1/4 oz) and did the same thing.islandbass wrote: I can teach you how to use a bc reel in less than 10 minutes. It really isn't that difficult. Check this site out for some good learning. You'll feel like you've graduated from baitaster 101 after reading it.
http://pages.infinit.net/fishing/page7.html
Congrats and good luck. I can guarantee that you will learn much faster with less heartache than you would have you decided to skimp in the reel department. Most people will find the setting of 3 brakes off and 3 brakes on a good place to start. The brakes are turned on by pulling up on them until you hear it click.
One thing I learned so far was that I am MUCH better thumbing the reel if I watch the reel as the line goes out instead of watching where I cast. So I am now trying to make sure I watch where I cast so I can do it by feel instead of by site.
Had the laugh at myself. After a couple practices I was getting pretty confident, thinking "whats the big deal, I can do this!" so I went out to the LW Arboretum, rigged up, baited up, "zinnnggshchc" rats nest big time.:cyclops: Took me about 10 minutes to work it out. Packed up, went back home and put a practice weight back on. Nice reality check.
More practice, I'll get there!