Northwest Fishing Reports

Can anyone lend me some tips to effectively use my new baitcaster. I have youtubed instructions but still looking for additional help.

Whalleyworld wrote:Can anyone lend me some tips to effectively use my new baitcaster. I have youtubed instructions but still looking for additional help.

Start here: http://www.washingtonlakes.com/forum/ya ... sting.aspx

There are a few other baitcasting how-to forum strings on the site, just have to search for em..

Go to the Washingtonlakes.com summer picnic at Lake Meridian on the 30th of July. Bring your gear and there will be several folks that can give you some instruction on using your bait caster.

G-Man wrote:Go to the Washingtonlakes.com summer picnic at Lake Meridian on the 30th of July. Bring your gear and there will be several folks that can give you some instruction on using your bait caster.

I didn't know WAlakes was having a picnic! I'm going to be out of town :(

G-Man wrote:Go to the Washingtonlakes.com summer picnic at Lake Meridian on the 30th of July. Bring your gear and there will be several folks that can give you some instruction on using your bait caster.

Good idea! Lots of docks to practice skipping aswel.

Just remember WW,..your THUMB is your Best~Friend!

BB

Try this WW,..since we always tie on different baits during the time we are fishing,..whenever you do hang your rod over the water,..engage the spool with your thumb and let it freefall towards the water,..as soon as your bait hits the water your reel SHOULD stop freespooling,..if it dosen't tighten up the brake accordingly,..ideally you want the reel 2 stop freespooling once your bait hits the water but staying open until you engage the reel handle,..also once you get that down and cut all the backlashing {which this will help} then you can start casting accurately by using your thumb 2 stop your freespooling on the dime! Hope this helps and most definately try and make the Picnic and bring your gear,..there will surely be someone there 2 help you out!

BB

Don't use light line!! Go with some 25-65 Lb test braid. Easy to get the rats nest out and slows your spool for less over run. And keeps the pigones from snaping your line!

This link should help:

http://pages.videotron.com/fishing/bait101.htm

In addition, here are a few of my keys:

1) When casting learn how to load the rod with the weight of the lure. With spinning rigs, it is not penalizing to not do this, but with casting rigs, it greatly increases the potential for a birdsnest out the shoot.

2) Use mono line (10# and up) and at least 1/2 weight (not necessarily a lure... Pencil lead or a bass casting weight are great. Mono because it's economical, and for beginners, practicing with less weight can also be a problem.

3) Islandbass' golden rule, the only thing I told my daughter to be mindful of when I taught when she was 6 1/2... Stop the spool from spinning right before your lure (or weight) hits ANYTHING... The water's surface, a shrub, or your neighbor's window. It does not matter how you stop it. Stop dead cold or feather it to a stop.

Assuming that the reel's settings are dialed in to the weight of the lure and that the lure's weight properly loads the rod,and you don't have a hurricane blowing in front of you, your chances of encountering a bird's nest is practically zero.

I also told this to a friend who had never used either reel type. In a 4 hour period of fishing, he did not have one bird's nest.

i agree, loading the rod properly is the most critical thing that most people overlook. Making a smooth casting motion is the key to not backlashing. If you try to whip that thing like a spinning setup you are boned. Also i don't recommend spinnerbaits as a first lure on a baitcaster because of their tendency to catch the wind differently on every cast.

Nik wrote:i agree, loading the rod properly is the most critical thing that most people overlook. Making a smooth casting motion is the key to not backlashing. If you try to whip that thing like a spinning setup you are boned. Also i don't recommend spinnerbaits as a first lure on a baitcaster because of their tendency to catch the wind differently on every cast.

+ 1 too everything Nik mentioned above .

G-Man wrote:Go to the Washingtonlakes.com summer picnic at Lake Meridian on the 30th of July. Bring your gear and there will be several folks that can give you some instruction on using your bait caster.

That is a great idea. Lessons in person. Someone needs to bring a quality reel, and someone needs to bring a cheap reel. Then the pros can show just how important good equipment is, and how it can make a difference.

The HAWG HUNTER wrote:Don't use light line!! Go with some 25-65 Lb test braid. Easy to get the rats nest out and slows your spool for less over run. And keeps the pigones from snaping your line!

??? You'll never be able to get any distance. Use 10# and practice :albino:

basser90 wrote:

The HAWG HUNTER wrote:Don't use light line!! Go with some 25-65 Lb test braid. Easy to get the rats nest out and slows your spool for less over run. And keeps the pigones from snaping your line!

??? You'll never be able to get any distance. Use 10# and practice :albino:

Most 30 pound braid has the diameter of 8 pound mono and cast smoother. I like braid but it would get expensive if it needed to be cut out.

have to agree on the Braid (expensive) comment. I throw braid alot, but I've found it more difficult to get used to than monofilament, or even better, a nice low memory co-polymer like McCoy! Also when you get a birdsnest with low diameter Braid and it decides to knot up on you, it's game over! The larger (50-65lb) is much easier to throw, and less prone to knot up tight on a backlash. Since the filler spools are usually about 150 yds for braid, you are pretty much having to respool again if you get a bad enough nest, as Anthony said, that gets expensive quick!

Lots of great suggestions in the earlier posts!
Good luck!
Dave

Im new too. Everyone gave good advise and I only had one birdsnest that I had to pull out by hand. It was my fault becuase the line wrapped itself around the tip of the rod while I cas casting. I was able to go from 6 brakes on to 4 brakes on. I was starting to have mini nest after dropping the 2 brakes though. I just let the line catch the wind and the nest was gone each time. The casting knob was turned all the way off too using atleast 1/2 oz. Im not sure how that would work for bass fishing though because I was river fishing. The reel had on 10 pound mono.

davidwat1 wrote:have to agree on the Braid (expensive) comment. I throw braid alot, but I've found it more difficult to get used to than monofilament, or even better, a nice low memory co-polymer like McCoy! Also when you get a birdsnest with low diameter Braid and it decides to knot up on you, it's game over! The larger (50-65lb) is much easier to throw, and less prone to knot up tight on a backlash. Since the filler spools are usually about 150 yds for braid, you are pretty much having to respool again if you get a bad enough nest, as Anthony said, that gets expensive quick!

Lots of great suggestions in the earlier posts!
Good luck!
Dave

Yea thats it. fishing ain't cheep. Line has to be the cheepest of everything else. I started out with 8 lb test with a bait caster 20+ years ago and only wish there were people to let me know the difference in a cast from mono and braid. I have only been using braid for the past 4 yrs and it's a much better line. I will never buy anything else but. As far as distance you would be surprised. I can sling a spook at least 65-75 yds, jig the same,a worm not as far (depends on weight), crank (small) 35 yds & (big)50... I can go on. I love it and don't lose fish. Thats with 65 lb power pro. Yea I get fish on braid with every lure I use. I don't think they can see the green line because it matches their environment.

Don't get me wrong man, I throw 65lb powerpro braid too and totally agree that you can cast a mile, I was only implying that I thought it was harder to use to learn with than say a large diameter mono or copolymer. Most of the people I take out who want some pointers on throwing bait casters seem to struggle with my baitcasters that are setup with braid, and when they get backlashed, it seems to be more prone to end up in a knot for some reason. At any rate, I'm not bashing braid, I don't use it exclusively except for froggin, but that's just personal preference, the fact that it floats, is strong as steel, casts a mile and has no memory make it pretty tough to beat for alot of applications! Fish on!

I get why people like it and I think it has a place...as in frog fishing, or other applications. For me, personally, I like mono. It works for me. I'm limited to the amount of rods, reels, line, due to fishing in a tube. I can't carry 5-10 rods so I have to be somewhat universal in my gear choices. My take is...use what is comfortable and if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Tho after a lengthy discussion today with Bob Johansen, I may try some Power Pro sometime in the future. Back to the baitcaster...practice and more practice

I prefer mono over braid, I use to use braid for all applications. It does have a great pros, but it really can beat up on your reel. Only time I throw it now is froggy fishing. Another con for me about braid is the price.

I personally think mono is easier to control than braid.