Flatrock

I bet he could throw that reel like a football a hundred yards... LOL Real nice guy, we even exchanged numbers and plan on getting together for some fishing. He bought a boat this yr like myself and is trying to figure out how to catch some fish... We can get skunked together

I have a even better claim... I have a guy that wants to give me money for my Fishdrops BC reel, wants it badly for some strange reason.

I love the how to videos I've watched since finding this site.. But I want to especially thank today's author on the article about Understanding your Electronics By Tyler Brinks. I liked it so much that I printed it out so I can have it in front of me when I take a closer look at my Lawrence Hook2. I understand what a sonar is, but nowhere have I been able to find the differences within the settings and what to expect. I have found this site to have so much "Practical" information for the everyday Joe that aren't professional fishermen. Keep up the nice work

I'm impressed, 4 pages on what I thought was silly question.. However with all the claims being made, some questionable.. One has to ask, what are you casting and what reel and line are you using..? I say/ask this cause I can throw a practice 3/8oz weight on my Lews and be fairly accurate on a calm day, then tie onto a 3/8oz rattle trap and get nowhere near the distance on a breezy day. Also wouldn't the design of the reel have a lot to do with the ability to cast further ? I mean your higher end reels have better mechanics allowing further casting without fear of back lashing where as you lower ends models just won't allow it. So in all fairness, I can see further distance with a 1/2oz over a 3/8oz, but at the same time I can see better performance with a higher quality reel... Am I making sense here ?

I'm thinking they're using the tape measure to judge their casting as they use to measure their fish..

Ok... I was able to put some time in testing each reel to different rods and what I found was the Lews by far was the smoothest easiest to cast with a 90%+ cast to backlash ratio. That mean 10% of the time it was just a bad cast all together, my error. The rest of the time, didn't matter how hard I threw it, the reel was ready to go. It was smooth, couldn't really feel anything during a cast. The Alba Garcia Revo was ok.. It was less forgiving and tend to back lash easier when I'm not doing a perfect cast. The biggest thing I noticed was I could feel the line peeling off the spool or maybe it was the bearings, felt cheap compared to the Lews. And finally the Fishdrops... Could not control the spool, the more I dialed in the magnets the more it backlashed. However the spool was quiet and felt no vibration, never the less was inconsistent. Anyone want a fishdrops reel ?

But isn't the dial magnetic ?

I do believe it that dial on the side of the reel... its what drags or puts resistance on the spool slowing it down.. Am I right ? What's my prize

Well I got to try the new rig out on the lake and I was humbled BUT It was my screwup and I knew better... I tried to cast a 1/8oz jig ? Yes folks the worst birds nest I have ever seen period... my knots had knots. I should have known better to tie 12# line on such a small lure and then trying to cast in the wind. I think I ended up chopping like 30' of line off, but once I corrected things and went back to 3/8-1/2oz lures I was doing fine despite the winds. Again I couldn't catch a break.. I wasn't on the water 30 mins when the wind started to whip up... after a couple hours there was white caps beginning to form so I took it home... I wanted to install a pr of retractable transom straps and repair the step/fender where the guy that owned the boat before me hit something with it...

I just purchased a Alba Garcia graphite Vendetta Med / Moderate action 7' $79 Great feel to it.

Guys if you were watching me this morning, you would have thought I was pulling your leg. This new outfit is PERFECT..! I changed how I hold the rod .. holding with second finger with first finger along rod and reel and started taking command of the rod and making it work. I was 75% accurate within 2-3 feet side armed and I thought roll casting would be difficult but its easier than overhand casting. I love roll casting, so much more control and accuracy over all. I was consistently within 2 feet at 50' distance... I did backlash 3 or 4 times but that was when I chunked it casting over head, but that was the only time I BL.. the rest of the time was wonderful. 45 mins of pure bliss and it didn't matter how hard I was throwing.. My challenge is short distances.. 20 feet. Instead of flipping, could I just roll cast ? LOL I'm sure the reel has something to do with it, but I love the rod action too. I want to take this Lews and put it on my other two rods and see how things go. If I get the same response, the fishdrops is going in the trash and the Garcia... I might get better results with the new M/M Garcia rod. Guys thanks a bunch for all the advice ...I finally have found some direction. Of course its one thing throwing a practice weight in your back yard we'll see with a lure on a boat rocking on the water.. I'll find out tomorrow if my new found confidence is premature or not.

Like I said it was a silly question, I know accuracy is #1 especially work cover.. Its hard to judge casting distances watching videos... But out in the open I don't think your going to do very well casting 25' from the boat with a deep diving lure.. just trying to keep expectations realistic.

As silly of a question this might be, but how far are you able to cast with a bait caster... 50-75-100' ? I realize that is a loaded question with a lot of variables, but lets say 3/8 oz with 12 # -15# mono...

Some time yes I go left as well... my practice test was in the dark so I don't know how far I was casting but it was taking a little bit to retrieve so I think I'm on to something. I'll know better tomorrow when its light out.

Great info gentlemen.. A big Thank You !!! IslandBass... You get me because you are correct, I've used open face spinning reels all my life. Now compound that with a 25 yr absence of fishing and now trying to get back into it... I'm trying to retrain myself. I want to say I went and purchased a Lews Speed Spool 6.8:1 and a Alba Garcia Vendetta graphite med / Moderate action 7' and put 12# mono on it. I just so happened to buy a couple 3/8 oz practice weights. This reel responds so much differently then the Fishdrops or the Alba Garcia Revo... And I love the feel of the cast of the rod. My first cast had a minor backlash with no magnet. I adjusted it to 3 and I was casting with no problems, even overhead... making sure I turned my wrist (feels funny) but its working... I made better than 6 - 8 casts side and overhead with success. I can feel my cast with this rod... Does that make any sense ? I immediately felt very comfortable with this new rig. When I can, I will swap this new reel with my MH fast 6' 6" and MH extra fast 7' rods and see how things go. Once I determine if its rod or reel, I'll decide what to do after that. So with this said, practice I must... I know I want to master the loop cast.

Thank you.. I have watched this video and several others of yours and they have been very helpful.

I have the reel setup to where the lure will drop slowly.. so I believe I have the reel setup correctly. However sometime I feel the lure falls short like there isn't enough weight to carry. Forget underhand like flipping... The line a couple layer below the top is already unspooling causing a mess.

Ok... Is it possible I'm not loading the rod... meaning I'm casting but not loading the rod enough ? I watch all these vids and you guys are just whipping it out there.. I have found that I'm having less issues with my Garcia with co poly throwing a 3/8oz jig with a 3" grub/crawfish trailer.. again I'm throwing it side handed but with a flowing action with fairly good success, but I realize I'm not really doing it right but I'm not backlashing that much. I admit everytime I've gone out I've had to deal with 5-15 mph winds... so not the best of conditions. I wonder if I should look for a medium rod with a med action for the BC with the 10# line for my lighter lures ?

I appreciate your response but it still does address the "rod loading" and the effects in casting and which would help ease the learning curve.

I'd say you're not wetting the knot enough or you're over tightening the line. I mean you might be pulling the knot using 50# of pressure... I fish will never pull that hard.

This is rather long so please be patient.. I would really like to hear from someone knowledgeable in bait casters with the understanding that I'm new to baitcasters and for once understanding rod designs. I haven't fished in since the early 90's and things have really changed in rod designs. So now you have new technology and learning how to use a bait caster with some success but still fighting backlashes that shouldn't be happening. Then last night I was watching this utube video where this guy was teaching his son how to cast a baitcaster and he was talking about "Loading Up" the rod when casting... He did talk a brief moment about rod type but not enough to understand. Everyone talks about how to adjust the reel.. Everyone talks about rod action, but no one talks about best type of rod action in learning how to cast a baitcaster and how different action react in casting... In my case, I have two BC's... Both are Med Heavy. One is fast action (6.5' with 10# florocarbon) and the other is extra fast (7' with 14# Co Poly)... most of my jigs and lures are 3/8 oz. One thing I noticed is when I leave about 2 feet of line/lure and cast in a sweeping motion I don't get or very minimal backlash, but its side handed and lure launches in a arch... I'm not launching the lure per say. Any how that video I watched last night about loading the rod for casting got me to wondering if my setup is working against me rather then helping... I'm sure there are others in my position and I'm sure using the wrong type of rod can make casting more difficult.

I'm still working on catching my first one using a baitcaster too.. Nice lil fish, I hear the fish will look bigger if you hold the fish out from you. You know I've seen people hook themselves in the fingers, hands, side of the head, ears.. the foot even, but I've never seen anyone hook themselves thru the nose... I bet that hurt like hell ? It's all good... You're one up on this old man. I'm still fighting backlashes and bird nests

So last weekend I went to Sport Authority and bought a handful of lures and grubs and told myself that was it... no more.. I have all the lures and fishing outfits I need for now. I need to learn how to fish what I got...! This evening I got to walking around the store and bought 2 more rattle traps... In my defense I NEEDED these two... a red and a blue / chrome. I didn't have these in my arsenal. I promise not to buy any more... you DO believe me.. don't you ?

Funny this subject came up. Two days ago I took the boat out for a couple hours and found a bobber floating as soon as I launched. It would move the opposite direction whenever I got near it. After the 3rd approach of this happening, I'm thinking there is a fish on that other end of that thing. It wasn't long before it was ... I am gonna see what the hell is on the other end. I finally got it only to find a small crappie lure. I'm confused at this point... One what caused the bobber move so quickly away from me when I approached and 2ndly, who the hell ties a crappie lure on in conjunction with a bobber ? I look at it this fool deserved to lose it and it was a 2 for 1 for me. I no sooner grabbed that when I look out and I see a rapala floating a few yards way in open water that just happens to be what I wanted. Later that day I lost a brand new rattle trap in about 40' of water after a nasty backlash.. more like a birds nest...sigh

Last fall while trying to learn a bait caster from the bank, I tossed a brand new shad and got it caught on a low limb. I was only about 75 yrds from the boat ramp. I talked a couple old timers into boating up to the limb and getting my plug out of the tree... ?