I was at Wal Mart the other day picking up some plastics before I went out and I got the urge for a new reel. I picked up a Pinnacle Deadbolt Limited with a 7.0:1 Ratio, and spooled it with Trilene 100% Fluorocarbon in 12 lb. test. I paired it with a 7' med-heavy Berkley Lightning rod (for some reason I love these rods).

First trip out with it I am using a 1/2 oz. football jig with a Net-Bait papa craw trailer. I turn my brake to 0 and set the tension on the spool so that the bait falls slowly. I then turned my brake to the middle setting and cast...boom terrible backlash. I get all of the backlash out and turn the brake up a little bit, cast again, and another terrible backlash. I get everything cleared out turn the tension knob up a little bit and the brake all the way up and the next cast was a little better but it still backlashes terrible on a medium-hard cast.

I am by no means trying to cast the lure off, but I can barely cast if I don't want any backlash. This is not my first baitcaster, and I do not have this problem with any of my other reels. I had the tension knob so tight at one point that it was getting harder to reel. Does anybody have any suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

Overtightening the cast control will damage the shims so back that off. If the mag brake dial feels like it's working you can look inside the side plate for any obvious problem. It's probably just how the reel is designed. Mag only brakes (ie Revo SX) can be a handful until you get used to them. Concentrate on "educating your thumb" and you should be fine.

I did back the cast control off after a couple casts and realized what it was doing. I believe the brake is working because it does start to help the more I turn it up, it just doesn't go up far enough lol. I am fishing in a tournament Saturday night so hopefully I can get some practice with it and won't be terribly frustrated with it.

Overtightening the cast control will damage the shims so back that off. If the mag brake dial feels like it's working you can look inside the side plate for any obvious problem. It's probably just how the reel is designed. Mag only brakes (ie Revo SX) can be a handful until you get used to them. Concentrate on "educating your thumb" and you should be fine.

Overtightening the cast control will damage the shims so back that off. If the mag brake dial feels like it's working you can look inside the side plate for any obvious problem. It's probably just how the reel is designed. Mag only brakes (ie Revo SX) can be a handful until you get used to them. Concentrate on "educating your thumb" and you should be fine.

DVT is spot on!! I learned a long time ago on an old Ambassador 4300C, no brakes to adjust, just a spool tension knob and my thumb. If you learned to use a casting reel with centrical brakes and go to a mag only reel it will give you problems as the spool is basically in free spool mode until you adjust the magnetic brake and that only helps during the middle portion of the cast and works until the end of the cast so at the beginning it is all you. Set your mag brake to 6 or 7 and adjust the spool tension so that the lure falls only when you shake the rod a bit, that will slow it down at the beginning and the mag brake will work for the rest of the cast. The one thing you don't want to do is turn the brakes up and tighten the spool and then try to compensate by making a really hard cast, that won't work, try easy casting and then slowly back off the brakes and then once you get the braks down to 3 you can start experimenting with the spool tension.

If I was getting a "terrible" backlash, I'd crank the brake up more than a little bit. I always start with too much, then back down.

maybe some line conditioner would also help the situation

Try this..

First when you set your drop rate, set it so you have to shake the rod tip to get your 1/2oz to fall.

Then set your mags at a 50% setting, and try your cast.

Sounds to me like you might be setting the drop rate to light for that 1/2oz jig.

If that is still to lose then I would take the reel back and exchange it.

If you get 2 reels that do the same thing I would start looking at the mag system, that it wasn't setup properly when the reel was built.

I have run into plenty of Daiwa' that the mag rings slip adjustment on during manufacturing.

Tight Lines!

If I was getting a "terrible" backlash, I'd crank the brake up more than a little bit. I always start with too much, then back down.

I did, I stated that I turned the brake all the way up.

maybe some line conditioner would also help the situation

I am going to get some KVD line conditioner and try it this weekend, but I don't think it's going to be the fix all to my situation.

Try this.. First when you set your drop rate, set it so you have to shake the rod tip to get your 1/2oz to fall. Then set your mags at a 50% setting, and try your cast. Sounds to me like you might be setting the drop rate to light for that 1/2oz jig. If that is still to lose then I would take the reel back and exchange it. If you get 2 reels that do the same thing I would start looking at the mag system, that it wasn't setup properly when the reel was built. I have run into plenty of Daiwa' that the mag rings slip adjustment on during manufacturing. Tight Lines!

Here in lies the problem....I have to tighten the cast control up so much to get the jig fall that slow that it becomes "hard" to retrieve the lure. I am using hard sparingly here, it isn't like I'm cranking the crap out of it to retrieve the lure but I can definitely tell the spool is in a bind. Is there any way the cast control was messed up from the factory.

I have been using baitcaster's for roughly 4 years, and I have not had this problem with any of my other reels.

If what you say is true take it back and try another, like others have said, even the best manufacturers let out a lemon once in a while, you know "__it happens". But if it happens again with the next one, take it back and buy a Lew's!!

Here in lies the problem....I have to tighten the cast control up so much to get the jig fall that slow that it becomes "hard" to retrieve the lure. I am using hard sparingly here, it isn't like I'm cranking the crap out of it to retrieve the lure but I can definitely tell the spool is in a bind. Is there any way the cast control was messed up from the factory.

I have been using baitcaster's for roughly 4 years, and I have not had this problem with any of my other reels.

That tells me that the shim has already been dimpled to much for proper adjustment. I would remove the shim to see first if there is one there, second to check and see if it is already dimpled to far, if not then return the junk reel for something better............

That tells me that the shim has already been dimpled to much for proper adjustment. I would remove the shim to see first if there is one there, second to check and see if it is already dimpled to far, if not then return the junk reel for something better............

It was that way out of the box. I will take it apart today and hopefully find the shim missing, if not oh well it's still going to go back because it isn't right. Thanks for the help everyone.