As the title states:


How many magnetic brakes do you have turned on your baitcasting reels?




Anyone have no brakes on at all?

Depends on the lure, weight and wind for me.

It depends on the condition of the spool bearings and the model of reel. 

None if bearings are sticky and need cleaning. 

I tried casting with no brakes on the first time I used my baitcaster.... Never going to do that again

You can't have magnetic brakes with a S because a reel has ONLY ONE MAGNETIC BRAKE. The magnetic brake is set by a turning a dial.

I've only been using baitcast reels since '09 and I learned on a magnetic brake only reel.  Since just over half of my reels are made by Diawa and 2 are Gen 1 Revos, I use mag brakes a lot.  I run factory stock reels at 8-10 and tuned reels around 5 or 6 as a general rule.  I do run spool tension lighter than suggested because I think that light spool tension with more brakes gives me better distance than low brakes and more spool tension.

 

I have accidentally made a couple casts without realizing the brakes were completely turned off.  It wasn't pretty.     I'll be the first to admit that I am not a fantastic caster.  I'm sure some (especially those who learned on reels with no brakes) can handle zero brakes.  I can't.  I can on the T3 1016 reels, but I have to assume that even when on Longcast and zero on the side wheel that there is still some braking force being exerted.  Otherwise I am sure that I couldn't cast these reels without nasty overruns or backlashes.

 

I remember a time watching a gentleman skulling a jon boat on a good sized farm pond all the while using an old Abu Garcia

Ambassador with casts that were a sight to behold.

 

Old school basser...

Lews tp - 3

Revo stx -3

Bps rick clunn - 2

Eack reel is is quite specific to its job and the lure weights dont change a whole lot lol...i minor spool control tweak is all they ever really need.

I prefer centri brakes however. Most of my reels are centri only...im a shimano guy what can i say lol

I have them all the way off on my tataula usually, but if its really windy or something I'll turn it up alittle....

But on another reel I have them half way up.

Two centrifugal brakes on on all of my Curados, Citicas and Chronarchs forever no matter how new, or old they are.  I never change them.  No magnetics on these reels.

I usually have 2 brakes on.

 

After just getting my reels back from cleaning I forgot to double check the brakes, made one "cast" and that reel was done for the day. Worst backlash I ever had, even ones from when I was just learning them. Ended up cutting out almost a full reel's worth of 20lb Abrazx when I got home. There were 0 brakes on, will never do that again.

I use the least amount for the bait and conditions. Some reels may be 3 and others 5 or 6. Shear distance isn't something I worry about. Putting the bait in the right location is more important to me. If you make a 50 yard cast on fluoro/mono,you aren't going to be in a good hookset range anyhow with a single hook. Cranks are a little different story.

Current fav little gem (H2O Express Mettle) has centrifical only brakes, so I use 2 sometimes 3 brake pins out .