Ive been roll casting in the backyard with lews tournament pro, and i have been getting some backlashes with lighter lures. i use to have 12lb yozuri but i was getting backlashes so i switched to 14lb suffix siege and it seemed to help. i have been casting a 3/8oz casting plug with no uses roll casting. Now i tried a 3/8oz rebel jumping minnow topwater lure and i guess its not as aerodynamic and im getting backlashes again. i opened the side plate to see what was going on and lews factory default were only 2 brakes on opposite  of eachother. I turned them all on and it seems to have helped a little.

 

Any advice on how many i should have on ? how much does it affect casting distance ? 

If i want my baitcaster to be as user friendly as possible , what setting do i use ?

Half the brakes on is a good starting point but everyone and situations are different. Trial and error is the only way to get your answer. 

I have around five Lew's BC reels. I start with the brake pins at the factory setting, which I think is half of them up and half of them down, and I crank the casting dial up to about 8 (of 10). I adjust from there, but find I often don't have to -- and I get few backlashes and good distance. With different lure weights I only adjust the friction knob on the handle side.

One other thing, keep in mind that the casting dial tightens when you turn it counter-clockwise and loosens when you turn it clockwise. So it is counter-intuitive and really confounded me at first with my first Lew's BC.

May be a given but just make sure you make the breaks even. If one is on the next one should be off. 

I usually keep the factory settings or back it off if i'm just flipping jigs. From there I adjust my mag brakes and cast control knob. If Im going for long pitches my cast control and brakes are backed way off. What type of rod are you using? 

Im using 7ft medium veritas 

Start with all on and reduce one by one until you find the sweet spot, only you can find out how many brakes you need.

2

I have a bunch of Lew's TPs and every one of them ended up with two brakes on.

Tight lines,

Bob

As many as you need.  Start with all of them on.

 

On 02/27/2016 at 0:53 PM, Raul said:

Start with all on and reduce one by one until you find the sweet spot, only you can find out how many brakes you need.

X2.  We are all different.  Many fish Shimanos with 2 or 1 brake on.  I can do 2 if careful, but prefer 3 on for trouble free casting.  An older blue Patriarch XT has 1 centrifugal brake on and 3 on the magnetic dial.  Handles a 10" ribbontail worm with a bare 3/0 hook just fine.  My 50th Anniversary Zillion is a set and forget reel while my standard Zillion requires more adjusting.  People rave about how easy the Alphas 105SV is to use, but I didn't get the same results with mine.  And it isn't because I'm not familiar with Daiwa's braking system.  My first reels were Daiwa Fuegos and I have more Daiwa reels than any other brand.

All this to say that not only are we all different, but the same models from the same manufacturer aren't all going to handle the same way.

I was going to ask about your rod, but I see it is a Medium.  Never used a Veritas, but it should handle a 3/8 oz. Rebel of any type just fine.

 

On ‎2‎/‎27‎/‎2016 at 0:53 PM, Raul said:

Start with all on and reduce one by one until you find the sweet spot, only you can find out how many brakes you need.

What reel is it that you adjust the centrifugal brake pins 1 at a time? I ask because my Pflueger Supreme XT's manual specifically says to adjust the brakes by turning on or off the brake blocks in opposing pairs and to never adjust just 1 brake or it throws the spool balance off. I was taught that a long time ago but then I was told it didn't matter but every reel with that braking system I adjusted in pairs but that reel of mine is the first that states it in writing not to adjust 1 brake and they have to be opposing, 1 on each side. As for the Lew Tournament pro, that has an external adjustment for the centrifugal braking, it should not need to be opened up.

Always in pairs.

 

17 minutes ago, smalljaw67 said:

What reel is it that you adjust the centrifugal brake pins 1 at a time? I ask because my Pflueger Supreme XT's manual specifically says to adjust the brakes by turning on or off the brake blocks in opposing pairs and to never adjust just 1 brake or it throws the spool balance off. I was taught that a long time ago but then I was told it didn't matter but every reel with that braking system I adjusted in pairs but that reel of mine is the first that states it in writing not to adjust 1 brake and they have to be opposing, 1 on each side. As for the Lew Tournament pro, that has an external adjustment for the centrifugal braking, it should not need to be opened up.

Well when you turn a pin brake on/off the pin is still there its not taken away. The pin just wont move outward. The weight is still there to keep balance. Ill run one pin on with any of my casters that use them see/feel no ill effect. I will say when/if I run multiple pins I equalize the spacing 2-opposite and 3 in Y pattern.

Thanks everyone for your replys. Means alot. 

Don't over think it. Activating brakes in a symmetrical pattern maximizes effectiveness but failure to do so will harm anything.  Experiment and most of all have fun. 

I use one brake on a couple of my reels with great success. I have experimented with different patterns of braking and have found like QUAKEnSHAKE that it doesn't really change the balance enough to make any difference. One break more or less can make a real difference when pitching in my experience. Use whatever works. As your skills improve you will adjust accordingly. Enjoy!