Can't really seem to set my reel up perfectly. But i seem to get more backlash/birds-nests out of my revo sx  then my shimano citica.. Should i adjust the spool tension nob tighter to avoid backlashes or tighten the breaks mostly???

my backlashes arent to the point i cant fish, it takes me 10 seconds to pull it out but it happens pretty often out there with this new reel, never happened to me before..

 

thanks guys

If it's during the cast, it's the spool tension knob. 

When is the lash happening early, middle or late in the cast? Early spool tension knob tighter End go with the brakes. Middle use the thumb. 

been throwing a 3/16 oz t rig on12 lb fluoro with my revo sx for the last two years with no issues but i do know guys who just cant get, and keep, theirs dialed in. tweak that tension knob ever so slightly with your brake at, or near, 5. works for me. good luck.

 

4 hours ago, S. Sass said:

When is the lash happening early, middle or late in the cast? Early spool tension knob tighter End go with the brakes. Middle use the thumb. 

it seems to be in the middle of the cast. it launches out nicely, and will just make a "THUNK" sound and stop the bait, i then pick out the nest and re throw.. gonna mess around with it some more.. i can bomb this reel very far, i like it i know its just a matter of tweeking.  thanks for the advice!

 

3 hours ago, lo n slo said:

been throwing a 3/16 oz t rig on12 lb fluoro with my revo sx for the last two years with no issues but i do know guys who just cant get, and keep, theirs dialed in. tweak that tension knob ever so slightly with your brake at, or near, 5. works for me. good luck.

 

cool, will try that next time i head out.. does wind make a factor with the break? do u ever adjust it on the fly to compensate the wind?

also when would u ever put it at 0? im guessing that could get messy.

 

thanks

Set the spool tension with mag on 0 then set brakes. Avoid snap casts and concentrate on a smooth fluid stroke. If you're feeling a thump mid cast you may have a braid digging or splice knot issue. 

2 hours ago, Delaware Valley Tackle said:

Set the spool tension with mag on 0 then set brakes. Avoid snap casts and concentrate on a smooth fluid stroke. If you're feeling a thump mid cast you may have a braid digging or splice knot issue. 

ya maybe its braid digging, how do i fix that? i guess once i start casting with the reel once its set up properly then it'll be good to go?

should the bait fall at half speed or slower fall?

 

thanks!!!

Pull off two casts worth of line and reel it back under tension. Set tension so bait falls and spool stops when bait hits the ground. 

Set magnetic brake to 0. Adjust each bait for a slow fall when spool is engaged. Set brakes at 5 and adjust from there. It's a finicky reel for some lures IMO. Is there a particular lure that's giving you issues? If so what is the weight?

All braids are not created equal.  If your braid is sort of a soft, open, weave, it probably is getting too heavy from carrying water.  I've found that premium braids, like Suffix Performance Braid at about 35 pound test cast the best.  But look for a smooth, tight, weave in the braid so it will shed water instead of collect it.  They also don't dig in like some others.

If this is the issue you should find that your current setup casts better in the yard (dry) than it does in the lake (wet).

All the other tips above are valid, too, so work with your reel and technique as recommended.

Love the look of the SX, But hate the mag brake system. Least favorite of the mag brakes IMHO. So I tweaked my SX to the IVCB braking like the Premier/MGX. Really inexpensive too, Just a hassle to get the parts from Pure fishing.

Modding the spool was a bit of a pain, But came out good. Fish's great and much less hassle...........

 

 

 

Honestly, I'm fond of the Pitch Centrifugal system on the Revo S. It is a set it and forget it deal, just adjust spool tension.

The Revo SX (3rd gen) was my first baitcaster. Like you, I had many backlashes, but that was understandable since I was a beginner. Once I got it down, I could cast well but not too far. A year later, I tried many reels like the Tatula type R, Lew's Pro G, Shimano Aldebaran, Metanium. I barely had backlashes (les than 5 between all of them), and I could cast really far. I came back to the Revo SX, and the backlashes came back. The thumb bar gets stuck a lot too, so from my personal experience, I stay away from Abu Garcia (except the round reels).

12 hours ago, Cyacnba said:

The Revo SX (3rd gen) was my first baitcaster. Like you, I had many backlashes, but that was understandable since I was a beginner. Once I got it down, I could cast well but not too far. A year later, I tried many reels like the Tatula type R, Lew's Pro G, Shimano Aldebaran, Metanium. I barely had backlashes (les than 5 between all of them), and I could cast really far. I came back to the Revo SX, and the backlashes came back. The thumb bar gets stuck a lot too, so from my personal experience, I stay away from Abu Garcia (except the round reels).

Did you ever try the STX?

2 hours ago, stk44 said:

Did you ever try the STX?

Yes, I did. Smoother, less issues with the thumb bar, but I still would get backlashes. I would have to sacrifice distance to prevent that.

I love Abu Garcia's round reels however. I have the C3 6501 that I use in Argentina, and it's awesome.

Try a Premier, Elite or an MGX. I also like the new shimano( SVS Infinity) and Lew's( ACB) version. All 3 work dandy. Allow external adjustment like the mag braking. 

My Favorite is the Elite 8 with the shallow spool. Handles lighter baits very nice. If you want magnetic, Stick with Daiwa. Best at the mag's IMHO. The new Sv103's are very nice. So is the Zillian SV TW. Very versatile with that SV spool and takes many of the aftermarket Steez spool options. 

I wished I'd have the Revo thumbar issue so I could see what the deal is.  Has to be a cure of sorts.

On June 10, 2016 at 10:01 AM, stk44 said:

Set magnetic brake to 0. Adjust each bait for a slow fall when spool is engaged. Set brakes at 5 and adjust from there. It's a finicky reel for some lures IMO. Is there a particular lure that's giving you issues? If so what is the weight?

A 3/8 ounce frog works perfectly. If I switch to a 3/8 spinnerbait, it can happen... I have to keep the breaks rather high (7-8) for it to work properly it seems.. Losing some distance but not getting any back lash.. 

I have a Gen3 Revo SX and sometimes experienced 'random' backlashes like you describe. I sent it to DVT for a super tune and cleaning.  When it came back it was a new reel, casting smoother and farther than I could have hoped. The finicky-ness was also reduced, though not completely.

I occasionally backlash it 'randomly' and find it happens when I have my wrist angle off at 11:00. Usually later in the day when my concentration's off.

My solution is to tweak the cast control settings from time to time.  Lastly, keep practicing with it.

Best of luck!

28 minutes ago, juicebass said:

A 3/8 ounce frog works perfectly. If I switch to a 3/8 spinnerbait, it can happen... I have to keep the breaks rather high (7-8) for it to work properly it seems.. Losing some distance but not getting any back lash.. 

I know what you mean because I can cast a 1/4 oz buzz bait with brakes on 4 without backlash, but try to cast a dt4 or dt6 and its all finicky. 

I also have to put the brakes on 6-8 for the cranks under 3/8 oz.