I got my reel back from a pro cleaning and such.  (see my defunct "brackish water" thread).

 

I got back from a work event, and saw the box!!  I put it on a rod and tightened up the spool and "let it rip tater chip" and sent my practice plug across the street.  there was no saving it...that BLLRRRRRPPPFT sound of line embedding within itself.  FACCCK!  I just started laughing.  

 

In my youthful exuberance, I forgot to double check everything.  mainly the brakes.  hahahh..everything was at ZERO!  I fix everything.  AKA, new line and all is good in the world again.  wow.  set the brakes to "rookie".

 

is it possible to cast with Zero brake?  before brakes (any type) what was life like?  the reels must be so much free spinning now right?  

 

can you cast with Zero brake?

I’d say no. Unless you consider your thumb as the brake. Then…yes! 

Set your spool tension back to zero but do use the brakes. 

It may be possible for some but definitely not me.

You aint backlashing, you aint fishing enough ?

22 minutes ago, Darth-Baiter said:

can you cast with Zero brake

Yes, but I get much better distance using less thumb with brakes.

We all feel your pain. Line sure isn't cheap nowadays.

 

My most impressive bird's nest this past year came when, during mid-cast, my braid to fluoro connection knot decided to fail (my fault), causing the spool to go from having x-amount of weight at the end of the line to zero weight. Ouch. The braid loosened up almost all the way down to the spool. 

 

4 minutes ago, NorthernBasser said:

We all feel your pain. Line sure isn't cheap nowadays.

 

My most impressive bird's nest this past year came when, during mid-cast, my braid to fluoro connection knot decided to fail (my fault), causing the spool to go from having x-amount of weight at the end of the line to zero weight. Ouch. The braid loosened up almost all the way down to the spool. 

 

Holy batman, color me impressed sir ?

Now that is what I call a professional over-run.

20 minutes ago, NorthernBasser said:

We all feel your pain. Line sure isn't cheap nowadays.

 

My most impressive bird's nest this past year came when, during mid-cast, my braid to fluoro connection knot decided to fail (my fault), causing the spool to go from having x-amount of weight at the end of the line to zero weight. Ouch. The braid loosened up almost all the way down to the spool. 

 

 

I have a reel that's been a backup reel for a few years now. The brakes in it must not have been lubed very often (or ever) by the previous owner and they have worn down so far they don't do much of anything anymore. I was still using it up until a few years ago and did pretty well using an educated thumb to cast. I pulled it out for a trip this year though and found out my thumb has lost some of it's education haha. It is possible to cast without brakes and you get used to it, but boy do brakes ever make it easier. 

1 hour ago, Darth-Baiter said:

is it possible to cast with Zero brake?  before brakes (any type) what was life like?

 

Yes, but I suspect not as many people used Baitcasting reels back then.  My first baitcaster didn't have brakes, or even a thumb bar.   It had a lever/switch to disengage the anti reverse.    When you cast it the spool, handles and everything would spin.   It took a BUNCH of thumb to use it.  I don't know how old it was.  I was 10 or so, and fished it out of a river.  It was on a rod that was maybe 4 feet long.  I was intrigued by it.   I don't remember how far I could cast with it.  Probably not very far.   I worked and saved money a couple years later to buy an Ambassador 5500 and a 5 1/2 foot long ugly stick.  (1976)    I wore out my yard practicing with it.   It had a tension knob, and 3 sets of weights for a centrifugal brakes.  You removed the side cover and slid the weights onto a shaft.   I still use that reel for deep cranks.   It requires more thumb than moderns reels, but it's a BUNCH nicer than the old reel I drag out of the river.    I'm sure there was many generations of bait casting reels between the reel I drag out of the river and the 5500.   

Well I like challenge but I don’t know about that one unless I just had time to kill or the fish wasn’t biting. That’s a doozy lol 

in summary. there is no way I set my brakes to Zero and survive the spool wipeout.  no way.

 

I have the training wheels planted firmly on the ground at this point.  

1 hour ago, NorthernBasser said:

We all feel your pain. Line sure isn't cheap nowadays.

 

My most impressive bird's nest this past year came when, during mid-cast, my braid to fluoro connection knot decided to fail (my fault), causing the spool to go from having x-amount of weight at the end of the line to zero weight. Ouch. The braid loosened up almost all the way down to the spool. 

 

That's a trophy.  May even be one for the record books.

21 minutes ago, king fisher said:

That's a trophy.  May even be one for the record books.

Moral of the story- Check your connection knots, kids. ?

2 hours ago, Darth-Baiter said:

can you cast with Zero brake?

 

The one time that I can almost safely cast a lure without any brake, is a 3/4~1oz Heddon Spook like topwater lure. 14 lb mono on a Lew's Super Duty reel, zero brake, zero spool tension, no thumbing except to stop the spool at the end.  Just a hard cast on open water, and let it rip.

2 hours ago, NorthernBasser said:

We all feel your pain. Line sure isn't cheap nowadays.

 

My most impressive bird's nest this past year came when, during mid-cast, my braid to fluoro connection knot decided to fail (my fault), causing the spool to go from having x-amount of weight at the end of the line to zero weight. Ouch. The braid loosened up almost all the way down to the spool. 

 

Taking the statement "If you're gonna do it, do it Right" to a new level. You get a running start for that cast??

2 hours ago, Darth-Baiter said:

can you cast with Zero brake?

It can be done. That’s almost how my dad sets up his reels. He also sets his tension so that the lure falls pretty slow and the spool stops as it hits the ground. His brakes are set on ‘negligible’ or a 1 out of 10. That’s how I learned to cast and I can do it (it’s strictly thumb at that).  I’ve since swapped to the opposite arrangement (negligible tension and plenty of brakes).

2 hours ago, Darth-Baiter said:

I got my reel back from a pro cleaning and such.  (see my defunct "brackish water" thread).

 

I got back from a work event, and saw the box!!  I put it on a rod and tightened up the spool and "let it rip tater chip" and sent my practice plug across the street.  there was no saving it...that BLLRRRRRPPPFT sound of line embedding within itself.  FACCCK!  I just started laughing.  

 

In my youthful exuberance, I forgot to double check everything.  mainly the brakes.  hahahh..everything was at ZERO!  I fix everything.  AKA, new line and all is good in the world again.  wow.  set the brakes to "rookie".

 

is it possible to cast with Zero brake?  before brakes (any type) what was life like?  the reels must be so much free spinning now right?  

 

can you cast with Zero brake?

Dan tuned your reel now you need to tune your thumb?

3 hours ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

You aint backlashing, you aint fishing enough ?

All he lacks is a family of birds to move in now ?

50 minutes ago, WRB said:

Dan tuned your reel now you need to tune your thumb?

:D. he almost could be accused of booby trapping the thing.  one 2 star yelp review coming up...hahah..

 

just kidding.  there is no denying it is smoother than OEM.   

15 minutes ago, ScottW said:

All he lacks is a family of birds to move in now ?

birds would fly right past that huge nest.  too hard to heat and keep clean.  

Yes, I always start the season with two brakes on, four off and the side knob on zero. After a trip or so I release the brakes and loosen the tension knob some.

11 minutes ago, Darth-Baiter said:

:D. he almost could be accused of booby trapping the thing.  one 2 star yelp review coming up...hahah..

 

just kidding.  there is no denying it is smoother than OEM.   

 

Don’t feel bad any time someone tries to cast my tuned reels the usually backlash it. My goal is making long cast and free running smooth reel makes easy once you train your thumb.

Tom

I start a new Shimano reels with 3 on 3 off brakes until I get use to it.

Tom

1 hour ago, GreenPig said:

Taking the statement "If you're gonna do it, do it Right" to a new level. You get a running start for that cast??

Maybe we should have a thread dedicated to epic bird nests!