I checked and 4 of the 6 weights are free to engage on my Abu Garcia 4600 C4.  I have been practicing in the back yard and can repeatedly cast 70 feet or so.  My questions are:

1. Will I get more distance or better performance by dropping down to only 2 weights engaged instead of 4?

2. Does having 4 weights engaged create excessive wear on the reel or the weights themselves?

3. If it works, don't change it?

Thanks!!

gridiron,

All of the older Garcia round reels only had 2 brake blocks and they couldn't be turned off (you had to remove them). Many a time I used my old 5000's without the blocks (to gain a little distance). It is all in the education of the thumb, and proper setup of the cast control. So IMPO turn the blocks off and re-set the reels CC and try it. If you get a birdsnest then pick it out re-adjust the CC a little tighter and try again..

Remember practice, practice, and practice some more.

Tight Lines!!!

I checked and 4 of the 6 weights are free to engage on my Abu Garcia 4600 C4. I have been practicing in the back yard and can repeatedly cast 70 feet or so. My questions are:

1. Will I get more distance or better performance by dropping down to only 2 weights engaged instead of 4?

2. Does having 4 weights engaged create excessive wear on the reel or the weights themselves?

3. If it works, don't change it?

Thanks!!

1.- No, you won 't get more distance if you only drop from 4 to 2, you will get more distance reducing the tension on the spool via the tension knob, but it 's a double edge sword, if you don 't have educated the thumb the spool spin will run out of control.

2.- No

3.- That depends, the art of not backlashing lies exclusivey in the practice and knowing how to set the braking, knowledge that you learn from .... parctice.

1.- No, you won 't get more distance if you only drop from 4 to 2, you will get more distance reducing the tension on the spool via the tension knob, but it 's a double edge sword, if you don 't have educated the thumb the spool spin will run out of control.

Raul,

I don't remember ever disagreeing with you before, but there's a first time for everything.  I contend that one does gain distance by reducing the number of centrifugul brakes.  This obviously becomes more apparent as one decreases the amount of friction brake.  I run my reels with the friction brake wide open and the difference in casting distance and effort between 0-2 and 2-4 centrifugal brakes is very noticeable.  This seems very intuitive to me.  On what are you basing your statement?

UPDATE:

With 4 of the 6 centrifugal breaks still engaged I tried to see how far I could cast yesterday in the backyard.  Using moderate effort (not muscling it, but using the flex and loading of the road) I could routinely cast over 100 measured feet.  Again, I was using a moderate casting motion, not whipping the rod to get more distance.

So how far is far enough in respect to needing to drop down to 2 breaks?  How far should the average baitcaster cast?

I've never honestly measured my distance, but I can say this:  The difference in effort required is very noticeable to me and that results in less fatigue and more accuracy.  That is why I choose the least amount of resistance that is practical.