Q dock

[Luvevolution]

went down to Q dock for 4 hours this afternoon. for those hours, all I got was a small Goby, so I guess you could say I got skunked. LOL. there were lots of Trout breaking the surface down there today though, for anyone who's interested.

most of the reason I went there, was for casting practice. I just bought myself a new baitcaster with a magnetic brake, so I've been trying to teach myself to cast with live bait and different kinds of lures. I'm not that great yet and I can cast a spinning reel much, much further, but I'm sure it'll come in time. I broke two lures off (snapped the line, 20lb braid) which of course birds nested both times. the last one was so messed up that I called it a day at that point. managed to get it out at home, but I think I lost almost half the line. hmmmmmmmmmmmmm. other than that, it was a good afternoon on the water.

Rich

[steellee]

went down to Q dock for 4 hours this afternoon. for those hours, all I got was a small Goby, so I guess you could say I got skunked. LOL. there were lots of Trout breaking the surface down there today though, for anyone who's interested.

most of the reason I went there, was for casting practice. I just bought myself a new baitcaster with a magnetic brake, so I've been trying to teach myself to cast with live bait and different kinds of lures. I'm not that great yet and I can cast a spinning reel much, much further, but I'm sure it'll come in time. I broke two lures off (snapped the line, 20lb braid) which of course birds nested both times. the last one was so messed up that I called it a day at that point. managed to get it out at home, but I think I lost almost half the line. hmmmmmmmmmmmmm. other than that, it was a good afternoon on the water.

Rich

If you need to respool normal mono is much more forgiving to learn on than 20 pd braid.

[fafaflohi]

I found that a baitcaster with dual braking is much more forgiving and easier to learn on

[smerchly]

I find the light braid even worse for tangles . The wind catches it & you need to be extra careful when flipping the bail over to make sure the line is tight at all times . The braid doesn't have memory like mono but it is more sensitive in feeling the bottom & the ligh nibblers etc. I am still having trouble getting use to the braid & I'll keep both on hand if I lose too much braid in a tangle .The braid can be a bugger to get a small knot out ......grrrrrr .

[basskicker09]

i would recomend using 12 to 16 lb mono to learn on its easier to get backlashes out and more manageable once you get good with the thick stuff then move to a thinner line for further casts

good luck

[Luvevolution]

thanks for all the tips guys. I really do appreciate it and I'm NOT going to give up. I like what I've seen from this thing so far. I was mistaken on the test of the line I'm using. the reel I bought is an Abu Garcia and the web site I went on recommended 30lb Spiderwire ultracast, so that's the one I went with. if I've made a mistake, then I'm willing to put this stuff back on the spool and get something else.

one positive for the day is that I finally tried one of the doller store crank baits that I bought. it was the yellow one with pink and blue on it. not sure if it'll catch fish, but the action of it is very, very good. I was very impressed with it and since I lost it, I might go buy a few more to try. LOL.

as far as the baitcaster reel goes. I set the star wheel first to 10-12 lbs drag, by using the fishing scale. then I set the brake to about 50%, then the knobby thingy on the handle side so that the lure only fell when I shook the tip of the rod. apparantly, that was supposed to be good enough, but the cast was somehow allowing the line to stop and snap off. hmmmmmmmmmm. I'm man enough to admit I did something wrong. LOL.

Rich

[foremanian_one@hotmail.com]

More of the same, but yea it is definitely easier to deal with backlashes with mono. You can easily pick at the loops that form, pulling line out. After so many casts though muscle memory kicks in and it is second nature.

Be sure to update us on that crankbait. I have seen those and have been curious about them. I remember buying a crankbait at Walmart when I was younger that was like $2. I think it was a Norman, but if not, it definitely looked like one. I loved it, and caught so many fish on it. Sometimes the cheap baits are surprising. That reminds me too, Walmart used to see lures called Ugly Ducklings. They were cheap, and are awesome. The company still sells lures, and they have a website, but I don't know what stores carry them.

[marth11]

all I use up north on the french is dollar store crankbaits, caught my first walleye on one, and lost many a big smallies as well

[RoeBaggin]

Baitcasters are traditionally meant to be used with heavy line any where from 10lbs on the light end up to 20 plus lb test. 20lb braid probably only has a six to eight lb diameter. The lighter test lines tend to bird nest from the reel easier. It seems to flare off the spool much faster than heavy test. Mono is easier to learn with. If you want to go braid next time get 35 to 50 lb test. It is the diameter of 10 to 12 test mono. Adjust the spool tension knob so that the lure you are using barely falls from the tip of your rod when you release your freespool. Then you can play with the magnetic brake settings to fine tune the cast based on the conditions. Remember each time you switch lures you must reset the freespool tension so that it barely falls from the tip of your rod.

Good luck, once you learn a baitcaster, the advantages over spinning gear are ten fold in my mind!

RB

[Flywire]

My main use for the baitcaster is that it tends to handle heavy lines better than spinning gear. I had the unfortunate luck of buying a nice Shimano Calcutta and had a gear break in the handle, so now I get an awful clunk in it plus it buzzes when I cast, not sure if that is normal or not but it doesn't sound like it.....regardless of that rant, enjoy your baitcaster, also great for making precise casts with great line control.

[fishkid]

If you'll be using braid, learn with braid. If your using mono, learn with mono. But if you keep getting nests here's a tip:

Throw a long cast and then spool out an extra 15 ft or so of line. Put a peice of electrical tape across the spool and then reel it back in. That way if (more like when) you get a nests, it will only tangle up to that point and it's much easier to save.

[Luvevolution]

interesting point and makes sense. I think I may just try that. LOL.

[Diltsy]

I started using baitcasters last year and feel completely confident with them now. I had the same problem as you with the line breaking off and found it to be my knot was slipping with the braid. I started using the palomar knot and haven't had a problem since! As for the casting, you want your lure to just slowly drop in free spool. Also the big thing is don't cast as hard as you can, if you have your lure just slowly falling it won't take much force to get the lure out there! And practice using your thumb to slow down the spool!

[jsayer]

I learned with 30lb power pro,I set my magnets,loosened off the lure brake knob to free spool and use my thumb on the spool to slow it down to stop birds nests.I got my fair share of birds nests when I was learning this but you get to know the feel of the line as the spool starts to spin faster than the line coming off of it,when that starts to happen you can actually feel the line start to jump off the spool.When you feel that just apply the slightest bit of pressure with your thumb to slow the spool down.

[Luvevolution]

well, I tried using small Mepps spinners at CD park the other day and learned how bad I really suck with this reel. LOL. damn near every cast was a birds nest. then I finally got the hang of it and only birds nested every half dozen casts or so. LOL. eventually I'll get the hang of it though. HOPEFULLY.

[jsayer]

Look at the lure weight rating on your rod, if your lure weight is under the rating you will have nothing but problems.

[lunkers only]

Look at the lure weight rating on your rod, if your lure weight is under the rating you will have nothing but problems.

Completely agree. Try casting heavier lures when learning. Save you money and frustration.

[Luvevolution]

yeah, I agree with the heavier lures too. I had less problems casting with Rapala's and none with spoons, so I think I'll stick with those for the time being. even setting the brakes properly, the Mepps spinners are obviously too light to pull the line as fast as it spools off. hopefully I can learn to cast as far as I can with a spinning reel, so we'll see how it progresses I suppose. I'm stubborn enough to stick with it, that's for sure. LOL.

Rich

[foremanian_one@hotmail.com]

Sticking with it is pretty much the only way to get used to it, but is well worth it. Do you have a backyard you can cast in? When I got mine I just practiced casting in my yard with this diamond shaped plastic thing you could tie on your line like an bell sinker. that way you don't lose lures and such.

[RichieWalleye]

maybe you know this already- but - set your drag to the weight of your "bait".

should help with getting rid of the "birdnesting issue".

[Phranchise]

i would recomend using 12 to 16 lb mono to learn on its easier to get backlashes out and more manageable once you get good with the thick stuff then move to a thinner line for further casts

good luck

great advice..ill second that...it is significantly easier to learn on heavier line. Mono is also the way to go..a lot more manageable on a caster.