03-20-2012, 01:25 AM
My dad taught me how to use a baitcaster when I was around 5 years old. The other posts about how to set it up are good.
My dad had me get a plate and go out in the yard. Put the plate about 10 feet away and use 6lb mono line with a 1/4 oz bullet weight tied to the line. I practiced trying to get the lure to hit the plate with the tension set high enough that the line wouldn't backlash at all even if I threw it soft are hard and never slowed it with my thumb.
As I got better and was able to hit the plate every cast I moved the plate 20 feet away and loosened the tension so the reel would flow smoother and faster and would get a backlash every now and then trying to hit the plate.
Over the course of about a two weeks doing this every day for a hour I got to the point I could hit the plate about 50 feet away with the tension set really loose and was using my thumb on the spool to control how much line came off.
It took me years to get to the point where I am now and I have my baitcasters set so loose if you put a 1/8oz weight on them and let line fall just a few feet the reel will just keep spinning freely and backlash into a mess. I use my thumb to control how much line is fed off the reel now and can cast even the smallest lure 30-50 yards away and have it land in a cup. But that took years of practice.
Just keep at it and once you master the baitcaster you will love it for the accuracy you can attain with your casts.
Good luck!
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My dad had me get a plate and go out in the yard. Put the plate about 10 feet away and use 6lb mono line with a 1/4 oz bullet weight tied to the line. I practiced trying to get the lure to hit the plate with the tension set high enough that the line wouldn't backlash at all even if I threw it soft are hard and never slowed it with my thumb.
As I got better and was able to hit the plate every cast I moved the plate 20 feet away and loosened the tension so the reel would flow smoother and faster and would get a backlash every now and then trying to hit the plate.
Over the course of about a two weeks doing this every day for a hour I got to the point I could hit the plate about 50 feet away with the tension set really loose and was using my thumb on the spool to control how much line came off.
It took me years to get to the point where I am now and I have my baitcasters set so loose if you put a 1/8oz weight on them and let line fall just a few feet the reel will just keep spinning freely and backlash into a mess. I use my thumb to control how much line is fed off the reel now and can cast even the smallest lure 30-50 yards away and have it land in a cup. But that took years of practice.
Just keep at it and once you master the baitcaster you will love it for the accuracy you can attain with your casts.
Good luck!
[signature]