New to the board. Usually a trout guy but been reading the duct posts for a month and am dying to get out there. Off next week, will try then. Goint to AL tomorrow and practice with new bait caster. Usually use spinning only. Any suggestions?
Practice with bait caster
New to the board. Usually a trout guy but been reading the duct posts for a month and am dying to get out there. Off next week, will try then. Goint to AL tomorrow and practice with new bait caster. Usually use spinning only. Any suggestions?
Welcome to the boards.
As far as casting goes, when i first started I put all the brakes on (prevents backlashes) then slowly start taking them off one by one.
When casting you want to take your thumb off of the spool when your rod is still pointing up. I would aim at clouds in the sky in order to get that down (and it's more of a lob with power as opposed to a flick).
Keep your eye on the bait and right before it hits the water you have to place your thumb on the spool or else it will bird nest.
If it does bird nest (when it looks like your string exploded within the reel) all you have to do is slowly pull out the string and when you see where it got hung up (usually looks like a loop). Just give that loop a little tug which should free it and continue pulling on your main line until it is cleared.
Don't let one bad experience ruin your bait casting days. Just keep at it.
Tight lines!
A wet line tends not to overrun a lot so try a few soft, short lobs first to get some water inside the wraps on the spool. Practice with a casting weight before you go out to get the feel of things. When (not if) you backlash the reel don't cut the line, but carefully pick out the knot with your fingers and don't get mad or too frustrated about it; it's a good lesson.
spool it with cheap line, you'll be cutting backlashes. practice at home for a while.
check youtube!!
heres one
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJncaBKfE4w
Spool up with braid...cheap "starting-off" line that's good is Spiderwire.
I have cut my bird's nest down to almost never w/ braid.
Good luck.
You should practice "thumbing the line". When I cast, my thumb is touching the line/reel ever so slightly. With enough practice you can cast and thumb the line with barely any friction.
You can practice this in front of the tv... put 1/2 oz weight on your line, open your brakes so it falls at a "reasonable" rate...then practice "thumbing" and stopping the line just before it hits the ground.
if you got the cheap walmart baitcasting combo like i did it is hopeless the reel is junk it will backlash mid cast while your line is still in the air so make sure your reel is of some sort of quality
Like Cutbait said. you should practice else before fishing at Duct because when you get backlash you try to fix the line then the lure sink down and stuck at the bottom or edge of the canal and you would lose the lure. When I got backlash, I would pull the line with my hand first to get the lure then I would fix the backlash later. Good luck
practice practice practice
on wide open water
with a floating bait
Thanks Guys. I'm getting better. I'll be fishing the duct this weekend.
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