backlash and baitcasting reels

When I was a kid, dad gave me a baitcasting reel equipped fishing pole. I very early on learned how to undo backlash but never learned how cast that reel. It kind a put a crimp in my desire to fish. Later in my adult life I did get my own spinning reel and did fish, but never got fired up about it. I got more fired up about hunting and in particular small game/varmint hunting.

Well I am in Oklahoma now and it seems there is more fishing to do than varmint shooting. My wife in the interest of keeping me active gave me a fishing pole for Christmas. Yep with a baitcaster reel.

Well I have been out in the back yard trying it out. What is wonderful it that it has been 60 years since dad gave me that bait caster fishing pole, and I stopped using it, yet I still retain the skill in being able clear backlash fairly easily-sometimes.


I can cast it and prevent back lash most of the time. And some times I can cast as far as 15-20 feet but direction is variable.


So what is the secret? Just practice?

DD - what brand and model number is it? example Garcia 5500C. I might be able to help you since you live close to me in Edmond.

Adjust ur break if adjustable. To where ur line will stop feeding out freely once the bait hits the ground and it should help ! Most of the newer bait casters are very easily adjusted !

DD - Slabprowler is correct. This what I was going to show you how to do. It's simple as can be.

Thanks guys. I am an old guy willing to learn new tricks. Not afraid to learn new tricks. If I was I wouldn't have picked up a bait caster.

The reel is Bass Pro Shops Pro Qualifier 2 Baitcast Reel

I can backlash an Abu Garcia 5500c3 with the best of them!

I just looked up your reel. That one should be pretty easy to set up for nearly no backlashes. Tighten the knob on the right like Slabprowler said. Then turn the adjustment on the left to the maximum setting. It should not backlash like that even if you don’t thumb the spool as the bait hits the water. Back off the left knob once you get more comfortable with it to increase casting distance.

Even tho' I have moved mostly into using spinning outfits I still love my baitcasters. Recently as I was doing my annual clean and oil I counted 13 that still get used pretty often. If I mostly crappie fished they wouldn't get used so much. I have them set up for different types of fishing. I have a couple Amb 5000's dating to the 60's and they are still as good as new. Must admit tho' my first grab is almost always a spinning rod and reel, even for smallmouth.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app

I've found these things help -

cast to the air above where you want the bait to land (more arch than direct line)

don't whip cast as much as "lob" cast

always keep your thumb gently riding on the line in the spool and press your thumb down on it "just before" the bait reaches the water

cast with the reel handle pointing up/down ... not to the side

as the others have said ... adjust the spool tension knob & brake to the weight being cast

and just like a spinning reel: don't reel in the line loose (esp. on light lures) even if you have to reel the line in thru the fingers of the hand holding the rod. You want to keep the line on the reel spool nice and tight, even if you have to cast out to the middle of the lake and reel the line back on with tension every now & then, just to keep the line lying flat on the spool (no loops or loose wraps down in the lower layers of line).

Okay I did the YouTube crawl and some little 8 year old kid got set up with the spool tension and brake.

LOB, now there is something I haven't tried.

Tension on line to start the reel , always.

So the wife seeing me have having issues with the bait caster reel asked if the spinning rod I got her was any good. So I went out the back yard and cast. Then I called the neighbor and asked them to toss my jig back over the fence. And then I went online and order a pair of Ugly Stik® GX2™ Spinning Combos form Cabela's.

I am not giving up on the bait caster, I will keep trying. But in the mean time i will go fishing with the Ugly stik combo.

I tried lob, good. Noticed the drag came loose and could not reel in until I tighten it way down.

FWIW, you can catch all the fish you want with a spinning reel. Baitcasters are more of a “bass thing”, even though spinning reels catch plenty of bass.

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Originally Posted by The Double D

And then I went online and order a pair of Ugly Stik® GX2™ Spinning Combos form Cabela's.

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That's a great choice you will love them, and probably never go back to casters. Spinning reels have always been my first choice for crappie fishing, I only use my bait casters now when I'm trolling for crappie or sandbass, or if I'm catfishing.