[oldschool]

The 2 topics that I have noticed that seem to repeat themselves is how to cast properly and how to spool line on the reel correctly. These are two different topics, however they are related. This is the Reel & Rod forum so lets discuss learning to cast a bait casting reel.
The very first thing you need to do with any reel is spooling on the line you intend to use and selecting a rod that will cast easily. When starting out I suggest that you use an inexpensive line like Trilene Big Game 12 lb., for bait casting reels. Place a pencil through the refill spool and have someone hold for you to keep the line from falling off the spool when winding the line on your reel. If you are alone, then clamp the pencil upright so the filler spool will spin freely and wind on the line to your reel. Do not over fill the spool, keep the line about 1/8 inch below the top of the spool. Keep a little tension on the line, you can run the line under a wet towell to keep tension and moisten the line. The reel should be mounted on the rod and the line run through all the guides.
The rod you select for learning to cast should be a medium action, fast taper about 6 1/2 feet long. This is a good all around rod for casting. Tie on a 1/2 ounce plastic practice casting weight. Adjust the reels spool line tension by loosening the end plate knob. With the 1/2 ounce casting weight tied on, reel the weight up to about 1 foot from the rod tip with the tip held about 2 o'clock position. Place your thumb on the reel spool and disengage the spool release. Take your thumb off the spool and adjust the reel spool tension so the line is pulled slowly off the spool by the casting weight. This is the proper tension to start with. The next step before you start to cast is to pull off about 100 feet of line and tape over the line on the spool with masking tape, one or two wraps is all that is needed. After taping rewind the 100 feet of line back on the reel.
Now you are ready to start practicing. Find an open area without trees like a lawn area. The rod should be held with the reel handles facing upright, arm forward and bent at the elbow. Put your thumb on the reel spool and disengage the spool release. The rod starts at the 2 o'clock position, bend your elbow slightly and your wrist back until the rod is at the 10 o'clock position, then with your wrist and forearm sweep the rod back to the 2 o'clock position, let your thumb off the spool at 12 o'clock and continue to the 2 o'clock starting position. The casting lure should pull off about 20 to 25 yards of line. Depending on the rod action the release point of 12 o'clock needs to be practiced to determine the right release point for the rod and weight you are using. Over runs or backlashes will be minimal because of the masking tape keeps the line from loosening too deeply. Continue practicing casting until the tape is reach on each cast. To incease distance slightly loosen the spool tension adjustment.
Remove the tape and continue practicing and using your thumb to slow down the reel spool as the lure reaches the half way point in the air. You are now ready to go fishing.
Tom

 

[mary dean]

Thanks Tom!
I use a large coffee mug to hold my spool when respooling... It works fine for me.

 

[KeithsCatch]

You got one big coffee mug then haha. :neener:

 

[oldschool]

You can put 1/4lb spoons in the sink with warm water or when fishing in the live well. Flat filler spools tend to flip over unless they are on a mandrel of some type.
Tom

 

[TampaCountryBoy]

Place a pencil through the refill spool and have someone hold for you to keep the line from falling off the spool when winding the line on your reel. If you are alone, then clamp the pencil upright so the filler spool will spin freely and wind on the line to your reel.

Easy tip for spooling line alone is to stick the pencil through the spool and then hold the pencil between your big toe and second toe pressing down on the spool to add the needed pressure to the reel. this method works best if you have the reel mounted and the line run through the first guide only.

 

[oldschool]

Spooling line on spinning reels can be done using the same techniques described for bait casting reels. Use caution not to apply more than light pressure on the line when spooling to avoid line twist. With flat filler spools the spool can be laid label up on the floor. Mount the reel onto the rod and run the line through the guides and tie onto the reel spool. Hold the rod tip about five feet above the spool and start reeling using your thumb and index finger held near the first large guide to apply light tension to the line. Watch the coils comming off the flat filler spool for line twisting to develop between the rod tip and filler spool. If twisting starts, flip the filler spool over and continue winding on the line. Do not over fill the spool, keep the line even or just below the radius on the spool, about 1/8 inch from full.
Easy knot to use for spinning reel spools is a slip knot, drop the loop over the spool with the bail open, pull tight and add one half hitch to prevent knot slippage.
The spool on a spinning reel is stationary and the line is wrapped onto the spool with a revolving bail. Most spinning reels today the bail revolves clockwise, some counterclockwise. This is the reason that you need to watch for line twist when spooling and why you flip over the flat filler spool if twisting starts. Spooling line off a filler spool with a mandrel or pencil eliminates the problem of twisting, if you apply light line tension. After spooling line on a spinning reel, I suggest that you apply a drop of line dressing to reduce tension memory. Always apply a line dressing to fluorocarbon or fluoro/mono hybrids.
Line twist during fishing occurs because of the line tension applied by lures or fish will coil the line onto the spool by the revolving bail and stationary reel spool. The easiest method to uncoil the line memory is to let out about 30 yards of line without anything tied on and run the line behind your boat at 5 to 10 mph for a few minutes. The water pressure allows the line to uncoil by reversing the twist, if the end of the line is free to rotate. Stop the boat and rewind the line back onto the reel, the water will apply the needed pressure to spool correctly, do not rewind with the boat moving as this can add too much line pressure and re twist the line.
Tom

 

[oldschool]

The loop cast is one specialty type of casting that is becoming more popular among the pros. Loop casting allows you to keep the lure close to the water surface with a bait casting reel and 6 1/2' medium/fast action rod combination. Before pitching became popular, loop casting was the technique used to cast lures into tight cover or under low hanging limbs. Loop casting allows you to fish at a little longer distance away from the targets, use standard tackle and cover water quickly.
To become an effect loop caster you need to learn good boat control and keep the boat at the same distance from targets as you move parallel to the cover. I prefer to make 20 to 25 foot loop casts so thats the distance I stay off the targets.
What is a loop cast? You see KVD making loop casts and Hank Parker if you ever watch his shows. A loop cast is holding the rod parallel or slightly above to the water surface and about 45 degrees away from the intended target. With the lure about 1 foot from the rod tip, like a normal over hand cast, you start the cast with the lure hanging down. The technique is to make a clockwise circle with your wrist, about 1 foot in diameter, the rod will swing the lure in a loop about 3 foot diameter and as the lure approaches the staring point you release your thumb pressure and the lure will cast parallel along the waters surface. You simply stop the lure just above the intended target and it drops quietly onto the water. With a days practice you should master this technique.
Accurate casting is one skill that every good bass fisherman should have and the loop cast is a very accurate presentation.
Tom

 

[oldschool]

Spooling super braids on casting reels. Super braids are generally much smaller in diameter than traditional Dacron braids or monofilament nylon lines by up to 50%. For example traditional lines are about 1 pound test strength for each 0.001 ie; 15 lb test mono is .015 diameter approximately, whereas 15 lb test super braid is only 0.004 or the diameter of 4 lb test mono. The problem this can cause is the amount of super braid to fill a typical bait casting reel may exceed 300 yards.
Top shot is a common term used to add line to line already on the reel spool. Because the super braid is expensive, most anglers will top shot braid onto a filler line to reduce the amount of line needed to properly fill the reel to 1/8 from the full line capacity. A top shot of superbriad should be applied to a Dacron braid filler and not over monofilament line. Mono is nylon and will cold flow under the pressure of the super braid. If the filler line softens and moves the top shot super braid will start to loosen during a cast and cause severe backlashes or when reeled back on after a cast the loose line will dig down through the lower loose core of line. Reels that are deigned for super braids have a very fast level wind gear to maximize the cross over of the line as it is reeled back onto the spool and this helps to prevent severe backlash or line digging.
When initially spooling superbraid onto your reel make sure that the line tension is tight and assist the level wind with the back and forth movement. Use a Kevlar fish fillet glove to apply tension onto braid to prevent the line from cutting. Never adjust your drag tension to have more than 8 pounds of tension force to prevent reel component damage or rod breakage.
Tom

 

[Oldfart9999]

Tom, would you recommend running the line trough a cloth or paper towel that has line dressing on it while you are spooling a reel?
Rodney

 

[hi steel basser]

Here's something I found that works well for bigger spools of line- the problem with a pen or pencil being held by your feet is that it tends to slip out of the spool. I use the handle of a 5- gallon bucket. I didn't know that pressure was what caused the twist on spinning reels, I learn something every day here.

 

[oldschool]

The BPS, XPS Line winder aluminum post with a suction cup looks like it would work well for filler spools, or the Berkley line station. I just use my splash well, the back of a fiberglass boat or live well for the 1/4 lb spools. A small plastic bucket or what ever will keep the spool from flipping over works OK. I don't apply line dressing to a cloth, just directly on the spooled line, 1 or 2 drops is all that needed.
Tom

 

[oldschool]

Tom, would you recommend running the line trough a cloth or paper towel that has line dressing on it while you are spooling a reel?
Rodney

Rodney,
I somehow missed this question and just read it, sorry for that. I don't like to do that with line dressing and prefer water because the dressing may over load and the excess may get into the reel gears and bearings. I just like to add a few drops of TangleFree onto the top of the spooled line before fishing or with fluorocarbon , several times during the day.
Tom

 

[redranger188]

I take the spool out of the box and get the line tied on the put the spool back in the box and hang the line out of the side and close the box. This keeps the line and spool tight for me.

 

[CaptainMo]

I'm not sure how many people have tried this trick when spooling line...and to be honest with you, I'm not sure if it is a good or bad method. I have done it, and it seemd to work just fine.
Once you have your line ran through the guides and tied off on your spool, drop the spool into the water...give it a couple of quick retrieves and the spool will actually stand up on end in the water. Continue retrieving until your spool is 1/8 of an inch from "full". The tension that's created by the filler spool turning in the water seems to be about perfect.

 

[Greddy213]

I'm not sure how many people have tried this trick when spooling line...and to be honest with you, I'm not sure if it is a good or bad method. I have done it, and it seemd to work just fine.
Once you have your line ran through the guides and tied off on your spool, drop the spool into the water...give it a couple of quick retrieves and the spool will actually stand up on end in the water. Continue retrieving until your spool is 1/8 of an inch from "full". The tension that's created by the filler spool turning in the water seems to be about perfect.

I really like that idea actually, going to try it next time I respool!

 

[oldschool]

It's a common practice for salt water fisherman to put the filler spools in live bait tank over flow wells, used to hold a few baits, when spooling line on reels as the boat travels to fishing areas.
I mentioned somewhere on this site that I often put my filler spools in the livewell (when I have water in them) to spool line on my reels, works great.
Tom

 

[wall hanger]

It takes two people to do it, but I like to stick a pencil through the flat spools and let my cousin hold wile I respool while holding tension on the line. and every now and again point the tip of the rod down to see if the line is getting loops in it or tangles.

 

[Southern_Comfort]

It takes two people to do it, but I like to stick a pencil through the flat spools and let my cousin hold wile I respool while holding tension on the line. and every now and again point the tip of the rod down to see if the line is getting loops in it or tangles.

Yeah I think we done it this way for awhile now. Sherry's dad, When me and him re-spools the line, We check for tangles ever so often. And flip the spool of line over and continue to reel. This way keeps the tangles out most of the time.

But yeah, Use a Pencil or ink pen to place in the middle of the spool of line.