Increasing Cast Distance and casting with Braid (mono too)

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Increasing Cast Distance and casting with Braid (mono too)

Post by TroutSupport.com »

There was a post on another board where an angler was frustrated casting with braided lines. I've written several articles about this and here is the short notes of the articles.The right settings on the reel and either FINS Windtamer or Suffix Performance can eliminate a lot of frustration.

First, go to a park and put the braided line on very tight. Tie it to a post and then walk with rod and reel to empty spool. At bottom of spool, re engage spool and reel hard without moving to get tension on line. Slowly walk toward end of line to manage line tension. This really only has to be done the first time but will help with line digging in.

You don't have to cast easy with it, but it will take some time for you to get comfortable with throwing it hard and getting the distance. With that said, if you don't have the reel brakes and spool tension knob set correctly then you will get a backlash much more often.

Proper settings for casting reel
Spool tension knob (by reel handle, puts more or less tension on the spool; is used centering spool as well as putting base amount of friction on spool shaft at friction plate under knob).

1. tighten spool tension knob until line will not run out when reel is disengaged (thumb on reel, tighten knob a turn or two until just snug). With reel disengaged, you should be able to at this point take your thumb off the reel and spool will not free spool with the weight of lure you are casting. SLOWLY loosen spool tension knob until lure just barely begins to pull line out by its own weight.

Brake settings (various reels are different some are centrifugal, some magnetic, some both, and some like the new Lews Team Lite and BB2 Pro are a new breed of centrifugal allowing fine (infinite) adjustment of brakes (ie. not just 1 or 2 but infinite choice of how much or little braking power.
2. If you have a centrifugal brake set up, set / engage 2 brakes and close reel side plate.
2a. If you use a magnetic brake then set it to 6-7 on the side dial...maybe even 8 to start with.
2b If reel has both, set only the centrifugal brake initially.
2c. If new Lews mentioned above then set external brake setting for 5-6.

3. Now this setting is just the starting point. Make a cast, you shouldn't backlash at all, but distance will be minimal. Slowly reduce settings to loosen up reel.
3. if centrifugal brakes, slightly reduce the spool tension knob to get increased distance. At some point after a good bit of practice you'll reduce your brake setting to only 1 brake.
3a. Slowly reduce magnetic brake settings until you increase distance and only get slight overrun. Same for new Lews systems.
3b. If you have a reel with both slowly reduce the brake power but increase the mag to fine adjust your braking on the reel.

Feathering spool edge during cast.
4. As you cast, learn to practice putting your thumb on the edge of the spool to 'feather' the speed of the spool. This will take practice but in the end you'll be able to control your line on the spool with just the slight resistance on the spool with your thumb. You'll never only use your thumb but you can eventually open the settings up slightly more and feather the reel to get the most distance. With the new Lews system the new brakes are basically doing this for you.

Reel turn during cast
5. Some will turn a reel during the cast so the spool becomes vertical during the cast. For some reason this allows line to more smoothly exit the reel even if there is a slight over run. This will also take practice.

The basic idea to get used to casting braid with less backlash is start with tighter settings and slowly loosing them up. Following this list to adjust reel, you can also more quickly learn to cast harder which will get you more distance and allow you to also cast into the wind.
Take your time. Additionally, all of the above can be used with mono line to increase distance and reduce backlash.

Hope this helps you guys increase your cast distance and get more out of your casting reels.
T
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Re: Increasing Cast Distance and casting with Braid (mono too)

Post by texnomad »

Thank you TS I knew most of what you said but some details were important to me. Now I feel better about making the adjustments.
and getting a better fine tuning.
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Re: Increasing Cast Distance and casting with Braid (mono too)

Post by TroutSupport.com »

Sounds great, glad I can help out. Yeah, it's not like its all new info, most will know a little or maybe all of this. hola if you need any support in dialing it in. and that goes for anyone else having issues with braid, casting distance, or even same with mono.

t
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Re: Increasing Cast Distance and casting with Braid (mono too)

Post by SteelRinger »

Great information.

I only have one question: For #3, you stated "At some point after a good bit of practice you'll reduce your brake setting to only 1 brake". I have always been under the impression that you wanted at least two brakes, diametrically opposed, engaged in order to keep the spool balanced. Is that incorrect?
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Re: Increasing Cast Distance and casting with Braid (mono too)

Post by Drifting Yak »

All sounds very good TS....I have used the "feather" technique for a while now and it works great....You can adjust how the spool/line releases by applying slight pressure with your thumb at the appropriate time during a cast (i.e. your thumb becomes another break allowing the line to spool off the reel more effectively)....I also use this for a "brake" when fishing inshore....Meaning that your thumb can assists as an added amount of drag if and when you need it (say to turn a fish when fishing lighter line - hope that makes sense!)....But....Old habits die hard....A group of us went BTB fishing last Friday with Mythman and company (my first BTB trip)....As a shark started to take my line, my old habits kicked in....I applied my thumb to add a little tension to the line....Just trying to "feel" the shark....Maybe to understand when I should set the hook....Well I felt him alright....When the shark felt the tug of my line he took off....Spooled out some line....And smoked my thumb in the process. :horse: Needless to say but I will think a little more about when and how I apply tension with my thumb in the future! :lol: Tight lines everyone!
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Re: Increasing Cast Distance and casting with Braid (mono too)

Post by MarshMikee »

SteelRinger wrote:Great information.

I only have one question: For #3, you stated "At some point after a good bit of practice you'll reduce your brake setting to only 1 brake". I have always been under the impression that you wanted at least two brakes, diametrically opposed, engaged in order to keep the spool balanced. Is that incorrect?
Not correct - I run my chronarchs pretty much with one weight out only. I used to think the same thing, had to have an even number to stay in balance. Was fishing with a guide buddy, he was pretty consistently out casting me, we were throwing pretty light jigs, maybe 1/8 oz. He asked me how many you got out, said two, he said try one, I questioned it, he said just try it, and bingo, instant extra yards.

Usually run with power pro slick, flouro leader, and lighter jig heads. I have found that just a leeeetle thumb action about half way thru the cast, when going for max distance, sort of tames the impending overrun, just sort of taste the line with the thumb as it is getting to a bigger diameter, makes the almost backlash subside, and then pull thumb back, letting it roll from there to splashdown. Not a very good description, but.... if anyone else picks up one of my reels, it WILL backlash. Having it set super lite though, I can cast much further with lots less effort. Mainly a PB problem, from the yak, I don't usually cast as far.
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Re: Increasing Cast Distance and casting with Braid (mono too)

Post by texnomad »

I run one weight out with my Citica with great success. Yesterday tried no weights out and spent 30 minutes on the professional overrun.
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Re: Increasing Cast Distance and casting with Braid (mono too)

Post by TroutSupport.com »

Yeah, no brakes is a whole different game all together. I'm not even there yet myself. LOL.

Using a single brake will only cause an infinitely small oscillation, can't even notice it. It's probably well within the designed parameters for the bearing anyway so no harm to the reel at all. Certainly get longer cast.

A lot of the newer reels like the Lews LFS systems are going to centrifugal brake systems that allow an infinite level of resistance to be applied from almost zero to plenty plus. I've since been throwing a Lews BB1 pro with the external adjust centrifugal braking system and have it set for just a very light feather of resistance against the spool. It's certainly less than 1 brake but more than zero brakes.
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Re: Increasing Cast Distance and casting with Braid (mono too)

Post by MobyYack »

great info i love braid
Calait

Re: Increasing Cast Distance and casting with Braid (mono too)

Post by Calait »

The only thing I don't love about my braid is the ease in which it cuts my hand when tangled in a tree from a spare rod.
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Re: Increasing Cast Distance and casting with Braid (mono too)

Post by TroutSupport.com »

MarshMikee wrote:
SteelRinger wrote:Great information.

I only have one question: For #3, you stated "At some point after a good bit of practice you'll reduce your brake setting to only 1 brake". I have always been under the impression that you wanted at least two brakes, diametrically opposed, engaged in order to keep the spool balanced. Is that incorrect?
Not correct - I run my chronarchs pretty much with one weight out only. I used to think the same thing, had to have an even number to stay in balance. Was fishing with a guide buddy, he was pretty consistently out casting me, we were throwing pretty light jigs, maybe 1/8 oz. He asked me how many you got out, said two, he said try one, I questioned it, he said just try it, and bingo, instant extra yards.

Usually run with power pro slick, flouro leader, and lighter jig heads. I have found that just a leeeetle thumb action about half way thru the cast, when going for max distance, sort of tames the impending overrun, just sort of taste the line with the thumb as it is getting to a bigger diameter, makes the almost backlash subside, and then pull thumb back, letting it roll from there to splashdown. Not a very good description, but.... if anyone else picks up one of my reels, it WILL backlash. Having it set super lite though, I can cast much further with lots less effort. Mainly a PB problem, from the yak, I don't usually cast as far.
well said and great description of the finer details of 'thumbing' or 'feathering' ... loved it "just taste the line with the thumb". Sometimes I cast far and sometimes I cast and catch reds at my feet. When you see a blow up at the end of your range it's nice to know that you can 'reach out and touch someone'.. I think learning to cast both far and accurately is important and I think learning one will increase your confidence to do the other.
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Re: Increasing Cast Distance and casting with Braid (mono too)

Post by fillius nullius »

TroutSupport.com wrote: Reel turn during cast
5. Some will turn a reel during the cast so the spool becomes vertical during the cast. For some reason this allows line to more smoothly exit the reel even if there is a slight over run. This will also take practice.
T
I tried this today at the local lake and I got 3 - 5 additional yards on each cast. Couldn't believe it.
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Re: Increasing Cast Distance and casting with Braid (mono too)

Post by TroutSupport.com »

Cool.. glad it helped out. and it also reduces backlashing as well.

holla if you need anything.
t
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Re: Increasing Cast Distance and casting with Braid (mono too)

Post by Styksnstryngs »

I've also heard a good tip that was a game changer for me: if backlashes start early in the cast, tighten the cast control knob and if backlashes tend to form later, when the lure is already pretty far out, raise your brakes. This really helped me as a baitcast beginner.
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Re: Increasing Cast Distance and casting with Braid (mono too)

Post by TroutSupport.com »

Good tip.. it's always good to make slight adjustments with the 'cast control knob' aka the spool tension knob throughout the day as one changes lures etc.
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Re: Increasing Cast Distance and casting with Braid (mono too)

Post by niswanger »

TroutSupport.com wrote:
3. if centrifugal brakes, slightly reduce the spool tension knob to get increased distance. At some point after a good bit of practice you'll reduce your brake setting to only 1 brake.
3
Okay, quick question with image to back it up. I have a Shimano Curado 70XG. Here's a pic of the side plate removed. There are 4 brakes and an outside dial. The dial is from like 1 to 7 or something in that range (is this magnetic?). As for the brakes, it looks like they are designed to have 1 to 4 engaged, meaning loose to brake. So in my image looks like I have two loose to brake and two not engaged (clipped up). I think the 2 engaged are at 2 and 8-o-clock right? So you mean to set one of these clipped up (off) and only have one loose to brake? I need to download the instructions to understand how to engage and disengage them.

Image

Thanks,
Roy
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Re: Increasing Cast Distance and casting with Braid (mono too)

Post by Ron Mc »

if you want to increase cast distance, increase rod length - it's simply ballistics.
A 20% increase in tip velocity doubles your cast distance.
I have my reels doubled up with 7' rods for close control and 8-1/2' to 9' steelhead rods for distance.
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Re: Increasing Cast Distance and casting with Braid (mono too)

Post by TroutSupport.com »

As far as the brake settings, Yes, reduce it to one brake. I'll have to do a little research on that Curado but I don't believe that it has a magnetic brake. The setting on the outside I believe works in conjunction with the centrifugal brakes you are showing in the photo. Also, many people state you should have at least two brakes set so that its even. While that seems like the logical thing to do.. it's totally unnecessary and the reel will be fine with one brake set since the brakes are all there the weight is still balanced, there is just less friction.

Longer rods will certainly increase cast distance but the reels have to be set properly to get the most out of them with any rod length. I've seen reels so tight that a 9' rod wouldn't have helped. They didn't get back lashes but they only cast like 30 yards because the reels weren't set up / adjusted correctly.
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Re: Increasing Cast Distance and casting with Braid (mono too)

Post by Ron Mc »

Tobin, for my dad's Lew's Saltwater, I've had to fabricate spindle pads from sheet phosphor bronze - ok, I have it around anyway for making springs on antiques.

Image

Back to the long rods - they're my go-to for drift fishing from a power boat.
Image
Sitting in a kayak, they're not needed with your lures (TSL), but they have an advantage fishing weighted lures, because the high tip helps you keep the weighted lures out of the grass.
Image
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