How to Cast a Baitcaster Reel - Preventions and Solutions to Backlash

Step 1: Aim - Keep your arm close to your side with your forearm parallel to the ground. Keep the lure about 6" from the rod tip. Do this by pressing your thumb against the line on the reel. You can now start the upward swing.

Step 2: Bring Back - Bring the rod up straight over your shoulder rather quickly with your wrist and remember to keep your thumb on the line.

Step 3: Stop Backward Motion - Stop the rod when the handle is straight up and down. You can begin to reverse the motion forward. Your thumb should still be pressed against the line on the reel.

Step 4: Start Forward Motion - Start your forward cast and release pressure on your thumb. It takes practice to get the timing right and make sure you don't take your thumb completely off the line. This will cause backlash.

Step 5: Release Thumb - Hold the rod in alignment with the line going out. Still keep a slight pressure on your thumb and just before the lure hits the water, stop the line completely with your thumb. If you wait until after the lure hits the water, this may cause backlash too.

Backlash is common for fisherman new to the baitcast reel but even very experienced fisherman have this happen to them. If you have never experienced the dreaded backlash on a baitcasting reel, you can tell by the picture on the right that it is no fun. Backlash is caused by line coming off the reel too fast and it creating a mess of tangled knots.

Avoiding Backlash

There's usually a tension control knob on the right of the reel. Loosen the tension (twist towards you) for lighter lures and tighten it (twist away from you) for heavier lures. The idea is to get it just right so when you press the button to release your line, the lure falls very slowly. If it falls to fast, this is sure to give you backlash when you cast. If it doesn't fall at all, then your cast aren't going to be very far. Just play with it until you get it right.

Also, on newer reels there is a brake system that can help out. It is usually located under a plate on the left of the reel. Mess around turning off and on brakes until you get the right balance. This is almost the same as the tension knob and if you set both of them right, you will cast farther and have less backlashes. It's about finding a balance.

When fishermen have a bird's nest of line on their reel, the most common thing they do is try to pick at it to try to get the knots out. This rarely works and leads to you being frustrated and having to cut your line. When this happens follow these steps. First, pull the line out until you reach a knot and you can't pull any further. Click the reel forward so you are able to reel in. Next, put pressure on the line with your thumb and reel in about a half a rotation. Then click the bail and pull out line again until you reach a knot and can't pull any more line out. Keep repeating these steps until you fixed the backlash. You can watch the video to help you better understand how to do this trick. Good luck!