Level winds no backlash

[Ryan Pultz]

Ok i have been a spin fisherman all my life and well i want to get a level wind that will not back last i have the worst time casting with one i cast ok but i seem to get a lot of back lash i have tried sevral reel and still the same thing do they make any level wind reels that do not back last? Thank you all.

[Salmonator]

Ryan, I believe that there are a few anti-backlash reels out there but you can still make a good birdnest with them if you aren't careful. Your best bet is to buy a good, easy casting reel (maybe a citica or curado) and just practice. After awhile it will be second nature... Joe

Ryan,

Most of them now days will not backlash if they are adjusted right.

Tie whatever weight on the line you will be using.

Put the rod tip in the air and trip the release.

Adjust the CENTER spool adjustment until whatever you have tied to your line falls slowly enough to not cause any "overspin" on the spool when it hits the ground or the floor. You want it to drop as fast as possible, without overspin, with the weight or total weight of what you have tied on the line.

If you change weights or rigs, simply adjust the center spool again. This should stop most any backlash's or birdnesting, even if you don't have the light pressure with your thumb technique down yet with a level wind.

Once you have the thumbing down, you can put even less friction of the center spool adjustment, but as a benchmark I would keep it adjusted as noted above. This is the critical adjustment for any level wind.

[ 12-25-2001: Message edited by: ****** ]</p>

[ampersat]

practice, practice, practice.

i've been fishing level winds for twenty years now and no matter what, you'll backlash sometimes. (it's tough to get through a backlash on 25lb test, let me tell you). the better you get at it, the less you'll have them. you'll get them more when the wind is up and you'll get them more when you're tossing a light rig. i hardly ever have them fishing a drift rig. 1/4oz bobbber rigs and spinners give me problems when the wind is up.

the tip from ****** is right on. tighten up the spool till it's too tight (not way too tight, but tight enough that you know it won't go) and pop the release. then, while bouncing your rod tip, slowly back off the spool till it starts to drop. the bouncing part is critical since static drag (sitting still) is stronger than dynamic drag (moving). once the spool starts to spin, it will not stop until a greater force is applied (ie, your thumb). and i never thought all that physics **** would pay off in real life.

go out and get a $30 bass or trout reel to practice with in your yard. spool it up with 6lb test and use a quarter ounce for practice. get the feel of the release and the stop (when your terminal hits the ground or water). also, spend some time picking out backlashes; you'll always have them and the better you get at it, the less time it'll take you on the water. sometimes you'll have to give up and cut them out; it just happens. you can tell when you're starting to backlash on a cast because the spool will start to sound 'staticy' when the line starts to overspool (it may not make sense now, but it will when you start to get the feel for it).

make sure you're using a decent reel (doesn't have to be top of the line, but definitely don't go bottom of the line). the anti-backlash junk on the market robs you of distance on your cast. i have an old daiwa magforce trout reel from twenty years ago; it helps stop backlash, but it'll take twenty yards off my cast.

practice, practice, practice. off the water! don't ruin a good fishing trip trying to figure out how to cast it. work on targeting and distance. you'll find them much more accurate and controllable than spinning reels. one of the things i truly love about fishing is casting (which is good since i have a hard time getting into fish). once you get the hang of it, you'll get rid of all your spinning reels, guaranteed.

[Catch 22]

Go buy a curado 200/201 and open the side of it. Pull out at least four of the magnets. You may want to have the salesperson help you. The Curado has a centrifucal clutch. Yes I know I can't spell. However I know what it does. The reel is made for people like us that need a little mechanical control over our casting. This will get you started. However after you have the clutch set up, follow the directions from the previous posts for setting the cast control. Like Ryan said, you will soon find that you always need to check/change the control every time you change weight and/or rigging.

[BCFISHON1]

if you can handle cranking the leval wind with your left hand I ink it would be best.most people cast with there right hand and if you cast one handed with the same hand you crank with you are forced to switch the pole to your left hand to retrieve your rig this can waste a lot of time and when your switching hands you can miss a hit. if you watch the Bass pros who cast a lot you will see they cast holding there rod with there right hand only while they retrieve with there left hand only no switching hands just cast, reel,and cast, smooth and methodically over there targeted water and when bank fishing for steelies is no diff.no wasted time just all out tourny style fishing for the game your chaseing remember more cast's means more chances at catching fish

[Fishen Fool]

One thing to remember when switching from spinning gear, is that you more or less use a wrist flipping action, with a casting reel it is more of a throw action.

[Ryan Pultz]

Thank you everyone for the help i might just have to go out an get me a reel to try out and see if i can get the hang of this once again thank you all very much. :smile:

[Hummingbird]

Catch22,
I also have a Curado 201 and have been wasting good fishing time adjusting the center spool and getting birdnests (not to mention feeling like a moron :grin: )Will taking 4 magnet out get rid of overspin while casting? I need to know today because I am going GI joes for new line and if this helps cure the birdnesting I will be sure to get it done. Tight Lines Tom

[Captn]

This is a great post, and all of the things mentioned above I would agree with. However you can just straiten a snap and use the small bend at the end to pick out the line with.
And Oh Yes, think, at least until you get good, about lobing you bait. You are looking for a smooth motion from the time you start your cast to the end. No snapping of the line, or whipping the bait. I used to think of it as lobing grenades or big dirt clods, you can't throw them, you have to lob them. For real lite gear, you will still like your spinning rig, but for casting, drifting, and fighting a fish, nothing beats a level-wind.

[Gus Orviston]

Hummigbird, rufus or anna?

Anyway, I too just picked up 201BSF and without any breaks pull out the reel spins way too fast to get distance without a Seagul landing on your shoulder ready to nest, I popped out 4 breaks and it was way too slow, then I came back to 3, then 2 and then back to only 1. Don't waste any more fishing time, it is too easy to adjust!

GO

[Firedog]

I have to agree with what was said above by ampersat and ****** about practice. There is no substitute for it and can never have enough. Even the best casters will backlash on ocassion. It is a lot more rare but it happens to the best of us :smile: If you are new to level wind's go out in the yard or even to the river in a wide open spot and just practice casting. If your reel has anti back lash on it use it and as you get better start turning it down. Most anti backlash mechanisims that i have seen cost you distance because the slow the spin of the spool. Most of my reels dont have any controls in them, I like to use my thumb for the control. Sometimes this get me in trouble when I get lax and start not paying attention though. over the past 23 years(started using a level wind when I was 11) of using a level wind I have learned a lot of tricks about picking out backlashes also. Practice practice practice

[wiser]

Almost everything seems to be covered but I'll still add a couple thoughts. Leave the spinnig gear at home so you don,t get tempted or frusrated into using it instead of the levelwind. Probably would have shaved several months off my learning curve. Invest in a spare spool and fill it before going out. Carry the filled spare spool. It's a lot quicker to change a spool than refill one in the field.

[GutZ]

Carry a crochet hook hook for picking out backlash. (Thanks KB!)

Keep your thumb down. Practice with a heavy weight in your back yard keeping constant pressure on the spool. Back the weight off and you will eventually get the feel.

Jimi Hendrix said it best "Backlash is a frustrating mess."

Good Luck!

[Hummingbird]

Thanks Fishguts,
I will need to add it to my arsenal and keep on ,keepin on . :grin: Dylan said that. I'll keep practicing with my thumb on the reel . That is one of my big mistakes. I was watching people fling it out there with out using their thumb on the spool and thought I would try it . I found out the hard way. after looosing 50 yds of line ,my cast did improve. I will ask the guys at GI joes not to fill the spool too full as well.Thanks for this post Ryan P. and all others on ifish .This is a great site . I am constantly learning stuff.Jennie is great !! She Deserves Chocolate Cake!! :grin: Everyone have a great New Years!! Tight Lines Tom .

[kingofbacklash]

Ryan,
Here's my take on the age old problem of backlash and level wind reels. All the other posts are right on, and there really isn't much left to tell you about this subject. I just have a great interest in this area. First I'll assume you're looking to be casting a steelhead set up. Curado by Shimano will be easiest to start with as the more ballbearings in the reel the better. Get help setting up your reel adjustments by someone who has knowledge on casting level winds. Now you're ready to start practicing the cast. First think smoothe action throw. When changing from a spinning cast to a level wind cast, it's important to realize the difference in the toss action. To spin cast one tends to flick the rod to cast. To cast a level wind it's best to lob with one continuous motion starting first with a throw up and away towards 11:00 o'clock. Don't try and throw real hard at first just work on an easy lob. Keep your thumb firm against the spool of line on your reel. Now lob your cast with one motion towards 11:00 oclock when there release firm thumb hold, next I use the term feather lite thumb, meaning let your thumb lightly scroll over the top of your line on your reel as you cast this takes practice to achieve the right balance in each cast as you will find with different weights thrown and to what degree you will be launching your casts. After you get this first technique down then you can learn to vary your casts, overhead, sidearm, backhand ect. Remember be patient and practice alot. It's best to throw into water so you learn to stop the spool rotation when your weight & lure hit the water. If you fail to stop the spool when your lure hits the water you will backlash as your spool will continue to spin.
The first level wind reel I learned to cast was a Sturgeon reel throwing 10 ozs. of weight. Went out to a football field and commenced to throw. I learned real fast how the line keeps spinning off your spool once your weight hits the ground. First backlash I had to cut out. Then respooled and threw again only this time I was ready to stop my weight once it hit the ground, I stopped the weight all right, ended up with a few ounces of mono line in my thumb. Plus that was the end of the days casting as my thumb was toast. It felt so good! Once my thumb healed I went to the river below Bonneville and thus earned my name kingofbacklash. This came from being able to remove most backlashes, as line gets pretty spendy when you need to cut out the backlash all the time when starting out. I carry the small Swiss Army knife with a file, which I use to assist in removing backlashes nowadays. Yes I still get them they are part of fishing the level wind reel.
Good luck in learning how to fish with the level wind reel Ryan. I hope this helps.

God Bless
fearsnofish

[ 12-28-2001: Message edited by: kingofbacklash ]</p>