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[center]I know this is a real newbie question, but this is my first baitcasting reel and I haven't got it all figured out yet....
I bought this South Bend Black Beauty bait 2 casting/trolling reel for sturgeon in Idaho and possibly for sharks and stingrays when I go to Fiji this august. Its a cheap model of course, but I believe it will do an ok job. Holds 500 yds of 50lb. test.
My question is... how can I cast it without getting a nasty bird's nest? I had some 12 lb. mono layin around and tried it out (I didn't want to try it with real line yet), and the line snarls like crazy when I cast. The weight has touched ground already but the spool keeps going. I know it could be the fact that its the wrong line, but I'm a little scared that I'll have this same problem when I spool up the expensive stuff. I also don't have the rod yet.
Anyone have any ideas?
[url "http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-SOUTH-BEND-BLACK-BEAUTY-2-FISHING-REEL-PENN-STYLE_W0QQitemZ230235434885QQihZ013QQcategoryZ36162QQrdZ1QQssPageNameZWD1VQQ_trksidZp1638.m118.l1247QQcmdZViewItem#ebayphotohosting"][/url] ![[Image: gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=34697;]](http://www.bigfishtackle.com/cgi-bin/gforum/gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=34697;)
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Holy crap batman, a southbend that holds 500 yards of 50 pound mono........And it's a level wind?
First of all, you already know it's a cheaper reel, so half your question on castability is already answered. Remember, fishing reels are one of the few products where you really do get what you pay for, unlike T Shirts or hamburger buns.
Next, 50 pound mono isn't exactly the best casting line in the world. So when you spool it up with the 50, casting will be much worse than with the lighter line. It must be a good sized reel to hold that much 50, so it's really not made to cast at all, more for trolling or dropping strait down on structure.
The reason the spool keeps going once the weight hits the ground is because the break on the reel isn't set, granted that you can even tune the spool break enough to even make it castable. The break is the little knob on the side of the reel where the star drag is. You want to set the break according to what weight you are using. So, stick the reel on a rod and attach what ever rig you'll be using. Now, put the reel in free spool and watch. If the rig just drops to the floor, tighten up the break a little bit. Keep tightening the break until you have to give the rod a gentle shake to get the rig to hit the floor. Now you're ready, the spool won't out run the line anymore. You may have to keep playing with the setting until you get good at it. I recommend you continue to use the cheap line until you get the hang of it. Keep in mind, seasoned casters can use a bait casting reel with no tension on the reel, rather, they use their thumb and experiance to keep the spool under control. When using the break to control the spool speed, you sacrafice probably 35% or more of your distance.
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[black][size 3]with the appearance of the reel, and the stated line size, and capacity, that is a trolling reel, and no matter how much practice or line size tried, even an expert could never learn to cast it with any proficient manner.[/size][/black]
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[size 3]The harder one casts with it, the bigger the over run. [/size]
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[size 3]I think that the best bet is to keep this reel for trolling, and buy even a cheap reel for casting.[/size]
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[black][size 3]Hey RyanCreek,[/size][/black]
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[black][size 3]As was mentioned, that reel is one of the "lesser expensive" reels - which could equate to quality as well. Although I confess, that I am not familiar with that particular one.[/size][/black]
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[black][size 3]I can cast my trolling reels (even linecounter reels) as well as my baitcasters, so that is not really too much of an issue for me. [/size][/black]
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[black][size 3]On thing that might help, is to start out with a heavier line than 12 lb. Try 20 lb. - buy some cheap line for practice. Only put on enough line on the reel for a medium cast - about 25 yards should be sufficient - this will make any birds nests easier to handle. Also, make sure you are casting a heavy enough weight - Start out with 1 oz and work upwards to 2 oz. With one of my reels (a Penn 209), I have to have more than 1.5 oz of weight on it to get a good cast. My trolling reels also require more weight to cast as well.[/size][/black]
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[black][size 3]Another thing already mentioned, is to make sure your reel brake is set properly to begin with (sometimes the brake is a little knob next to the cranking handle). To do this, attach the weight you will be using to cast. Hold your rod at a 45 degree angle and release the line. While the weight decends, adjust the brake until the weight falls slowly to the ground and the reel stops turning on it's own when the weight touches the ground.[/size][/black]
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[black][size 3]When casting, You need to train your thumb to feather the line as it goes out. Before the weight hits the ground you need to use your thumb to stop the rotation of the reel.[/size][/black]
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[black][size 3]Did any of that make sense ? If not, go ahead and ask for clarification.[/size][/black]
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Thanks for the great advice everyone. I know it's possible to cast it, and a good distance too.... but that's with someone who knows exactly what they're doing. I'll try what you guys have told me. Thanks again.
[cool]Update: Excellent! My problem was I was trying to cast it like my spinning reels - a big no no! Following the advice here and some tips I found on the web, I'm able to cast it without any difficulty at all. I put 1 1/2 ounces of lead on it, adjusted the brake (I wondered what that was), and kept my thumb lightly on the spool the whole time to keep it under control. Awesome!
And yes, its a beast of a reel, by my standards at least. Feels more like a winch. Another wonderful e-bay purchase. In very good condition. It's about the size of a 4/0 to 5/0 Penn reel I think and a fraction of the price. I know it isn't as good but I only need it for a couple trips this year. I'll spool it with a few hundred yards of 65 lb. braid and top it off with 50 lb. mono or so. I should get about 600 or more yards that way, which is enough line capacity to get into a couple of the big guys.
Now I just need to pair it up with a long, heavy-action ugly stick!
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[cool] Don't get a standard ugly Stix. Do yourself a favor and get the Ugly Stix Tiger. They have plenty of back bone, but with a soft tip. They are frequented on boats that target Grouper, snapper, and other hard core deep water species.
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I've been looking at lots of rods and it seems they are either way too stiff, or don't have enough backbone. I know those short stiffies (like the ones Fuji and Penn makes) are good for the trolling, but I need one for the surf. About how much do the Ugly Stick Tiger's run?
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My guess would be around 60.00 here is the link to Cabelas website for that product.
[url "http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/product/standard-item.jsp?_DARGS=/cabelas/en/common/catalog/item-link.jsp_A&_DAV=MainCatcat20166-cat20372&id=0037185120975a&navCount=1&podId=0037185&parentId=cat20372&masterpathid=&navAction=push&catalogCode=IJ&rid=&parentType=index&indexId=cat20372&hasJS=true"]UglyStick Tiger[/url]
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