Braking the Confusion on Baitcaster Brakes

I apologize in advance if you find this post a little boring.

Here is a post to prove to you how much of an amateur fisherman I am. I have had a Baitcasting reel and rod for some time and I have used them with quite a bit of success, but only recently have I discovered that Baitcasting reels have a braking system. I never knew it, and because I was catching fish, I never really felt a need to do any research on the subject. I first found out about the braking system because I was watching a video on YouTube by Gene Jensen of the “Flukemaster” YouTube channel. If you get the chance, check him out at Flukemaster.

Gene does a lot of excellent fishing instructional videos and it was his video “How to set up a Baitcasting reel” that brought my ignorance of Baitcasting brakes out into the open. When I discover something about fishing that I don’t know, my curiosity usually gets the better of me and I will research until I am satisfied that I have at least a working understanding of what I wanted to know.  I knew I needed to increase my knowledge once I realized I was ignorant of Baitcasting brakes. I read many articles, and watched countless videos on YouTube regarding the Braking systems on Baitcasting reels.

Almost all of the videos tell you what you should be using for your brakes and how to adjust them (i.e. “turn the brakes off and adjust your spool tension so that the lure falls to the floor slowly, then turn a couple of the centrifugal brakes on and the magnetic brakes about 1/2 way and start casting.”). That’s just not enough for me. It’s not enough to give me instructions on how to do something. I like to know WHY  I need to do something the way I am instructed.

As a simple example… I am told to load a Baitcasting reel with the line coming off the top of the spool of line as opposed to coming up from the bottom of the spool.  If I don’t understand the reasoning for it, it is harder for me to accept the information. Of course, in this example it is because the line has a memory and loading it to the reel from the top of the spool will allow reel and line to work together in harmony. Loading it from the bottom of the spool will go against the memory of the line, and then reel and line will be at odds, making backlashes more prevalent.

The purpose of any braking system on Baitcasting reels is to avoid the dreaded backlash. A backlash is a real pain in the backside as it is a tangled mess inside your reel that usually takes an amount of time to get out, sometimes a long and mostly aggravating time. And let me tell you, if you do it again and again, you will end up throwing your rod in complete frustration.

Well what I learned online and in the videos is that there are usually four different areas that come into play when fishing with a Baitcasting reel. These four areas are; (1) the centrifugal brakes, (2) the magnetic brakes, (3) the spool tension adjustment and (4) thumb. Now, almost every video I watched told me how to adjust each of these parts, but the one thing I didn’t find, was an explanation of what each part actually affects on your Baitcasting reel.

Centrifugal Brakes: Centrifugal brakes work only during the first part of the cast. Think about what happens when you make a cast. You use your rod to slingshot an amount of weight (lure and line) towards a target. Your spool instantly begins turning at a high rate of speed as your cast sends your bait out into the distance. If your spool is spinning at a greater rate than the lure is traveling, then your line will get loose within the reel and you will end up with a backlash. Think about it like a cooked piece of spaghetti on a plate. Push the spaghetti from one end and what happens? It just bunches up in your plate. But, if the other end of the spaghetti is being pulled by something (the lure weight) at the same rate that you are pushing (the cast) and it will remain straight.

The centrifugal brake is the control that allows the line to feed off of the spool at the same rate of speed as the cast. As the spool is spinning, gravity will make the centrifugal brakes extend from the center of the spool to run along a shelf inside the side panel of the reel. Kind of like the way brake pads work on a drum brake in cars. Most reels will have six such brake pads that you can turn on or off, usually by sliding a small lever for each brake. By locking each individual brake, you are telling the reel how many brake pads to let out to run along the drum. Less brakes equals longer spool turning whereas more brakes will slow down the spool faster. The drawback to the centrifugal brakes is that you MUST remove the side panel of the reel in order to adjust them.

Magnetic Brakes: On one side of the reel there may be a small dial. Turning the dial one way will decrease the distance of the magnets to the spool and turning the other way will increase the distance between magnets and spool. These are the magnetic brakes. The Magnetic brakes work on the principal that the closer the brakes are to the spool, the faster the spool will slow down within the cast and by default, the further the magnets are from the spool the freer the spool is to spin. The magnetic brakes also only work with the first part of the cast and in principal work the same way as the centrifugal brakes. The difference is that you can easily adjust the magnetic brakes by turning the dial and without having to remove the side plate.

Spool Tension Adjustment: On the same side of the reel as the handle, there will be a small knob that can be turned. This is the spool tension adjustment. This adjustment should never be used as an alternative to the brakes described above. In fact, you can actually damage your reel by using too much spool tension. Whereas the centrifugal and magnetic brakes work with the first part of your cast, the spool tension works with the end of the cast, when the lure stops and the spool keeps turning. The tension adjustment is used to stop the spool shaft at the same time that the lure stops when it hits the water. 

 

Thumb: All of the above are meant to keep the use of your thumb to a minimum. That doesn’t meant that you won’t use your thumb. On occasion, your cast may get away from you or you may experience a sudden gust of wind that blows your lure back at you. On these occasions when your reel is not set to stop your spool before your lure stops you will need to press your thumb against the spool to stop it and prevent a backlash.

To begin using the brakes; 

1 – Adjust the spool tension knob so that it is snug. Hold your rod at a 45° angle. Slowly release the tension of the knob until the lure very slowly begins to drop when you jiggle the rod up and down. This adjustment is actually slightly tighter than you want it to be and this tension will not allow for long casts, but when you first start with a Baitcasting reel it is more important to sacrifice distance in favor of no backlash.

2 – Remove the side plate of the reel and turn four of the six tiny sliding blocks to the OUT position (away from the center) to turn them ON.

3 – If your reel uses magnetic brakes: Turn the adjustment dial on about half way.

4 – Put your thumb on the spool and press the thumb bar to unlock it. Make a cast but be aware at all times in case you need to press your thumb against the spool to prevent backlash. The thumb is actually used only at the very end of the cast, just when the lure is about to hit the water.

Once you get used to casting with no backlash you can readjust the spool tension knob. Again, hold your rod at a 45° angle. Slowly release the tension of the knob until the lure very slowly begins to drop on its own (no jiggling of the rod). When the lure touches the ground, the spool should stop instantly. If it doesn’t, repeat the steps until it does. After you’ve practiced to get a good feel of things, you will gradually be able to reduce the number of brakes you use as well as how much magnetic force is applied. Eventually you will be able to relieve the spool tension until it’s almost completely off.

I hope I have at least helped you understand a little what the brakes on a Baitcasting reel does.

Tight lines, the Amateur Angler

Hooked Up On Hooks

So, you’re going fishing and need to buy some hooks. You step into any tackle shop, walk up to the hooks section, and there, in front of you, is the embodiment of confusion. Your brain begins to hurt as you look at all of the different hooks that are available. There are Worm Hooks, Octopus Hooks and Aberdeen Hooks. There are Bait holding Hooks, Circle Hooks, Siwash Hooks and Treble Hooks. There are Weedless Hooks, Double Hooks, Saltwater Hooks and Kahle® Hooks. Each comes with various points such as Needle, Spear, Rolled-In, Hollow and Knife Edge. They come in a bewildering range of sizes from the smallest 32 to the largest 20/0. They come in different finishes and painted hooks are now very popular because they can serve as a visual attractant, as in the case of red hooks which simulate a wounded baitfish.

OMG! How are you ever supposed to choose a hook? There are a few factors to consider when choosing hooks.

Hook Sizes

The numbers that define hook sizes can be confusing, but all you really need to remember is that hook sizes with a number followed by a zero get larger in size as the number goes up. For instance a 4/0, (“four aught”) hook is one size larger than a 3/0, which is one size larger than a 2/0, etc. Hook sizes that are not followed by a zero get smaller in size as the number increases. For example a size 3 hook is smaller than a size 2 hook, which in turn is smaller than a size 1 hook.

So what size hook do you need? Well, we can eliminate a plethora of choices simply by figuring out what type of fish you are after because knowing what fish you want to catch will determine the types of baits you will use and in turn, it is the baits you use that will determine the size of the hook. For example, if you are fishing for trout in the 7” to 21” (1-3 lb.) range, then you will not use a 12” power worm on a 6/0 hook. As a general rule, if you are using a whole Mackerel when deep sea fishing, you will use a 10/0 to 12/0 hook, but when using 2” Minnows in fresh water, a 1/0 to 5/0 size hook is the norm. Similarly, if you are using a Salmon Egg while after trout then a hook size of 8 to 14 will be the choice. Just remember this easy way of choosing hooks. The smaller the bait you are using, the smaller the hook you will use and the larger the bait, the larger the hook.

Extra Strength Hooks

Some hooks will be marked as ‘2x strong’ or ‘2x’. These hooks are designed to provide as much strength as a hook one or two sizes up, but where a smaller hook is required. For example a ‘2x 4/0’ hook has the thickness and strength of a 5/0 hook, and a ‘3x 4/0’ hook has the thickness and strength of a 6/0 hook. The purpose of these hooks is to avoid having too much hook visible to the fish when live-baiting.

Wide Gape/Gap Hooks
A wide gape/Gap hook is one where the Gape/Gap, (the gap between the hook point and hook shaft) is wider than the standard hook.

Barbs?

The prime advantage of barbless hooks is that they are easy to remove from a fish. The disadvantage is that if the hook is easier for you to remove, then it’s also easier for the fish to shake it. It’s entirely up to you, but if you regularly ‘catch and release’ fish, you should use barbless hooks. You can make hooks barbless by filing off the barb, but sometimes the heat generated by filing weakens the hook. You can also use a pair of pliers to crush down the barb. This does the job without damaging the hook. There is one other advantage to barbless hooks and that is that if you unluckily get the hook into part of your body it will be much easier to remove than having to go through the drama of having a barbed hook removed.

Below are just a few of the types of hook that I actually use.
Bait Holder hooks

This hook is good for keeping slippery, wiggling live bait such a worms or minnows on the hook. Generally, bait holder hooks have long shafts, and there are often one or two barbs on the shaft to assist in keeping bait securely hooked. These hooks are also available as snells. A snell is a hook that is pre-tied to line that is looped at the end and ready to be attached with a knot, swivel or snap. I use this hook when fishing for Trout.

Worm hooks & Wide Gap Worm Hooks

These particular hooks are generally used for plastic baits like worms when fishing for larger warm water fish such a Bass. Since Bass are heavy fighters, worm hooks are built sturdy for deep penetration and durability.

 

 

Skip Gap Hooks

The Skip Gap Worm Hook was designed to allow anglers to skip and pitch their Texas-rigged baits without having the bait slide down the hook’s offset. This is a common problem when skipping tubes and worms under docks, and the Skip Gap Hook promises to help ease that annoyance and let you spend more time skipping your baits worry-free.

 

 

Double hooks

Double hook are great for use in a trailer-hook setup or for thick-bodied soft plastic baits like floating frogs. Many floating lures have this type of hook already embedded in them.

 

 

 

Treble hooks

Multiple hook points provide superior hooking and holding power and are most often used on lures such as Crankbaits, Spoons or Bucktail jigs. Crankbaits for Bass or Walleye usually employ treble hooks sized 1 to 2/0, but sizes vary with the size of the lure. You can find these hook on a wide range of lures, from the small Trout lures to the larger Bass lures

 

 

Aberdeen hooks

Aberdeen hooks are made of light wire with a slightly squared round bend. This style of hook is extra wide between the point and shank, which makes it ideal for baiting with Minnows, and the light wire eliminates excessive damage when puncturing the bait. Their specially tempered wire will flex before breaking, making them ideal for fishing brushy areas that hold Panfish or Crappie. I use this hook mostly when Ice fishing.

 

Weedless hooks

When fishing heavy cover such as tree limbs, logs, stumps, weeds and rocks, a weedless hook can save you a lot of time, money and frustration. You’ll find several different approaches to making a hook weedless and they all work fairly well, but remember – they’re weed-less, not 100% weed proof. You’ll still have to work your bait or lure carefully.

 

 

Jig hooks

Jigs are simply hooks that have been molded with lead or other heavy metals.  Jigs are used for both live bait such as Minnows or Crawlers, or for soft plastics. When using plastic baits such as twister tails, crawdads or worms, select a jig with a molded collar just behind the jig head. This collar is provided to hold plastic baits more securely, so make sure you force the bait onto the collar.

Quick hook storage tip:

Never store used hooks with unused hooks. In fact, try to keep new, unused hooks in their packets and only take out what you think you need for the trip. Any amount of water, especially seawater, can start the hooks rust and corrosion. Save those little packets of desiccant drying powder that come with pills and many electrical products. They are great to put in hook containers, tackle and lure boxes.

Tight Lines, the Amateur Angler

4th of July fishing fireworks

Ok, so this fourth was a wet rainy day that required us to don our rain gear on numerous occasions. At times the rain came down so hard that we had to bail out the boat. Click the photos to see them full size and you will see how hard the rain was coming down while we were fishing.

 

 

 

 

Does pouring rain sound like a bad time to go fishing? Let me tell you that my brother, nephew and I thought the day was fantastic.

This time we went to Stumpfield Marsh in Henniker, NH. It started out fine, with no rain, even though it was cloudy. We got on the water and were catching fish immediately. We caught a few Pickerel, Bass, Crappie and of course the ever present Kibbie. There were a few other boats on the water, but when the downpours started, every one of them disappeared, leaving us three alone on the lake. Luckily the rain was not cold and the temperature of the day was in the eighties so we didn’t let a “little” rain spoil a great day of fishing.

During the morning, the rain was off an on, so we kept putting our rain gear on and taking it off, but rain or no, we continually caught fish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Here is why I entitled this post with this title. Everyone knows that on the fourth of July there is fireworks with explosions. Well, we had explosions while fishing this day. The explosions of fish bursting through the surface of the water. I’ll explain. All around the shore of Stumpfield marsh is a weed line. An area ranging from just a few feet to as much as twenty feet from shore that is covered with weed and lily pads. Seeing the weeds, my brother decided to use a lure called a Moss Mouse.

A Moss Mouse is a surface bait that is specially designed to go where normal lures cant. It is a weedless bait that just loves weeds and lily pads. My brother would cast the mouse right up against shore and then begin a very slow retrieve. He would lift his rod tip just a few inches to make the mouse crawl across the weeds and then he would wiggle the rod tip back and fourth to make the mouse vibrate. The resulting explosion of a fish breaking through the weeds to try and get the mouse was a most exhilarating and pulse increasing sight you could hope for. Imagine watching the mouse crawling towards you when without warning there is a great splash as weeds are pushed aside.

We didn’t catch many fish on the Moss Mouse because your instinct when you see the fish bursting through the weeds after your bait is to set the hook . The problem, as with most top water baits is that if you set the hook too soon then you will miss the fish. You actually have to wait a second or two after you see the explosion before you set the hook just to make sure the fish actually grabbed the bait. The excitement of watching the fireworks of the fish suddenly appearing and then having to wait a second to set the hook goes against your instinct but with a little practice you will soon be landing some nice fish.

If you don’t have Moss Mouse in your tackle box then I urge you to go get one and when you come across some weeds to use it. As always, bring a camera and good company and you will be sure to have a great day of fishing.

remember my motto… “good company + good fishing = great memories”.

Tight Lines, the Amateur Angler

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to go Bass Fishing

Click on any of the photos to see them larger.

 This last weekend my brother, nephew and I went to the Stumpfield Marsh which is part of the Henniker Flood Control area in Henniker, NH. We were excited about going Bass fishing, but when we arrived at the boat launch, we discovered that a Bass fishing tournament was already in progress. Of course the lake cannot be closed off just for the tournament so we were still able to go fishing, but after a brief discussion we decided that the Bass fishing today was not going to be so good because most of the lake was already being hammered by Bass fisherman.

Simple resolution for us was to just switch gears and instead of fishing for Bass we decided to fish for Crappie. It was a decision that really made our day of fishing, spectacular. While we could see Bass fisherman shooting off cast after cast and not bringing anything into their boats, we were landing fish after fish after fish. The Crappie were extremely active. As you can see on the map, we did not really venture too far from the boat launch. In fact the red line from the boat launch to the cove is the route we fished. We launched a 8 am and immediately started catching this scrappy little fish and we didn’t stop catching them until we got off the water at 6 pm.

The Crappie were a lot of fun to catch and there were so many that we literally could not go more than a few minutes without landing another one. When we reached the cove, we stopped for lunch and then we spent the next three hours just in the cove catching Crappie. They were so abundant today that during one fifteen minute period my brother and I never made a single cast. All we had to do was drop five feet of line over the side of the boat and within seconds we had a Crappie on the line. If you have never seen a Crappie then you will not know that it is quite a pretty fish.

Once again, our gear consisted of light weight tackle. We were using our ultra light rod and reel combo with 4 lb test line and as you can see in this photo, we were using old faithful for bait. the 1.5″ to 2″ white twirl tail grub on a 1/16th to 1/8th ounce jig head.

My fellow Amateurs, I hope you have the opportunity to stop by Stumpfield Marsh to go Crappie fishing and I wish you as much luck catching this wonderful little fish as we had. Just remember, good company + good fishing = great memories.

To get to Stumpfield Marsh you will go up Rte. 89 West out of Concord, NH. Take exit 5 which is Rte. 202. Within a couple of minutes of turning onto exit 5 you will cross a bridge with water on both sides. Take your first right after the bridge onto Stumpfield Road and go down to the boat launch. Be sure to bring some sort of boat as fishing from the water is easier than fishing from shore. Best of luck.

Tight lines, the Amateur Angler