Baitcaster Brakes

[MCTFisher9120]

That R-Type I bought had the 6 brakes that I can click outward or inward.

 

Just wondering how they should be set(clicked towards the center or away/how many.

Thanks,

MTBF

Edited November 12, 2009 by Mike The Bass Fisher

[Roy]

Mike, if you're not used to baitcasters, leave all 6 brakes in the on position. Later, you can take some out, to the off position by sliding them towards the center. It's best to disable them evenly around the spool so that on a 6 pin system you can either slide one pin on opposite side to each other towards the center or take half out by sliding every other one towards the center. Lots of variables there with the tension adjustment and different weight baits you'll be throwing.

 

Have a good time with it.

 

edited to add: Mike, I think the best guy on here to answer reel questions and baitcaster questions in particular, is Garry2r's. He knows his stuff and can give you very precise information. Maybe he'll see this and throw a post at you.

[Garry2Rs]

When you cast, centrifugal force can cause the spool to accelerator to a speed that is faster than the bait is actually flying away from your rod tip.

This causes the coils of line on the spool to become loose. As this burst of acceleration slows, the lure can pull the outside wraps down tight against the loose inside wraps. This in turn can causes the spool to lock and everything to stop in mid-air and crash on the water...leaving you with a birds nest on the reel spool.

When in the on position the six brakes that you see fly outward, at the start of the cast, and momentarily rub against a brake drum. On some reels you click them on and off, on others there is a knob that physically moves the brake drum in and out. Some reels use magnets, which are adjusted closer or father from a brake drum or other metal surface. In each case the result is the same. This slight braking effect slows the extreme acceleration of the spool, in the first milliseconds of the cast, enough to prevent the birds nest described above.

 

You can't go wrong if you follow Roy's suggestion and start with them all on. Or you can try to short-cut with 3 or four and work up or down as you fine tune the rod-reel combination.

 

Your next question will be how do you know if you have too much or too little braking?

 

As a rule of thumb, too much braking causes the cast to "die" in the air, instead of arching out gracefully.

Too little braking, on the other hand, will allow loose line, which you can see hovering above the spool and hear flapping around as it hits the reel's frame.

 

The other control, on the reel, is a friction brake that presses against the end of the reel spool. This is the knurled knob under the crank handle on most baitcasters. The purpose of this brake is to slow the spool at the end of the cast so that the spool will stop when the lure falls to the water.

 

Traditionally you adjust this brake tight enough that the weight of the bait drags the bait slowly down to the water, then stops. Too much braking steals distance from your cast. You will start loosening this brake as you learn to use your thumb to stop the spool. Eventually you will probably back this brake off until it no longer creates any drag at all.

Garry2R's

Edited November 12, 2009 by garry2rs

[MCTFisher9120]

Ok guys. So having the brakes pushed outward puts them "on" meaning I should have all of these snapped outward from the center of the break

[Garry2Rs]

That would be a big 10-4 there, Good Buddy!

[mbosh1980]

i see i'm not the only one to open up a new reel this week before consulting the manual.

[Roy]

Ok guys. So having the brakes pushed outward puts them "on" meaning I should have all of these snapped outward from the center of the break

 

Meaning you should have all of these snapped outwards from the center of the SPOOL. At first.

 

Dang! I'm amazed Garry answered you so quickly. You realize of course that that on the road again, Southern US, Yuma Arizona livin' dude was probably fixin' some freshly caught bass for himself and Buck to have for supper and he selflessly put supper aside to answer your question? I think that deserves a thank you. *grin*

[Garry2Rs]

Well thank-you Roy.

The truth is that there's a three hour time difference, so it wasn't suppertime here, only mid-afternoon...grin.

Garry2R's

[Radnine]

That R-Type I bought had the 6 brakes that I can click outward or inward.

 

Just wondering how they should be set(clicked towards the center or away/how many.

Thanks,

MTBF

 

Didn't you just void the warranty?

Jim

[Garry2Rs]

Oh my God! Who let the kids out?

This has nothing to do with warranty. This is baitcasting 101!!!

These are the normal adjustments, like tuning a guitar, that you are expected to do in order to make the reel work for you, your baits and your rod. If this is over your head, go back to Barbie and Sponge Bob and don't call us, we will call you!

[MCTFisher9120]

Thanks for the helpful posts Roy and Garry. Completely understand the concept now.

 

Thanks,

MTBF

[Radnine]

Oh my God! Who let the kids out?

This has nothing to do with warranty. This is baitcasting 101!!!

These are the normal adjustments, like tuning a guitar, that you are expected to do in order to make the reel work for you, your baits and your rod. If this is over your head, go back to Barbie and Sponge Bob and don't call us, we will call you!

 

Based on what I have just read in this thread, I am no longer going to make fun of those that lay their float reels in the water then post questions about bad bearings. When taking brand new reels apart becomes standard operating proceedure I say "let me wedge my way to the river bank and dunk me good, I'm a float lover!!" They don't call you guys master baiters for nothing.

Jim

[Raf]

dont forget to breathe underwater

[Garry2Rs]

Perhaps to those who grew up in a Uni-sex, one size fits all, instant everything, fully automatic world, the concept that a tool, such as a new reel, might not be ready to use straight out of the box is shocking.

 

A casting reel is, in essence, a fully manual tool. You even need to educate your thumb to control the spool at some point!

Out of the box they all need to be adjusted to suit the weight of the bait, the stiffness of the rod and, to some extent, the technique of the caster. These adjustments are not hard, once you understand them.

 

If the idea of making slight mechanical adjustments frightens you, or you're not ready for this level, there are other options open to you.

But, please don't talk down to me or bad-mouth something you don't understand.

[Radnine]

Perhaps to those who grew up in a Uni-sex, one size fits all, instant everything, fully automatic world, the concept that a tool, such as a new reel, might not be ready to use straight out of the box is shocking.

 

A casting reel is, in essence, a fully manual tool. You even need to educate your thumb to control the spool at some point!

Out of the box they all need to be adjusted to suit the weight of the bait, the stiffness of the rod and, to some extent, the technique of the caster. These adjustments are not hard, once you understand them.

 

If the idea of making slight mechanical adjustments frightens you, or you're not ready for this level, there are other options open to you.

But, please don't talk down to me or bad-mouth something you don't understand.

 

Wow, this went south faster than Garry and Buck.

I would like to take this opportunity to publicly apologize to all that I have offended. Mike The Bass Fisher in particular as there was clearly no room in this thread for anything other than technical pontification.

I will renew my efforts to not slime anyones soap box in the future.

Jim

[mbac31]

No Warranty issues here. Every reel comes with a set of instructions on how to operate them and usually tell or new adays even have online videos as to show you even.

 

http://www.squidoo.com/baitcast-reels?utm_...4#module8667210

 

http://www.squidoo.com/baitcast-reels?utm_...4#module8664257