practical ideas - Angling Fish

Despite my affinity for baitcasting reels, I must admit they produce some nasty tangles if you're not careful. These tangles keep some anglers from even trying them and others give up much too quickly. However, the mechanical (physical?) principles of backlashes are relatively simple, and once understood, the means of stopping them becomes clearer.

Although this post is not going to turn into a "how to use a baitcasting reel", understanding the principles of it may help in avoiding back lashes.

When you cast a lure or bait, the acceleration provided by the rod straightening out sends the bait or lure through the air. While this is happening, line starts to try and pull line off the reel spool. Inertia on the spool resists the pull of the line. However, the spool gives in to the pressure of the line and it starts to spin, allowing line to peel off.

Unfortunately, the spool also stores the energy it gained from its original inertia, and adds some extra centrifugal force as well.

When the lure or bait starts to slow down and begins to hit the water, the force on the line being pulled off the reel decreases. If you don't slow the spool at this point, it will go on spinning and spew out line making a back lash.

After making it this far, the next chance for aggravation is when the lure or bait hits the water. Again, unless the reel spool is stopped, it will go on spinning and produce tangles.

Understanding these two important factors, means you understand the basic principles that lead to tangles but, preventing them is more important. Granted, there are mechanical devices on modern reels to prevent this calamity. Magnetic dampening and spool tension knobs are two of the greatest inventions to come down the pike. However, it has been my experience that these are often more hindrance than help, and that not relying on them actually allows you to cast more efficiently. Call me "old school" in you will, but, I like to do it the old fashioned way—no matter what the guys on TV are doing!

Some anglers think they can get around tangles by casting lightly. This may lead to even more tangles because the spool begins spinning and the lure or bait quickly "stalls out" and creates the very circumstance you were trying to avoid!

Anything mechanical can wear out or be affected by your implementation. Keeping that in mind, when it comes to baitcasters, I use what the old timers call an "educated thumb." Simply put, all you do is apply light pressure to the spool to slow it down or stop all together.

People go wrong with this technique by putting their thumb directly on the spool and possibly creating more tangles because although they are preventing the top layers of line from peeling off, the bottom layers can shift and create other tangles.

To correctly use the thumb technique, you need to feather the edge of your spool and keep your thumb off the line.

So, that do you to if you're trying all the tips you've ever read and still getting tangles?

First of all, don't panic and don't get frustrated! Of equal importance is to remember not to pull at your line. This may seem counter-productive but, tugging at the line will only tighten the tangles that are already there.

Your best bet to combat tangles is simply to pick at the offending bird's net. You can use a tooth pick, needle, finger nail or even your knife. The only thing you have to remember is that if you use your knife, don't give into the temptation to cut your line.

Once you begin picking at the tangle, you'll often find there are only two or three long loops that are causing your headaches. Take care of these and you can soon go on fishing like nothing happened.

Remember to take the hooks outta yer pocket before ya sit down!

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