Some fishermen like to “scare” beginners with the fact that after using a multiplier a couple of times, there is no way back to spinning reels, which means there will be a need for financial expenses to purchase new gear.
Also, many people focus on the fact that a baitcasting reel takes a long time to get used to and beginners will face a lot of difficulties in mastering it.
Of course, multipliers have a completely different operating principle and technical characteristics, but in fact, there are no major difficulties in the process of working with a multiplier reel that would make it worth refusing to purchase.
After studying the properties and capabilities of the reel, setting up the braking system and active practice, you will forget about “beards”, hooks and other incidents. And during the first cast, you shouldn’t be afraid of any serious problems.
If you are interested in the topic of spinning reels, we recommend our new review - spinning reels
How to cast with a baitcasting reel
The video discusses an unusual technique for casting spinning baits - skipping. Enjoy watching.
One of the main reasons for the formation of beards is improper casting. In this case, even a high-quality braking system will not save you, but in the future, studying the usual instructions for casting using a multiplier will be very helpful. Similar instructions can be found on YouTube, in paper form, or simply ask an experienced fisherman to show you the features of casting.
Adjustment using washers
But, not the ones we use with bolts and nuts, but very similar. Based on the above, our task is to obtain a reverse cone. With which there will be the least number of loops and “beards”, in most cases there will be none at all.
The essence of adjustment using washers is essentially very simple:
- We take the reel and perform the standard procedure for winding the braid onto the spool.
- We look at the resulting winding profile. If after winding we get a light reverse cone, then we leave everything as is.
- When the profile is far from the reverse cone, you need to try to change it using washers that are located under the spool. Usually, it is enough to remove the washer or replace it with a thinner one and you will get a reverse cone. But it often happens that this cone is too steep and this is bad. Then the adjusting washer should be thinner. This can be cut out of plastic, which is used in boxes for wobblers and spinners. It is just a little thinner than the standard washer that comes with the spinning reel.
Some reel models already come with spare washers in the box specifically for adjustment. Moreover, they are different in thickness. If you bought just such a spinning machine, then adjusting the winding profile will be a little easier and faster.
After all these adjustment manipulations, only real fishing will show whether we have adjusted the winding profile correctly. If during the entire fishing there was not a single beard or loop, then everything is normal, but if there were problems, you still need to work with the washers.
How to avoid a beard on a cartoonist
The best place to start is by practicing side casting. To do this, the reel is switched to the casting position, the finger is on the spool, and the rod is moved back a little so that it is pointed in the opposite direction. Next, we make a smooth swing, following the same trajectory along which we moved the rod to the side. At the same time, do not forget to smoothly remove your finger from the spool.
Of course, you shouldn’t expect that the first cast will be perfect and that the bait will be delivered the desired distance to the right place. To begin with, the main condition is not to hook yourself or nearby comrades on the hook instead of the fish, and also to avoid the formation of a “beard”.
You need to learn to keep your finger on the spool so that the line comes out with minimal friction, but still under your control. It is better to train in calm weather.
A common mistake a novice spinning player makes is trying to cast using a baitcasting reel in the same way as was previously done with a spinning reel. Casting tackle requires smoothness and is incompatible with sudden movements. With experience, you will not only learn to cast accurately, but you will also be able to get by with a smaller swing and cast from different positions.
Loops and beards on reels are your problem! Excuse for marriage makers... How to avoid beards and loops?
All the years that I have been fishing with spinning rods, I have been using relatively inexpensive spinning reels. There is a stereotype among fishermen that an expensive reel is a good reel, and a cheap one is rubbish. Maybe this was once the case, but now it is not entirely true. Reel companies that have representative offices in Russia make quite good budget items, for example, the brands Okuma, Stinger, Allux make good, inexpensive reels. And even in the ultralight class, for which increased demands are always placed, they can choose decent options. I won’t talk about reels from Alliexpress, because there are no people responsible for quality, unclear return rules and consumer properties.
Indeed, inexpensive reels use cheaper materials and fewer bearings, but they must meet basic consumer properties. Therefore, do not confuse the concepts of cheap and defective, they are not at all identical. And if in 2021 I buy myself a reel for little money, and during operation it turns out that it is bad, the excuse: “What did you want for that price” will not work.
Now a little about the practice of dealing with one of the most common “bugs” of reels. A problem that often occurs on both budget and expensive reel models. The “first turn”, when we start reeling after casting, can end up on the clutch. This is a very big problem, because if this is not noticed in time, the loop will fly off the clutch and a beard will form that cannot be untangled, and because of it you can lose a significant section of the cord. There was a case where, because of such a problem, I “killed” fifteen meters of a new, expensive microjig cord, it was very disappointing, and the fishing was ruined.
A coil of braid got into the clutch.
The noose comes off. (photo from open sources)
A beard is formed (photo fishingislove.com)
Technical problems in reel designs are often aggravated by the angler himself, here are the most common mistakes leading to big problems:
There is too much cord wound.
Poor laying quality, the taper is not adjusted correctly, or a manufacturing defect in the product, due to which the reel lays the cord “crookedly”.
Casting and retrieving techniques.
But there is an almost 100% way to eliminate troubles of this kind, this is manual control. After casting, when closing the reel bail, always run your hand along the line, checking that it lies correctly on the spool and on the line roller.
It would seem such a trifle, but by performing this second operation I saved so many meters of expensive braid that it’s even difficult to calculate. Therefore, I advise you to bring this action to automaticity, this will save you from many problems while fishing.
Knots on the fishing line are another cause of breaks.
Most anglers know that the aforementioned “twist loops”, when caught under subsequent turns of line as it is wound onto the reel spool, can lead to the formation of a “beard” during vigorous casting.
This incident in itself, although it can cause several unpleasant minutes, does not directly affect the strength of the monofilament. But the damage that can form on the material during hasty and careless untangling of knots can! Moreover, in such a way that it is quite capable of rendering a new good fishing line unusable. This can be clearly seen after the tightly tightened knot is untied - by the deformation of the nylon and a change in its natural color and transparency.
The fact is that knots that are tightened with force one way or another “break” the fishing line (which is why a fishing line without knots always holds more load than one with knots) . In addition, when they are untangled using sharp objects, damage is almost inevitably caused to the “strength-containing” surface layer of the monofilament, which further aggravates the problem.
• Note: Speaking about knots that seem to spontaneously form on the fishing line (that is, not specifically tied by the fisherman), it is necessary to understand that on. in fact, until, when unraveling the “beard,” the free end is passed through the loops at least once, the WHOLE resulting tangle consists of just loops repeatedly passed through each other. In other words, in essence, the “beard” does not consist of knots at all (in the usual understanding of this term), which in practice reduces the process of untangling it to just carefully removing some loops from others. The main thing is not to tighten the fishing line into a tight ball and not remove some loops through already tightened others.
With the components of the equipment remaining for consideration - braided cords and metal leashes, the situation, thank God, is more favorable and less complicated.
Reasons: from genetics to taking vitamins
The number of hair follicles in the skin is determined genetically, and new follicles are not formed during life. That is, if your father and grandfather had three hairs in six rows on their chins, most likely it will be difficult for you to grow a full beard.
If we talk about why the growth cycle of stubble is disrupted, then the reasons are most often the following:
- from banal stress to depression and other mental disorders: stress increases the level of the hormone cortisol. This triggers a complex chain of hormonal imbalances, which ultimately negatively affects beard growth in particular;
- reaction to certain medications - antifungal drugs, retinoids, beta blockers in the treatment of heart disease, antidepressants, ATP (adenosine triphosphoric acid) inhibitors, as well as chemotherapy;
— an excess of some vitamins and microelements (vitamin A, selenium, iron);
- hormonal imbalance (thyroid dysfunction, decreased testosterone levels);
- injury or burn where the beard grows;
— the presence of infectious skin diseases (for example, mycosis of the skin);
- diabetes;
— autoimmune diseases (thyroiditis, vitiligo, myasthenia gravis);
- HIV, syphilis;
- alopecia areata (hair loss).
Metal leashes for catching predators
And finally, to complete the picture, let’s say a few words about leashes used when catching predators.
With regard to the monofilament and Kevlar braided varieties, the situation is not much different from the conventional fishing lines and braids we have already considered - there is obviously no point in repeating what has been said again.
As for metal leashes, it seems that if you should expect any catch when using them, it will be mainly from their wicker counterparts. And it’s true: from the hit of all times and peoples of the Soviet Union - the guitar string, or the newfangled titanium wire, it seems that you can’t expect any tricks. Of course, both materials are very afraid (especially the second!) of sharp bends, but, you see, the break that arises as a result of this can no longer be called so unexpected. In the sense that since you were greedy or too lazy to replace a suspicious element of equipment, then in case of a “bummer” you have yourself to blame!
Regarding tungsten, it seems that it is generally impossible to say a bad word about it. Although it loses its linear shape with the speed of a bride losing her virginity on her wedding night, it holds the load properly, which, let me remind you, is the main thing for our story.
But with braided metal leashes, despite all their advantages, you have to be, as they say, on the alert. These can be both unpleasantly surprising and seriously disappointing. Moreover, what’s interesting is that this type of material itself is very, very good. It (especially in the case of 7x7 type braiding) simply retains its shape remarkably well, is very elastic (which contributes to the most natural play of baits), withstands serious loads and is 100% resistant to the teeth of predators. It seems, use it and be happy. But no, and this barrel of honey, it turns out, may contain its own fly in the ointment. Perhaps their only, but very important, bottleneck is the method by which they are assembled. Let's look at this in more detail.
Generally speaking, today there are four main types of forming woven material into a loop:
1. Using clamping bushings - the so-called artisanal option.
2. By the winding method - the so-called Chinese version (since ALL leashes made in this way, regardless of the brand that sells them, were “born in the Middle Kingdom”).
3. Twisting method - Cannelle version.
4. The method of folding the material into a cone is the Yamamoto method.
• Note: the method of making leashes by knitting knots is not included in this list due to the fact that this method of forming loops immediately and irrevocably “halves” the original strength of the material. At the same time, there is no doubt that the very ability to quickly, directly on a reservoir, produce equipment suitable for a specific situation should be clearly attributed to the special advantages of this material. However, for the reason already mentioned, the author of the article would have limited the scope of application of this method to this - what is good in extreme conditions or when there is no other possibility is not always advisable under normal conditions.
In their original state, all leashes made using the methods mentioned above “hold” the load quite well. Nuances arise during their use. More precisely, one nuance, but very important for our topic. Its essence is that, despite its legendary elasticity, braided metal leash material essentially remains the same (as in the case of hooks, clasps and guitar strings) hardened metal, which, again, is categorically contraindicated for sharp and/or repeated kinks in any specific, narrowly limited place. In practice, the above means that you should be especially careful with leashes assembled using so-called crimp tubes - a homemade option. Not only is their handicraft production often simply “killing” the material due to the excessive force of flattening the bushing, but also at the point where the material comes out of them there is a zone in which such kinks occur. The latter very soon leads to metal fatigue in a given place and, as a consequence, to those completely “unexpected” breaks that we would so much like to avoid. Taking into account this consideration, as well as the large negative experience gained by the fishing community in the process of using “homemade” leashes on crimp tubes, it would be quite justified to state that a soft connection capable of
bend if necessary along with the entire leash. Approximately as shown in the photo.
• Note: At the same time, of course, it should be especially noted that what has been said should not be understood as a death sentence for the method of installing leads using crimp bushings. Just like in the case of tying knots, it is very good for quickly making gear right on the pond. The main thing is to soberly assess its shortcomings and make full use of all its advantages. In this regard, the author of the article advised you to treat it approximately the same way an experienced fisherman treats knots on a fishing line, which, as you know, are very useful from time to time (and after heavy loads, it is necessary) to re-tie.
That, in fact, is the whole trick: there is no sharp inflection - there will be no unpleasant surprises. The rest depends on the attentiveness of the fisherman and his knowledge of the essence of the issue. Here are some tips, as they say, to follow up:
- First of all, it should be noted that in no case should you try to straighten braided metal leashes using a flame - using the same method as is practiced with a tungsten thread - this instantly and irrevocably reduces the strength of the original material.
- In the case of using leashes produced using the “Chinese winding” method, it makes sense to monitor the condition of the latter from time to time.
The fact is that this winding is the only thing that binds the material into a loop, and this almost automatically means the opposite: the fewer serviceable turns left in a given connection, the greater the likelihood that the loop will come out of the connection and “open”... by letting go free what was on your hook.
