Thumbing Conventionals

[Nebe]

smoooooth cast.... not a jerky cast is the key.

[t.orlando]

Thumb the edge of the spool, not the line itself..........dont worry you will get used to it.

[Saltheart]

If you are doing everything else perfect , you should only have to thunmb the spool at the top of the arc and when the lure (or whatever) hits the water.

In reality , many people do have to touch it right out of the gate to calm down an overrun caused by a jerky cast. Some guys cast low line drives so don't have to thumb at the top of the arc and that's wrong too. for best distance , aim high. (yes , sometimes windy conditions require line drives).


best advice anyone can give you about using a conventional is start slow and gain distance with technique , not umph. You will seldom get overruns if you are casting into pitch black . Since you can't see where its landing , you tend not to push for distance and therefore have little trouble. Turn on the lights so you now try to reach some imaginary distance goal and you start backlashing like crazy.

a guy who has the timing and starts the loading of the rod way back in the cast will outcast the guy who is using all muscle every time.

[lurch]

You can also listen to the reel...she will tell you when you are about to have a rats nest and when the lure is going to hit the water.....hover your thumb just over the spool so if the line gets ready to nest your thumb will be ready to apply braking pressure. In theory, the lure should be hitting the water when the spool is spinning the slowest so listen to when the spool slows down and you dont need to see the lure hit the water at night.

Also use the proper lure weight with the correct rod....What I mean is dont use a 1/2oz lure on a rod designed to throw 4-6oz, it will work but you have a greater chance of rat nesting.

I actually just bought my first spipnning reel in 15 years. I still cannot get used to a spinner and the only reason why I bought one was because I was using my conv in a 30mph wind in my face last november....I was able to cast very well in the wind but after every 15-20 casts I nested up because of the wind.

Good luck and be patient!

[Maine Guide]

I appreciate all of your input. Thank you very much for the tips!

[Sweetwater]

This has nothing to do with thumbing a conventional reel, but since casting technique is very much tied to performance of a conventional reel, I thought I'd mention a few other points. Others have mentioned how important the casting motion is when using a conventional reel (it's important for spinning reels too, but more so for conventional).

Someone once described it to me as being like a "golf swing." The entire motion is important to getting the greatest distance, to load the rod properly, and to get the reel to perform at its best. This is what works best for me:

- Allow about 4 to 5 feet of leader out (for a 10 foot rod) with the rod pointing in the direction of the cast.
- Bring the rod back at a medium speed and try to feel when the lead/lure is loading the rod to the maximum (don't let the lure/weight just dangle behind you). The point is, the rod should be loaded as much as possible before casting so that you can transfer that weight fully into the cast.
- Speed (more than power) is important to the cast. So as you cast, transfer your weight from your wrist to your arms, through the shoulders, then the hips and legs. The entire body participates in the cast.
- A lot of guys hold the rod away from the body, with one hand on the reel and the other at the butt of the rod to get maximum leverage. Meaning, if you're right handed, the left hand (on the butt) also contributes to the casting motion.
- As you cast (the follow through) do NOT bring the rod directly overhead. Rather the cast should be in a long sweeping arc about 45-60 degrees off the beach...in this way, the rod tip travels the greatest distance from the end of backcast to the release point. This allows for the greatest rod-tip speed which is essential to distance.
- Try to make sure that your release point is at a 45 degree arc, although sometimes wind conditions allow for a higher arc (wind at your back), or require a lower "bullet" or side-armed arc (wind in your face).

Every rod loads a bit differently, and can differ even for identical blanks based on how the eyes are set up and where the reel seat is placed on the butt. Some guys just tape the reel on to get maximum flex in the rod (but I like the security and feeling of a reel seat and trigger).

Last comment is...I see a lot of guys wade out to chest deep and try to cast, thinking that by getting further into the water they'll get more distance. But by being in the water, you lose your back cast (lure goes in the water behind you), you can't use your full body to cast, and your footing is unstable (soft sand, waves, etc.) My experience is that staying on solid sand (up on the beach) will make for a better cast. I never wade out further than shin or knee deep (if at all).

I already know that I'm going to get some smart-a$$ed comments (probably from #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^& ) ...about this post ...but this it works for me.