by dahlberg » Mon Jan 26, 2009 5:58 am
Hi E
To be really honest, lures in that weight range are not much fun to fish with spinning gear, and usually present little or no problem on bait casting gear, even for an angler that has little or no experience with bait casting tackle.
You hit the key word when you said "lob". Bait casting only gets touchy when you have light lures or situations where you have to fire high speed casts at very low trajectories. This set of circumstances creates a rapid acceleration of the spool that can be difficult to control.
A longer parabolic (better action is progressive) style rod, and more or less open water situation that does not require a high speed, "flat" cast, should take you less than 15 minutes to get comfortable with the bait caster. Just concentrate on taking it easy and letting the rod do the work. Begin your cast with the tip pointed at the target. Make your back swing and forward cast one nice easy smooth motion, like a good golf swing. Loading the rod with the "back swing" really aids in getting a nice smooth controlled cast. Avoid the temptation of "pushing" the rod forward (a mistake made by the majority of anglers who toss big lures) but rather just "turn it over". You'll know your're doing it right if at the end of your forward stroke both of your elbows are close to your body.
As far as butt length, it's largely personal preference, but I like them about 9" long. When they get too long I find them cumbersome.
Obviously, you can reduce bird's nests when you're first learning by engaging all the anti-backlash breaks in the left side plate of your reel. I do not suggest tightening the end play adjustment on the spool so the lure drops so slowly the spool stops spinning when the lure hits the ground. It robs too much performance. It was a method used before the more modern anti backlash clutches were invented.
In terms as making "two handed casts" (something I've done since I was 5 years old when I first started using bait casting gear, and had to do it 'cause I wasn't strong enough to cast one handed) you will find your tip speed increases the closer you have your hands together.
Good luck, and I'm sure the few minutes or hours at the most, it will take you to get comfortable with the baitcasting gear will be well worth it in the long run!
best,
L
Larry Dahlberg
The Hunt For Big Fish