Tighten the brake until the weight slowly drops on free spool. This will eliminate the nests when throwing into the wind.

I adjust my brake kinda opposite. I loosen it and let my rig fall fairly quickly til it hits the ground. If it over runs tighten it a little. Keep doing this until the spool stops when the rig hits the ground and stops. As far as casting into the wind, you are gonna backlash some. It is just part of using a bait caster. I do prefer spinning reels for bank fishing, just due to the ease and less finicky.

Go ahead and start practicing casting by throwing into the wind with a full rig and a one lb bait! Once you get used to it, everything else is simple!!

If its the newer model 6600 C4 you might to take the right sideplate off and make sure that you have at least 2 of the white brake blocks engaged as that reel has the duel bearing levelwind and adjust the tension spool accordingly. Hope this helps.

A full or over full spool of line tend to make them overrun also IMHO.

Stick a 2 to 3 oz weight on.

I'll take it off your hands lol. Adjust the spool tension cap. Tie whatever size weight you'll be using on your line and drop it to the ground. Tighten the cap so when your weight hits the ground no string over travels. You should be good to go.

Y'all really do that? I throw 4oz weights and leave the tension off completely. Tightening it will shorten casts.

You probably know how to thumb a spool correctly. Most people don't.

I grew up using baitcasters. I've used pretty much every brand and I can't even get used to spinning reels lol.

Also guys if you're having trouble casting into the wind you can also Mag your spool.

I got at end or June I'd think it's the newer model. .

Better add a 6-8 ounce weight to that rig if your planning on throwing that 1lb. bait very far into the wind from the bank. You boat guys got it to easy . "Graph and side imaging say drop bait here "........... J/K

Yeah thats the newer model 6600 and its one sweet reel out the box. Are you throwing lite weight sinkers with it and if so you might not want to fill the spool completely up maybe half full until you get the hang of it. With lite weight sinkers meaning under an ounce you have to make sure that the tension cap is set just right.

I can feel some amazing technology in this reel... you mentioned the duel levelwind brake, would you explain what it supposed to do?

I did some tests on half spool 20# mono yesterday... I almost burned my thumb, thanks a lot catfishaddiction, lol. From a bank any mono bigger than 20# just not practical in any windy conditions, so I stick with 20# for practice.

3 oz weight, tighten tension so that weight would fall only if rode is 180 degree horizontal. 7" mf graphite rod, on a straight dirt track less than 10 yrd wide... max cast without breaking rod with thumb in contact with spool all time, ... repeat. .. furthest distance was 75 crank turns to get rigs, that is respectable for a seven footer rod, at 30" per turn that was almost 60 yrd.

Having said that, reel is very finicky...