For my 2 cents, I have to agree with many that have posted above. PRACTICE. Experiment with different settings with the brake and spool. I had an old abu that I was unable to cast no matter what. I went to BPS during the spring show and was looking around. Stopped at the Diawa table and saw a decent price on a Diawa procaster. Talking to the pro behind the table about it, and me not able to cast with a baitcaster. He said that if I buy it, take it home a practice, and if by Sunday I was still unable to cast it w/out backlash to bring my set up to him at the show on Sunday and he would either take me to the parking lot and teach me to throw it, or he would buy it back from me for what I paid. Within a day an half after purchase, I was casting it about 90-110 feet w/out backlash 9 out of 10 times. It is on an allstar IM7 Heavy 7ft rod. Spooled with 12 pound mono. Forget the brand though.

What I am getting at is practice all you can. making setting changes until you get it done. I honestly never thought I would be able to use a baitcaster. Now that I can use it, I just need to practice catching fish with it.

Good luck.
GB

I have found that my backlash problems only come when I try to force the cast by "throwing" too hard...use your wrist and let the rod do the work. It is easier to cast long when you use smooth timing to load the rod and let it do the work.
Reminds me of swinging a golf club with a smooth and easy swing rather than swinging very hard. When the club shaft is left to do its thing, the ball goes further.

take another rod with you - thats what I do...You would be surprised at how nice it is fishing with a Zebco during a bad day of Birds Nest.

Some of you have asked what type of reel I was using--- my newest on is a Shimano Callisto CS0-100, 2 bearings. The other was given to me, and was well used. All it says now is A350, 3 bearing system, and 5.1 retrieve. It also has magnetic brakes....

First - back-off the braking a little.
As soon as you release the cast tap the spool with your thumb and then tap it again. The cast may only go 15 feet but start working on making your "taps" light touches of the spool. Utlimately you'll get to where you can feel the line on your thumb but it is spinning rather freely under it. You'll also learn to recognize through sound and feel how soon and how much contact you need to make with the spool for a given cast. In no time you will be casting 40 to 50 ft.

Addionally - once you cast (overhead or sidearm) follow through and turn the reel on its side - it's the way you would naturally hold the rig if you point it out straight but allow the top of your hand to face upwards. For some astrophysical reason in tune with a greater scheme that I don't understand - this helps alleviate backlashing. Remember . . . follow through until the spool is on a vertical axis, even with sidearm cast.

Don't fill the spool with line up to the std. 1/8 inch mark of the top - you'll lose maximum distance but less line comes off with every rotation and it's easier to avoid backlashing especially with mono which has a memory and will loosely coil up around the spool once tension is relieved.

Use your wrist and the action of the rod to cast - the more of your arm and body you use - it has something to do with the acceleration and velocity profile of the bait over the cast and it will cause it to backlash more.

If you ever get hung and pull on the bait or get a big fish, remember to strip line off once you get it back to the boat and rewind. If you don't then the next time you cast, you might have problems when the spool gets to that part of the line that has dug down onto itself b/c of pressure you applied.

Hey wannabe, how much weight are you throwing? If you're trying to throw too light of a bait, bingo! Try starting with a 3/8 or 1/2 oz sinker till you get the hang of it.
I'd back off the spool tension just a hair, and back off the magnetic brake a little.
Keep thumb on the spool lightly. Watch the arc in your cast, when the bait starts dropping, it's slowing down but the spool is still turning faster so start applying a little more thumb pressue to the spool.

Practice, you'll get it! When you do, you'll love that baitcaster!

I do not know what the heck I am doing wrong.
I have a Curado 200BSF with an American Rodsmiths Genesis titanium Series rod (7ft)and I have not made one cast that wan't a total birds nest. I have tried differient combos of weight and distances in casts. I only get to use it for two or three casts before I have to set it down and fish with my spinning rod/reel (pflueger president with XPS rod)

I bought some practice plugs in 1/8 and 1/4 oz but what is really odd is that it doesn't just birds nest on me..it gets so tangled and wrapped around itself that I have to cut the line off the reel. I know I am doing something wrong...I guess just more time and ^%$^*%$ words!!

thankg gawd for spinning reels huh.

Herein lies your problem Spec. The 7 foot rod that you purchased is more than likely a medium heavy to heavy power.

But the first problem that I see is that you are throwing a bsf. This is not the reel to learn with. This is for experienced users only.

Casting a 1/8th or 1/4 ounce plastic plug will result in little if any load up on the rod tip from midway up with a 7 foot rod and the birdsnests are inevitable.

Your 7 foot rod is designed for minimum 1/2 ounce weight up to 1 and 1/2 once of a weight. Go get a one ounce weight and tie it on. Let out about 2 feet of line and tighten the break on the right side of the reel so that the one ounce weight does not drop. Slowly turn it until the weight just starts to drop. STOP. You are at true break tension. Now with 2 hands try lobbing the lure about 50 feet.

Also, the 7 foot rod is not meant for casting. It is meant for lobbing 2 handed as in the Carolina rig or for underhanded pitching as in 1/2 ounce and up jigs.

Get a 6 foot medium heavy or a 6 foot 6inch medium heavy rod and then try 2 handed casting. You will have much more control over the spool as you feather it with your thumb.

I feel the 7 footer, the light weight, and the casting instead of lobbing is the problem [let alone the bsf].....[super free] You don't need super free until you are experienced.

L.A.

Spectre:

Make sure you have activated at least 3 of the centrifugal brakes on your Curado.

L.A.
thanks for all the tips. I have not used the plugs yet but I will load them up with weight.. I will look for a shorter rod (I am stuck with the reel to learn with I can not afford anything else to learn with.)

LearnedHat
Does it mater wich breaks to pop ... All one side or every other one? How about all out?

Bass Pro shops has a rod for I believe $19.99 or something like that. It is a graphite one.

I'm sort of ticked at myself now. I listend to everyone telling me not to get a cheep baitcaster because of the backlash and that this would be the perfect reel to have because you can set it for your needs.

I'll just have to learn on her and do my best.

That reel is fine for learning with you just need to balance your tackle. Being new and trying to cast a 1/8 and 1/4 oz weight with a 7ft rod is not a good balance. Put that reel on a 6/6 rod instead of the 7ft one like someone suggested earlier. Activate all the brakes or at least 4 of them and adjust the control knob so your bait lowers slowly. Tie on a 3/8 or 5/8 oz weight and start casting keeping your thumb lightly on the spool. Stop the spool with your thumb when the bait lands or is about to land. Don't worry about casting distance for now. Keep practicing until you can cast over and over without a birdnest and then start easing off the tension knob. If you get an overrun just strip out the line that is loose and reel it back up tight on the spool. Try going to 15 pound test line that has low memory so the line is not curling. That might help also. If all this fails make a road trip down here and I can help you out. Or sell me your reel. Just kidding!! I hope this info helpes you out. Keep at it because when you get it you will really like that reel. I think that once you balance your equipment you will have better luck. Don't give up.

When I activate the brakes I pop them out across from each other. If I want 2 brakes out they would be opposite each other, 3 brakes would form a Y shape and 4 brakes would form an X.

Yeah....what he said.