Another lesson from the master

[Bennyg78]

Hopefully putting this in the right part of the forum

I wanted to tee up a fishing session with @DerekD as its almost the top-water season (so close) and we both enjoy casting light lures along and seeing them crunched! Anyway Derek being Derek offered me  & @AlbertW a chance to learn using a baitcaster set up, now I had been always curious but cautious of using one seeing many disasters of bird-nests at the reel, but you don't grow if you don't learn! For this session we were using Derek's baitcaster Barra rod with a curado as the reel and a 30 gram garfish stickbait!

So we all met on a sunny morning on Sydney's north-side, here the lesson begins:

• Derek first talked about how a baitcaster works vs spin set up
• Then we got learn about the different drag settings and how to apply each and what they could be used for
• We then got to casting, working on different inertia settings on one of the drag systems.
• The casting requires a similar but different way to cast the lure.
• There were some mistakes made (mostly by me) but the benefit of this was learning how to unravel the birds nests (not so bad).
• Both Albert and I practiced some different casting techniques and playing with the inertia control from higher to lower settings and when you whip that lure out there on the low inertia settings it does fly! Albert definitely getting the better distance than me.

So after feeling a tad anxious and cautious about baitcasters I am now pretty confident in using one, which now leads my mind on a path for using some in the finesse range or on for the bass. I am pretty sure @AlbertW learnt a few things too, check out the photos of him casting.

Thanks again @DerekD for furthering my angling education and probably draining my bank account in the future 😉!

[XD351]

Trick with birds nest is to use 50lb line - it always comes out 🤣🤣🤣 

Nah but seriously if there is anyone on FR that can get you sorted out it is Derek !

[Little_Flatty]

Nice work @DerekD, @AlbertW and @Bennyg78. Casting baitcasters is great fun. I love using them, even when it doesn’t really make sense (google BFS - Baitcasting finesse system). They are just fun to cast, but like casting a fly (next Pandora’s box to open @Bennyg78…and Derek can help you with that😎).

Look at Derek in the photos standing at the sidelines like a coach. Might need to get a ‘Fishraider institute of fishing’ shirt with COACH written on the back 🙂

[Bennyg78]

45 minutes ago, Little_Flatty said:

Nice work @DerekD, @AlbertW and @Bennyg78. Casting baitcasters is great fun. I love using them, even when it doesn’t really make sense (google BFS - Baitcasting finesse system). They are just fun to cast, but like casting a fly (next Pandora’s box to open @Bennyg78…and Derek can help you with that😎).

Look at Derek in the photos standing at the sidelines like a coach. Might need to get a ‘Fishraider institute of fishing’ shirt with COACH written on the back 🙂

I’m definitely looking at some of those Infeet baitcasters

[XD351]

6 hours ago, Little_Flatty said:

Look at Derek in the photos standing at the sidelines like a coach. Might need to get a ‘Fishraider institute of fishing’ shirt with COACH written on the back 🙂

I thought he was just keeping his distance so as not to cop a stray lure in the melon 🤣🤣🤣

[DerekD]

3 hours ago, XD351 said:

I thought he was just keeping his distance so as not to cop a stray lure in the melon 🤣🤣🤣

Very observant of you @XD351. What gave it away?

[XD351]

Your stance Derek! Looks like you are ready to scarper at the slightest hint of a lure  taking a detour from its intended trajectory 

[big Neil]

Love using my baitcaster outfits finesse casting lures into the snags. They are amazingly accurate once you get the hang of them.

Good on you all for getting together to learn yet another technique.

bn