Baitcaster Birds Nest – Tricks To Prevent It When Fishing
Baitcasting Reels are one of the most well-known fishing equipment. Mastering their art is not very easy, but once you’ve done it, you unlock the great mysteries of fishing. It will allow you to do many things. Undeniably, the baitcasting reels are one of the most versatile. They offer lots of things, but there’s a catch: the Baitcaster Birds Nest, angler’s worst nightmare.
The baitcasting reels generate a backlash that leads to birds’ nest formation. We all hate it because it takes a lot of time to untangle a big messy mass of braid. So, how to prevent it? That’s the question we will be answering in this article.
Our team of experts and experienced anglers shared a few tricks to prevent the birds’ nest. They’ve been fishing for years without facing such severe problems, and you will learn too. Let’s get on with it.
How to Prevent Baitcaster Birds Nest?
Most people don’t know about this, but it is very easy to prevent baitcaster birds nest. There are two ways to do that,
- Cast without Backlash
- Learn to untangle the line quickly
In this article, we will go through every single detail you should know about the Birds Nest.
1. Cast Without Backlash
First and the best way to prevent baitcasters birds nest is Casting without backlash. It may sound difficult to newbies, but it is not that hard. You just have to focus and follow our advice.
What is Backlash?
When the thumb tab is pushed, it enables the free spin mode of the spool. This allows you to cast the lure, and when it hits the water, the lure starts operating, and the spool stays as it is. This leaves no place for the line to go, resulting in the tangled mess or birds nest.
The backlash is a problem, and it must be dealt with. Every angler should learn to cast without backlash. It will save your trip from uncertainty and will let you have unlimited fun with your friends and family.
No Backlash:
You must learn to slow down the spool’s rotation during the cast. That is the basis of eliminating the backlash. In this way, your spool will never throw off more than is being pulled by the lure.
There are many ways to slow down the spool rotation, but three of them are the most common.
- Thumb Pressure
- Braking System
- Spool Tension
First of all, you must have a background check. That includes complete knowledge about your baitcasting reel parts and spooling your reel correctly. These two basic things play a vital role in casting and preventing backlash.
Thumb Pressure:
For slowing down spool rotation during the cast, you should use your thumb. It will help to prevent backlash. Press your thumb against the spool, and increase pressure every time you feel the backlash.
Using your thumb is the best way to prevent and eliminate backlash. You should also use your thumb to stop the cast when the lure gets close to the water. In this way, both spool and lure will stop at the same time.
Braking System:
The braking system is the 2nd line of defense against the backlash. There are two types of brakes in baitcasters that have a considerable say in the reel’s performance—these play a vital role in slowing down the spool rotation.
Magnetic Brakes:
The Dial on the side of the reel adjusts the magnetic brakes. Set it on 50% or higher if you’re a newbie. No doubt doing this will reduce your casting distance; on the plus side, it will reduce the chances of backlash.
Centrifugal Brakes:
For adjusting the Centrifugal Brakes, you’ll have to open the side plate of your baitcasting reel. Slide a maximum number of brakes to their active position if you’re a beginner. As explained before, that will indeed reduce your casting distance, but it will eliminate backlash.
Spool Tension:
As mentioned earlier, there are three main ways to prevent backlash. One of them is setting your reel’s spool tension correctly. It can be done by the large tension knob placed next to the reel handle. First of all, tie your lure to the end of your fishing line and release the clutch.
If your lure drops down to the ground and stops, then it’s perfect. Also, when it touches the ground, the spool should stop spinning. If your lure doesn’t drop to the ground, loosen the spool, and if the spool doesn’t stop rotating, tighten the spool tension. That’s pretty much it.
More Tips and Tricks for Preventing Baitcaster Birds Nest
There are more than three ways to prevent baitcaster birds nest. Usually, most experienced anglers forget about other methods, but we continue to educate our readers.
Here are some more ways that will prevent backlash,
- Use a heavy lure – because the lighter one will not take out the line as quickly to keep up with the baitcasting reel.
- Prefer a heavier pound test line – the monofilament line is the easiest to untangle. So, if you happen to mess up things, the line will assist you in solving the problem.
- Choose a rod with perfect length – you should always choose a rod with a size perfect for a baitcasting reel. The right rod length will allow you more control than the longer rods.
- Keep practicing – always remember, only perfect practice makes a man perfect. Nobody was a pro from day one. Keep working with enthusiasm, and you’ll be an experienced angler who never lets his reel slip away.
2. Untangle the Line – Removing the Baitcaster Birds Nest
Let me tell you a harsh reality, no matter how hard you try, and you will mess up once or twice. It will happen. The birds nest is an undenying nightmare that will somehow become a reality. So, what will you do when it happens?
The first thing to do is RELAX. It’s just a baitcaster birds nest, not the end of your fishing trip. Throwing your rod and reel combo won’t help you. Just sit down, breathe, and relax.
After you are done with your anger, start pulling the line off the spool. Within no time, you will find out the loop that is looped around the main line. At that point, you have to press your thumb down on the spool and rotate the handle of the reel about half. Then continue pulling the line off until you see a loop once more, and repeat the process.
This should solve your problem. If not, ask an expert or comment below.
Conclusion:
All good fishing always thinks about its readers. Our team of experts is busy finding new questions to answer. Baitcaster Birds Nest is considered one of the worst experiences in an anglers’ life. That might be true, but it offers lots of things. The fun, memories, and fake advice you give to each other during this time are simply unmatchable. You must learn to untangle the line and try to prevent the backlash, but don’t run away from it. These minor uncertainties make our trips worth spending time and money on. Best of Luck