Texan: New to fishing + Questions from a new guy.

[powerliftingtexas]

I wanted to start off with an introduction. I'm new to the fishing scene. I've did a little when I was younger with the old push button spin cast reels I had as a kid, but never anything major. I've been a power lifter for the last decade until a recent Spinal injury sidelined me. I've decided to start killing some time fishing and I'm just getting started and collecting supplies. I'm in the Georgetown / Round Rock area, but would love taking trips down to my old home (Galveston.)

First, I'm getting used to all the spin cast / bait cast reels. I bought a couple from Academy.  Bought a $39.00 real cast with ball bearings along with a bait caster by KastKings. 

I've been doing a lot of reading the spin cast are easier and more friendly for newbies. 

Can anyone help with why I find the opposite?  LOL 

I try and load a spin reel and can't get the line to spin on the reel and if I do it is a mess.

I can spool my new bait caster within 3-5 minutes and it cast pretty far for a new guy.

My only problem with the bait caster I think is dialing it in.  Correct me if I'm wrong.  The more drag, the less chance of a birds nest?  The less drag the higher the chance?

Look forward to chatting and learning from you guys.

[powerliftingtexas]

So after some more experimenting with my bait-caster I have a feeling this will be the only type of reel I ever use. After some more playing with it I'm learning it's all in the settings and dialing it in. Getting the brake and drag set. Too much brake and my cast don't go far. Too little brake and I get a lot more birds nesting. I figured out while playing with the settings, if my line gets a little loose on the reel, it's best to have my partner pull it all out and hold tension and reel it back in before it birds nest. But now that I got the brake more dialed in and the drag more dialed in I'm getting more consistent results.

My question is: Will these settings change when I add more or less weight on the end of the line?

[Bduck]

Welcome to BFT, in our part of the country (Utah) our lakes are capped with ice. They belong to the ice fishermen but soon they will be breaking up for the bank tanglers & boaters. 
When spooling your bait caster with line make sure your drag is set snug, the gears will engage while reeling line while holding the line snug as well allowing line to level across spool. The baitcasting reel is used for many different types of fishing. I along with many others here boat troll here whereas a bait caster is a favorite reel to use. The drag is designed to be used according to the force caught at the hook end which is adjusted to allow line to feed out preventing line from breaking and losing your presentation. This aids in bringing in a lunker you may have caught but it also aids us trollers when snagging onto a stationary something that it will feed line out in the same manner. When drag adjustment is loosened to minimum causing free spooling, this is not what you want when casting so be sure to keep drag adjuster snug with gears engaged. On most baitcasting reels there is a lever of some type, a flip lever or push button, is the line release which puts reel spool in free spin mode. This once released make sure your thumb is on the line spool preventing bird's nest. This is the casting mode or for us trollers a line release mode. You also need to learn how to use that thumb while casting to prevent from uncontrollable free spooling which the bird nest will occur. There is usually a small slide button on one side of reel which engages a clicker. This clicker also prevents free spooling while lever is in release mode which is what I use at times while letting out line once again for trolling, also when reeling or turning the handle will put the reel back into reeling mode.  Going back to the drag setting, once you cast your line (assuming you are bank fishing), and engaging gears for reeling you should be able to by hand try to pull line from reel. This is where you can adjust the drag by making small adjustments until line spool starts loosening. You want this just in case of that lunker that's going the opposite direction from you. While going thru a fight is where you can further adjust the drag either way, too loose won't let gears engage enough while reeling. You do not always need to keep adjusting drag because of smaller catches. By learning this helps develop your skill & preference on how to adjust your reel so your comfortable using it. 

[Lambousqq]

If you already have some experience with a reel, I would advise you to buy a multiplier. I like that the reel is directly in the palm of my hand when fishing. Bait is more balanced and sensitive compared with winchless, a small total weight of the spinning set, about 300 grams, ease of manipulation with wobblers, the line is not twisted, as it goes straight to the bobbin, the range of your casting does not depend on the thickness of the line, you can work with lures of different weight. The main condition - is that it does not work with such a reel in sub-zero temperatures.

[victorkerns]

Welcome to the site powerliftingtexas.

[wiperhunter2]

Welcome to the site powerliftingtexas.

Welcome to the site Victor, what species of fish do you enjoy catching the most?

[wiperhunter2]

If you already have some experience with a reel, I would advise you to buy a multiplier. I like that the reel is directly in the palm of my hand when fishing. Bait is more balanced and sensitive compared with winchless, a small total weight of the spinning set, about 300 grams, ease of manipulation with wobblers, the line is not twisted, as it goes straight to the bobbin, the range of your casting does not depend on the thickness of the line, you can work with lures of different weight. The main condition - is that it does not work with such a reel in sub-zero temperatures.

Welcome to the site Lambousqq, just an FYI, links are not allowed for new members.