Tournament News Powered By Lake Drive Marine
- Details
Mercury Report
Baitcaster with backlash
Getting a backlash while using a baitcasting reel is part of fishing. It just happens, even to the best and most experienced casters. So, when you do get a backlash, what’s next?
According to Mercury Pro Team angler and 2019 Bassmaster Classic champ Ott DeFoe, the first thing to do is stop and stay calm.
“It’s going to be OK, and you’re going to get this out,” he said.
The Blaine, Tennessee, angler believes that most people attack a backlash too aggressively – probably in part due to frustration.
“Most people immediately engage the spool, put their thumb on the spool and start pulling on the line. That’s not the best way to get out a backlash,” said DeFoe. “That method often makes the line bind back up even worse.”
DeFoe knows from experience that there’s a better way and offered an advanced method that’s surprisingly effective with only three simple steps:
- Tighten the spool tension knob tighter than you ever would if you were going to cast.
- Depress the thumb bar and then slowly and steadily pull line off the reel. “The spool tension knob being tight will keep the line from getting locked up underneath itself,” DeFoe added. “A lot of times, this process is all you need, and you can pull all the tangles out.”
- Whenever you hit a point where the line locks up, apply thumb pressure to the spool in line with where the line is jammed. Then tighten the drag, engage the reel handle and slowly turn the handle two complete revolutions while maintaining thumb pressure. Now press the thumb bar and slowly pull the line off again like in Step 2. “Step 3 will sometimes need repeating, but usually the first or second time will do the trick,” said DeFoe.
You can see these steps in action at the video down below.
Finishing the Job
Make sure and get the backlash completely cleared. The line should look like when it was initially spooled, with no lines crossed underneath and no loops.
When reeling the line back onto the spool, keep tension on the line by reeling it through the thumb and index finger of your off hand. At some point, a kink may develop in the loose line. Slowly pull the line out at that spot to keep it from binding into a knot.
If you’re on the water going through DeFoe’s process, pull all the line out from end of the rod and let it fall in the water before reeling it back in. It’ll be less likely to tangle and form a knot.
Back to Casting
Once the line is back on the reel, loosen the spool tension knob back to where it was originally, and the process is complete. However, consider adjusting the knob to avoid future backlashes.
DeFoe offers a video on how to set up a baitcaster and utilize the spool tension knob on his YouTube channel here.
- Details
Bill Dance“Celebrate Bass Fishing Week” kicks off on Monday with the start of the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame’s annual online auction - https://one.bidpal.net/bassfishinghof22 - all leading up to induction of the 2022 class at the Hall’s annual plaque unveiling ceremony and dinner gala at the Wonders of Wildlife Museum & Aquarium on Oct. 6.
The online auction and live auction during the induction dinner will include a large selection of bucket list trips with Hall of Fame inductees, plenty of other fishing and hunting experiences, unique fishing art items and memorabilia, tournament jerseys from leading professional bass anglers, fishing tackle, and much more.
You can click on the link above to preview some of the auction items but the preview will shut off sometime Sunday before reopening Monday for the live auction. The online auction can be accessed by bass fishing enthusiasts throughout the U.S. and Canada on their smartphones, tablets and computers.
- Details
By Alan McGuckin
Kevin VanDam
Trophy presentations are certainly nothing new to Kevin VanDam. But when Bass Pro Shops founder Johnny Morris asked “KVD” to join him in victory lane to present the winner’s trophy recently at NASCAR’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway, the longtime Toyota angler was a bit astonished.
Longshot driver Christopher Buescher won the race, and not only did VanDam help with the trophy presentation, but he may very well have won the award for the guy who had the most fun at the iconic half-mile track on the Tennessee-Virginia border.