Tips for Beginners Practice casting off the water and focus on developing timing and coordination. Before you cast, make sure that the drag control has been properly set, that the spool tension knob has been adjusted, and that the centrifugal or mechanical spool control has been set as applicable. To clear a backlash, put the reel in gear, tighten the drag so it doesn't slip, press the thumbnail of your rod-holding hand on the snarl to flatten and relax the coils, take two or three turns of the reel handle, put the reel in gear, and pull out the line. This does not tighten the coils and should allow you to clear all but the worst backlashes in a few seconds. Make sure to reset the drag.
Many people pick at the backlashed loops of line with their fingers.
To do this, put the reel in freespool with your thumb on the spool. Carefully pick away at the leading loops to remove tightening overwraps until you get to the loop that is dug in the worst, then pull it out. An important detail that many baitcasters overlook is the amount of line on the spool. An overfilled spool can produce loose wraps that might catch each other on the outflow, causing the nefarious backlash.