Macon beacon., 1917-05-18
BAIT.cASTlNG FOR BEGINNER.
My Dear Buck:

For your practice work or rather
the backyard casting. before you try
out the real stun, all you need of your
bait-casting tackle is your rod, steel
or split bamboo, or 5la footer as you
prefer; 50.yard spool OF waterproof
soft square braided silk Ne. 6 line;
Quadruple multiplying reel and cast
ing plug
Joint your rod and place the reel
In the reel seat right above the grip.
with the reel on top Of the rod, reel
handle to the right Run the line
through the tip and guides. wind it
evenly on the reel and loop on the
plug at the end.
At distance Of say 30 feet from
where you intend to stand while max
ing the cast, peg down small piece
Of paper. say about eight inches
square. for target Think this Is the
home Of a fine frisky bass. 1t adds to
the interest Of the game.
You are all ready now, get In the
box, 80 feet from the target and face
it. Take the rod in your right hand,
let the plug hang down about six
inches from the tip, reel on top with
the thumb pressing on the line wound
on the spool Of the reel, the fingers
Of course around the grip Of the rod.
Before bringing the rod back over the
shoulder to start the cast, twist the
wrist to the left enough to bring the
top OF the reel towards your body.
the spool Of the reel nearly vertical.
In this position swing the rod back
over the right shoulder until the plug
hangs on a line with your belt, the
rod will then be at about a As degree
angle with the ground and your hand
near your right ear. This much Is for
position, the cast starts from this
point wherein it differs from fly-cast-
ing which starts from the first up
ward sweep.
Keep Thumb Pressure on Reel.
From this position swing the rod
forward with swift firm sweep, in
creasing the speed as the rod swings
forward-all this time the thumb
pressure stays on the line wound on
the reel AS the rod sweeps to a
perpendicular position, release the
thumb pressure-but not entirely
and out shoots the plug carrying the
line from the reel.
Keep your eye on the plug, although
it's a hundred to one shot that you
will watch the reel instead. When
the plug Is still in the air, just be-
fore it hits the ground, press the
thumb down firmly on the reel, which
stops it from revolving. II you fail to
do this, old man, the reel will keep
Oh turning from its momentum, and
having no heavy plug in the air to
pull it along, the line will snarl up on
the reel and you will be introduced
to your first "back-lash," with which
you will become well acquainted, any
way, as you get along in the game.
If your plug did a pretty fight
straight up in the air, you released
your thumb pressure before the rod
was perpendicular, If 1t did Brodie
right down into the ground in front OF
you, then you failed to release the
thumb pressure soon enough. Re-
member this point, the thumb pres
sure is never entirely removed from
the line on the reel the lighter pres
sure on the line keeps pull on the
bait and prevents back-lashes. bad
cess to en- Always jam the thumb
down hard just before the bait lands,
stop the rod In its sweep when 1t Is
much higher than the target and keep
your eyes on the plug. AS it flies out
and settles, slowly lower the tip OF
the rod keeping the plug, line and rod
on a line as much as possible, as 1t
saves friction on the guides and
makes your line last longer. as well
as increases the distance to your cast.
Reel Line In Smoothly.
You have now made your first cast
and upon how carefully you reel in
your line depends the success or fail
ure OF your next cast. Shift the rod
to the left hand, grasping it above the
reel, circling 1t from the underside,
with the line between the foretinger
and the thumb which guides the line
across the spool OF the reel and back
again until 1t is sll reeled in. Don't
let it pile up on the ends of the spool,
which 1t has an ornery habit Of do
ing, or build up into a hump in the
middle. II you do, you can CHECK off
the next cast as dead one.
Try to reel it in as level as possi-
BILE. OF course while actually fishing
you will always watch your bait while
reeling in the line, especially when
you are casting among lily pads ard
windfalls, but in the practice work
watch the reel. This will save you
lots Of time and fish later. After a lit
tie practice you can watch the plug,
remembering not to slow up the
thumb and finger in guiding the line
smoothly onto the reel, or it will pile
up before you know it and bring back
your old friend, Mr.. G. w. Baek-Lash,
Esq.
DIXIE.