Who does it and WHY?
I'm sitting here watchin Shaw G. on his show and he is doing it and for the life of me I DO NOT understand why anyone would do that..
I look at it like this, why buy a good expensive spinning reel just to not use the drag on it!?
WTF
Someone please throttle in a good reason why, I think it's the dumbest (lack of a better term) thing ever!
AMATEURS work until they get it RIGHT..
PROFESSIONALS WORK until they CAN'T get it Wrong..
Rod Wynn wrote:Who does it and WHY?
I'm sitting here watchin Shaw G. on his show and he is doing it and for the life of me I DO NOT understand why anyone would do that..
I look at it like this, why buy a good expensive spinning reel just to not use the drag on it!?
WTF
Someone please throttle in a good reason why, I think it's the dumbest (lack of a better term) thing ever!
Rod, on spinning gear you are mostly using lighter line. The closer the fish gets to the boat it can make a surge where if you drag is a bit to tight or it is a very strong and heavy fish it can snap your line. Backreeling alows you to give the fish more line without it breaking and you also have a bit more control over it. I normally back reel if the fish is four or more lbs to prevent it breaking me off.
Dan Stahlman wrote:Rod, on spinning gear you are mostly using lighter line. The closer the fish gets to the boat it can make a surge where if you drag is a bit to tight or it is a very strong and heavy fish it can snap your line. Backreeling alows you to give the fish more line without it breaking and you also have a bit more control over it. I normally back reel if the fish is four or more lbs to prevent it breaking me off.
I hear what you are saying Dan but I still feel like I have more control over the "situation" than that..
My drag is set good enough that it's tight enough for the hookset but loose enough to battle the big boys on light line..
Trust me, I do use light like (5lb. Sunline FC Sniper) but if things get to "hairy" during the fight I feel more comfortable reaching up and loosening the drag while fighting the fish..
AMATEURS work until they get it RIGHT..
PROFESSIONALS WORK until they CAN'T get it Wrong..
The mechanics of any spinning reel drag, regardless of the price, takes more energy to start the spool to move, then a baitcasting reel. Once the drag starts to move, then the high end drag systems work smoothly. To prevent a sudden quick turn and run from a big fish breaking the line, it is a common practice by experienced bass fishermen to back reel to help the drag system start moving.
It's your choice to reach an loosen the drag, letting the big fish run into trouble or back reel and let the preset drag do it's job, giving you a better chance to control the bass. Back reeling is much faster than fooling around with a drag while fighting a big bass, IMHO.
Tom
I do it Rod, But then again, I catch bigger fish than you If I hook what I feel is a big fish I will Switch it to free spool. This does not eliminate the drag, your drag still works if your holding the handle in normal operating style. However if that fish gets close to the boat and desides to surge you can let him do his thing by back reeling or just putting your finger on the spool and letting the haddle back spin. Its like catching a big fish on a bait caster even if you have 15lb line if a big fish decides to surge you disingage the spool while still keeping thumb pressure on it. I have a body who fishes on the FLW Tour who says expensive spinning reels are a waste of money. I disagree, I think you spend the money on a reel to help with fluidity, casting, and line twist.
Vince
By the way, sweet looking reel. What the heck is it?
Back reeling will be fine until you make your first critical mistake. Then you will buy a quality spinning reel and trust the drag - making adjustments as you see fit during the fight.
I think a properly set drag will work fine, and there's no need to back reel.
I am guessing back reeling was important when drag systems weren't as good, back in the old days.
I still have my first spinning reel, a Roddy from Blue Chip Stamps, and the drag on it is like trying to slide a crank across your boat's carpet.
I think the drags on most of the newer reels are so good, there's no need to back reel.
I have five year old Quantum Catalysts, and the drags work fine with 4lb BPS flouro and dart heads.
I just test the drag before I start fishing with any rig.
hmmm tough subject.....speaking for a big fish hookup on spinning gear it gets pretty hectic. It's pretty amazing and somewhat predictable on how a big fish may react after hookup! Usually I strip line with my hand on a big run and cant say I've personally back reeled to a fish. I've landed some double digits up to 15 lbs. on spinning gear and would hate to even think about a back reel and the handle possibly gettin away from me....what a mess that could be . Can't say I would back reel on big fish!....maybe small fish for some good effect when I have my own show someday that would make for some good camera time I spose!
I see some, like Shaw, and others doing the back reeling thing. I trust my drag and that is what it is for. Set right you will loose no more fish than the guy the says backreeling will stop that. I tried it once or twice and when I got asleep at the wheel and a fish ran that old spool wrapped up the line, just as bad as a backlash can on a baitcaster.
Set your drag, even loose, put some pressure on the spool with your finger, if need be and go with the funtions on your spin reel, and that means use the drag system. Bill K
set the hook, flip the switch. second nature for me. like has been said much faster control & since I buy $24 reels the drag takes way more pressure to get started than after the fish is running.
my drag is buried solid and never touched. I saw Shaw do that and couldn't believe he was banging his knuckles that way, much less control than with you fingers like you were reeling.
Larry Hemphill wrote:Back reeling will be fine until you make your first critical mistake. Then you will buy a quality spinning reel and trust the drag - making adjustments as you see fit during the fight.
This pretty much sums it up, IMO
AMATEURS work until they get it RIGHT..
PROFESSIONALS WORK until they CAN'T get it Wrong..
mark poulson wrote:I think a properly set drag will work fine, and there's no need to back reel.
I am guessing back reeling was important when drag systems weren't as good, back in the old days.
I still have my first spinning reel, a Roddy from Blue Chip Stamps, and the drag on it is like trying to slide a crank across your boat's carpet.
I think the drags on most of the newer reels are so good, there's no need to back reel.
I have five year old Quantum Catalysts, and the drags work fine with 4lb BPS flouro and dart heads.
I just test the drag before I start fishing with any rig.
Ditto
AMATEURS work until they get it RIGHT..
PROFESSIONALS WORK until they CAN'T get it Wrong..
Joe Bruce wrote:I saw Shaw do that and couldn't believe he was banging his knuckles that way
LOL..I swear I was watching the show and thinking WTF is he doing!?
I can just imagine him doing that in the dead winter when you hands are already ^ouch^ cold and such ^duoh^
AMATEURS work until they get it RIGHT..
PROFESSIONALS WORK until they CAN'T get it Wrong..
I"m like Joe 30.00 dollar reel tighten the drag down & back reel I feel That I have more feel for what the fish is doing instead of the drag telling what the fish is doing plus you can put just the right amount of pressure on the fish so the hook does not wear a big hole in the mouth & the hook comes out the first jump I"ve been doing it for 25 years & feel like I"m money ahead
Mike Matthews, U.S.N. 1963-67
Fish hard, sleep good at night.
I guess it's a six of one, half a dozen of the other kind of thing.
Even cheap reels nowadays are so much better than the old stuff, that the drag on even a $30 reel will work. Thank you computer guided machining.
And most low end reels are made in the same factories as high end reels, because the mass production equipment is so expensive that there are only a limited number of reel producers.
So your "cheap" reel really isn't crappy, just inexpensive. If they didn't hold up, outfits like Cabela's and Bass Pro wouldn't sell them, since there probably isn't a big enough profit margin to pay for lots of returns due to equipment failures. They make more on the high end stuff.
If you have the drag tightened so tight that a little glitch can break the line you have it too tight.
And if you're using spinning gear with heavy line, it really doesn't make any difference.
Light line/small hooks/soft rods requires a delicate touch regardless of what reel you use, or whether you're back reeling or using the drag.
And whether you back reel or use the drag is strictly a personal choice. There is no right or wrong way. Just what works for you.
One thing I'd note is that a good spinning reel doesn't have to cost you a fortune. None of my Shimano spinning reels ever cost me more the $60.
Back reeling is a skill many anglers haven't thought to develop and it certainly doesn't eliminate the use of your drag systems. I know some very talented anglers that have been back-reelers all their lives and it seems to work well for them in controlling hooked fish. Anything that helps you get a fish to the net is a good deal to my mind.
Back reeling (just like rod management) is a skill that takes a bit of time to learn to do effectively. If done correctly, you can exert maximum rod/line load on the fish to keep it under better control and get it to the boat more efficiently while avoid the line twist that comes with letting a fish take long runs or pulling drag many times on a spinning reel. I don't button my drag down as some have stated they do, I keep it set a little bit below line breaking so it can work to help prevent me from exerting too much pressure on the fish that might cause me to break off. Nothing like a lilttle redundancy
It is a six of one, half dozen of the other situation. Bottom line, what works for you, works for you and that is the technique you should use. Try it you might like it, if not just trust yer drag!
I used to think backreeling was stupid also, and that a good reel and good drag eliminated the need.
The key word is "used" to think that way. Now I backreel all the time, and my loss rate is practically nonexistent.
I use Shimano Sustains and Stradic Mg's, and I keep my reels in excellent shape, clean and maintained; so let's get that on the table up front.
There are many reasons backreeling makes sense. The physics of a spinning reel are pretty lousy, which is why people use baitcasters when the situation permits. With the bail closed, and a fish on the line, you are stressing your line with a sharp 90 degree bend as it comes off the spool. Even the spool and drag washers turn at a right angle to the line. This definitely stresses light line, especially 6 pound test or less. Your line will remain stronger if you backreel.
After a long cast, your spool diameter is smaller. When a fish is close to the boat the spool is larger in diameter. This results in a difference in drag performance. If your drag is set perfectly for a long cast, then it is not perfect close to the boat.
Most importantly to me, I backreel because I like a firm drag that still slips on the hookset, but not so much that I can't get penetration. That firm drag setting works against you close to the boat when the fish dives and the result is your hook pulls out. If you lose fish because your hook pulls out, you are probably chalking it up to bad luck. I chalk that up to a bad drag setting and more specifically due to not back reeling.
If you fight big smallmouths in the summer, on 6 pound line, they can dive much faster than your drag can compensate. Largemouth are much less of a problem. With backreeling you can maintain a much more consistent amount of tension in relation to the breaking strength of the line.
And as mentioned before, a slipping drag means a lot of line twist. This is one of many things that I do that help me eliminate line twist problems.
BTW, I don't agree with how Shaw backreels in that he takes his hand off the handle. I prefer to keep my hand on the handle because a smallmouth can head back to the surface just as fast as it dove; and I want to be ready to reel quickly instead of fumbling for a handle.
If you want to see how much of a difference backreeling can make in improving your landing ratio, try it on any big fish with light line.
The best drag setting for a spinning reel is one that is just below the breaking strength of your line. Anything lighter and you don't have control over the fish; it has control over you. If it is a huge fish, it peels off line at will and you can't stop it when it is heading for weeds or cover. A tighter drag gives you more control while the fish is far away from you, but it is then too tight when the bass is close to the boat and makes a quick dive.
After a long fight the hook wears a hole in the flesh, and by backreeling you can keep that hook from tearing out of the flesh.
As far as making a mistake while backreeling, I can't remember that ever happening. When I was beginning to practice the technique I recall worrying about a problem, but it simply has not happened. Give it a try and you might change your tune.
I think I posted about back reeling years ago, I too wonder the same thing when I see it on TV! If you have a good reel, and the drag is set properly, back reeling is completely unnecessary! If the fish surges under the boat or something, just bow down a bit to cushion the line and keep a good angle on the fish. If back reeling was really that effective and practical, youd see all the saltwater guys doing it too, who catch alot bigger fish on alot lighter line!
I've tried it both ways and find that if I buy a quality reel with a GOOD drag that back reeling is not necessary. I buy reels based on their drag, not on how many bearings they have. Shamano for both spinning and baitcasting. Some guys are just more comfrotable doing backreeling than others
I am a back reeler...and I do this for several reasons. Most importantly, is for better control. I keep my drag fairly tight so that if I need to apply extra pressure to keep a bass out or away from snags, pilings, bushes, trolling motors etc...I can apply extra pressure to steer it towards safer waters. A loose drag can sometimes get you in trouble when you can't apply extra pressure fast enough to steer the bass away from danger zones.
So, with a tight drag...back reeling is a great way to give the bass some line in a quick, controlled fassion.
Back reeling also helps minimize line spin issues. One thing you really need to avoid is reeling in at the same time a bass is taking line from your reel on a strong run. This esssentially doubles the spin and can really cause bad "wind knots" when you make your next few casts.
John Caulfield
Big Rock Sports- Territory Sales Manager (Norcal)
Freelance Outdoor Writer
WTF 
helps ALOT!
Back Reeling 
. Can't say I would back reel on big fish!....maybe small fish for some good effect when I have my own show someday 
I feel That I have more feel for what the fish is doing instead of the drag telling what the fish is doing 
I"ve been doing it for 25 years & feel like I"m money ahead 
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