Correct use of fixed Spool

Posted: Wed Dec 30, 2009 12:15 pm

I am new to fishing and have a fixed spool reel for beach fishing and while i use it with varying sucess i wondered if there is a definitive guide for its correct use ie clutch (so far told dont touch it!). The lock at the back (best times to use it etc) and its care ( so far a good rinse in clean water).
Finally the casting using fixed spool.
Cheers, i think thats enough for now! confused

Posted: Wed Dec 30, 2009 12:40 pm

For casting with a fixed spool have the clutch set tight as line slip can give you a nasty cut finger.
I myself never use the lever on the back but it is used for back winding when playing large fish. Wash your reel after every trip and oil it occasionally.
Cheers
keith big grin

Posted: Wed Dec 30, 2009 3:07 pm

Agree with rabbi2 (again). Once you have cast, wind in the slack as quickly as possible holding the rod tip high. Next put the rod on the tripod or beach spike and slacken off the drag a tad until you can pull line off the spool and around a 7 lb pull. This comes with experience but I set the drag at about that level so that if a large fish gets hooked he will not pull your rod into the sea without you being able to do much about it. Believe me it can and does happen; a mate of mine lost the lot last year because he had not done this and dozed off on the beach. He woke up to see his rod disappearing into the surf. Also, it is not good to screw the drag completely down when you have hooked something. If it is a large smoothound for example it should be possible for the fish to take some line off your reel when it makes a powerful run and if it can't, something is likely to break and you will then lose a good fish and some tackle as well.

Posted: Wed Dec 30, 2009 3:43 pm

thats a great tip eccles,i will have to try to remember that next time.ive never really bothered with setting the drag on my fixed spools,what would you say about a half to quarter turn on the spool cap? or should i just give abit of trial and error.

Andy1i

Posted: Wed Dec 30, 2009 3:52 pm

dont use too heavy line, dont over fill, wash in fresh water after use, even if that in fresh water. do not use as an egg beater, standby engine for a dingy & refrain from throwing at the wife at any time.\
Do this, and it may last a winter

Posted: Wed Dec 30, 2009 4:17 pm

Andy1, If anything, it is better to have the drag set so that line can run off fairly freely whilst the rod is sitting on the tripod. I used to think it might stop me from seeing a bite from a small fish at night but it doesn't unless you have a very stiff rod tip. The number of turns needed to get to a light drag or a firm drag and back again varies greatly from reel to reel so you just have to experiment until you know your reel irrespective of whether it's a multi or a fixed spool. I must say that I prefer a reel which gets me there quite quickly - say in about 2 full turns or less because that means that if I get a powerful bite, I can screw down to about the right drag to play a big fish very quickly.

Posted: Wed Dec 30, 2009 6:41 pm

Great, Thanks for that and it all makes perfect sense.
Looking forward to some beach fishing on New Years Day now.
(Weather permitting).

Posted: Sat Jan 02, 2010 12:14 am

I use "the lever at the back" on the beach. I usually walk down to the surf from the stand and whack it out, then I flip the switch over and walk back to the stand. Wind in some tension and set the drag (Got a new reel now and the drags smooth, although you can hear the clicks more clearly).

After the session wash it out with fresh water...dry,spray with wd40 or something similar to disperse any water. Then I loosen the drag off till I next use the reel. I wouldn't leave it tightened because you may crush or damage the fibre washers

Posted: Sat Jan 02, 2010 4:39 pm

Another good reason to learn to use a multi ... set your clutch at the start of the session and thats it job done, no messing with it to cast as a multi spool will only slip if you don't have a good grip with your thumb.

There is an easy (and very old) fix to save you faffing about with a fixed spool clutch twice every time you cast! Its an old tournament casters trick. Simply drill a small hole through the skirt of the spool and the roller head (the bit that rotates at the front) of the reel. When you want to cast you line the holes up and fit a stainless spring-pin into the hole. The spring pin should be bent to a similar shape to the picture below but with a bit less wire at the ends of the loop.

You squeeze the pin, push it in the hole and let go; the loop springs out and because the ends are turned over the pin cannot fall out. The spool is then locked for casting (and will not slip like a clutch sometimes can if you haven't locked it tight enough), can't slip under the pressure of the cast and you haven't had to interfere with the drag one bit. When your done simply squeeze and remove the pin and shove it in your pocket. It means you can take care to set your drag properly at the start of the session and leave it alone. I dare say there are some very clever improvements that could be come up but this was the device we all used 30+ years ago, back in the days when I still dabbled with mangles. Saying that it is about time the manufacturers got their head round the problem really and fitted a lock to reels as standard. The only word of caughtion is to take care to drill the hole in the right place so it doesn't interfere with the reel, generally not that hard to find the right spot.

Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2010 3:29 pm

this is why i love my little okuma baitrunner,i can set the drag,and leave it engaged (with a switch at the back) then when i hit into a decent fish,strike into it,wind the handle and the drag dis-engages.also i can get enough main ine onto it for my casting capabilities,maybe if this was incorporated into more of the main F/S reels the problem of drag setting wouldnt be an issue?

Andy1i

Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2010 3:38 pm

Andy have a look at the fox FS 1000 as I have 2 of them and they are superb
Cheers
Keith big grin