Learn to conquer the backlash on a baitcasting reel, and you’ll love them and won’t go without them. Invest a lot of money in them and end up with big piles of tangled fishing line and a very large headache, and you’ll most likely hate them.

Over the years I’ve found there are several ingredients for using a baitcaster, while keeping your sanity. These include what I refer to as the three Ps and Ts. The Ps are patience, practice, and while many might think profanity, I’ll go with perseverance.

The Ts involve the techniques that actually allow you to master these reels and include tension, thumb and tape. With all this work, why not use simpler alternatives like spincast or even spinning reels?

Just open any fishing magazine or watch any bass fishing show, and you’ll quickly see that nearly all pro anglers use baitcasting reels. Why? Baitcasters handle heavier lines better, provide greater casting distance and control, offer better lure placement because of subtle thumb pressure and equip anglers with more direct power for battling big fish or pulling them from heavy cover.

Unfortunately, no matter what your skill level, everyone will pick out a backlash from time to time. So how do you avoid this mess? You learn how to adjust the reels tension, how to apply proper thumb pressure and use a piece of tape as an insurance policy.

First tie a ½ ounce or heavier lure or practice plug onto your line and pull about 40-50 feet of it off the reel. Take a good piece of tape and encircle the remaining line and spool. While this won’t completely thwart future backlashes, it’s a handy trick for keeping nasty tangles from penetrating any lower than your piece of tape.

Next, adjust the tension placed on the spool. With your lure or plug reeled up near the rod tip, tighten the tension knob and then release the spool. Now, slowly back off the tension until the weight of your lure pulls line out at a reasonably slow and steady pace.

If your reel comes equipped with a magnetic anti-backlash control, turn it up all the way until you become comfortable with the reel. Once you’ve made your adjustments, it’s time to give your thumb an education in feathering the line coming off the reel.

Before actually attempting a cast, take some time and practice pressing the release and using your thumb to control your lure’s drop. Teach your thumb to release then re-apply pressure and try to drop the lure/plug as close to the ground as possible without touching it.

As you improve, loosen the tension knob and magnetic control, letting the spool spin more freely. This will develop the hand-eye coordination necessary to make a good cast. It’s also a great way to practice while sitting around on rainy afternoons watching television.

When you’re ready for a more horizontal presentation, start over again. As you make each cast, slowly ease the pressure of your thumb away from the spool, then re-apply as your lure or plug nears the ground or water to prevent a backlash.

As you become more confident, begin easing the tension knob and the magnetic anti-backlash control off again until you’re reaching peak distances and can use your thumb to set your lure-plug down where you like.

Don’t get discouraged if you get a few tangles. The tape you applied should keep these at a minimum, and with practice you’ll master basic casting techniques and be ready to move on to more advance styles like flipping and pitching.

Once you take to the water, remember to adjust the tension knob to achieve a slow, steady drop every time you change lures or bait. You’ll also need to make subtle changes when conditions like high winds tempt a backlash into rearing its ugly head.

Over the years, I’ve been lucky enough to buy several really nice baitcasting outfits at incredible prices from guys who became frustrated too easily. While their impatience was my good fortune, a little bit of the three Ps and Ts would have made their experience a much more pleasant one and offered a whole new angling experience.