How to Remove a Backlash *FAST* (BAITCASTER TIP) 

bought my first baitcaster today and thought to myself "how hard can it possibly be?" I need new line now

I learned how to cuss because my Dad had a Lew' s rod and reel combo in the 70's. When he would take me fishing. He would get a bird's nest and start cussing up a blue storm. It would go on for a HR till he caught another fish. Then another back lash.Then another round of cussing and another round of cussing. My father was the best at Bass fishing I have ever seen. I have his mounted fish to prove it. I always said he should have been on the Redman Tour back then. He worked hard and fished harder. He was King of the 7 inch purple worm Texas rigged. He would have been 82 on Sept 9 th. He passed at 60 in 1996! My loss and the Largemouth's gain! SHAWN

“WHAT IS HAPPENING FISHING FRIENDS!?” *me sitting on the creek bed with a backlashed reel watching this video*

I've had my share of backlashes. But once you master the baitcaster reel, there's nothing else like it. Smooth casting and deadly accurate.

This video was literally a lifesaver, because braided line aint cheap

Just got my baitcaster like an hour ago never have used one, so I’m expecting a lot of these so I’m here to watch about 2-5 times just to have the info before I even go out haha

I've watched many of your videos, some multiple times. Your clear, accurate explanations coupled with close, multi-angular camera views make your instructional videos among the best out there! Thank you for the time you spend to help others.

I got my first baitcaster about a year and a half ago, after 20 years of only using spinning reels. I came across this video back then and finally just found it again!!! I wanted to tell you that this video is the reason I have never spent more than 5 minutes on a birds nest. I just think of this video, and it’s seriously sooooo easy to clear. Thank you!!! Hahaha 🤣

Best series of advice anywhere on RU-vid. Really easy to understand and follow, in fact, watching your guides has made my mind up to take the plunge, and get my first bait caster after 40 years of fishing with a spinning reel.

Hey Debo, just wanted to let you know after fishing 20 plus years with a spinning reel i watched this video and the other over hand and roll cast videos and decided to try a baitcaster. Because of your vids I was extremely successful. I had more fun this year because I had a new challenge! So thank you brother, I guess even an old dog can learn new tricks!👊🏻🍺

Bought my first baitcaster in preparation for the 2022 open water season. Your videos are a great intro on how to set it up and troubleshoot issues. Thanks!

Thanks Debo. I finally started using a bait caster reel I got years ago. I followed your tips and how to’s and It’s awesome learning something new . THANK YOU!!!

Excellent teacher! Most backlashes look 10x’s worse than they really are. Clearing them is a skill that takes years to perfect. I have a couple buddies that hand me their reel every time they backlash. I laugh, clear it and hand them back fixed. They get frustrated and refuse to learn. Just keep picking away at it, and don’t be lazy and leave a deeper backlash. It’ll come back to haunt you.

I. Just starting on the lews bait caster rod and reel combo and I just love how you simplify the untangling of the spool man words couldntt tell how thankful I am for the info....

Really great video. Really appreciate how you show a close up view of how the loops on the reel is catching and preventing the line from pulling out. Makes it easier to understand what's causing the problem instead of only seeing a mess of intersecting lines.

Well this is a video I wish I would have watched a lot sooner. I will highly recommend this entire series to my friends who are too afraid to try baitcasters and are stuck using spinning rods or zebcos for everything. Just found your channel this morning man, I think you are one of the most relatable anglers on YT! You do a great job of breaking down the explanations without oversimplifying and wasting time. Keep up the good work, look forward to seeing more!

I bought a baitcaster about a year ago, used it twice and chucked it on the rack. Might have to take it down and dust it off. Thanks for the video mate, straight forward, easy to understand, and entertaining. Keep it up

You are spot on! I’ve had many back lashes. I attack the cross over lines & I’ve never had to cut my line. Grab the cross over from your main line & it’ll pull right out & your good to go!!!

This series was really helpful because it took the fear out of upgrading to a baitcaster for me. I was essentially feathering my line for accuracy as it spooled off my spinning reel, and it hit me like a bolt- this would just be my thumb on a baitcaster. These three videos made me feel a lot better about backlashes when I got them. I'm convinced I had an easier time than most anglers in starting with my new baitcaster thanks to this series. Thanks Debo!

Bought my first baitcaster and did my first practice cast. Not only did I get my line caught in a tree, but I had some serious backlash. I broke my line getting the line out of the tree, and spent 6 hours fixing my line yesterday. This video has given me new light on how to fix it. Thanks.

Thanks for the tips. New to baitcasting and trying to learn as much as I can BEFORE I start casting and get into trouble.

I would love to see a video on initially setting up a bait caster from adding line, setting brakes, drag, etc. Thanks for the informative videos.

I know this is old, and I never comment on RU-vid videos, but thank you so much for this. All of these videos about how to avoid backlash but yours is the first to actually show me how to fix one. I used to just pull until I couldn't pull anymore and then that reel was done for the day. I had one that I thought I was going to have to cut all the line off and start over, but with your tips, I resolved it in just a few minutes. This will help me immensely.

Great explanation of how to get the backlash out. I think you're a great teacher I'm learning a lot watching your videos. Thank you 👍

Thanks for your videos. I find them super informative and helpful. Sadly, I'm 33 and just recently started "fishing" and outside of putting a worm on a hook and hoping for the best, I have zero fishing knowledge. I have a 6 year old daughter who has really taken to it and your videos have helped me actually learn things to teach her. Keep up the good work! Thank you again.

Thx Debo! I just bought my 1st baitcaster rod/reel and your tutorial is very good. I have to go buy some cheap line and go to the park and practice and use my newly gained knowledge from u.

Wow what a great vid. Never seen a backlash vid with such detail and clarity. I had a backlash this weekend and just put the reel away until I had the patience to fix it. Not only will this save me a lot of frustration it will save me a lot of money too. Thanks.

Thank you debo i got a penn 309 level wind an a penn mariner 2 rod. Getting back into fishing an trying out the conventional reel. Thank you for the advice an the techniques you video an provide.

Thanks for the tip new too baitcasting and I had this problem this weekend so I trashed the whole spool of braid & went & had it redone today, & now I see your video so I kind of know what to do the next time this happens.

Good informative series. From experience, I would like to offer this tip: stay calm and relaxed when dealing with a backlash. It's easy to get frustrated, and start to tug and pull to hard, and make the problem even worse. If possible, always have a backup combo with you, in case it's more challenging than expected. No reason to ruin quality fishing time on a bad backlash, if it proves more challenging thay need be. For example, I find sunny, hot, humid days, the worst time to deal with a backlash. As such, with practice, they become less frequent to almost non existence as a person gets more comfortable. Good work Debo, keep it up. (Sorry if I repeated what you may have already pointed out)

Everyone can make these how-to videos; but having the right attitude makes one want to watch ‘til the end. You keep it up

Thank you, thank you, thank you. I watched all three of your bait caster videos and today I went out with my first bait caster for the first time. Had a few backlashes but they weren’t too bad, I was pretty sure I knew what happened and I was able to get them out quickly.

DEBO this video was spot on. everything works when it makes sense and you sir made it work buy making sense of it. Thank you!!

wow, those were some amazing tips to getting a backlash out - great presentation!

Great tips...I am fairly new to baitcasters and can testify that patience is key to unwind. I also have a couple spin-cast rigs which also have their pitfalls too.

Most clear and useful video about resolve backlash, glad that I have see this as I'm totally beginner of lure fishing.

Bro I really appreciate your videos... your really informational but got a cool vibe but they've been helping me approach bass fishing

Good overview - Just getting ready to start bass fishing and have my first baitcaster on the way - This both scared me and enlightened me... :)

I really can’t believe your video got my backlash out!! I was super frustrated and almost cut my line out of my reel. Thank you sir truly appreciate it.

Had to go back in my history to find this video just to leave a comment! Your video helped me not freak out when my first backlash happened. Solved it in 30 seconds, super helpful, big thanks!

i find using a pocket comb,using any end of the comb to ease out the overlaps.works every time

This is a skill that needs to be mastered by study, trial and error. The reward for me is greater than the time and effort that it has taken for me to learn how to reduce and recover from backlashes! Please give it a good try! Study and Practice. I call it FISHING.

I've watched all 3 videos tonight and it has seriously helped me understand things a lot better, I even switched from mono to braid on my higher end set up thinking the braid would solve my issues turns out my problem wasn't mono at all it was how my brakes were set. Thanks a lot debo

I am so glad that I discovered this channel saved me a lot of headaches the simplicity is beautiful!

bought my first baitcaster on father's day last week. 3 fishing trips later and I've already had to respool lol. I'm gettin' there, though. Thanks for this video, there are some tips in here I definitely didn't know

just as another little tip, the backlash happens because the spool is spinning faster than the line is coming out of the reel and starts to fluff up around the spool because it doesn't have any where to go. if you pull out a about as much line as you expect to ever cast, then pull a bit more, and put a piece of cheap masking tape on the line and reel up the line over the top of the tape. that way, no matter how much the spool spins, non of the line below that piece of tape can loosen up and make the backlash worse. and if you need that line because a fish it pulling drag, the little piece of tape isn't even going to slow it down. as you get better and better, and can cast farther and farther, just take the tape off, spool out some more line and put the tape back. a back lash is easier to pick out if there is less line fluff up involved. or now, what the heck do i know any way!

Been fishing a baitcaster for decades. So many things I just never thought about. One was I just started picking and pulling at the birds nest. It usually came out and maybe I was doing some right things without thinking, but wow, this was an eye-opener. Subscribed.

Ive seen people pick at their backlashes in videos but never understood how to do it myself until now! This is a great explanation of how to take care of those nasty backlashes. Ive just done the push and twist method but I was unaware of the damage it does to my line. Thank you very much for the video and I will keep it in mind the next time I'm gettin my line wet.

I've taught two of my brothers and four of my nephews to use a baitcaster, after a mate taught me. Take a sinker and start casting across your yard or a park. While you're learning to cast is the perfect time to learn how to clear a backlash. Don't fear it, cause it then clear it. In time you will become practiced and you will learn the finesse required to use a baitcaster with both accuracy and distance without any backlashes. But until it becomes second nature, you're going to get the odd bird's nest in your spool. From day one just embrace it as a part of learning to use a baitcaster, and learn how to clear them. Best thing to do is just grab a little bucket to cast your sinker at and practice casting and clearing backlash for twenty minutes a few times a week. It doesn't take long before you realise you just had a day or two of practice casts without getting a bird's nest. It's like everything, if you want to get good, practice.

I’ve been thinking about a bait caster for my next rod and real set up, so this is very good information to know. Thank you

This video made my day. Braid is so expensive, so learning these methods to salvage when I get a backlash is awesome. :)

Figured I'd give you a big thanks because I was struggling last year after getting back into using baitcasters again in years. This truck made it much faster in getting back into the water again so thank you dude for explaining this.

I got a backlash so bad I’m still tangled up in my boat Please send help

Got an idea for a video for U...Do a video for Old fashion "Spincast" reels! ... I have a Pflueger President Spincast which I love for Bass fishin! What is your take on that?

I just bought an Abu Garcia silver max. This and other videos are helping. I am liking the thorough explanation about the brakes. Something new I learned was letting off the tension so my lure goes down slowly. I was going fast before. Can’t wait to fish next weekend

Thank You.. im new with a baitcaster.. 3 days... first day frustrated lose half line on reel.. double uni knot up and fill it up.. watch this vid.. backlas today a few times.. got em all cleared easily.. I use lighter line.. and I have a worm threader.. it worked perfectly for getting out backlash on light line.. since I cant use my fingers like you.

Man, that's what I call talking and walking them through it!

My soft bait Zebco Omega, crank for, e v e r - - setup, faded into the depths of Hickory Log Creek Reservoir this weekend with a resounding anticlimactic PLOP! I had to laugh at the sight of $90 dollars vanishing from view in under a second. At least it was a tungsten weight, not lead (muni H2O supply lake). Word, stow rods in rod holders before paddle/pedaling to a different spot. Anyway. Later that night was spent with DEBO virtually, on the reel comparison videos. I've only used spinning and closed face. Closed face has been the ultimate best for wrist rocketing lines through trees to install ham radio wire antennas. That said, the pretty and spendy Omega will be the last of it's kind for me, for fishing purposes. My other (now only) rig is a RUNCL Titan spinning reel with very many inches per crank, and I do enjoy it. Great feel, balanced at any speed, their drag system is all they claim so far. But now, thanks to THIS one video, and your other baitcaster reviews, I will be ordering a baitcaster during lunch hour today. Thanks DEBO, the quality of this video is super.

This is the BEST,informative, and shown step by step episodeI have ever seen. TY sooo much!🎣

Just getting into lure fishing - first baitcaster setup arrived today. Really helpful video, thanks!

As always very informative. What about that crazy sound that come from the spool when casting..

When you backlash, switch to a spinning reel.

Debo, the entry commentary was excellent. The examples of skate boarding, basketball, etc. are perfect for beginners. Great analogies.

Your tips convinced me to get a baitcaster, even though friends were trying to talk me out of it.

Take it off the rod, throw it in the trash and buy a new one. That's the absolute quickest way to fix this problem 👍

Wish i had seen this before cutting half of my braid off.

This video helped me a ton! I thought I was going to have to cut the line to get out the mess I had going on. Thank you!

absolutely the best video i've seen on getting out the dreaded backlash. Great series of all three videos.

“Baby steps pick out the backlash.” -Bob Wiley

I ordered a casting reel that will come any day, but after watching couple of these birds nests it made me question myself why did i order it :'(

I haven't used a baitcaster in years so I got one today. I'm sure I'll have to watch this video a few more times . Thanks!

I got my first baitcaster today (7/11/22) and put braid on it. I'm REALLY going to try to adjust it to avoid backlash as much as I can...I've seen some videos, but this one also helped me feel more confident.

HELP! Kastking confused me! Question about the difference between Kastking's Speed Demon and Speed Demon Pro Frog rods. Why is the Pro rod a Heavy instead of an Extra Heavy like the normal Speed Demon? What's the benefit and is it worth the extra $30? I like the Winn Grips but for a dedicated Frog Rod..... H or XH and why?

This video gives me anxiety lmao

Great tutorial on how to remove the inevitable backlash. I'm a beginner with a baitcaster and I'm sure it'll come in handy!

I am so glad I found this video. Thanks for making it Debo. I recently bought my first baitcaster. I am a bank fisherman and tried casting from an awkward angle for the first time. Needless to say, it did not go well. The line was so tangled that it was comical. I thought for sure I would have to cut the line. Found your video and absorbed the information overnight. Got up early in the morning and had it untangled in less than 2 minutes. Awesome! Thanks again for the great video!

just put on less line or get a spin caster

Braid is way better for bait casting reels as it doesn't have memory retention.

This was a great vid! Just got my first baitcaster and had a couple backlashes and had no idea what to do…Thanks for the help!

I recently started using a baitcaster and I think it's safe to say that I can use a baitcaster fairly well thanks to these videos so thanks!

My motto - pic a little pull a little and keep that up until it’s clear

0:50 if i try long cast always back lash 😂

I also found before tugging or pulling on the line, take the reel out of casting mode. Right now I’m just learning how to cast with the bait caster. Great video.

Man I can't thank you enough for these tips. Watched all three of your videos now (at work lol) Can't wait to get in the car and go check it out. Cheers.

I bought my first baitcaster today and accidentally casted it right into a tree above me and I think I have the worst possible birdsnest...

If I'm doing all this all day how do I have time for fishing. Just get a spinning reel man. Nice video tho.

As an experienced backlasher I’ve gotten fairly efficient at dissecting for repairs. Awesome video. I love your fishing videos from the Jon Boat.

Debo thank you for this video, I bought my first baitcaster today, practicing at home had a great backlash and was able to remove it with this video, great video.

I bought a chineese baitcaster and i developed a toxic relationship with it: every single time i trow it away sayin "this piece of crap does not work for fishing" and every time i give it another chance because i think it looks cooler that a spinner one. I hate it for its purpouse but i like for how it looks. It is more sensitive by the way...that part its true.

All that and now your good for 1 more cast then repeat all over...NO THANKS!!!

Great video, this just confirmed my method of tackling a backlash, although great tips on not kinking or pinching the line to avoiding breaking line or losing a fish.

bro your energy and humor is definitely why i subscribed. you information is top notch

How to remove backlash: get a spinning rod

The down votes couldn’t get their backlashes out 🤣

Just started with baitcasters about 2 weeks ago. Now i have no fear at all and can fix bad backlashes within a minute or so. LOVE BAITCASTERS

Thanks. Good info and enjoyed the 3 part series. Just bought my first baitcaster. This series was great for a guy who's been reluctant to buy one for years... years We'll see how it goes.

Thanks bro. You are a good teacher. Watched all 3 videos on this and it helped a lot.

I wish I saw this video yesterday.. Bought first bait caster yesterday and of course this happened. After trying to undo it for 45 minutes I gave up and returned it.. Now I know how to fix the problem. I'm going back to get another bait caster! Thank you

Got this down I actually just gave myself some the worst I believe I could do and worked them out. I now understand how and what happens in a backlash. Thanks Brother and take care D

Hey Debo, I know this video has been out for a while, but I just picked up my first baitcaster about 3 weeks ago. I really appreciate all of the advice and tips you've given on backlashes, the way the brakes work, and the different ways to cast with a baitcaster (I watched your videos about roll casting and pitching and have been trying to work out my kinks with those techniques). Before watching this video I had a really bad backlash with the "V-line" going over my main line and I just ended up cutting off a lot of my line unfortunately, I couldn't even get it out by trying to pull the V line itself up. It's nice to find out that there are other ways to get rid of a bad backlash; like how you demonstrated putting pressure and turning the reel. I guess now my main struggle is really learning how to pitch and get my line out a decent distance - I can only get it to go about 10-20 feet on a pitch if I'm lucky. As far as being able to cast farther out in general, does having your brakes turned up high cause your casting distance to be shorter? I have 4 out of 6 of my centrifugal brakes on while I'm learning my baitcaster, but I've gotten pretty good at keeping the spool tension really lose and not getting back lashes at the end of the cast. So even though my spool tension is loose, I've been wondering if the brakes are interfering with overall casting distance. I'm mainly wondering because I was trying to cast out to some good tree cover/weedy areas from the shore, but it seemed like they were always just out of reach for my maximum casting distance. Thanks for the videos buddy, keep it up!