# centrifugal brake pins/ pitching baits



## cincy-angler (Mar 27, 2007)

Hi everyone,
I'm new to baitcasters. I bought a pflueger templar and a abu garcia ambassadeur 6600 bcx from wally world this year, my first baitcasters. I've never pitched baits, but want to learn. Is there anyone out there with experience with these reels? What will I gain by changing the settings of the six pin centrifugal brake? I started out with 20lb yo-zuri hybrid, which I like for casting, but I haven't had good luck trying to learn to pitch a bait, I'm thinking of trying braid. I'm not sure if I'm wasting my time and should get a different reel to learn how to pitch a bait.
Any help is very appreciated!


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## leeabu (Apr 10, 2004)

You usually push the drag brakes in toward the center till they snap in place to disable each one, and pull them away from the center so they slide in and out to enable each brake. The more brakes you have enabled (out) the more antibacklash you will have but also less casting distance. On the cast centrifical force from the high speed rotation of the spool, forces each enabled brake out to that they rub against the internal chrome ring. Be sure to slide the ones that are enabled away from the full out position when you put your side plate back on so you don't bend any of the pins. It is a trial and error process untill you get the right combination for the lure and your expertise. Make sure you set the mechanical brake knob under the star drag for each different lure. Set it so when the lure drops and hits the ground, it does not backlash. You usually can then back it off slightly from there to get more casting distace. Good luck and keep at it! Once you get the hange of it, it's hard to go back to a spinning reel.


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## soua0363 (Jun 10, 2005)

When pitching, it is best to loosen the tension knob to where the line flies off the spool and the brakes about half or less. This will allow the bait to be pitched with a low trajectory and it will allow the bait to fly out without much drag. This will allow for distance and accuracy. Also when pitching, its more of a wrist rolling cast than a full arm cast. It is more or less like rolling your wrist backwards while your arm stays in place. Also try using a larger jig like 3/8 ounce to 1/2 ounce until you get the hang of the thumbing and you get to know how fast your spool turns. 

I would suggest you stay with mono until you are comfortable with the baitcasters because it is cheaper to replace than braid or fluoro.


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## Tokugawa (Apr 29, 2008)

Everything said is right on. The Yo-Zuri Hybrid is a wonderful line, and if you are buying it in the 1/8lb spools then it is pretty cheap too.

Pitching is also easier with a 7' or longer rod with the right action...FWIW.


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## SPEAKSUP (Feb 19, 2009)

Some tips I have learned and have figured out my self for pitching. 

I pitch weightless (really heavy plastics) like Senkos and My Tubes with a Medium action and is only 6/6

Any thing with weight Jigs Tubes Texas Rigs etc. I use a 7FT. 

I don't use heavy line and have never lost any thing pitched into some of the worst stuff. 12 lb and 17lb is the heaviest I use. 

Now this next part is going to sound goofy. I was horrible at pitching I would only flip if I could easier IMO. 

Friend of mine was fishing I was basically calling him everything but a milk cow cause he was pitchin everywhere. 

So he tells me to throw on a small weight and set up a Paper Plate out in the yard. Keep trying to hit that plate. 

Its simple practice. People drove by wondering why I am yard fishing but it helped me alot. Now I am fairly good at it. Not the best but I can get it in some spots.


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## cincy-angler (Mar 27, 2007)

thanks for all the help. Hopefully I can get the hang of pitching. I forgot to mention, right now I have it matched up with a medium heavy ugly stik. Do these rods have the kind of action you need for pitching?


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## Tokugawa (Apr 29, 2008)

You want a flipping stick that has a fast action. Ugly Stiks are medium action...or slower.


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## SPEAKSUP (Feb 19, 2009)

Flipping sticks are the best. I use my 6.6 Medium action just fine . 

I wouldn't trust it to haul a 8 lbr out of some thick cover. Thats why I have my 7ft flipping stick. Better action and better backbone for it. 

Soon to have a 7.6 match with a "supertuned" reel hope to really get it out there.


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## soua0363 (Jun 10, 2005)

Ugly Stiks have way too soft a tip (slow) for proper pitching and flippling. You want to have a medium heavy to heavy power with a fast to extra fast action tip. A Berkley Lightning Rod in medium heavy would better serve as a pitching rod if cost is a factor.

The length of the rod is dependent on how tall you are. I am pretty short...5'-2" so the longest length that I can use to pitch is 7'-3". Any thing longer and the tip is going down too low which is a problem when I am shore fishing. A shorter rod is also more accurate when pitching.


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## Tokugawa (Apr 29, 2008)

Yup! My longest flipping stick is 7'2"...or at least it was until I broke 4" off. I'm 5'7", so I can probably get away with a 7'6" stick...but that would certainly be the limit.


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## bgrapala (Nov 1, 2008)

Great advice has already been given. I'm 6'1" and I use a 7' rod for everything. I cast, flip, and pitch with the 7'. Most of my spinning gear is 7' as well. It's just finding what you're comfortable with. I find that I get better accuracy with the 7' as opposed to a 6'6" and more controlled distance than a 7'6" rod. I normally use a 7' MH BPS Bionic Blade for all my LM bass fishing and I couldn't ask for a better rod. For lighter weights I do have a 7'2" Woo Daves rod, but I always find myself going back to the blade.


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## jkloos (Sep 15, 2005)

On the brake pins always make sure to use them parallel to each other. Always have at least 2 pulled out. Make sure the second one is the one exactly on the opposite side of the other one. If you pull three out they should be in a triangle formation. Four should have 2 pushed in opposite of each other. Or all pulled out. The average setting would be just 2. But if your not getting distance and have no rat nesting go down 1. If you have rat nesting and distance is fine go up one. 

Always make sure the pins you pull out are balanced though.


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## The Saint (Apr 13, 2009)

i setup targets all around my front yard in the winter and pitch off my pourch lol so its not that goofy , everything said is dead on keep trying and your get the hang of it


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## jkloos (Sep 15, 2005)

For learning to pitch what I did was get a 7" MH but I now use 6'6". Something above ground to stand on like a porch or balcony. Tie a jig or something with weight on and start by holding it in your hand. First start by just dropping it and seeing how it pendulums with the line a few times. Now start to flick the rod with your wrist when the lure reaches the point where it is starting to make forward movement. You want to feel like you are accelerating the movement of the bait forward. Now start letting a tiny bit of line out when it reaches that point of forward movement. Start with small increments of movement. You want to get the lure moving as close to the ground as possible without touching. When it is about to land you dip the rod tip down slightly which makes the lure touch down in water with as little splash as possible.

Once you get the feeling of the pendulum movement and how to speed it up it just becomes about adding more speed and doing the movements faster. 

Once you have that down find an object to put down and aim for that. Once you are getting right on it every time move back a bit.


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## lordofthepunks (Feb 24, 2009)

really, the best way to learn how to pitch and flip is to watch someone do it. its tough to invision it by reading about it. watch bassmasters or some other fishing show, im sure if you search youtube youll find a video of someone pitching and flipping. then practice over the winter and when you go out fishing. pretty soon it will be natural.


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## Bassin' Buckeye (May 22, 2009)

Another little tip that helped me a lot was not to let the bait hang below your real or pitching hand when starting, and don't push the bait with your other hand just let it pendulum out as said before, which is a real good description. Also when you drop the rod tip and keep the bait low, you can actually get a few feet under overhangs.

When you are practicing you will get the spool a little "messy" in there and probably want to cast it out to clean it up and you might want to look behind you for electrical wires etc coming into your home, that weight may wrap around those lines 8 or 9 times on a backcast.................I'm just sayin'!!! ...............doh!!


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