How and when do you use backreeling?

[Fishing_Rookie_123_]

PerchJerker mentioned to me in a different post that you should use backreel on big fish. How do you do this? If I had a fish close to the hole with too much energy should I have backreeled him some line out?

Any other uses for backreeling?

Thanks,Randy.

[maros91]

Just learned how to backreal last year. You use it instead of using your drag. When the big fish is really bending your rod you back real, when he lets up and you rod tip goes back up you reel him in again and so forth. I did it a couple times last year perch fishing, was catching perch and caught a couple of big eelpouts that I had to back reel. Once you do it the easier it gets. This is the way I was taught, any different ways?

[metrojoe]

I think some fisherman believe it allows for better control and aids in keeping more consistent tension on the fish. I have tried it, but it's not for me. I've found having a good drag properly set works just fine.

[Deitz Dittrich]

While backreeling isn't hard, there is a bit of an art to it. The main thing, you dont want to allow the fish any slack. You really only need to do it if hte fish far exceeds the weight of your line. I have caught quite a few very large fish, both open water and ice with light line. From 30 lb pike on 8 lb line, to 5+ largies on 3 lb line. Your drag should help you in landing bigger fish, but in the winter often times your drag will be more stiff, and not as smooth because of the colder temps.. learning to back reel will help in landing those bigger fish. Fish like pike can take very fast runs, if you feel your drag cant keep up, just start to back reel that fish while still keeping pressure on him. When the fish goes to rest take back as much line as you can. ITs a tug o war. But again, the main thing, dont allow slack in the line. I have seen it where a person will back reel to fast and line wil start to come off the spool and knot up... Then you have a big problem... no more drag and more than likely fish go bye bye!

[ice-man/vexilar-king]

I hold the reel stem instead of the rod handle when jigging. This lets me extend my fingers to the reel spool and arm assemble. i just apply pressure and let the spool and drag spin when the big one is on. I have landed several monsters on 2# gamma Florocarbon line.

[CrappieAttitude]

Quote:

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While backreeling isn't hard, there is a bit of an art to it.

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This may be the reason I don't care for art.

I know that it has it's place, but the only time that I have seen someone do it I thought it looked clumsy and un natural. I compared it to someone trying to catch the winch crank as their boat is sliding off the trailer into the water while the bow rope is still attached. Maybe his technique wasn't fine tuned yet, but I looked at him and asked him why don't you let your reel do the work for you? I trust my Tica drag will work every time. I may toy with the idea from time to time, but it really isn't for me, and I haven't lost one yet due to drag malfunction.

I know many of you do backreel and swear by it, but from what I have witnessed, it looked a little too tiresome for this guy. A good way to get both the fish and the angler tuckered out.

CA

[slipperybob]

Catch a big fish...a bigger fish that you're not use to normally catching and after you lose it, then you'd think that maybe backreeling couldn't got you the fish. The art of backreeling isn't just about drag. It's about giving a big fish some line without the drag slipping or without opening the spool and yet you're in control.

Well there's always the fighting drag feature...

[PerchJerker]

Backreeling doesn't just protect against "drag failure". It protects against a whole myriad of potential problems - weak knots, nicked line, weak line from line twists, a fish that's hooked deep enough to have the line against its teeth, hooks pulling out of fish because of too much pressure applied, etc. The best way to think of backreeling is as extra insurance against any type of drag / knot / line / hook failure. As others have said it lets you control the fish better by not letting it pull so hard that your drag HAS to slip.

In case you don't realize this, your drag will still function while you're backreeling if you don't backreel enough. So for you guys that like to rely on your drag, you still can even if you backreel too.

I fish with my drag set tight, so I can drive the hook home for good hooksets. If it's a strong heavy fish I'll flip my anti-reverse switch right away so I can backreel if needed. If the fish is strong enough to pull drag I'll loosen the drag as an extra precaution, but I try to backreel so the drag does little or no slippping. I use the index finger on my hand I hold the rod with to stop the bail from rotating if I don't have my other hand on the reel handle. I've done it enough it's become second nature, I don't even realize that I'm doing it.

As mentioned by another poster, the thing you really need to avoid is getting slack in your line. If your fish isn't pulling hard then you really don't need to be doing much (or any) backreeling. Backreeling when not needed is worse than not backreeling when you should be.

The best way to become comfortable with it is to try it and practice it, before you hook that monster trophy. Try it on some smaller fish and you'll be in better shape when that big one gets hooked

[looneyducer]

Never. Not ever. Not even then.

[gill man]

Perchjerker nailed it. You can put your index finger along the bail to keep it from rotating. If you compare somebody's version of backreeling to trying to grab the boat winch, that person was not backreeling properly. If I set the hook and know the fish is big, I instantly flip to backreel mode - it's second nature. I do it in the summer with my spinning reels too.

You want to backreel when a fish is running, or there is more pressure on the line than you want. If the fish really takes a FAST run, let go of the handle, stick out your index finger, and let you finger hit the bail as it goes around. It sounds hard to do and uncomfortable, but it isn't. When the fish slows down, increase pressure on the bait to stop line from being pulled out, and grab the reel.

Basically, if you would be thinking to yourself "I hope my drag kicks in soon" you had better be backreeling. Or, if you have a toothy fish that could cut the line, back the pressure way off so it doesn't cut, or break your already weakened line.

I would reccomend practicing at home. Just flip to backreel, and pull line out, or tie the line to something and walk away, pulling line. You'll learn how to be comfortable with doing it. I never practiced, but have just done it enough to not think of it. I can almost guarantee you I have caught fish I would not have if I relied on a drag - 20 inch smallies, northerns with the bait 3 inches down their mouth, etc. all on two pound line.

gill man

[BobT]

I use backreeling most of the time. I rely on my drag as a backup only. Here's how I look at it. When line is peeling through a drag system, it will heat up. As the temperature rises, the friction coefficient of the drag system begins to change and this can have an affect on the reliability of the drag.

Bob

Edit: One point I failed to mention. Make sure not to backreel too fast. Kee that rod bent!

Bob