crmzendrgone

Sorry, had you confused with Bubba for a minute there.

Well, get some practice in and in a few years maybe I'll take you fishing for muskie in upstate NY. :)

If you don't know what a muskie is, here's a link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muskellunge

Where you at again? Down in Georgia somewhere? Good fishing in that state.

One more thing... If the bail is not closing when you start reeling in, then there's something wrong with the reel. I could probably fix it easy enough, it's a simple mechanism, but it might be easier for you to just exchange it for a new one.

Oh... drag setting - very important! You want to set the drag tension to the point where you can pull line from the reel without the line snapping. Lighter is better (keeps a fish from snapping the line when he hits it) but be prepared to quickly adjust it if you get a big fish and he starts stripping line quickly.

By the time I was in my teens I was using a 9' surf rod and could cast into a bucket from 150 yards away.

When I was a kid I used to take my rig out in the field with an old tire, and practice casting until I could get the weight into the tire every time, from up to 150 feet away, using both overhand casts and sidearm casts.

Reel in the line and repeat the whole process a few more times. Notice how you can aim where the weight will hit, and what kind or arc it'll take getting there (line drive or a high popup) by how fast you swing and when you release the line? That's what you need to practice. Your casts will go all over the place at first, but you'll eventually get the hang of it.

Okay, now open the bail until it "clicks" and stays open by itself. This allows the line to just come off the reel without anything to stop it. Still pinching the line between your finger and the pole, swing your rod tip back until it's pointing behind you. (Pretend you're a barbarian and it's your sword, and you're about to chop some fool in half) Okay, now smoothly (medium speed) bring the rod tip around and forward (like swinging that sword forward to cut the guy in two, straight down the middle) and as the rod tip gets about 3/4 of the way forward let the line slip off your fingertip. You should (hopefully) end up with the rod tip pointed directly at where you wanted to cast the weight (yes, the process is called casting) and the weight should be headed in that general direction, with the line unspooling behind it. Wait until the weight hits the ground and then give the crank about a 1/2 turn to close the bail.

Now, with about a foot of line out from the tip of the pole (also called a rod) slip the index finger of the hand holding the pole under the line and pull back on the finger a little, just enough to take the weight off the reel. You can pinch the line between your fingertip and the rod to hold it.

Alright, with the bail closed (in the down position, as shown) you want to make sure the line runs out from under the bail and around the roller guide. Now, find an empty field and attach a 1 ounce lead weight to the line to practice with. (They actually make rubber coated practice weights but this will work just as well)