Just received a new Daiwa Saltist 30H. I want to know how the braking system works and how to adjust it before i go practice as this is my first conventional reel. I‘d appreciate your inputs. Thanks.
It can seem like a bit of a daunting task to get used to these reels and adjustments but they're really not all that bad. After you get used to it you will be very happy. You get longer casts, more precise casts, and better durability all around with these reels. Alright, I'll do my best to explain how to adjust these things properly. First, you should have a braking system along with a tension knob. The tension knob is the bigger knob normally on the right side of the reel and the brake is the smaller dial on the opposite side. -Set your brake (small dial) at about mid strength or just above it (normally there are numbers so set it around a 5 or so). -Tighten the tension knob pretty tight then tie your desired bait on. -After your bait is tied on loosen up the knob until your bait slowly falls. You don't want the bait dropping like a rock or dropping very slow, just somewhere in the middle. Normally a good couple of seconds is a good fall rate for the bait when you have the rod stuck straight out in front of you. Repeat that same technique for every different bait you tie on. It seems like a lot but it's not once you get used to it. You'll be able to make that adjustment in seconds in the future. Now, the small dial which controls your braking system will help out mostly when you're throwing lighter baits. It simply slows the spool down while you're casting. If you have a lighter bait tied on you don't want the spool spinning faster than the bait is traveling through the air, the brake will prevent this. So, for a lighter bait, tighten up a bit and for a heavier bait loosen it up. Edit: Oh ok, simply exclude the info about the dial then. Use the same process with the brake where the bait slowly falls while holding the rod straight out.
