Backlash
Also called bird's nest, overrun, professional overrun
The tangle that forms on a baitcaster when the spool spins faster than line is leaving it, piling loose loops on the spool.
Every cast starts with the lure yanking line off a spinning spool. As the lure slows down near the end of the cast, or stops suddenly because it hit a branch, the spool keeps going on its own momentum. The line it is throwing off has nowhere to go, so it piles into loops that jam against each other. That is a backlash.
Three things prevent it. Spool tension set for the bait you are throwing, brakes set high enough for your skill level and the wind, and your thumb feathering the spool through the cast and stopping it as the lure lands. The thumb is the one that actually matters long term.
Every baitcaster angler still gets them. A good setup turns a daily disaster into an occasional puff of slack you pick out in fifteen seconds. To clear one, thumb the spool down, pull the loose line straight up and out, then reel through it.
Casting into wind is the main cause. Cast lower and sidearm into a headwind, and add a click of brake before you do.
Common questions
How do you stop a baitcaster from backlashing?
Set the spool tension so your lure falls slowly and stops when it lands, keep the brakes high while you learn, and feather the spool with your thumb through the cast. Cast sidearm and low into wind.
Related terms
Where this comes up
The guides that use backlash and show it on real gear.
Backlash is one of 206 terms in the glossary.
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