Spool tension
Also called tension knob, cast control knob
The knob beside the handle on a baitcaster that sets how freely the spool turns. The first thing to adjust on a new reel.
The knob applies pressure directly to the end of the spool shaft. Tighten it and the spool is harder to start and quicker to stop. Loosen it and the spool spins freely, which gives you distance and gives you backlashes.
The setup procedure is the same on every baitcaster. Tie on the lure you intend to fish, hold the rod at about ten o'clock, press the thumb bar, and let the lure fall. Adjust the knob until the lure descends steadily and the spool stops turning the moment the lure touches the ground. Not a free fall, not a crawl.
You reset it every time you change to a noticeably different lure weight. That is the step people skip, and it is why a reel that cast fine with a jig suddenly nests with a lighter bait.
Re-set spool tension whenever you change lure weight. Thirty seconds there saves the twenty minutes it takes to pick out a bird's nest.
Related terms
Where this comes up
The guides that use spool tension and show it on real gear.
Spool tension is one of 206 terms in the glossary.
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