# squidder challenge



## scsurfcaster (Mar 21, 2004)

I have decided to learn to cast my sqidder. My thumb has no skin and is still burning I have tried medical tape. Lasts about 2 casts. I am getting alot of distance though. There has got to be a way to do this without losing skin because they were a standard for a long time. I am keeping my thumb on the spool the whole time to keep control so I need to make a good thumb burner, maybe leather. Someone here has had to have gotten this figured out. Help please advice needed because I ma bullheaded and believe it can be done!


----------



## Tommy (Jan 24, 2001)

Try to thumb the flange (edge of spool) and not the line.

Tommy


----------



## AL_N_VB (Apr 3, 2002)

USE SURGICAL tubing or a 10 speed tire, intertube...


----------



## CrawFish (Sep 23, 2003)

batting, golf gloves.. or magnets...


----------



## Samurai (Nov 24, 2005)

I've been reading alot about thumbing vs mags vs centrifical on this board as well as others.Hear is my experience on the thumbing portion of it as my experience is strictly unmagged reels.As far as the thumbing goes,when I cast there is very little thumbing actually going on.There may be a couple very light taps on the spool flange after the initial release then from there on it's thumb off until impact.The only exception is when throwing big baits into a headwind.The only reel that I've ever needed a brake in was a SLX50 Daiwa and I took that out after tuning it.---The oil you use,line lay,speed of line coming off the reel,trajectory of lead,etc...all contribute to the ability to go thumb off.Just wanted to clarify that when some refer to thumbing a reel,there is very little if not none actually going on if done correctly.


----------



## yogai (Oct 21, 2005)

scsurfcaster said:


> Someone here has had to have gotten this figured out. Help please advice needed because I ma bullheaded and believe it can be done!


I knew some old guy who could cast an unmagged squidder like nobody's business. he had just been doing it so long that he had a thumb like rawhide. It's like how guitar players have calusses on their fingertips after playing for a long time. No more pain 

But do thumb the flanges of the spool, and not the line. And for god sakes watch out for any knots you have in the line  . If the knot hits your thumb fast enough the fish will be nibbling bits off your thumb from the knot. 

Take it slow and keep practicing little by little so you get the hang of it and get a tough thumb.


----------



## Dyhard (Oct 24, 2002)

I put magnets in mine and balanced the spool. Its a joy to cast, no thumb until the weight hits the water! I don't think there is any more consistant braking method than magnets.


----------



## Railroader (Apr 13, 2005)

A big part of "educating that thumb" is practice, which will toughen it up. Thumbing the side of the spool is a WAY better idea than the line itself. I'm with Samurai on this one. I bump the spool a couple of times right after the release, and then as the bait hits the water.

It just takes time and practice.

If I EVER have to put on a glove, or put rubbers on my thumb....I'll give all my rods away and take up crochet' or knitting......


----------



## scsurfcaster (Mar 21, 2004)

Dyhard said:


> I put magnets in mine and balanced the spool. Its a joy to cast, no thumb until the weight hits the water! I don't think there is any more consistant braking method than magnets.


 Dyhard, how do you balance a spool? How did you mag? mine is a modern squidder, do I need a different spool? have read about aluminum newell spools. ok, I took it out tonight and found that I have to crank the spool tension knob all the way down to have the spool not overrun when i let it go. If I leave any back and forth action in the spool the moment I dethumb it begins to overrun so I thumb and it catches up. casting maybe 80ish yds with 4oz and 17# cajun. 12'OM lite.The oil in the bearings is abu oil. Maybe when i reline I will go to 20# ande yellow glow. Once I get it down.The bearings make a lot of buzz but thats normal. I think. I cut the thumb out of a tight leather gloveun to eliminate the fear driven "flinch" and am having a hard time not thumbing the line. its a old habit Will it wear on the line? I havent really laid into it yet either for fear of having to reline it from the massive tangle. Please advise This is very interesting to me. From some things I have read It is a wonder we could ever cast before the most modern reels But from what I understand alot of distance comps have been taken by PS's. Although I do thing abu has the claim to the top wrung


----------



## sinker man (Jun 16, 2006)

Try using an aluminum spool, just about .05" endplay (side to side Movement) on the spool and get your oil the right viscosity and you can forget about burnt thumbs. Magnets are good for people that can't figure out how to do that. Either way pay attention to your line laying and use one method or the other for tuning your reel and you shouldn't have to thumb other than releasing and stopping the spool as your bait touches down. You will be suprised how much more distance you will get. For a squidder I use military weapons oil from the mid 70's UNmixed. However you can mix different oils to get just the right viscosity and tack. It's kinda like a custom fit shotgun or rod. Once you get it right it is really easy.


----------



## Railroader (Apr 13, 2005)

You can use a drop or two of whatever motor oil is in your garage, and slow things down a bit.....

My squidder makes a high pitched whine like a jet taking off when I throw it.....A friend of mine has one that sounds like a handful of nuts and bolts shaking in a coffe can, but that thing'll sure 'nuff throw. Noise is normal.

I would suggest filling it with 25# Trilene Big Game until you get comfortable with it. That'll throw a LOT easier than 17#. 

If you've already fried your thumb....QUIT till it heals. You will not improve your skill if you are dreading every throw...


----------



## sinker man (Jun 16, 2006)

I'm not sure how many squidders have beenused in distance casting tournaments but you are on the right track. I have a magnaflex heaver and squidder setup that I bought in 78 and added a newell spool to it shortly after in 79 that will cast with most of the full on high end tournament rigs. But they aren't the only good casting reels out there. I have several by a variety of manufacturers that are really all you need to get her out yonder where the big cows eat. Only a couple use magnets.


----------



## scsurfcaster (Mar 21, 2004)

Railroader said:


> You can use a drop or two of whatever motor oil is in your garage, and slow things down a bit.....
> 
> My squidder makes a high pitched whine like a jet taking off when I throw it.....A friend of mine has one that sounds like a handful of nuts and bolts shaking in a coffe can, but that thing'll sure 'nuff throw. Noise is normal.
> 
> ...


 ahhhh kint quitit  maybe ande pink but AH aint thrown trilene


----------



## scsurfcaster (Mar 21, 2004)

Sinkerman, .oo5" endplay? for me now that is a big birdsnest. I guess timing is everything. thanks


----------



## yogai (Oct 21, 2005)

I'm scared to do all that mix-the-oil-and-mess -up-yer-reel-if-you-don't-get-it-right stuff and learning how to really tune a reel. I wish I could learn about it though


----------



## eklutna (Mar 12, 2006)

I have the answer to burnt thumbs. 

I would love to show you guys but this forum still will not let me post pictures.   

It makes me want to :--| 

I use a thumb stall.

It is a heavy piece of leather with elastic on the other side. You put it over your thumb and it will take the worst any reel can dish out while still protecting you thumb. 

I would like to post a picture 


but I cant


----------



## Samurai (Nov 24, 2005)

The only issue I have with wearing anything on your thumb is that you can't feel how much pressure you're putting on the spool.To me if you can hear the pitch of the bearing/bushing hum change at all when thumbing,you're putting too much pressure.I guess using a thumb pad would be allright when learning but i'm sure distance will improve if you can go all natural.
Railroader,I'm glad somone out there agrees with me.I myself have never wore anything on my thumb and never will.


----------



## VICIII (Apr 8, 2005)

*eklutna*

Send me the pic and I will post.
I put grease on the spool ends and it helped quite a bit. Magging also works and is easy.. Search "magging a squidder" and you will find out quite a bit.


----------



## Mark G (Nov 15, 2004)

*Find the right size*

leather thumb guard. They are available in most tackle shops. I need it when throwing more than 6 oz to get a good grip on the spool to keep the spool from slipping during the cast. 

I use a small enough guard that the top part of my thumb is exposed . THis lets me have the feel needed for thumbing down on the landing without the leather getting in the way.


----------



## longcast (Jan 9, 2005)

To cast that squidder, do three things. Slow down your cast, start with a gentle over sholder cast. Next put on thicker line like 25-30lb test, and don't fill the spool past 3/4 full. Last is oil, Abu oil is red rocket oil. Get liquid grease or STP or 90weight gear oil. Thicker oil will slow the spool. Heavyer line is easier to cast, and doesn't burn your thumb as bad. By slowing your stroke the reel will start at an even speed, a jerked cast will overrev the spool. A help is wet the line before casting, just pour a little water on it before each cast.
good luck
longcast


----------



## eklutna (Mar 12, 2006)

Long cast

You are right about wetting your line. I had a blowup because the line had dried with salt on it and the line stuck together causing the blowup on the next days cast. I now always throw very softly just to get the line and guides wet. Then I dig in a go for the horizon.


----------



## Dyhard (Oct 24, 2002)

Dyhard, how do you balance a spool? How did you mag? mine is a modern squidder, do I need a different spool? have read about aluminum newell spools. ok, I took it out tonight and found that I have to crank the spool tension knob all the way down to have the spool not overrun when i let it go. If I leave any back and forth action in the spool the moment I dethumb it begins to overrun so I thumb and it catches up. casting maybe 80ish yds with 4oz and 17# cajun. 12'OM lite.The oil in the bearings is abu oil. Maybe when i reline I will go to 20# ande yellow glow. Once I get it down.The bearings make a lot of buzz but thats normal. I think. I cut the thumb out of a tight leather gloveun to eliminate the fear driven "flinch" and am having a hard time not thumbing the line. its a old habit Will it wear on the line? I havent really laid into it yet either for fear of having to reline it from the massive tangle. Please advise This is very interesting to me. From some things I have read It is a wonder we could ever cast before the most modern reels But from what I understand alot of distance comps have been taken by PS's. Although I do thing abu has the claim to the top wrung.
SCSURFCASTER,
An aluminum spool is a must. Penn makes them and yours might be one. A humming reel is a dead give away that it needs to be balanced. I would suggest using two steel straight edges with very smooth edges, placed parallel and level as possible, as far apart as the bearing surface on the spool shaft. The spool will show you which side is heavy by rocking back and forth when slowly turned.
I use a Dremel tool to remove a very small amount of Aluminum as close to the outer periphery of the spool flange and on the surface that cannot be seen when the reel is reassembled. Then recheck if the spool still rocks. After several cycles of this you will find that the spool rolls slowly along and no longer prefers to stop at the same place.
This is called static balancing which generally quiets down the humming noise, dynamic balancing is much better but I haven’t found a way to do it on a budget.
What is amazing is that your distance improves greatly with the same amount of casting effort.
I believe VIC111 put up the pictures for the magnets.


----------



## scsurfcaster (Mar 21, 2004)

I spooled the squidder up with 25# cajun and a 80# shock leader, 12'OM and 4 . Got some penn oil, which I found, is really thick like oily grease and oiled the bearings. took it out in the dark and made a flawless 60 yd cast with no effort. so I backed up and gave it a little more toward a treeline/fenceline. again no effort, in the dark 80yds right to the edge of the trees. within 10yds. I spooled the line up to 3/16ths or so of the top of the spool and thumbed the edge of the spool. It is an odd, very light sensation but the second cast was easier to feel the spool. No friction. I did vary thumb pressure a little and could hear the change in spool speed. I did let go of the spool and could hear the overrun starting and cured it with a little tension. I think a little more line speed and some weight would make a little better combo. better thumb good too. I feel like i am on my way. The squidder i think is to fishing tackle as the mauser action is to firearms. dependable, bombproof, traditional exactly what you need and no more. simplicity. . the second cast I made stopped perfect with the treeline in the dark and it makes me wonder if a trained thumb connected to the subconcios brain is really a better combination than the mechanical and mag brakes. although I do like an abu 6500 cause I can sling it and watch my bait without a care in the world and no concern of a birdsnest that costs 6 or 8$. But its not enough for fishing the 12'er. for me. Cannot wait to really get on the penn though and see what I can do with some practice. Thanks again for all the good advise and direction will keep posting on my progress


----------



## scsurfcaster (Mar 21, 2004)

thanks dyhard, railroader,etc.... everybody


----------

