South Bend Bait Casting Reel Question

The one on the right is spool tension. When you press the button, trigger, whatever to release the spool, your bait should fall very slowly and stop before hitting the ground. It can also be tighter or looser, depending on your expertise. It's better to learn with it being a little tighter, to reduce backlashes.

The one on the left is the brake, either magnetic or tension. This controls how quickly the spool slows down as the bait also slows down before hitting the water. It's better to learn with it being a little tighter, to reduce backlashes.

There are other posts that explain more, so I'm done here. Do a search on baitcast.

Also, get used to thumbing the spool during each cast, which is barely touching the spinning spool during a cast, so you can slam on the brakes if necessary.