FS Digest

So I just got my first baitcaster, and I wanted to put on a better line so I put braided on it. I typically use 10lb mono on my other rods, but I used 50lb braided on my baitcaster. I’ve had one catch in like 3 days, should I try and put mono on it? Is braided a bad choice?

My water is pretty dark, and rather shallow. Thanks in advance!

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by TheGoldMan8888

FS Digest

are you using a non-braid leader? that helps quite a bit

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by loofa-rigno

FS Digest

No I tied the braid right onto the spool. I know it could slip some, but I thought it would be fine since I tied it into the spool.

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by TheGoldMan8888

FS Digest

I mean on the end with the bait or lure, do you use it there?

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by loofa-rigno

FS Digest

No... lol. Should I do that?

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by TheGoldMan8888

FS Digest

It's definitely something I would try, if the species you are targeting are line shy at all.

I use this knot: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EL19w2b_V9E

You can use really whatever test you need, I use 10, 12, 14, 20, depending on what I'm targeting (smaller for LMB, larger for ocean fish).

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by loofa-rigno

FS Digest

Bro thanks a ton! I will definitely try it out this afternoon. Bass is my goal, but how much line would you say for a leader? Like 50 yards or so?

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by TheGoldMan8888

FS Digest

Take your rods length and double it. I use 14-16 feet on my 7 footers.

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by rapey_tree_salesman

FS Digest

no problem, and for the length, not quite that much, I would say aim for around 3-6 feet of mono. the braid be out of sight of the fish, which might help you get more bites.

good luck!

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by loofa-rigno

Jeremy Loc: America

Steelhead set up has 20 foot long bumper of mono. Then leader. I would just use a swivel and tie on a few feet of mono for leader. 50lb is very big. Unless fishing huge fish you only need like 15 lb mainline. You can remove your braided line and save it for when targeting large fish. I use 15lb Maxima Chameleon main line on baitcaster unless trolling for large salmon. 50 is good but it more for if it’s got a weak point it will still be 30 or stronger. 15 main then 12 lb leader is for 20 plus pound fish. Line is up to 10 times it’s rated strength under water. It’s between reel and water that it’s weakest. For trout bass and other panfish I use 8 main and as small as 4 lb leader. The less bites the smaller you need to use. Mono leaders. If targeting big lunkers should use bigger line

USAF Major Loc: Sea Bright, NJ

You might need some teflon tape on that spool someday. Braid is slick and it will slip on the spool.

FixorFish Loc: SW Oregon

Just at Sportsman's Warehouse today and noticed that quite a few of the $60-80+ spinning reels have a "checkering" (not unlike a pistol grip) on the spool's inner most "throat, to prevent that slippage.
Being a cheap guy and not buying a new reel right now anyway, but re-spooling a couple of reels w/ braid, I thought..hey, they're older ones, don't really care if I kinda tweak'em. So I masked off (and double layered) all but the center 1/2" -3/4" of the spool and using some "gravel glued to paper"(lol) 36 grit sandpaper and rolling a piece around my finger, made cross-hatch scratches on the spool to imitate the reels I saw on that touted "braid-ready spool"...voila!...worked great for the initial tie-on...nada slippage.
Just be SUPER CAREFUL not to make ANY scratches on the "upper" part of spool, that part should always be SMOOTH AS POSSIBLE. Have even buffed out some scratches on used reels w/600g w/d sandpaper and then carwaxed that "lip", before re-spooling, want that line to have as little as possible resistance when coming off the spool on a cast.
Give'em a try and have some Good Fishin' out there, folks.

Jeremy Loc: America

Knurled ( cross hatching)

FixorFish Loc: SW Oregon

Pretty sure what I did was hardly "knurled", a regularly distanced and uniform depth machining grid, but if you must apply the proper semantics.....yeah, that's what I was going for.

Cleemartin Loc: Hampton, Virginia

[quote=FS Digest]So I just got my first baitcaster, and I wanted to put on a better line so I put braided on it. I typically use 10lb mono on my other rods, but I used 50lb braided on my baitcaster. I’ve had one catch in like 3 days, should I try and put mono on it? Is braided a bad choice?

My water is pretty dark, and rather shallow. Thanks in advance!

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by TheGoldMan8888[/quote:

50 lb braid is overkill! Go back to say 20lb braid. Put some Dacron or mono on the reel for backing, add the braided line to fill the reel, then add about three to four foot of Fluor line as a shock leader as well as being almost invisible. Now you are good to go!