Baitcaster line

[Guest]

OK Fellas....
I've been a die hard spinning reel guy since I was a tiny guy, but last year I got a deal on a Shimano baitcastin reel. I liked the feel of the set up.... long ugly stick snapped those plugs far, and the reel itself seeded smooth and retrieved well. My question though is that on every couple of casts I'd get a huge birdsnest, w/ at least 20 yds of line bitin it. I have another huge spool of the Stren Braid that I was using (I really liked it trolling, held up surprisingly well as far as I'm concerned). SO what kinda line would you guys suggest?

[Guest]

I use Fusion on all my baitcasters. As far as the backlash your getting. Are you adjusting the spool magnets properly on the reel?

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[delmuts]

i agree with d man. i use fusion on three of my reels, but due use mono on a couple also. as d man said it is not a problem with the line. you have to adjust the tension for each lure and then add or substract magnetic tension depending on your casting skills , wind, and what you are using for a lure etc.remember a bait casters best friend is the almighty thumb! del

[Scoot]

As far as the backlash I agree with the previous two posts. For line I switched from fusion to Power-Pro this past summer and am quite pleased with it's performance. It seems to last longer and be more abrasion resistant. Also, you can get slightly better diameter for each line strength. Give it a try!
Scoot

[GullGuide]

I'm gonna go against the grain here and say Whiplash.
The stuff is the best super braid I have seen. I have 100lb test on all my baitcasters and the stuff has the diameter of about 10lb mono. I use it Musky fishing too and it holds up well casting those big lures.
Remember with any superline, you must have some mono backing on your spool, otherwise the line will slip.
As far as the backlash, adjust the tension knob so that when you press the release button, the lure falls from your rod slowly.
Another tip is to take a deep diving lure, get out on the lake and troll about 5mph, let almost all the line out, then reel it in. This will get the line super-tight onto your spool.
Good luck

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Bemidji-Ottertail

[uffdapete]

A question on a related note - what knot do you use to splice mono and superbraid?

I've found that Fireline and Whiplash are more difficult to splice to mono than Power Pro.

I have Whiplash on a baitcaster that I use to pull slipsinker/3 way live bait rigs and it's the best line I've used for that. I was introduced to it by a guy I fished with last summer flippin for largemouth and it worked well there too.

[Guest]

The major problem with Super braids is that you must keep a tight retrieve otherwise the line will loosen up and produce a bird nest on a hard throw (notice the word "hard"). I have used both the Spiderwire and Fireline and they produce the same problem. Now, I use only 12 LBS Stren Easy Cast lines and have never lost a fish or produce a bird nest, since. There is no fish in Minnesota which can break a 12Lbs line if fished correctly. Oh, by the way, I am using a Diawa TDX baitcaster on a St. Croix Avid fishing pole and I hunt for bass and Muskie in the weedlines and lillypads.
Good fishing...

[Guest]

bigclean,

Until you can solve the backlash problem, I'd suggest using a more modestly priced mono so you can still afford gas to go fishing. Trilene Big Game is very inexpensive.

FLB

[delmuts]

good has a point!!mono is alot cheaper. many of the new reeels are cross drilled to tie to. also a neet trick i do is when you think it is time to change your braided line, just let it out and reverse it, then reel it back on. the bottom half never gets much use . del

[Guest]

OK fellas....
thanks for the replies thus far. First, yes I do adjust the tension w/ every lure I throw, it was suggested to me and as you all probably know does help greatly. FLB I picked my line up on a deal at Woods -N- Water last spring, it was surprisingly cheap, so I bought a couple of spools, but I'll try some heavier mono and see what it does.
My next question is how forceful then do I get w/ my thumb... everytime I try to slow down the end of my cast it seems to stop in mid-air and 'splash' I spook every fish in that hole. I got really frustrated towards the end of the season, and feel its dumb to throw a nice rod in the closet.

[Matt D]

As indicated in previous posts, your problem is not really the line so much as it is the backlashes. I've fished with everything from braided dacron to mono to superline on baitcasters and the basics never change; you need to match the spool tension with the weight of your lure. Sure, putting cheaper line like mono on your reel will save you money, but it won't save you headaches, which is the problem you're dealing with. In fact, the backlashes I've gotten with mono have been far more frustrating to deal with than those with braided lines.

I'm going to give you a tip that I picked up a number of years ago. I've tried to pass it along to my dad, but he's set in his ways ... and still battles backlashes!

Here it is: Put on your lure. Hold your rod level with the water, chest height. Hit the line release. If your lure falls to the water easily, tighten the spool tension. Repeat until when you hit the line release, the lure just sits there. Back off your spool tension a little bit so when you hit the line release, the lure will fall, but VERY SLOWLY. This will give you a starting point. If when you cast, it seems that your lure still hangs up in the air, loosen it just a HAIR more. Conversely, if you still get a backlash (if done right, this will be rare), tighten it just a HAIR more.

REPEAT THIS EVERY TIME YOU CHANGE LURES. Since every lure is slightly different in weight, your spool speed will change when you cast. Once you get into the habit of doing this, it will only take you a few seconds to do each time you change lures. Those few seconds will save you ten minutes of untangling a backlash, ... and eventually having to re-spool your reel with new line. You can buy cheaper line if you want, but you don't have to. Superlines and braids have A LOT of advantages (I'm a big fan of their sensitivity!)

Fishing with a baitcaster is an ART. It takes lots of practice to maximize distance and perfect placement. The trick is to LISTEN to your reel. When it "sings" (spins too fast), either your spool tension is too loose, OR you casted too hard. When it "drags", your spool tension is too tight.

P.S. IT AIN'T THE LINE

P.P. S. Fusion goes on my baitcasters. Cheaper than braid, with all the sensitivity and almost all the strength.

[This message has been edited by Matt D (edited 02-13-2002).]

[delmuts]

sounds like you are stopping the spool during your cast. you want to feather it until just as it touches the water. far as knots go i use the pollymer on almost everything. you need to get out in the yard and practice. (now is a great time) a few minutes several times a week will do wonders for casting. i still practice each spring. the neighbors always give me strange looks, but who cares. talk to some one in your area and have them give you some tips. they are not hard, but do require some practice. del

[Guest]

bigclean,

I tought a frustrated neighbor a few years back, and the best tip I could give him to avoid the big "splash" you're talking about is to stand on the tailgate of his truck and practice with a side-arm cast rather than overhand. You will have to gradually work you way into an overhand cast if you plan on fishing in the boat with someone else, but if you are casting to specific targets, especially overhanging trees, docks and the like, you will need to master this casting method also. I agree that the line has little or nothing to do with the backlash problem...just trying to save some money during the learning process. Keep the faith, because once you get it down, you will seldom use spinning gear for any horizontal/trolling presentations, and in heavy cover you can fish vertically with the casting outfit also.

FLB

[Guest]

bigclean-
I know your frustrations. I bought a Shimano Curado (I think) baitcaster and no matter what I do it always makes a birds nest...at some point while fishing. I have almost tossed the reel, but instead I turned it into a trolling rod/reel. My favorite reels include the 5600 series Ambassador (sp.?), I think made by Abu Garcia. The most user friendly reels I have ever used.

GullGuide gave excellent advice. When you first put superlines on your reel, take a heavy plug and release all the line out and troll about 5mph and reel in the line good and tight. I wish I would have known that before my first cast with new Fireline Threw away $20 of line on the first cast...what a mess.

[Guest]

Make sure your adding a mono backing or tying the superline into the holes on some spools. If you dont do this the line slips on the spool.

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[Guest]

I have used 20lb test Berkely XL mono on a Abu-Garcia baitcsater when fishing for pike. I haven't had many problems, an occational backlash but none too serious. I like Spiderwire in 8-10lb test when rigging my bass/walleye baitcasters. Very good castability and strength.
Good Fishing, Matt.