How much fishing line on a baitcasting reel

Baitcasters are an incredible tool at the disposal of serious anglers and opens up the fishing world for various fishing techniques and lure uses that are not possible with other types of reels. Having the right type of fishing line to match the fishing situation you are in is critical to consistent success. In this article, we have proposed four different fishing lines, of various types, that we know pair well with a baitcasting reel and will perform on the water and all have the potential to become the best line for baitcast reels in your eyes.

We will quickly review the benefits and drawbacks of these three popular types of line and under which situations that are most often used. All three are commonly used with baitcasting reels and all have products that can easily be called the best line for baitcasting reels.

The diameter of the line can have an effect on casting performance. The larger the diameter, the more friction is generated when line is pulled off the spool. As you can imagine, more friction means less distance on the cast.

Line diameter also makes a difference in the water. Again, more surface area means more water resistance. When fishing for wary fish, this water resistance might cause more disturbance in the water that will keep fish from coming in the last few inches to take the bait. As line strength goes up, the diameter often does as well.

One reason why braid is so popular is that the line diameters are often much smaller while maintaining line strength. Line Color For monofilament and fluorocarbon, the color is not much of an issue although there are more options for colored monofilament. Braided line often comes in a variety of colors. Without the added color, braided line would be highly visible. By coloring the line, you can match line color with water conditions to try and camouflage the line.

So the question is how do you choose which color of braid? Neutral colors such as olives and grays are good choices for most lakes where they can blend in with the water and natural vegetation.

Highly visible colors also have their advantages. You can easily tell where your lure is and how it is behaving with these colored lines. Adding a fluorocarbon leader will help keep from spooking fish. The pound test of line tells you how much pressure the line can withstand before breaking. Obviously, the type of line test you will want for your reel is going to depend on the type of fishing you are taking part in. When comparing the three different types of lines, you will find that braid has a much smaller diameter than monofilament and fluorocarbon while maintaining the same strength, so you will be able to spool more of it.

Braided line will begin to fray and dull while monofilament and fluorocarbon will eventually begin to breakdown from UV and weathering. Because of this, it is important to pay attention to how long it normally takes for certain lines to begin this process so you do not end up with a trophy fish breaking off and it could have been avoided. The best line for baitcaster reels is going to need to be re-placed less often.

With this is mind we can narrow down our options as to the best lines to spool onto your baitcaster. With the mechanics behind baitcasters, they also work better with heavier lines. The conditions you are in, the weight of the lure, and tension adjustments can all affect the lines casting performance. While a baitcaster can be spooled with any fishing line that we have discussed so far, many anglers prefer to use braid or fluorocarbon over monofilament.

That's some expensive line to learn on, I'd stick with mono for now. When I was learning I was cutting out backlashes left and right. The advice that was given about using the tape is not so you dont have to feather and stop the spool, its so that when you do birdnest as a beginer and trust me, you will lol the birdsnest will only be so deep. No beginer is going to be throwing a lure out there 50 yards to where the tape stops the line going out for them. To echo the other posters, there is a learning curve to bait casting reels.

I'd lead off mono for a while, until I got the hang of it. I don't know if I'd go with the cheapest though, cheap mono is gnarly and often difficult to work with. As far as how far do you fill it, that is up to you. Me, I fill mine up to the top for reels that I'm using reaction baits on, cranks, chatter baits, spinnerbaits. When I do this I'm looking for as much distance as possible and I know I'm taking the chance that a back lash will happen. I'm not saying using tape is wrong or your wrong in any way I think you're gonna be getting frustrated with 8 on a BC.

I think that test is better suited for a spinning reel. I would recommend starting with 12 mono like sufix elite. I hear fluoro is almost invisible in the water and you can always just tie on a leader if the bass are line shy with mono.

I think pretty much all reels have a mark on them for max fill line. The only issue with a full spool if it makes it heavier so it is easier to backlash in my experience. I've got 6 mono on at least 2 reels. Many of my reels that go on Medium power rods carry 8 mono.

I don't think pound test is critical to learn on although I wouldn't start with something like Use a soft mono. Big Game is alright as long as it doesn't sit too long. I personally think it has too much memory when not used on a regular basis.

It probably does help with backlashes. All my reels get filled to the lip. It will increase casting distance and IPT on the retrieve. Personally when in the same situation I will fill part way with a heavier line so I don't use up a yd.

I'd rather spool 2 reels with that yd. Good luck with your new baitcaster. You can do the same thing with a baitcaster or pretty much any other reel. It seemed to work much better when I put a backing on. I only put a couple of wraps on the spool so that it was covered. Then I attached my braided line to that and filled it up.

Braided line is a bit slippery and it has a hard time digging into the metal spool it digs into the fishing line much better. Then tighten up your drag and spool tension. Simply use any old fishing line for this. Put the line through your lowest guide loop, stick it through the small hole on your reel the one that moves side to side , put it above the metal bar if you have one , and tie it on your spool make sure the line goes on the spool the same way it was in the package.

Hold the line tight and do a couple of wraps just enough to cover the spool. The final step is to attach your leader line to the braided line. Anywhere from feet should do.