baitcaster question...

[Little grey men]

OK, I've got myself a baitcasting outfit to tangle some line with.
Can anyone give me any idea of what type of line to use on a baitcaster. Does braid work fine or should I go back to using a good mono. I've read a few sites saying mono is the go in regards to less bird nest's.
I've actually loaded it with 10lb Fireline to practice casting....getting better...slowly..... Definitley a patience building exercise.
I want to set it up to chase Bass at North Pine and Yellowbelly out West.
Although this weekend I'll be using the trusty old spin gear...don't want to look like a goose any more than I have to.
Any help would be appreciated.

[Zimbarra]

Hey hardyhead I have the same line on my baitcaster and it does a great job. I do like fins braid better as I have it on my barra rig and bass spinning rig. I would say mono is worse for tangles as it has a memory so it springs back on its self. Most braids don't have a memory. I find baitcasters cast best when the spool is at its fullest.

Cheers matt

[jimbamb]

I use TUFF line braid and find it does the job well.Have very few birdsnests,, Had fireline on and could not get it to work at all..the missus was goin to throw the reel(Millionaire) into the dam.Put tuff line on and she has very few birdsnests.It is very soft andeasy to untangle.I.m running 50lb braid.

[Tailortaker]

I use fire line on mine, It's my first baitcaster and apart from the odd birds nest at first it's great except for the other week when i was'nt paying attention and got a massive birds nest....
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[TheSaint]

Fireline is worse thing you could use on a bc IMO. I would get some Yamatoyo PE Braid SW Super (blue in colour). You won't believe how well it casts!

[Piscatory Pursuit]

I hate Fireline on any reel but definitely not a baitcaster. I prefer Power Pro braid and have it on a lot of my bc's. I don't know if Power Pro is available in Oz but if it is give it a try. I also fish mono on baitcasters for certain situations with absolutely no problems. I think birds nests come from inexperience more than the line. Once you get really good at using a baitcaster, you will be able to use just about any line you like. Recommendation, while you are learing, avoid casting into the wind. The wind will slow the bait down and the reel is still going fast and that will give you a lot of nests. Always cast with the wind while you are learning.
Good Luck!

[TinarooTriumph]

Dyneema's and Baitcasters are an absolute No No. You can use it though, but it won't have the sensitivity as a Spectra... + it will kink and be a real neusence. Fireline on Spin reels is great, but there are plenty better braids out there!

Look for braids like P-Line Spectrex IV, Bionic Braid, Fins and also Platil. All make great lines which are undermarked on the pack, so they will pull alot more then you think.

Cheers

Theo.

[Little grey men]

Thanks for the replies guy's.
I think it's off to the tackle shop for me..... The 10lb Fireline can go onto one of my spin sticks. I was thinking of getting something stronger anyway, in case I come across a big fat Murray Cod while looking for Yellowbelly out on the Condamine.
One further question if you don't mind. I've been reading lot's of baitcasting how to's. do you keep the reel straight or tilt it. A lot of site's say tilt it as rule number one to cut down on reel spin. I've been trying to tilt but have been having more success keeping the reel straight.
I think I'm to be congratulated. not once have I thrown the rod to the ground while swearing loudly at it. Although if my cat keeps chasing my casting plug, it'll be coppin' a serve soon enough.

Thanks again everybody.

[B_E_N]

fire line has a bit of memory to begin with thats because of the waxy outerlayer on it, once thats has worn in a bit its fine and not crap seeing as it breaks well over its descibed weight class

[Piscatory Pursuit]

On most baitcasters if you tilt the reel as you cast you will actually get faster spin out of the reel because it will be spinning directly on the bearings with no drag from the spindle. Also if you are casting sidearm you most probably are tilting the reel. Most expert baitcasters tilt their reels and use no drag adjustment on the spool. The pros prefer the spool completely free. Once you master this you will not believe your casting distance.

If you really like baitcasters but are finding it difficult to master, I highly recommend buying a baitcaster that has a dual braking system. this system controls the speed of the reel through the entire cast from beginning to end and it really works. I have a Shimano Citica which is a mid priced reel. i bought it here in the US for $120.00USD. I taught my son how to use it in about 15 minutes he was casting like a pro, even into the wind with no rats nests. They are not totally rats nest free but they dramatically reduce the rats nests and really make it much more fun to use a baitcaster. Shimano, Daiwa, and Abu all make models with this kind of technology as do others I'm sure. Having used all kinds of baitcasters over the years, I was really impressed with the Shimano Citica. I have tried several times to get my boys interested in baitcasting and they would get so frustrated trying to learn, they would go right back to their spinning outfits. Now that they have tried my Citica, they both want one for their birthday.
Good Luck!

[Little grey men]

Thanks for the info Piscatory Pursuit. I think I'll keep the reel upright for now.( small steps ) I sure don't want the reel to spin faster just yet.
It is amazing how far you can cast these thing's. I always assumed that you'd get further with a spin reel but after playing with this thing it's really opened my eye's. Went out yesterday and got some 20lb Fins braid to play with.
I've been looking at a lot of American Bass fishing sites, they sure have some great tips on them. My favourite so far is to cast out a good distance and place electrical tape over the spool to prevent any more line coming out, which prevents birdsnest while learning.

Cheers Michael.

[pennman]

The best advice can give you if you are just starting out with bait casters is to use over size line ie. twenty pound test line on a reel made for ten pound test line. The back lashes are easier to get out and will not be so bad. V-spools also help cut down on "professional overruns".

Once you get used to using bait casters not only will you cast farther but you will also be much more accurate.

[wamjam]

Gday hardyhead
My two bobs worth!, don't try and do a fancy little flick with the rod ,keep your wrist straight ,the rod shouldn't stop in the foward direction, none of this pulling the rod back like a stockwhip. Good luck mate and enjoy.
wamjam

[TinarooTriumph]

Yes!!! Wamjam is absolutely right... when I first started out with Baitcasters this was the first thing I picked up on... try and keep your wrists straight. If your from the Pakistani' Cricket team this could be difficult, otherwise you should have no drama's. With my light Baitcaster reels (2kg Rod, 6lb Fireline) I am casting at the absolute horizontal with next to no magnetics. After awile you begin to use your wrists and can add in two hand casts. Thumb plays a big part too, ofcourse. I learnt this from watching blokes like Jason Elrich (Erlich?) on the AFC. You can cast 2X further with Baitcasters when you get things right.

One thing I always did when I got brought Fireline in the past is I spooled it on a large old Abu spin reel of mine (Model I am unsure of, not a good reel though) and would match it to a long surf Rod, take it down to my local Creek and cast Spanyids or other Metals up and down the Creek. I would be casting huge distances (probaby not great for ya back) but it would soon soften the 'Candy' like coating on the Fireline, which ultimatley took away some of its memory. Then I would strip it from that Reel and 'Top shot' it on my smaller Spin reels.

Hope this helps!

Theo.

[banshee]

Dyneema's and Baitcasters are an absolute No No. You can use it though, but it won't have the sensitivity as a Spectra... + it will kink and be a real neusence. Fireline on Spin reels is great, but there are plenty better braids out there!

Look for braids like P-Line Spectrex IV, Bionic Braid, Fins and also Platil. All make great lines which are undermarked on the pack, so they will pull alot more then you think.

Cheers

Theo.

Pretty interesting statement (the first parragraph),considering that Dyneema/Spectra share the same properties and it would take an industrial chemist to tell two unmarked samples apart.