New To Baitcasting Need Some Help

[jparisi48]

I know there has been a thousand threads about this, i've searched for days trying to find exactly what im looking for with no luck.

1.When spooling my baitcaster I can never get it to spool as evenly as I want to. I use braid or mono depending on what I feel like that day.

2.When using braid I like to tie on a leader for abrasion resistance, I dont know what # mono to tie for a leader or what LENGTH to tie. (I also ask myself all the time if I am using 50lb braid what is the point of tying a leader that is only 8 or 12# mono???

3.When casting with a leader I use a uni to uni knot, it doesnt seem to flow through my guides that smoothly or I just may not be used to it. Is there a knot that will work just as good with a smaller diameter?

4.Last if I am fishing for largemouth in open water and in thick cover, what # braid/mono leader would work best. If I use a 12# mono leader then fishing in heavy cover with the braid is useless isnt it???

Thanks to anyone who replies with usefull information.

[deep]

1.When spooling my baitcaster I can never get it to spool as evenly as I want to. I use braid or mono depending on what I feel like that day.

When I start spooling, I center the line guide with the knot on the spool, which I tie at or near the middle of the spool. Seems to help.

2.When using braid I like to tie on a leader for abrasion resistance, I dont know what # mono to tie for a leader or what LENGTH to tie. (I also ask myself all the time if I am using 50lb braid what is the point of tying a leader that is only 8 or 12# mono???

#mono depends on the sort of abrasion resistance/ line visibility etc you'd like. I'd start with 12 or 14 lb test, and adjust from there, 6-7 feet should be a good starting point for the length. The point of using braid is taking advantage of it's no-stretch property, not its absolute strength. I doubt anyone's going to catch a 50 lb black bass anytime soon.

3.When casting with a leader I use a uni to uni knot, it doesnt seem to flow through my guides that smoothly or I just may not be used to it. Is there a knot that will work just as good with a smaller diameter?

Albright knot seems to work well for me.

4.Last if I am fishing for largemouth in open water and in thick cover, what # braid/mono leader would work best. If I use a 12# mono leader then fishing in heavy cover with the braid is useless isnt it???

When punching/ flipping heavy grass etc, a leader is sometimes more of a liability than an advantage, Unless I'm punching (which I've started to do only very recently), I ALWAYS have a leader tied on if using braid mainline, no exceptions. The way I fish, it works well for me. You need to find your own preferences.

Hope that gives you a starting point. Good luck, and good fishing.

[jparisi48]

Thank you I appreciate it, I will try everything that you said.

[NBR]

I'll answer where I have some knowledge or experience:

1. I have had the same experience. For some time I evened out the spool by guiding the line going on with a finger. Then I noticed that after fishing with baitcaster for a while the line on the reels spool evened itself out in a short time. I use a Berkley spooling station and the line has evened itself on Shimanos, Quantums,Daiwas, Pfluegers and BPS reels. I don't give it a thought anymore.

4. Fishing in heavy cover I probably would just tie the braid to the bait.