Line Weight For A Beginner Baitcaster.

[TheSmilingSwordsman]

I just bought my first biatcast reel, a BPS Pro Qualifier, and it should be here on Thursday.  I will be pairing the reel with a 6'6" MH/F AllStar rod rated for 10-20 lb line. 

 

I am assuming that the smart money decision is to learn with mono.  What line weight would you recommend I purchase to learn with?  Should I go with a heavier line or a lighter one?  I will primarily be learning to cast in my yard rather than out on the lake. 

[MCS]

12-14 pound mono. Berkely big game is cheap and comes on a large spool. Once you get the hang braid is deffinately more user friendly in many ways.

[roadwarrior]

I would go a little heavier and softer. Heavier because bird nests are easier to work with

and softer because the line is more manageable. #17 Sunline Super Natural is a great

line and inexpensive. If that's not easily attainable, Trilene XL would be my next suggestion.

 

Put all brakes on and the spool tension tight to begin. Another suggestion would be to

practice with a 1/2 oz lead weight. Work on accuracy, not distance.Rotate your wrist

during the cast so that the handle is up when the cast is complete.

 

 

 

 

[FrankW]

Hi SmillingSwordsman,

You are going to really like fishing with a bait caster after you get a little experience.

I would not get mono unless you stick to the lower weights of line. Definitely don't go with 20lb or heavier. It depends a lot on what you want to fish with. If you plan on a lot of plastics then I would get 30lb braid. That will be a good all around line. Power Pro is pretty cheap these days and the line will last for years. You will have to replace the mono at the very least, once a year.

I would start with a 3/8oz weight as the 1/2oz weight will give you too much spool speed with not to hard of a cast. A back lash with a 1/2oz weight can be huge. Use a lot of drag and have the spool tension knob adjusted so there is no movement of the spool from side to side. Start with a short pitch of a few feet. You can see videos on line how to pitch. I would use the technique where you hold the bait in your hand as you start your pitch. That should be easier for you. Understand that bait casting is all about your thumb. You need to learn how to feather the spool with your thumb. So with your very first cast start with your thumb on the spool slightly and do your pitch. If the bait doesn't go any where then don't use quite as much thumb. With a few tries you will get a feeling of what you need to do. When you feel comfortable with feathering the spool than you can reduce the break setting slightly. That should give you a little more distance. Don't get in a hurry and don't try an overhand cast or pitch with all your might. That will be a disaster until you get some experience.

I suggest the pitch because you will understand the mechanics of using the brake, spool tension and your thumb. When you get a back lash it won't be quite as horrendous as it will be with an overhand or underhand cast for distance. Distance should be your last goal learning how to cast a bait caster. Remember that your thumb is the quickest way to stop your spool and if you have any problem with a cast, just jam your thumb on the spool. That will lessen any back lash.

Here is a good way to practice using your thumb. With the weight on the line, hold the rod tip up at 45 degree angle and release the clutch holding the spool with your thumb. Now release your thumb pressure slightly. As the weight falls to the ground use your thumb to control the speed. You may need to loosen the spool tension slightly for this exercise or increase the weight. If you have a balcony or second story window you can really get some benefit with this before your first cast.

Frank

[TheSmilingSwordsman]

Thanks for the advice. I am going to head over to WalMart here in a bit (I hate that place but it's either there or Big 5 which has almost no selection.) to get a lighter mono line for learning.

Frank, thanks for the additional advice. I plan to switch to braid once I gain some confidence in my casting. My only experience with a baitcaster was my late grandfather's Abu Ambassador and I learned a lot but was guaranteed to backlash and put it out of commission early on every fishing trip.

[frogflogger]

When I had a shop we would spool up newbies casting reels with 14# trilene xl - after some time with it they could make their own decisions - but it's a good casting line cheap.

[new2BC4bass]

I personally wouldn't go too light any more than I would go too heavy for learning.  12-15 would be about right.  I agree that softer mono is definitely a plus for the beginner.  I bow to roadwarrior's superior knowledge on the 17# Super Natural.  If he says it is a could line to learn on, then I'd take his advice.  I have 17# Super Natural on one reel.  A reel that never gets mentioned when it comes to reels in the $100 price range.  It is mounted on a 6'10" HF.  With a 1/2 oz. jig plus trailer it casts like a champ with no backlashes whatever.  However, I don't think I could be classified as a newbie anymore.  At least I hope not.  

 

12# Sufix Elite is pretty soft, and a line I use on several of my reels.  Trilene XL is a line I used for many years, but I don't use it often anymore simply because I wanted to try different brands....not because it wasn't performing.  I am using some 6# XL on a combo that is used for 1/4 oz. and under lures.  Works as good today as it did 50-60 years ago.

[Jolly Green]

12-14 pound mono. Berkely big game is cheap and comes on a large spool. Once you get the hang braid is deffinately more user friendly in many ways.

 

This is what I did, with a 3/8 oz. weight. Use a weight that feels like it's in the sweet spot of that rod's range and let the rod throw it.  Personally I wouldn't screw around with pitching if you've never done it before, just start by making a good fluid cast and make sure you thumb the reel to a stop before your weight hits grass/water; don't worry about where or how far it goes.  Realize that the whole trick to a baitcaster is that you want the spool feeding line no faster than the lure is carrying it away, and to that end the brakes, cast control, and thumb are all just tools to limit the speed of the spool. Practice, practice, practice, and try to learn from every overrun. If you want to limit the depth of the backlash you can use masking tape to tape your line off so that only the top 30 yards or so are free.  When you've gotten the knack of it, yank 60 yards of the mono off and replace it with braid.

 

Good luck!

[new2BC4bass]

You can always sit if front of the TV and practice thumb control.  It is where I learned my left thumb is much better at feathering a reel than my right even though I am right handed.  The right has a tendency to stop the spool rather than feather it.

[jiggz125]

I am practicing now with 20 lb Power Pro braid. So far so good. One bad birdnest. I would suggest watching videos on setting up the reel correctly. I think that has helped. Good luck. Its not as hard as some make it out to be.