Most Forgiving Line For A Baitcaster?

[MickD]

I'm trying to make an old (sentimental) baitcasting  reel work for spinnerbaits and am having trouble with backlashes.  What do you consider the best line and pound test for the best chance of casting without backlashes?  For bass, so probably above 10 pound test.  I used to use a high quality 30 pound braid and it worked well, but I'm trying to avoid knots going through the guides so would like a mono or flouro if I can make it work.  thanks, 

[Ozark_Basser]

Mono is more manageable than fluoro. I'd invest in some high end mono. The higher the # test, the easier it is not to backlash.

[blackmax135]

I feel like my casting is way better when I have braid on my reels.  I've had some braid on one of my reels for 2 years and backlashed twice.  I defiantly would not throw fluro because it breaks if you get a backlash and not carefully pull it out.  I think you should go with mono.

[Alpha Male]

Mono is more manageable than fluoro. I'd invest in some high end mono. The higher the # test, the easier it is not to backlash.

 

 

yes mono instead of fluoro. but you dont want to go too heavy. 12-15lb is the sweet spot.

[jtesch]

Sunline super mono or seagaur Senshi are both really manageable monos at a good price. Hit them with KVD. Line and lure conditioner and your golden

[Choporoz]

My trick for preventing backlashes on very old, sentimental baitcasters is to put them on display on a shelf in the house and leave them there.

 

Seriously, you may learn a lot about how to use your your thumb effectively, but imo, not worth the trouble.  The mechanics have improved so much that even if you have a very solid old piece, it is going to be much harder to work with than a late model.

[J Francho]

Different line won't fix your thumb.

[WIGuide]

I'd try throwing some 14 lb Berkley Trilene XT on there first. If that doesn't work, do as Choporaz says and display it on a shelf. 

[CRANKENSTIEN]

Agree with Choporaz.   Go with Trilene XL smooth casting a 12 - 17 lb.  I no longer use it because of the stretch.  but it cast very well.

[geo g]

I used Trilene  XL for years, but now use Big Game.  It works great, is relatively cheap, and hold up in the wood and rock piles.  For mono its one of the best. 

I use Professional grade floro on my worm rods.  It is harder to deal with then mono, but super sensitive and after a while you can feel the bottom and what type of bottom is down there, super great in clear water.

[new2BC4bass]

If you must, then I would prefer mono.  Not too heavy.  I like 12#.  Besides Trilene XL and Sunline Super Natural, a few other lines are Sufix Siege and Elite with Elite being a bit softer.  You do want soft to help eliminate coils.  As already stated, a line conditioner such as KVD will also help keep the line more manageable.  Another good line is Silver Thread AN40.  I use 8# and 12# Big Game.  I do not consider it as manageable as the other lines I've mentioned.  However, it isn't bad once it gets wet.

[faygo1979]

I have the best luck with braid.  It is one of the reason I use it for so much.  If you do Bird'snest it it is easy to pull out. and I don't seem to get as many overruns as I do with mono

[BasshunterJGH]

High end nylon. Sunline defier is one of the best lines on the market for cast ability.

[WRB]

What reel are you trying to use? I noticed you are older than I am!

The early bait casters, without free spool, were made for Dacron braid line, superbraids are very abrasive and may damage your legacy reel depending on it model and age.

One trick using mono on older heavy spool reels is tape over the spooled line with about 50 yards above the tape. Use plumbers Teflon tape and make a few wraps, them wind on the yards over the taped line.

10 lb Big Game is excellent casting line, just use TangleFree to keep it wetted.

The only backlash control is the spool tension knob and your trained thumb.

Tom

PS, the older rods were more parabolic for a good reason, use a Crankbait rod that is slower action like a moderate action, that will help to prevent backlashes.

[Bruce424]

14-17 lb mono like stren or trilene. Heavy line is easier to pick out over runs. Light line can knot up real easy.

[ChrisD46]

What reel are you trying to use? I noticed you are older than I am!

The early bait casters, without free spool, were made for Dacron braid line, superbraids are very abrasive and may damage your legacy reel depending on it model and age.

One trick using mono on older heavy spool reels is tape over the spooled line with about 50 yards above the tape. Use plumbers Teflon tape and make a few wraps, them wind on the yards over the taped line.

10 lb Big Game is excellent casting line, just use TangleFree to keep it wetted.

The only backlash control is the spool tension knob and your trained thumb.

Tom

PS, the older rods were more parabolic for a good reason, use a Crankbait rod that is slower action like a moderate action, that will help to prevent backlashes.

Some say electrical tape for your trick - I now think teflon tape might be better !

[MickD]

Thanks for the responses, everyone.  Sounds like the consensus is with a good grade of mono, which was what I suspected you would say.  Not familiar with Sunline, and many mentioned it.  Worth a try.  The reel is a Calcutta 100 that was rebuilt by the late David Green into a 150, ( the reel was butchered by another reel repair/tuner and had to be rebuilt into a 150 because no 100 spools could be found) and it is now really fast and I cannot get it to work well with any flouro I've tried.  I'd like to use it on spinnerbiats because I tend to overcrank them, and it has a 5.4 ratio, if I remember correctly.  It is not that I'm new on baitcasters; I've used them for many many years, ( I do have a workable thumb)  and I've had good luck with monos in the 12-17 range and braid of about 30.  I've been trying to make flouro work on this reel because of its lower stretch, but think I'll have to go the mono route.  

[new2BC4bass]

Checking out your age, I'd have to say I will never come close to having as good a thumb as you.  I started using baitcast reels in 2009.  My reels probably have brakes set higher than 95% of the guys on here....although I do keep spool tension to a minimum most of the time regardless of lure being used.  Of course, lots of others do that as well.  No way would I knowingly cast a reel without brakes turned on....with one exception.  The Magforce 3D by Daiwa is the only type of braking I can use with zero brakes on.  It is backlash city otherwise.  I am talking professional backlashes any pro would be proud of. 

 

I have 10# and 17# Super Natural on 2 reels, but those reels don't get used as much as the 1st reel I ever put 12# Sufix Elite on which happens to be one of my favorite reels (and one of the 1st 5 I bought).  Elite handles very well, imo.  The AN40 was suggested by my friend, Dan, who has more experience than I will ever have.  He has never steered me wrong.  Based on his recommendation I picked up 3000 yard spools of 8# and 12# AN40.  Those are my basic line weights for Medium and MH power rods.

[WRB]

Calcutta 100 modified insn't a vintage reel. Well tuned reels are free running and take a lot of practice to cast with ease. Fishing partners who try to cast my rod- reels have the same problem, they backlash it. What I do is adjust the spool tension a little tighter and that tends solve the problem. 2 reasons for this, my rods are are not forgiving and reels are free running for extra casting distance. I use Sunline Shooter and Super Sniper 10 & 14 lb FC line for my jig fishing, no reason to use larger diameter line, it actually has more memory and increases backlash problems. The key is using a wetting line conditioner like TangleFree, keep FC wet and it cast OK.

The PR that FC stretches less than mono is false, they both stretch about the same.

I really like Sunline Defier Armilo Nylon line for smooth casting and recommend that you give it a try.

First, get a bottle of TangleFree (Cabelas) and try your FC using that first, with a slightly increased spool tension increase and taping over the spooled line with Teflon tape.

Tom

[MickD]

I never said the reel I was trying to use was a vintage reel.  I have plenty of vintage reels, from my first free spool, a J. A. Coxe/Bronson narrow spool through a number of Pflueger Supremes, both narrow and wide, and on and on.  But I don't think I could get any of them to cast anywhere near as well as the Calcutta and later reels.  I may be crazy, but not a masochist.  Tried even cranking one lately?  The crank diameters are so small it's like using a toy instead of a tool.  

 

It appears that many others have trouble with FC on baitcasters, like I do.  I'll give the monos recommended a try; I'm pretty confident I can make it cast satisfactorily.  You all have mentioned some brands that I've not even heard of, and it is good to use a new line that comes with positive recommendations.  I'll give the line conditioners a try also.

 

I expect things will get better when I get the rod on the water, out of 30 degrees F, and the line wet.  I put the reel on a new rod I just finished and had to give it a try in the yard.  thanks again.

[hatrix]

Is your looking for a line to learn casting on braid is the easiest. It's rough and easier to control with your thumb and can't be ruined like mono with backlashes. Spinner baits can be like one of the hardest lures to cast. They have like the worst aerodynamics of any lure with the worst helicopter. Figuring out how to cast baits without helicoptering makes a huge difference with casting reels. The spool needs to slow down super quickly of a bait gets out of control.

[MickD]

I put 14 Trilene XL on it today, and had no problems, even though it was about 30 degrees and the line had been in the pole building all winter (better to store indoors-nylon tends to get brittle in cold/dry environment).  No centrifugal weights were engaged.  I stretched it heavily to try to eliminate some of its natural stretchiness.  The 14-XL is what I use on my Curado 200-E that I use for surface lures.  I was hoping to get a lower stretch line (without resorting to line to line knots - the rod has micros) but this will certainly do.

 

Thanks again for your help.

[CRANKENSTIEN]

Try 10 lb pline cxx for lower stretch. I have. No problem casting it when wet. I recently tried a 15 lb McCoy copolymer and it cast great. And the stretch was low.

[MickD]

Which McCoy?  Green, X clear?

 

Some "clear" lines are not that clear in the water, sort of light up, unlike FC.