Loose mono on baitcaster?

[Fishingintheweeds]

There may be an existing thread that answers all of these questions but I haven't found it yet. Feel free to redirect if one already exists.  

 

I am giving mono a second chance on my baitcaster again.  The biggest problem I'm having is not casting and not backlashes but that there seems to be loose line on that starts to blow up after I cast.  I THOUGHT I put the line on tight and have pulled it all out,  reeled it back in multiple times, still the same.  If I hold my thumb over the spool and pull the line out, it makes it way worse.  

 

I've been able to finally get the brakes and tension dialed in to where it's not so bad. The problem was the same for bigger weights and for the lighter weights. 

 

I see a lot of posts about how much easier mono is than braid, on a bait caster, but so far,  I'm just not seeing it.  What am I missing? 

[bulldog1935]

What you're describing sounds like start-up backlash - the spool is out-running the lure at initial start.  

If you can cast with smooth wrist-follow-through instead of wrist snap, it should go away.  

Otherwise, you need a brake adjustment - more centrifugal, or maybe even end tension - all this depends on the reel.  

 

If the spool gets fuzzy mid-cast, you're on incipient wind backlash.  This needs more mag brake to solve, or stick to heavier lures.  

[dodgeguy]

6 hours ago, Fishingintheweeds said:

There may be an existing thread that answers all of these questions but I haven't found it yet. Feel free to redirect if one already exists.  

 

I am giving mono a second chance on my baitcaster again.  The biggest problem I'm having is not casting and not backlashes but that there seems to be loose line on that starts to blow up after I cast.  I THOUGHT I put the line on tight and have pulled it all out,  reeled it back in multiple times, still the same.  If I hold my thumb over the spool and pull the line out, it makes it way worse.  

 

I've been able to finally get the brakes and tension dialed in to where it's not so bad. The problem was the same for bigger weights and for the lighter weights. 

 

I see a lot of posts about how much easier mono is than braid, on a bait caster, but so far,  I'm just not seeing it.  What am I missing? 

There is no way mono is easier to cast than braid . The loose line is an almost backlash. It will take your thumb or more spool tension or brake. Either that or go back to braid.

[Tennessee Boy]

I would think the answer lies in adjusting the way you cast. I would be interested to know what diameter braid and mono you’ve been using. I agree with what you’ve read: mono is easier. Many overcome the challenges of braid by using braid that is as thick as the mono you would use in a given situation. Learn to cast with the right line for the way you are fishing, whether it is braid or mono.

[Jig Man]

Tighten your spool tension knob.

[new2BC4bass]

Good answers.  I feel loose line at the beginning of a cast is most likely poor casting technique.  Loose line at the end of a cast requires more spool tension or more brakes.  I prefer loose spool tension and more braking.

 

Fluff in the middle of a cast doesn't bother me as long as it is gone when the lure touches down.

[LionHeart]

What size line are you using?

[Catt]

12 hours ago, Tennessee Boy said:

I would think the answer lies in adjusting the way you cast.

 

Doesn't matter if it's monofilament, braid, or flourcarbon a loose "coil" or two is normal. 

 

Watch some of the Pros on YouTube, they deal with that issue along with backlashes. Most however are afraid to show it on social media.

 

Even the mighty KVD stripes a few arms length of line occasionally. 

 

Best thing you can do is educate your👍 

[Woody B]

"Loose line that starts to blow up after I cast" sound like you just need to thumb the spool as the lure is landing.  More brakes, and even more spool tension can help, but either will rob distance and accuracy.   Also, if you get a few loose coils pull them out.  If you reel line over them, then cast again it's just going to make it worse.   Many of us (including myself) say that we rarely backlash.  When I say that I'm saying that I'm not picking out birds nests.  It's common for me (and I suspect others) to occasionally pull of a couple feet of line after a cast.  

[Hulkster]

What line are you using? I've been using Sufix Siege in 12 pound test on my baitcaster for years now, and its amazing. super strong and casts like a dream.

 

as others have said, sounds like you just need to tighten your spool tension knob a bit. that should stop the loose loops 

[bulldog1935]

On 5/27/2024 at 6:32 PM, new2BC4bass said:

... Loose line at the end of a cast requires more spool tension or more brakes.  I prefer loose spool tension and more braking.

...

Sorry, this is non-sequtir.  Depending on brakes for end-of-cast overrun carries a long list of character derisions that boil down to inexperience.  

When your cast gets past mid-hump, gravity prevents backlash.  Your thumb should always be there for end of cast, both final brake, and to adjust your final cast elevation and accuracy on the fall.  

 

Difference here is tournament distance casters, who load their spool only with the day's distance target plus extra kismet - they never brake on the fall, and let their spool backlash at the end to get every competitive inch from their cast.  

If you're not a tournament distance caster, your thumb should do its best work on the fall and finish.  

 

There are times casting the light-end limit of your reel, where the spool runs out of energy and stops itself before the lure hits the water.  End-of-cast thumb is not needed, but it still should be a habit.  

This is not the normal cast finish with a baitcaster.  Your thumb should be placing the heavier lure exactly where you want it.  

With enough experience, your thumb also feels incipient backlash, and reacts as a reflex to add light brake and get you through it.  

In my case, it helped a lot coming from old Ambassadeur, where every cast was 100% thumb.  Moving that to reels with modern brakes, thumb is still ready to engage through the 3 types of backlash - start-up overshoot, mid-cast wind backlash, and end of cast spool stop.  

[new2BC4bass]

3 hours ago, bulldog1935 said:

Sorry, this is non-sequtir.  Depending on brakes for end-of-cast overrun carries a long list of character derisions that boil down to inexperience.  

When your cast gets past mid-hump, gravity prevents backlash.  Your thumb should always be there for end of cast, both final brake, and to adjust your final cast elevation and accuracy on the fall.

Don't recall ever saying not to use your thumb.  I admit that at least 90% of the guys here are going to be better casters than me.  I started late in life.  Past 5 years has seen me getting out only a few times each year so I haven't really gained any experience during this time period.

 

How do you explain a backlash at the end of a cast if gravity prevents it past mid-cast distance?  I always have my thumb over the spool.  I've tested Magforce 3D with no thumb at the end of the cast.  I had to make a conscious effort not to press the spool at the end of my casts.

 

I'm right handed, but had much better thumb feathering control with my left hand when I started with a baitcast reel.  Discovered this setting in front of the TV and practicing my thumb control.  Haven't tested thumb control since then, but hope my right thumb has caught up with the left one in the past 15 years.  Right thumb used to be like a light switch....either On or Off.

 

My first year with a baitcaster had me setting spool tension way too tight.  Backed off to where it should have been at the start of my second year, and basically had to learn casting all over again.  Was worth the effort, tho.

[bulldog1935]

20 hours ago, new2BC4bass said:

...How do you explain a backlash at the end of a cast if gravity prevents it past mid-cast distance?  I always have my thumb over the spool. ...

letting the lure hit the water and then thinking about it

 

The OP's description to me is start-up backlash from wrist-jerk.  

The difference between getting it or not can be really subtle, and it's a bad habit brought over from spinning tackle, because spinning tackle rewards wrist jerk with distance.  

 

Quote

When your cast gets past mid-hump, gravity prevents backlash. 

This is a fact of physics - gravity also causes wind backlash when the lure is approaching mid-cast hump.  

[new2BC4bass]

2 minutes ago, bulldog1935 said:

letting the lure hit the water and then thinking about it  

 

The OP's description to me is start-up back-lash from wrist-jerk.  In other words poor casting technique.  I've had this happen when I visited Florida because I had to change my casting stroke there.  Took a little time to adjust.

 

[Bigbox99]

Also, your line may have been spooled on backwards (yes this is a thing) and this is causing the line to misbehave.  The filler spool the line came one will have given the line some memory and spooling this line on without taking this into consideration will cause the line to want to jump off the spool and backlash even when stripping line off by hand.  The good news is you can just wait and the line will develop a new memory of the direction it was spun onto the spool.  This really isn't a concern with braid so it's possible you may not have even been aware this is a issue you can have.

[new2BC4bass]

42 minutes ago, Bigbox99 said:

Also, your line may have been spooled on backwards (yes this is a thing) and this is causing the line to misbehave.  The filler spool the line came one will have given the line some memory and spooling this line on without taking this into consideration will cause the line to want to jump off the spool and backlash even when stripping line off by hand.  The good news is you can just wait and the line will develop a new memory of the direction it was spun onto the spool.  This really isn't a concern with braid so it's possible you may not have even been aware this is a issue you can have.

If this is the case, maybe attaching the line to something solid, walking off the line, and then giving it a good stretch may help.

[JJP]

Make sure when you spool mono/fluoro on baitcaster the line is coming off the TOP of the spool. Doesn’t seem to matter as much with braid 

[WRB]

It’s up to you to maintain spooled line tension. As correctly noted loose line indicates the spool in turning faster then the line is coming off. 
Line memory creates the line to spring loose. Using smaller diameter line reduces memory with mono, copoly or FC single filament line. 
Nylon mono line tends to wet and wet line will stay tighter then dry line. You can help the line to stay wet by using a line conditioner. I use use Tangle Free in warm dry weather to help wet the line.

Casting motion to let the rod load up to launch the lure slows down the reel spool start up speed along with slight thumb pressure to keep line smoothly coming the spool.

The rod has a major affect on bait casting reel performance.

Practice, practice, practice to develop good casting motion.

Tom

[Fishingintheweeds]

Thanks everybody.  I've always had a way easier time with braid on a baitcaster and like I said, after seeing some other threads where people said they thought mono was easy to use,  I thought I would give it another go. And to be fair, I wasn't having a problem backlashing when I was casting or even really having it blow up on me. The big thing was that as I pulled line out I noticed that there was loose line on the reel that would get worse the more thumb pressure I used when I was pulling line out. Walking it out and reeling it back in "tighter" didn't do anything to help but I did see some improvement from messing with the brakes and tension. So, the answers suggesting that matched what I was seeing. In another reply someone mentioned memory or direction that the line came off of the spool as something that could be accounting for the loose line.  Those seem to match what I was seeing. I know the first time I tried this, however many years ago,  I abandoned it pretty quickly and went back to braid.  I liked the options that the line gave me and it wasn't totally unmanageable, I just knew something wasn't quite right... but based on these replies,  I think I'm going to give this a little more time.

[rgasr63]

11 hours ago, bulldog1935 said:

The OP's description to me is start-up backlash from wrist-jerk.  

That's exactly what I had to overcome when I started out with baitcasters. I was snapping the rod like I did with my spinning rod. I had to learn to cast correctly. Having good centrifugal brake system helped too I got a Shimano reel and it helped me a lot. There is nothing wrong with magnetic brakes but the centrifugal seemed to help me work it out. I can use either style now. Even at that the trained thumb is the best in flight adjustment for that

[PhishLI]

3 hours ago, Fishingintheweeds said:

The big thing was that as I pulled line out I noticed that there was loose line on the reel that would get worse the more thumb pressure I used when I was pulling line out.

When you get loose coils but not a backlash, back off your drag some, then without thumbing the spool, pull the line out until you get down to tight wraps. This will keep the line from jumping into loose coils like you're getting when you thumb the line and pull it out. Once you get down to tight wraps, tighten your drag again, then pinch the line and wind back in the excess.

 

If you're not down for line conditioner, which works great on mono, make sure your first cast is with a compact, heavy bait. Bomb it out and let the line sink. This will wet the line deep into the spool once it's wound in, and it'll help keep it calm for the rest of your outing assuming you've dialed in the reel and your casting stroke.

 

I started off with braid too and had my fair share of WTFudge moments with mono and fluoro once I tried them, but I figured it out. Didn't take long, and now I use both often with very little grief,

[bulldog1935]

wow, you guys really do live with backlash to have that many different names for it.  

@Fishingintheweeds

The reason mono was ever described as easier with baitcaster is exactly because backlash is easier to see, and easier to pull and work out of your spool.  

Without backlash, fine diameter and total limpness makes braid easy to love - the smaller it is, the farther it casts.  

Braid backlash makes tight 180-degree loops that can be very hard to find - if you don't want these, fish mono.  

Most of what gets called braid line dig on  the forrum is actually backlash that has been ignored and fished over.  

[Bigbox99]

2 hours ago, bulldog1935 said:

wow, you guys really do live with backlash to have that many different names for it.  

@Fishingintheweeds

The reason mono was ever described as easier with baitcaster is exactly because backlash is easier to see, and easier to pull and work out of your spool.  

Without backlash, fine diameter and total limpness makes braid easy to love - the smaller it is, the farther it casts.  

Braid backlash makes tight 180-degree loops that can be very hard to find - if you don't want these, fish mono.  

Most of what gets called braid line dig on  the forrum is actually backlash that has been ignored and fished over.  

We actually get line dig in from doing bass fishing things like running high drag pressures if not outright locking the drag then yank on a fish on the hookset.  Swinging in fish with the rod or "boat flipping" fish using the rod will also cause smaller diameter braid to dig into the layers of line beneath the braid taking the load of a fish being hoisted into the boat.  Why we can't just be normal I don't know but these practices are common place in bass fishing.

[Smirak]

On 5/28/2024 at 8:23 AM, bulldog1935 said:

Sorry, this is non-sequtir.  Depending on brakes for end-of-cast overrun carries a long list of character derisions that boil down to inexperience.  

When your cast gets past mid-hump, gravity prevents backlash.  Your thumb should always be there for end of cast, both final brake, and to adjust your final cast elevation and accuracy on the fall.  

 

Difference here is tournament distance casters, who load their spool only with the day's distance target plus extra kismet - they never brake on the fall, and let their spool backlash at the end to get every competitive inch from their cast.  

If you're not a tournament distance caster, your thumb should do its best work on the fall and finish.  

 

There are times casting the light-end limit of your reel, where the spool runs out of energy and stops itself before the lure hits the water.  End-of-cast thumb is not needed, but it still should be a habit.  

This is not the normal cast finish with a baitcaster.  Your thumb should be placing the heavier lure exactly where you want it.  

With enough experience, your thumb also feels incipient backlash, and reacts as a reflex to add light brake and get you through it.  

In my case, it helped a lot coming from old Ambassadeur, where every cast was 100% thumb.  Moving that to reels with modern brakes, thumb is still ready to engage through the 3 types of backlash - start-up overshoot, mid-cast wind backlash, and end of cast spool stop.  

I know it’s completely off topic, but what line is that? I hate boring line. I want something different! One reason I run the seaguar tatx because it’s camo.  😂😂

[bulldog1935]

@Smirak hi friend, that is Duel X-wire in PE#0.8 (0.15-mm-dia, 16-lb breaking strength) - the Japanese are big on 5-color braids, changing every 10 m (+ 1-m marks) - this is good for counting as you load your spool, and they like it for measuring depth when vertical jigging.  

 

For me, it was my first delve into salt BFS on a long shore-fishing rod.