reel spool size/braid for mono

[MDS]

Bass Pro is advertising new wide spool reels, supposedly superior for longer casting. Authors and professionals such as R. G. Schmidt recommend narrow spools for the same reason. Who is right and under what circumstances?

Fishing with a guide this past week convinced me to switch to braid from mono. If I have been using 10 lb mono and go to 10 lb braid, however, the line thickness changes to the equivalent of 4 lb mono. Should I choose a reel, normally rated for mono, translating that into braid size? In other words, would a 4lb mono reel work with 10 lb braid?

Thanks,

MDS from NC

[Wayne P.]

You can use most any size braid on any size reel. Just pick the diameter to suit your taste, adjust your drag to about the mono setting you would use and you won't have any problem with equipment damage or line failures. The best benefit other than strength is the lack of line memory and line twist does not affect the line preformance. Some other good qualites are low or no stretch, small diameter per pound test, and the line floats which aids in surface presentations.

All that controversy about spool diameter is to offset the problems of memory and stiffness of mono lines. Non existant with braids.

My finesse presentation set up is 30# braid with a 20# fluorocarbon leader. I use the fluorocarbon to make the braid sink. Since I only fish for bass, that setup works in all water clarities.

[Marty]

All that controversy about spool diameter is to offset the problems of memory and stiffness of mono lines. Non existant with braids.

Not entirely. All other things being equal, larger spools make for better casting distance and line performance, regardless of what kind of line. Simple physics, for a given distance, a smaller spool will require more line revolutions, thus shortening the cast. Or the corollary, for a given number of revolutions, the smaller spool will yield a shorter cast and a less smooth flowing of the line off the reel.