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One of the more common questions I hear is what type of fishing line should I put on my rod. I really don’t think it makes a huge difference but in this post, I’m going to be talking about whether or not you can put braided line on a baitcaster.
Long story short, you can and should use braided line on your baitcaster. It’s a bit more expensive but there are so many benefits to using it. It’s going to last quite a bit longer, it’s going to be stronger, and it’s going to be much more sensitive than monofilament or fluorocarbon. Not only that, but it’ll also be easier to cast.
I almost always use 20 lb braid as my main fishing line but there have been times when I’ve upped it to 40 lbs. The great thing about braid is that it’s a lot thinner than standard fishing line (20 lb braid is the same thickness as 6 lb mono). One thing you’ll always want to do though is put a mono or fluoro leader to the end of your braided line. I’ll be talking more about this in a second.
The Best Braided Line For A Baitcaster
When it comes to what brand to toss on your rod I really don’t think there’s a right and wrong answer. I haven’t tried all of the braided lines out there but the majority of them have been pretty solid. All you really have to do is look for something that’s priced well and has good reviews on Amazon.
The two braided lines I use on my baitcaster are Sufix 832 braid and Power Pro braid (check the price on Amazon). Both of them have 4.5 stars on Amazon and I’ve never had any issues. I’m sure there are other great options out there but I’ve had no reason to use anything else.
If I’m going to be fishing in normal conditions, I’ll use a 20 lb braided line. If I’m going after bigger fish or I’m fishing an area where I know snags will happen, I’ll use 30-40 lbs. It’s going to be a thin line though so you can still put a good amount on your real and cast is a good distance.
One thing you’ll also want to do is grab yourself some fluorocarbon or monofilament. You’re going to want to use one of these as your leader and you’ll also want to use it on your spool before you attach your braid. 90% of the time I’ll use Seaguar Red Label fluorocarbon but if you want to use mono, Berkley Big Game (check the price on Amazon) is a great option.
How To Put Braid On A Baitcaster
When you’re putting fluorocarbon on a fishing rod, it’s super important that you do it the right way. Braid has no memory though so it’s not going to be as important. You probably should get in the habit of doing this right so here’s a quick video explaining how to put braid on your rod:
The very first thing I always do is put a couple of wraps of fluorocarbon or monofilament on my spool. Braid tends to slip on the spool and by covering the spool in standard fishing line, it’ll give the braid something to bite into. All you have to do is cover the spool in one layer and you’re good to go.
After that, you’ll want to tie your braided line onto the mono or fluoro you just put on. I’ll normally use the Double Uni knot and I think it’s the most popular for this. The video below will show you how to tie that knot.
You’ll want to fill up your spool so there’s a 1/8 inch gap between the line and the top of the spool. You don’t need more because you probably won’t use it and you don’t want less because it won’t cast as well.
When you’re spooling your rod, make sure you’re putting a good amount of tension on the line. If it’s not spooled straight or tight you’ll run into a lot of problems down the road. Get someone to put tension on the line or hold it tight with one hand.
One thing I always like to do is take it out in the boat, let out a good amount of line while the boat is moving, and reel it in. It’ll make sure everything is straight and tight. Just make sure the line isn’t crisscrossing all over the place.
Attaching Your Leader
Even though I use braid on 90% of my rods, it still isn’t perfect and that’s why I always use a leader. The reason you don’t want to use straight braid is that it’s pretty easy to see in the water. You’ll still be able to catch fish but I think a lot will be scared off. It also doesn’t stretch at all which could be bad for you and it could be bad for the fish.
Whether you use mono or fluoro is completely up to you. I normally use fluoro on my baitcaster but either will work. If you’re tight on a budget, mono will be cheaper. If you need your presentation to sink deep, fluoro will be better. Whichever you end up using, start with a 5-6 foot leader and replace it when it gets down to 2 feet (from cutting and retying).
One of the other downsides to using braid is that it’s a lot more slippery than mono and fluoro. That’s why you need to use the right knot and make sure it’s cinched in tight. There are many different options to pick from but I like using the Surgeon’s knot. Here’s a quick video showing you how to tie it:
The reason I like the Surgeon’s knot is that it’s super small and it’s almost impossible for it to come undone. Obviously, if you tie it wrong you’ll still have troubles but it’s pretty straightforward to learn. The Surgeon’s knot can be used to tie braid to fluorocarbon and braid to monofilament.
Until next time, happy fishing. If you want to catch more fish, use more hooks.
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