Beginner Baitcaster: Mono or Braid?

[MetroMan]

ah heh heh heh heh

[ictalurus]

You're gonna love it. There's a promotion on them, too--$30 back:

http://abugarcia.com/products/promotions

[MetroMan]

Yep...will be mailing my stuff in tomorrow. Gotta purchase by the 15th. I was tempted to buy a new rod for it to get the $25 rebate, but I opted against it.

[kayak456]

if you have a birds nest
1.tighten drag all the way
2.push thumb on spool as hard as you can.
3. reel one turn.
4. put on free spool and repeat until gone,works everytime

[Redfish12]

You'll be fine with braid, just remember to adjust the spool tension and brakes when you switch lures. Other thing, pretend you are fly fishing and clear the deck. Hitting something behind you while casting will really mess your day up. I pulled an Indiana Jones move today.... Twice.

If you find the braid to be a pain, just reel it onto one of your trolling reels and fill with 12 or 15lb mono, something kind of soft. When you start out stick to casting lures that are at least 3/4 ounce. Should help!

The tip about dropping the lure and checking if it birdnests is the way to go!

[MetroMan]

Thanks for the tips guys. Been practicing for a couple of days and I finally used it on the kayak yesterday. No real birds nest...just a couple of small over runs. Good times! Im using 30lb braid, btw.

[pwf]

+1 perfect way to do it. Just make sure you readjust when putting on a new lure.

I got my first bait caster a few years ago. Set the mag so the lure drops a few inches, you'll need a little resistance to avoid the birdnest. Also dont be afraid to use your thumb to slow the spool as you see your lure drop. I'm still trying to master the thing. But it is cool. My buddies all use spinners ;-) It is a fine line between too much and too little mag resistance. I went straight to braid. The tangles come when the spool is letting out more line than your lure is pulling, hence using your thumb and finding that right mag setting.

[john from md]

I always adjust my bait caster by holding the rod horizonally and letting the lure freefall to the ground. I adjust the bearing so that the spool stops rotating when the lure hits. This keeps me from having "bird nests" and still allows for good casting distance.

I use 10 # power pro on my light tackle reels.

Good Luck,