# Baitcasting Reels: Preferred MONOFILAMENT line



## msunolimit (Aug 20, 2006)

Hey guys (and ladies). I know Mike brought up the topic of which line to use for spinnerbaits a week or so ago. Well, I finally got around to exchanging my broken Cabela's XML rod and picked up a new split grip 7' XML Spinnerbait specific rod:
*(C70SB 7' Spinnerbait MH 12-20 3/8 to 1-1/2 1 C 2" 11")*
Now, I'd prefer to throw mono on the new setup, but I'm not in the mood for backlash hell...What type of mono (Brand/Lb Test) do you experienced 'baitcast' guys toss with best success? I'm leaning towards a 12lb Gamma Copolymer, but would like all input.

Thanks in advance!


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## bass slayer 17 (Mar 11, 2008)

i throw 17lb spiderwire G-string mono works like a charm...


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## Jnamo (Apr 14, 2006)

None. 

Tried mono for the last two years.

Going back to using just PowerPro.


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## sfw1960 (Apr 7, 2002)

Jnamo said:


> None.
> 
> Tried mono for the last two years.
> 
> Going back to using just PowerPro.



Why the hell would you want a "Mono" type line ( I consider CoPolys & Fluoros DIFF.) Dave???
I've used Yo-Zuri Hybrid (which is what the Japanese guys @ Tackle Tour often use ) for many previous B/C reel reviews , these are professionals , unlike some guys that think they are!!! (posts to soon follow!)
:lol:
www.tackletour.com

When (NOT IF , when ..) you get a really bad backlash you're DONE. Unless you get out a jack knife & new spool - but who wants to do that??
I have NEVER had a 'lash I couldn't get out using 30# braid... Everyone assumes I use 30# to rip a fishes head off (which IS a nice side effect - benefit , LOL!) I use it B/C if I get an over run - - it's GRAVY to get out and resume casting.
I had great luck with the Yo-Zuri Hybrid , but like any line when it's all wadded up you're out of commission until it's unwound.

Add the fact you can fish P Pro for three years NO PROBLEM....
@ $13/spool it's a great buy.
IF you insist on a "Mono" type line , I suggest Fluoro over CoPoly.....
:evilsmile
Here's some more reading mat'l Dave.....
http://www.tackletour.com/menulines.html
http://www.tackletour.com/reviewfluorocarbontestpg2.html

:fish2:Robert


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## waterfoul (May 18, 2005)

See Dave, I told you.

I'm throwing 12 lb P-Line CXX (which is a co-polymer).

And WE are getting our urge to throw mono or NON BRAID from the spinnerbait KING. I had several conversations with Kevin VanDam this winter... and he strongly believes in mono for spinnerbaits. Suggests BPS XPS mono in 10 lb up to 1/2 oz. baits and 12 lb for 1/2 oz. and up. NO ONE catches more fish on a spinner bait that Kevin VanDam... so I take what he says about them seriously.

Oh, that 2 man (3 counting Jimmy) walleye limit today was fun!


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## Ara (Sep 10, 2005)

waterfoul said:


> I had several conversations with Kevin VanDam this winter... and he strongly believes in mono for spinnerbaits. Suggests BPS XPS mono in 10 lb up to 1/2 oz. baits and 12 lb for 1/2 oz. and up.


Weird that one of his sponsors is BPS... coincidence? But I am sure that he isn't biased.


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## Jnamo (Apr 14, 2006)

I just don't have any purpose for mono. 

Last year I had 2 or 3 spinnerbaits that went about a mile out into the lake when I cast. Needless to say that was right after I heard a big "snapping" noise and they were no longer attached to my line. 

I have never had this happen with PP. Plus the aaa...professional overruns....while few and far in between...a lot easier to get out of braid vs. mono. 

If I had to use mono for spinnerbaits because that is all there was, I would use 17lb. sensation. When you get a good spool, it is good line. I usually get a good spool 2 out 3 times. 

Yo-Zuri extra soft is a good line to try. It is Flouro, but I have yet to have any major issues with it.

Tight Lines - the good way!

P.S. the best thing to do is to try what people are saying for yourself. Everybody likes things for different reasons. Again, it is all about confidence. 

Also, go on BPS or Cabelas online and read the reviews about the lines. You should read what people say about BPS Flouro. the line used by the greatest fisherman in the world. I was going to give it a try this year but after reading what people were saying about it, Kevin can keep it....


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## thedude (Jul 20, 2004)

i've lost a couple spinnerbaits and an xrap on power-pro while casting (bail snapped shut, hit the boat... who knows). For mono, i just use plain old stren, 14lb or 17lb in the ghost green color. Trilene used to make some tournament strength or supreme line (came in a gold box) that i really liked too. I think bigger mono is least backlashable of all lines. I run a lot of power-pro from 20-65lb test, 8lb yo-zuri, 12 pline, and 17lb pline on different baitcasting rods... mono is the easiest to get undone and 14lb+ seems to backlash less for me also.


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## Jnamo (Apr 14, 2006)

> (bail snapped shut, hit the boat... who knows).


What is a bail? 

Were you in jail?


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## wolverines (Jan 29, 2007)

waterfoul said:


> I had several conversations with Kevin VanDam this winter... and he strongly believes in mono for spinnerbaits. Suggests BPS XPS mono in 10 lb up to 1/2 oz. baits and 12 lb for 1/2 oz. and up.


 

waterfoul, would you mind sharing the reasons why he made these suggestions to you...


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## sfw1960 (Apr 7, 2002)

wolverines said:


> waterfoul, would you mind sharing the reasons why he made these suggestions to you...


Doesn't matter ... KVD is his 'god' and anything he says , well Mike's the pied piper of whatever him & his unc'a bill dance say....

:lol: :evilsmile :lol: :evilsmile


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## DaveW731 (Jan 12, 2001)

I like 10# Gamma copolymer, because if I need to I can toss 3/16oz spinnerbaits by using a slightly smaller line. No problems with 3/8 and 1/2 oz sizes, either. Backlashes have not been a real issue for me.
Just my 2c


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## The Longshank (Feb 2, 2008)

The only time I ever use mono is for topwater baits with trebs. I use braid anytime I'm flipping or pitching and for everything else I use the new Trilene 100% flourocarbon. I am sponsored by Berkley and get it for free so why not right?

Scott


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## Ninja (Feb 20, 2005)

wolverines said:


> waterfoul, would you mind sharing the reasons why he made these suggestions to you...


 
KVD uses mono for spinnerbaits for a couple of reasons.....

He wants as limp a line as possible for longer casting distance.
As little memory as possible due to the enormous number of casts he makes in a day.
He also likes a little stretch in his line when fishing spinnerbaits.

These are the reasons he gave me...hope it helps.


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## wolverines (Jan 29, 2007)

Ninja said:


> He also likes a little stretch in his line when fishing spinnerbaits.
> quote]
> 
> 
> ...


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## Ninja (Feb 20, 2005)

wolverines said:


> Ninja said:
> 
> 
> > He also likes a little stretch in his line when fishing spinnerbaits.
> ...


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## Final Cast (Jul 30, 2007)

Ninja said:


> wolverines said:
> 
> 
> > What do you mean?
> ...


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## Ninja (Feb 20, 2005)

Final Cast said:


> Ninja said:
> 
> 
> > Here you go. http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/showthread.php?t=227231
> ...


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## Ranger Ray (Mar 2, 2003)

With the new braids and graphite rods, you can react to fast on top water and spinner blades (sight fishing). You either learn to give that second before setting the hook or you let your equipment compensate for it. A couple guys I knew that used to fish the Red Man tourneys made sure they used some type of glass rods to keep their reaction time slower. Splitting hairs? Probably. You split them when you are fishing for money though.  :lol:


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## Final Cast (Jul 30, 2007)

Ranger Ray said:


> With the new braids and graphite rods, you can react to fast on top water and spinner blades (sight fishing). You either learn to give that second before setting the hook or you let your equipment compensate for it. *A couple guys I knew that used to fish the Red Man tourneys made sure they used some type of glass rods to keep their reaction time slower*. Splitting hairs? Probably. You split them when you are fishing for money though.  :lol:


I saw a episode with KVD and he said that he likes a nice glass rod with a soft tip when throwing spinnerbaits on fluoro.


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## waterfoul (May 18, 2005)

Jnamo said:


> I will reiterate incase it was missed...
> 
> I would use 17lb. Sensation for spinnerbaits/Rat-L-Traps if I had to.
> 
> ...


Woof!


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## msunolimit (Aug 20, 2006)

Well, I decided to try the new setup out tonight on water, rather than the parents' backyard lol. Surprisingly, the line handled VERY well, until the first backlash about 25 minutes in....Made a hell of a cast (probably 60 ft or so...keep in mind I don't throw baitcasters), and I didn't realize my line was spooling off faster than the line was leaving the reel...After 5 minutes of picking at the bird's nest in the dark, I said the hell with it, and snapped off the line...I was kinda feeling 12lb test anyway :lol:.

Did manage a fish on the 2nd cast tho...bling


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## sfw1960 (Apr 7, 2002)

That's EXACTLY The problem I fear Dave.....
So what if the 12LB goes ......nnnnn n nnnn nn n &^%$#^%[email protected]^%$#^@!!!!


Then will you respool of slap some pr0 of de' p0WaH on??
:lol: :lol: :lol:


RAS


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## msunolimit (Aug 20, 2006)

sfw1960 said:


> That's EXACTLY The problem I fear Dave.....
> So what if the 12LB goes ......nnnnn n nnnn nn n &^%$#^%[email protected]^%$#^@!!!!
> 
> 
> ...


I don't think you understood my post Robert. What I said was, "_After 5 minutes of picking at the bird's nest in the *dark*, I said the hell with it._" Being that I couldn't SEE what I was doing, it was a lost cause trying to fix the issue in the dark (Lesson learned to get a headlight for night fishing) 

In all honesty, the only times I even had issues were when I tried to cast my damn spinnerbait a mile. Aside from that, I had no issues with 'professional overruns'. 

That being said, I fished a few hours with Mikey Friday, and had no issues getting any of the backlashes out. Once I stopped trying to overcast, things went great I think.


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## RobFromFlint (Apr 24, 2008)

msunolimit said:


> I don't think you understood my post Robert. What I said was, "_After 5 minutes of picking at the bird's nest in the *dark*, I said the hell with it._" Being that I couldn't SEE what I was doing, it was a lost cause trying to fix the issue in the dark (Lesson learned to get a headlight for night fishing)
> 
> In all honesty, the only times I even had issues were when I tried to cast my damn spinnerbait a mile. Aside from that, I had no issues with 'professional overruns'.
> 
> That being said, I fished a few hours with Mikey Friday, and had no issues getting any of the backlashes out. Once I stopped trying to overcast, things went great I think.


What Reels do you use?


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## sfw1960 (Apr 7, 2002)

"OverCast??" 

If you say so!!!
:yikes:
Keep in mind I REGULARLY fish in the dark , but use a headlamp....
Makes NO DIFF. if the clock is ticking away though.
I routinely fire baits 80-90 feet and ONE of the reasons I thought read for using mono was the "m0' distance' factor , which is BS....LOL
Especially if you're skEEREd to "OverCast"....LMAO.

You also said you SNAPPED OFF THE LINE....indicating you ruined the spool you had on there and was going to put 12LB on next time.
Doesn't look like I mis-understood what you typed , really.
Looks like you're experiencing just what I thought you might , but hey - you're paying for your own line!!

:lol:


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## msunolimit (Aug 20, 2006)

sfw1960 said:


> "OverCast??"
> 
> If you say so!!!
> :yikes:
> ...


I 'snapped off' about 20' out of the 110+ yards that were on the spool, i hardly think 103 yards on the spool would matter regardless, but I'm going to switch to the lighter line b/c I'm convinced I won't have issues with the money. Simply put, the lighter/thinner line WILL be able to go further once I re-tune my reel and get things working how they should be.

Keep in mind, I just got a baitcaster last year, and only managed to use it a few months before some fluke accident caused my rod to snap. I'd say with a baitcasting setup, I've only put about 30 hours of fishing in.

Given that in 30 hours, I've realized what I need to do, and how to perfect the techniques (the whole package of fishing a baitcaster mind you, not JUST casting the bait out), I think I'll be just fine.

Again, the ONLY reason I couldn't get the backlash out was because of the fact that I couldn't see a thing. Even Mike commented about me trying to 'overcast'...I mean when you're swinging a rod faster than a damn 5 iron, you're going too fast :lol:. 

Another issue I noticed is that I didn't really have enough tension on my line when spooling my reel with the 14lb, so it's acting like it is free-spooling off the reel a little too freely (I changed the adjustment on the reel to make sure teh bait falls slowly to the water then stops so my spool is pretty close to on).

Again, all of this is an EASY fix, and for the $8-10 or whatever Gamma is going to run me, I'm not worried about it breaking the bank....

At the end of the day, my goal is simple: Put more fish in the boat...FWIW, I did manage a little hammerhandle fishing a jerkbait w/ the baitcaster, and it handled quite nicely (and didn't even put a nick in the mono...or get close enough to do so lol).


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## sfw1960 (Apr 7, 2002)

*OK.*
It's just a few of US did answer you directly on your post....
"Baitcasting Reels: Preferred MONOFILAMENT line"

ANSWER: NONE
:lol:

*G'Luck!!*
Sounds like a good rod to be using anyways.

Keep us posted Dave......


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## waterfoul (May 18, 2005)

I threw Dave's spinnerbait rod today... it works great. BUT, he did put co-polymer on it remember.... Gamma. I had no issues tossing it 50-75'.


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## sfw1960 (Apr 7, 2002)

AS like in the unanswered post above , what kind of reel is Dave running on that Mike????
(it's NOT like you've told me not to cast so hard or far either...LMAO)


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## waterfoul (May 18, 2005)

It's a Cabela's reel... not exactly sure of the model. It's a decent reel though.


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## fishinthed (Nov 7, 2007)

I've found P-Line Fluoroclear very castable with very basic Penn conventional reels that have no anti-backlash mechanisms, and I'm _very_ "rusty" with baitcasting gear (almost entirely a spin fisher last 20+ years). The line should work great for more experienced casters with more sophisticated gear.


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## msunolimit (Aug 20, 2006)

sfw1960 said:


> AS like in the unanswered post above , what kind of reel is Dave running on that Mike????
> (it's NOT like you've told me not to cast so hard or far either...LMAO)


The rod is the Cabela's XML split grip spinnerbait rod. The reel is a Cabela's Prodigy.


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## ESOX (Nov 20, 2000)

> I had no issues tossing it 50-75'.


GEEEZ, I would hope not. I could throw a spinnerbait that far on a fly rod. :lol:


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## waterfoul (May 18, 2005)

ESOX said:


> GEEEZ, I would hope not. I could throw a spinnerbait that far on a fly rod. :lol:


 
Hey now... it was windy... I'd never thrown this rod before... he had his Longshank bait tied on (we all know how hard those are to get! LOL!!)... and it was only 100 feet across the pond we were fishing! Why throw it any farther!!! LOL!!!  I'm sure I could have parked that thing on the ROAD on the other side of the pond if I really wanted too.... but I didnt' want to show off.


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## Southend517 (Feb 18, 2004)

this 29" er skinny bass liked the power pro









This gal did not mind it either









This big Mama really liked it









this little guy didn't mind either









bass pro qualifer rod and pflueger pres reel really likes the braid


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## sfw1960 (Apr 7, 2002)

msunolimit said:


> The rod is the Cabela's XML split grip spinnerbait rod. The reel is a Cabela's Prodigy.


WHICH Prodigy Dave??
(ummm YEAH , Likely a Silstar manufactured reel!!!)
Yep - good reels....



ESOX said:


> GEEEZ, I would hope not. I could throw a spinnerbait that far on a fly rod. :lol:


:lol: :lol: 


waterfoul said:


> Hey now... it was windy... I'd never thrown this rod before... he had his Longshank bait tied on (we all know how hard those are to get! LOL!!)... and it was only 100 feet across the pond we were fishing! Why throw it any farther!!! LOL!!!  I'm sure I could have parked that thing on the ROAD on the other side of the pond if I really wanted too.... but I didnt' want to show off.


:chillin: Battjes again???




Southend517 said:


> this 29" er skinny bass liked the power pro
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Keeeeeep the pr0n0 comin' SE517!!!
:woohoo1:


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## Jnamo (Apr 14, 2006)

Did the originator of this thread ever pick a line and go fishing yet? 

I am getting kind of lost trying to read all this crap????





Whatever happened????


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## waterfoul (May 18, 2005)

He's tossing Gamma Co-polymer. It aint mono but it aint braid either! LOL


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## Southend517 (Feb 18, 2004)

> Keeeeeep the pr0n0 comin' SE517!!!


one more from this evening from the po-dunk river - 
I was in a cinco de mayo mode - but I will be switching over to mono for the gobie tour once it fires up.
storm rattle gurb gettin it down'


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