Fireline with Baitcasters

I am having problems with running Fireline on my baitcasters. Seem to get many more backlashes than normal. What line seems to work best for you guys/gals out there. I want to use at least 14lb test.So Fireline is great for line diameter.

I use the 20/8 lb. for trolling. I have never casted with it though so I don’t know how well it works for that. Bill

I had the same problem with my fireline. Besides I was having it break off in a mid cast so I will not run it anymore. I have been running spider line fusion and power-pro on my baitcasters. I don’t have much problem with either. It takes about half a summer and some fine touches to get the caster set up. On a different note, the spider line is easier to get the nest out of than the power-pro

I run Power Pro on my slop rod and on the rest I use either 14 or 17 lb. test sensation or tournament strength.

Thanks for the info guys. I switched to sensation and it casts like a dream. Way to Glen in the BFL. I fished it as well but did’t make the cut. Had a blast fishing it. Wish I would have been out that second day the weather was nicer . lol. Again congrats and good job.

Todd,
Thanks for the kind words and goodl luck in the future.
See ya on the water.

Hey Glenn, Please feel free to post about tournaments on the Tournament Forum. Also, how about sharing about that BFL Tournament right here? Sounds like you did good. Thanks, Bill

I know you’ve already made the switch but I PREFER fireline on my casters. The breakage mentioned has to be a bad batch but I’ve found more problems dialing in a caster on stretchy mono than any superline. Now, that stretchiness may be partly responsible for a more forgiving set up but I’ve found the bulk of my backlash problems come from myself. Superlines require tight spooling……….if you don’t change your caster for this you ARE going to create problems. No matter the reel or rod or application, if switching between mono and supers…………a few minor adjustments need to be made, mostly because they’re not made the same and therefore carry different properties.

The main cause of backlashes is because the lure slows up in flight while the line continues to come off the reel at the casting speed. This usually occurs when the tension knob on the side of the reel is not adjusted correctly to the weight of the lure, casting into a moderate or strong wind, trying to cast too far a distance or a combination of the above. Of course if your using a heavy lure like a sonar, no problems.

Ahhh………….maybe the sonars are an issue of weight vs. wind resistance because I can throw a heavy lure with an improper adjustment and still cause a backlash. It’s all about the spin rate of the spool and if you’ve got one that can really zing, there isn’t a lure heavy enough to change that. Tight winds, proper adjustment, and proper technique…………tiz my formula for a foul free day.

As you said, improper adjustment will cause a backlash. So adjust it it as correctly as possible. Another trick to lessen backlash is to hold the thumb slightly above the reel when casting so that the line coming off the reel just barely ticks the skin, thus slowing it up.

I am having great luck with Sensation mono. I still spool all my spinning rods with Fireline. The baitcasters are great for slop fishing and heavy weeds but I am still a sucker for spinning tackle .Need more pratice with the baitcaster before I go skipping under docks lol. want more time fishing and less time preforming backlash surgery.

AMEN to that last sentence! No matter the line, I certainly disapprove of any downtime! LOL!

I love the stuff on spinning tackle, buit hate it on baitcasters. I use mono (P-Line CXXX, but want to try the Ironsilk) or Power Pro on all my baitcasters.

On the backlashes, can’t say I notice any more lashes on one vs. another, but braids are MUCH harder to pick lashes out of than mono is.

I’ve been using fireline and fusion on my Ambassadeur 5500s and 6500s for about three years. So far it’s worked great, casting as well. One tip. Usually, you adjust the spool tension so, when a lure drops straight down toward the water on freespool, it stops when it hits the water. I tighten the tension just a hair more than that. I think the reason there are occasionally some backlash problems is the superlines aren’t completely round, like mono, so they lay differently on the spool. When you cast and the spool spins, it slows and speeds up as the line pulls out through deeper peaks and valleys on the spool than mono has.

When spooling the caster with fireline, do you put a layer of mono down to prevent slip?? I have a spool of fireline sitting on my work bench just waiting to be used, but I’m unsure of how to spool it on there correctly to prevent slip. I’ve read on the Berkley site that you should put a layer of mono down, then use a blood knot to connect the fire line. Any truth to this?? How do you guys spool it on your casters?

Yeah, it’s true. I learned that one the hard way. Spooled an Ambassadeur 6500 with fireline and when I tried to adjust the drag, I couldn’t get it tight enough. Called a reel repair guy who was stumped, but then when he realized I had on a fused line or superbraid he told me it’ll continue to slip around the spool. Two ways to stop that. One is to wrap it a few times and then run some tape around it. I use the other way, which is to start with mono, as you heard, then blood-knot on the superline. Coupla hints. When you make the initial loop in the fused line to start the blood knot, double it. Mono can cut itself on a blood knot against a single loop of braid or fused. Also, the superlines I use seem to consistently come in 125 to 150 yard spools.Since I’m usually spooling line with a 12 lb diamater (25 lb test) on a 5500 or a 6500, it would take way more than 150 yards to spool it the whole way, and what a waste of line and money. So I spool it to what I think is about 150 yards short of full capacity using mono or the old-fashioned dacron braided line (cheap, never wears out), then fasten on the superbraid or fused line. Also, I really wrap the fused lines hard, since they’re not quite round. Althoug I hear the newest superbraids and fused lines are round, and that should make the reel spools turn consistently and cut down on backlashes.

Good luck.