Baitcasting set up help please...

Hello, so I am new to the baitcasting world and I just ordered a Lews speed spool LFS (left hand). They seem to be a good bang for your buck for under $100, and they are redesigned for 2015. I am right handed but I have spent so many years reeling with my left hand on my spinning gear that I got a left hand baitcaster and I'm happy with that choice. It seems to have a 6:8:1 gear ratio, is that a good all around gear ratio for everything? It also fits 120 yards of 12 point test which seems like it's pretty standard too, right?

So my questions to you are I want this for bass, walleye and pike and will be throwing just about everything so it needs to be my do-it-all set up. Would you guys choose braided line and if so what strength test? I also need a do-it-all rod for this reel and I was thinking a 7 foot med/hvy fast would do the trick, what do you think or should I go with a straight medium? Thanks

I haven't had much luck with braided line on my baitcasters because the line doesn't seem to pack right on retrieve causing the line to fall into itself and the next cast birdsnests like crazy. I changed to standard monofilament and it seemed to fix the problem. It'll be good to see what other anglers have to say because there's a strong possibilty I don't have something set up right,either.

I have braid on all my bait-casters and would never think of going back to mono as a main line, but I learned to use them long before braid was an option. I think a 10lb mono line like berkley XT would be a good, and cheaper, place to start. Once you feel confident that you can stop backlashes before they get too bad then decide if braid is a direction you want to go. If you do go with braid then 30lb is about where you want to go because it is, I believe, about the diameter of 10lb mono and doesn't burry too deep on itself.

The rod really depends on what you use it for and what type of baits you use. If you do a lot of jiggin' and "feel" is a high priority then faster action is preferred. If you cast or troll a lot of crank-baits then a slower action is preferred.

So maybe a medium powered, medium-fast rod?

Practice with heavy-ish floating crank-baits, or top-waters, and don't try to set a distance record every cast. Heavy baits cast easier, floating ones don't get snagged while you're pulling out a backlash and putting the extra bit of umff usually causes those professional over runs.

Some suggest pulling out a good amount of line and using electrical tape down to help from the backlashes getting too deep when you start out. (I wish I'd had that advice 30 years ago). Pull off the tape if you're trolling.

I would go braid right away. More expensive, but way easier to clear birds-nests should they arise. WAY EASIER.

30 pound braid. 7' mh is a good "do-all" rod

I find braid birdnests harder to clear then mono but that's just my experience and other's milage may vary. I will say replacing a spool of mono is way cheaper but if some of the other advise is followed then maybe braid is the way to go while learning.

That's my set up. 7" MH, with 30# test power pro. Prower pro is the way to go. Out casts every other braid.

I wouldn't go any lighter than 12lb in a mono or fluorocarbon. I use 12lb fluorocarbon on mine and use fluorocarbon on my spinning reel as well. Where I fish the lakes are gin clear and I like the abrasion resistance and little stretch it provides.

I recommend against anything lighter than 50lb braid. 30lb braid has too low of a diameter and embeds itself on the spool. Just my experiences.

No man, flip with 50-65 lb. Cast with 30 lb braid. No problem at all.