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.

Ya, I'm not a fan of baitcasters as an all round combo. If you were to stick to Largies and Pike then sure go with the 7' MH but if you throw eyes into the mix then MH seems a little over kill...

I would also suggest trying the 30# braid. I've been throwing spinnerbaits with a baitcaster for years and always go with 30# braid, I've had great success with Stren Superbraid, casts well, doesn't dig in and seems to last forever. If you find yourself in clear water you can always tie on a fluoro leader.
To help with the digging in, if you can, first time out in a boat troll out all of your braid with a lure that provides lots of resistance and then reel the line back in under tension. This will make sure that the base is nice and tightly wound.

When I started with baitcasters I also questioned the switch reel hand thing. I ended up going with mostly left hand retrieve (I'm right handed) and would never change that. The rod hand is the one to impart action to the bait, I want that one to be my dominant hand. The one exception is I prefer to throw spinnerbaits and such on a right hand retrieve but that is mostly chuck and wind.

As an example:
By baitcasters are spooled as follows: Heavy pitching/fliping 65# braid, Froggin 65# braid, pitching/ flipping clear water, lighter cover 20# fluorocarbon, Spinnerbaits, rattlebaits, chatterbaits 30# braid.

Baitcasters are made for throwing bigger baits to bigger fish like pike and largemouth. A 7 ft. MH can handle almost every thing a regular angler would go for. I am new to bait casting and I have a 7 ft. MH Fenwick HMG my reel is a abu garcia round reel spolled up with 30 lb braid. I don't understand why you don't like baitcasters is it beacause your not ussing the right set up.

Welcome to the forum Liam :)

Just wondering who you were addressing this to?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by liam

I don't understand why you don't like baitcasters is it beacause your not ussing the right set up.

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Thanks for the help guys, I just picked up a St Croix Premier 7' MH-Fast for a great deal brand new. Pair that with my new Lews Speed Spool LFS and that is now my new do-it-all baitcasting combo. Thanks again!

sounds like a sweet combo. Be interested to hear how that reel performs.

The Duckett 7' Med heavy sets up nicely with that reel too. Nice and light but super strong and durable combo.

Yeah I have read a lot about the Lews lately and from what I can tell they are great "bang for the buck". I can wait to hook into a nice bass with this set-up, thanks for all your help guys!!!