What Size Braid For Baitcaster

If you’ve decided to go for a baitcaster reel over a regular spinning reel, we commend you on your decision.

First off, you get better line control for more accurate casts. But that’s not all, you are also able to gently drop the lure into the water, so that the action doesn’t spook any of the nearby fish. And this becomes particularly valuable when flipping baits into cover.

But if you’re more familiar with a regular spinning reel, or if you are completely new to fishing, you are likely to have plenty of questions about what braid to use and what size it should be, and so on.

So in this article we’re going to look at exactly that and try to answer some of your most frequently asked questions on the subject along the way. (Feel free to scroll ahead to any FAQ that catches your attention.)

Best Diameter Line For Baitcaster

The diameter of the line you use in your baitcaster effects your fishing in two main ways.

First off, the thinner the diameter is, the longer the length of line that you can store on the baitcaster spool. So if you need a long length, then a thinner diameter is best.

But, thicker lines for your baitcaster can also have their advantages too. The thicker the diameter of your fishing line, the more abrasion resistance it has, which can be particularly valuable if you go fishing in a rocky area, and you want to protect against getting snags in the line.

Moreover, larger diameter lines come off the spool easier and are less likely to overrun.

However, baitcaster line is rarely sold according to the diameter of the line, and is instead ascribed a number based on the weight of the line rather than by the line’s diameter. 

The most commonly used weight of the baitcaster line is about 8 to 12 pounds of monofilament, but slightly lower or slightly higher should also be fine to use in most circumstances.

However, this can differ according to what type of line you are using, whether it’s monofilament (mono), fluorocarbon (FC), or braid, since each type of line typically has a different diameter.

The 8 pounds recommendation we gave earlier is for mono, so if you want to use a different type of line, you should choose a different weight (and therefore diameter) accordingly.

Braid has a lot smaller diameter than mono and FC, which means that you can get more braid on your baitcaster spool than you would mono or FC.

Answers To Your Most Frequently Asked Questions

Is a Braided Line Good For Baitcasters?

In short, yes, braided line is good for baitcasters. It has a number of advantages over other types of lines, and we’ll run through them here…

First off, it’s stronger and tougher, which means that it will last longer than other types of line. Moreover, it’s significantly more sensitive than it’s monofilament and fluorocarbon counterparts.

Lastly, it also happens to be much easier to cast with, and has less stretch to boot. 

But, it is not without its disadvantages, which brings us nicely onto our next FAQ question.

Is Mono Or Braid Better For Baitcasters?

We have touched upon some of the advantages of a braid line in a baitcaster previously, but it bears repeating here also. Braid is stronger, lasts longer, is easier to cast with, and has less stretch compared to the other line types such as mono and fluorocarbon.

But on the other hand, the braid line does have its downsides, and areas in which monofilament trumps braid. For example, monofilament is typically more affordable than braid.

Another area where monofilament trumps braid is that monofilament can hold knots much better, whereas you might struggle with this using braid.

And that’s not the end of the advantages of mono over braid in a baitcaster. Light braid has been known to dig into itself on the baitcaster spool, and damage itself.

So there’s the list of advantages and disadvantages covered, but that doesn’t really answer the question. The truth is that monofilament is best for some types of fishing, while braid is a better option for others. These are as follows…

We recommend that you use a monofilament line on your baitcaster for trolling, live-bait fishing, and kite fishing. And we would recommend that you use braid on your baitcaster for bottom fishing or jigging, fishing structure, casting plugs or lures, and finally, for fishing kelp.

What Size Line Should I Use On My Baitcaster?

What size of line you should use on your baitcaster depends very much on what type of line you want to use, since different materials have different properties, and different diameters, whether it’s monofilament, braid, or fluorocarbon.

But, regardless of what type offline you decide to go for, it’s very important to note at this point that you should fill your baitcaster spool to between an eighth of an inch from the top and all the way to the top.

If you were to put too much line on the baitcaster, you’ll get an odd sound when you cast.

Baitcaster reels are not really designed for light lines, so as a general rule, the heavier the line is, the better.

If you are going to use monofilament in your baitcaster, or fluorocarbon, you can use anywhere from 10 pounds to 25 pounds. Although, we would recommend using a 17 pound line. It’s very easy to handle, and is the perfect choice for both learners and improvers.

What Pound Braid Should I Put On My Baitcaster?

As we mentioned earlier, baitcaster reels are not really designed for light lines, so as a general rule, the heavier the line is, the better.

And you will certainly need a heavier amount of braid for your baitcaster spool than you would for mono or FC. And rather than using a line between 10 and 25 pounds, you should instead be using a braid between 30 pounds and 80 pounds in weight.

However, there’s another general rule which says that you should fish with the lightest gear possible, so that you don’t tire yourself too quickly, because you’re often fishing for hours at a time.

So despite the advantages of using a large diameter in your braid, you may be best off with a relatively lightweight, not much more than 30 pounds, especially if you are a beginner or novice. Which leads on very nicely to our next FAQ question.

What Is 30lb Braid Good For?

30 pounds of braid in your baitcaster is good for several types of fishing, including bass fishing and surf fishing small fish in topwater.

But there are plenty of those who argue that 30 pounds of braid is a little overkill. But it appears that the people who are saying such things are using a regular spinning reel and not a baitcaster.

And those who use baitcasters for their fishing typically use 30 pounds worth of braid.

Wrap Up

So, hopefully now, we’ve given you some food for thought, and you can decide what type of line you would prefer to use and how much to put on your baitcaster!