Complete Fail - Fluorocarbon for Baitcasting

From time to time you hear and read the recommendation that monofilament fluorocarbon line is supposed to be the perfect choice for baitcasting. It is said to cast well, be nearly invisible underwater and not twist on the spool. Compared to braided line it is also elastic, which can be an advantage for certain techniques.

I heard this tip as well on the YouTube channel FirstCastTV, which I generally appreciate for solid and honest fishing advice and therefore like to recommend. So I decided to give it a try myself.

I spooled fluorocarbon line onto my baitcaster, tied on a 60 gram spoon and started fishing. The very first cast immediately turned into a disaster. A full bird’s nest formed on the spool, and not the kind you can patiently fix.

Several tight knots appeared and every attempt to untangle them only made things worse. Eventually the line snapped while trying to free it.

To make matters worse, during that time the spoon got snagged on the bottom. When I tried to pull it loose, it broke off and was gone for good. At that point the test was over for me.

My personal conclusion from this experience is pretty clear. With reservations, I would say: never use monofilament line for baitcasting. At least not the way I did it.

Still, the question remains whether the mistake was actually on my side. Was the line too stiff, too thick or spooled incorrectly, or were my reel settings simply wrong? That is exactly what I would like to know.

Feel free to send me an email at info@olifani.eu and please let me know if I may quote your message here on the blog.