Is my setup ok?

[csen147]

Hey guys, bought a Shakespeare 7' spinning combo, ultralight. It's pre spooled with stren original mono, but from my experience with bass fishing, mono tangles up easily. Since I will be using a beetle spin and perhaps a trout magnet, since I heard they catch trout as well as crappie, should I replace the mono with dark green braid? Thanks. I will be fishing in both clear water and green water, and will use a leader.

[CrappiePappy]

My says ... stick with mono. Braid comes with its own set of potential "problems".

I prefer Vicious Panfish copoly 6lb test, over Stren products ... but, Stren Gold 4lb test mono & Mr Crappie Super Hi-vis 4lb test mono were used by me & my fishing buddies for years prior to me starting to use Vicious line. They still use Stren Gold & other brands.

That's not saying that Stren doesn't make good products. I use many different brands of mono lines, including Stren, BPS Excel, and Trilene. I also use PowerPro 10/2 hi-vis braid .... tied direct to my baits (no leader). But, I also don't fish lakes with clear water.

You can remove the tangles and potential for tangles, by dragging a good length of line through the grass (at home) or behind a boat (at idle speed) ... then reel the line back on the reel spool under tension (finger/thumb pressure) ... then put your bait back on. On reels that have been sitting for a good while & not been used, mono tends to "set" in coils. Those can be "stretched out" and more or less removed prior to using that reel. Tie off the end of the line and walk off at least 2-3 times the distance of a good cast, then stretch the line & hold it stretched for a few seconds & release ... do that 2 or 3 times, then cut the line loose from the tie ... then reel the line in under the finger/thumb pressure. That will remove the coils and relax the line, which will make it cast farther & not tangle or jump off the reel in coils.

That tying & stretching deal can also be a good time to set your drag, so that once the line has been stretched out to near its maximum, the drag will slip. That should insure you that the drag will slip well before a fish can pull against your line hard enough to break it. It can also insure you that the rod probably won't break before the drag slips, too.

... cp

[csen147]

Know that braid sometimes is bad, but mono seems to always tangle or break for me, despite dragging it, stretching it, ect. Any good braid recommendations? I got 20 lb Spiderwire that is the same diameter or less. Can I use that, with a leader? Thanks.

[CrappiePappy]

Know that braid sometimes is bad, but mono seems to always tangle or break for me, despite dragging it, stretching it, ect. Any good braid recommendations? I got 20 lb Spiderwire that is the same diameter or less. Can I use that, with a leader? Thanks.

Without knowing what rod/reel, line pound test, knots used, and how you cast ... it's hard to determine why your mono tangles or breaks so easily. What baits are being used may also be a factor.

As for braid ... I've used Spiderwire 20/6, and Cortland 15lb test, but currently use PowerPro 10/2 as the only braid used for "casting". And I only have one rod/reel with PP braid, and generally only cast Roadrunners & Whirly Bees on that outfit. I don't use a leader, but there's no reason why you couldn't use one ... and see if your tangles/breakage problems are resolved.

... cp

[csen147]

I use a size 20 spinning reel and a 7' UL rod.

[csen147]

I throw light lights, such as plastic worms.

[CrappiePappy]

You might consider replacing the "pre-spooled" Stren & putting on fresh line. No telling how long that line has been on there, or what conditions it's been subjected to.

Check all the guides on your rod, with a Q-tip or cotton ball, to make sure there are no scratches or grooves or sharp edges that may be nicking your line.

What brand & model is this "size 20" reel ??

And when you cast with it : do you cast with a overhead snap of the wrist, sidearm swing, overhead whole arm cast, or how exactly ?? Some baits have a tendency to spin quite a bit, depending on how you cast ... especially a quick wrist snap cast. Plastic worms that are not hooked dead center & hang straight are notorious for "rolling" on the retrieve.

Spinning & spincast reels are also notorious for imparting a twist to the line, simply a nature of the way they work. That's why I always advise doing the "stretching" & "untwisting" maneuvers.

Line "jumping off" the spool is a sign that there's too much line on the spool, or the line is too stiff or too heavy (in pound test) for the size of the reel's spool. Tangles upon casting can be caused by heavy coiling of the line and/or light lures not putting enough tension on the line as it's wrapped back around the spool when reeling in ... causing the line to wrap loosely around the spool, which allows the new incoming line to get under the coils of the previously wrapped line ... which will cause more than one layer of line to come off the reel, at the same time, upon the next cast. (and you end up with a "birds nest" between the reel & gathering guide)

Many will say to close the bail on a spinning rod by hand, as closing the bail by cranking the handle will impart a twist in your line. Personally, I believe how you cast & what you're casting can cause the bait you're casting to spin ... and that's a greater problem than one extra twist in the line from closing the bail by turning the handle. The only way I've been able to cut down on bait spin is to stop "wrist snap" casting & make my casts with a more fluid motion, especially when using very light baits (jigs < 1/16oz) or "off center weighted baits" (Roadrunners, Beetlespins, etc.)

... cp

[NIMROD]

Braid is rough on fishing reels . The reason some folks have twist or tangles with spincast or open faced reels is turning handle while drag is slipping twisting the lines .

[Hanr3]

Stick with mono! A hard hook set with braid and you will rip the lips off crappie. Mono works the best because of the stretch. You also need a very flexible tip, and backbone in the rod.

Like posted above, tangles come from cranking while slipping. Also comes from a rolling lure, crank bait. Eliminate both and you won't have tangles.

[csen147]

Thanks! I used my mono and got no tangles. I went out to a stream today, used my Beetle Spin - no bites. I had the idea to use some Tout Magnets, but the problem was that the fish would nibble, but not engulf, or when they do bite, they come off the hook. Just can't seem to get a really good hook in. Question is - do you use scents so your panfish will hold on when they bite?