I recently bought an Abu Garcia blues max from academy and it's rated for 12lb test line and the pole is around 14lb I think. I had 8lb mono already and the guy at the store said that would be fine. Will this hurt any function of the rod and reel?

i think that if you are already using a lighter line like you are you may just want to use a spinning reel... i have an abu garcia cardinal 400i and it works great up to 14lbs test i use a 12lb braid

That's the reason I have 8lb test. Because I've been using a spinning reel all my life and want to try a Baitcaster. I can go but more line. What do you suggest? I'm not a fan of braid.

A couple of things might happen. One, you are a little more likely to snap off a lure while casting, due to the lighter line. This really isn't a problem unless there are people in the direction that the lure snapped. Secondly, any backlash you might get might be harder to untangle. I don't see either of these possibilities precluding the use of 8 lb line. Give it a shot.

I use 8lb on my baitcasters with no problems. But I am not using it in places where it will get hung up either. You should not have any problems.

I have 8lb on my TD advantage and it works just fine.

I've used 30lb braid on a baitcaster which is the same diameter as 8lb mono and more limber and had no problems. You'll just have to be very careful of backlashes. What 30lb braid can handle in terms of untangling line and having line loops slapping around inside the reel 8lb mono cannot. If you get a backlash be sure to carefully inspect the portion of the line that was inside the reel.

Years ago if you used anything under 10# mono on a casting reel you would run the risk of having it fall between the frame and the spool and that would lead to an entire spool of line gone, you learned quick. Todays reels have tighter tolerances so it isn't as big of a deal but it can still happen on the more inexpensive casting reels so be careful. The rerason you don't see too much light line is because spinning does an great job of the lighter stuff while casting gives you more control and a much easier time handling bigger lures.

I run 8 lb fluorocarbon line on one of my reels for deep cranking. The thinner line allows the crankbait to go deeper. This is a common application and I don't know of anyone doing this who has an issue. You should be fine using this line. Just make sure you use it for the right application. You don't want to be flipping brush with it for example.

The only thing wrong with 8# line on a baitcaster is that you're not taking full advantage of the baitcaster's heavy tackle handling characteristics. Try some 15# mono or hybrid and throw some jigs/T-rigs in and around heavier cover.

Also if you have one of those samurai hook sets, you may find you're breaking the light line when you're swinging on a bite.

I have 8 lb. mono on several baitcast reels. No problem. Of course when I'm going to be fishing in any kind of cover, I grab a reel with heavier line. However, a lot of my fishing is done where 8 lb. is completely satisfactory. I have what looks like 6 lb. mono that came with a used reel I bought. This particular reel was cleaned by DVT before I started using it. It gives me fits with light lures that my Curado 51E (with 8 lb mono, and also cleaned by DVT) handles with ease. I don't know if the line has anything to do with that or if it is just me or if the spool is too fast for my limited experience.

I can testify that a backlash with 8 lb. line is harder to remove than one with 12 lb. line. Had a monster one yesterday.

EDIT: I should mention that the 8 lb. gets used on Medium power rods. MH rods get 12 lb. mono. I use very little braid.

Light braids will have a tendency to dig into themselves.

The only thing wrong with 8# line on a baitcaster is that you're not taking full advantage of the baitcaster's heavy tackle handling characteristics. Try some 15# mono or hybrid and throw some jigs/T-rigs in and around heavier cover.

x2

Made that mistake with a Diawa baitcaster and it was my first as well. Always use spinning reels and still am. I do want to try that Diawa again using a 30lb. braid next time to see if it helps with the birdsnests. Since I bought my Revo Supreme PRM30 and put 15lb. braid on it I haven't really needed anything bigger or heavier in the local Ky. waters. The drag on that Revo allows me to catch large fish after I wear them out with my Veritas 7ft. med. heavy rod. Good luck with that baitcaster and I hope mine does better after line change as well.