I have been using mono and fluorocarbon line for as long as I was fishing. I have recently switched to braided line. I bought Spiderwire EZ braided line,10 lb. It has the diameter of a 4 lb mono line. I used two split shots sinkers on the mono line I always use, and it will go a good 15-20 ft. When I tried 2 split shot sinkers on the braided line, I couldn't cast more than 2 ft. It would just go in a random direction. Does anyone have any advice on why this is happening? I made sure the line is tight on the reel. Could it just be bad quality line?

Haven't used that particular braid, but a lot of them have a waxy coating on them when they're new. Once you've fished it a few times the coating wears off and the line becomes less stiff and sticky. Could be why it's having trouble with casting a very light weight?

What reel are you casting with? Bait caster or spinning. Braid has a smaller diameter and will dig into itself on a bait caster and not be able to cast. I would go nothing smaller than 30 lb on a baitcaster. I believe that 30 lb braid us equivalent to 10 lb mono diameter size.

This doesn't sound like it's a line issue.

Haven't used that particular braid, but a lot of them have a waxy coating on them when they're new. Once you've fished it a few times the coating wears off and the line becomes less stiff and sticky. Could be why it's having trouble with casting a very light weight?

I havent used it much. I casted it like 2-3 times.

The first time I used Fireline it had a coating on it that wore off in maybe 30 min. It was a little stiff, but I was still able to cast a weightless trick worm.

 

Why may I ask did you choose that pound test? The coolest thing about braid is that you can get by with 20 lb test and have the diameter of 8#. It could be that your line is digging into itself on the spool or just sticking together. Most braids are flat and won't sit on the spool as well as mono.

 

Fireline is rounder than other braids. If you go with 20# test it will lay on the spool and not dig in. When I tried Spiderwire (years ago) on a BC combo it was always digging into the spool. If I had to drag in a limb or even a fish, the next cast was no good. I trashed a whole spool of it and didn't go back to Fireline for a decade. Now I get much better casting distance out of heavier brad than I would even 10# mono.

 

Tie on a 1/2 oz Rat-L-Trap and cast that bad boy for 20 min. That should loosen up that line.

Typically a 30# braided superline is the same diameter as 8# mono/fluorocarbon and 20# superline is the same diameter as 6# mono. 

A 10# mono equivalent diameter superline is typically 50# and 60/65# is 12# diameter.

 

Some quality superlines (like Diawa) are smaller in diameter.

I use 40# Daiwa Samurai and it is 8# mono diameter.

 

Fireline is not a braid, it is fused filaments.

Sounds like your line is dug into itself on the spool. Try peeling off 20-30 yards til it starts coming off easy, and then reel it back on with light tension.  Sounds like it needs to be used more to break it in some, don't write it off yet.

Spinning or casting would make all the difference here.  Short casts on spinning gear is often due to not having the spool full.  If you want long effortless casts try Nanofil.  (I know it is not braid)

Sounds like your line is dug into itself on the spool. Try peeling off 20-30 yards til it starts coming off easy, and then reel it back on with light tension.  Sounds like it needs to be used more to break it in some, don't write it off yet.

 

This is exactly what I was thinking, too!

Typically a 30# braided superline is the same diameter as 8# mono/fluorocarbon and 20# superline is the same diameter as 6# mono. 

A 10# mono equivalent diameter superline is typically 50# and 60/65# is 12# diameter.

 

Some quality superlines (like Diawa) are smaller in diameter.

I use 40# Daiwa Samurai and it is 8# mono diameter.

 

Fireline is not a braid, it is fused filaments.

"FireLine is a pre-waxed and braided cord made of highly durable material. It has been noted by many as the strongest fiber per diameter ever created."

 

I can see daylight between those "fused" filaments. That whole fused thing is smokescreen by Berkley. It's braid and it's darn good stuff, rounder than the others. I like it so much I'll probably switch one of my BC combos over to 30#, although Berkley says it's great for spinning, suitable for BC.

Fireline. Not fused

And not braided! 

Sounds like your line is dug into itself on the spool. Try peeling off 20-30 yards til it starts coming off easy, and then reel it back on with light tension.  Sounds like it needs to be used more to break it in some, don't write it off yet.

 

x2. 

I use nanofil and i like it better than fireline

I'm going all braid with a leader. I've had it with nylon whatever line. Lost two more nice bass today and two new cranks because of line breakage. 

I'm going back to Stren for my leader too. I've had enough of the flouro and hybrid band wagon.

I use nanofil and i like it better than fireline

 

I like Nanofil but I've had some really weird line break issues on a spool that's about 2 years old.  No nicks or anything as far as I can see, and it would just break somewhere in the middle, no knots or anything.  When I reeled my line in to check, it was a clean break, as if someone took a pair of scissors and cut it clean.  I had this happen like 3 times on same morning, once on a cast, twice on hooksets.  I went home, stripped it all off, put on fresh Nanofil from an unopened spool.  It hasn't happened since so I'm wondering if something in the Nanofil makes it become weak/brittle over time.  Haven't had this problem with any of the PowerPro or Sufix braided lines I have spooled on my other reels, so wondering if anyone has had a similar problem with Nanofil, or, if maybe a couple of years down the road this new spool will have a similar issue pop up.