16 minutes ago, MickD said:

I admit there are a lot of better baitcasters than I am, and if I were more skilled I probably would try FC again, especially where I needed a sinking line.  

 

Last year I thought I'd try spybaits, so I rigged up my 9 foot slow action (very expensive North Forks blank which I won at a gathering) steelhead/salmon rod that is perfect for long casts with light lures.  I rigged it with 4 pound FC, (as the experts recommend for spybaits-has to be light so not to affect the action of the spybait) major brand, on a Stradic 4000.  Could cast a mile with it, for about half an hour.  Line was simply too fragile.  So I put on a .006 in diameter braid with a leader (FG knot-rod has micros).  Still casts a mile, I don't think the line is impairing the action of the spybait, and it has solved the FC problem.  Theoretically it won't sink as fast, but it also won't be broken off so fast.  

 

AJ, any experience to relate that might help me fish spybaits?

Before the spybait stuff - I'll say that the few times I use FC as a leader, (drop shot, ned rig) I'm never going under 8lb test.  Everything less than that is either Big Game or Maxima Ultragreen.  And the PB Musky I got this spring while SMB fishing came on 10 FC mainline on casting gear. So my confidence in it went WAY up after that.

 And not to hi-jack the thread, but my personal success with spybaits is not really close to what I'd like it to be.  

I'm still very much in the 'learning' stage right there myself.

A-Jay

 

On my baitcasters I use, Mono for topwater, Fluoro for bottom baits, braid for gnarly overgrown stuff.

4 hours ago, A-Jay said:

I'm still very much in the 'learning' stage right there myself.

Me too.  A Lk St Clair guide told me they work best in calm water.  A friend had success there counting them down in deep water.  I had a follow once.  ?

1 minute ago, MickD said:

Me too.  A Lk St Clair guide told me they work best in calm water.  A friend had success there counting them down in deep water.  I had a follow once.  ?

Congrats - I'd take that right about now.

 I'm hoping to be on the water enough & in the right conditions to experience the spybait magic I keep hearing about.

My experience so far consists of learning how, where & when to NOT fish them.

So I've got that going for me.

A-Jay