04-02-2008, 11:49 AM
Holy crap batman, a southbend that holds 500 yards of 50 pound mono........And it's a level wind?
First of all, you already know it's a cheaper reel, so half your question on castability is already answered. Remember, fishing reels are one of the few products where you really do get what you pay for, unlike T Shirts or hamburger buns.
Next, 50 pound mono isn't exactly the best casting line in the world. So when you spool it up with the 50, casting will be much worse than with the lighter line. It must be a good sized reel to hold that much 50, so it's really not made to cast at all, more for trolling or dropping strait down on structure.
The reason the spool keeps going once the weight hits the ground is because the break on the reel isn't set, granted that you can even tune the spool break enough to even make it castable. The break is the little knob on the side of the reel where the star drag is. You want to set the break according to what weight you are using. So, stick the reel on a rod and attach what ever rig you'll be using. Now, put the reel in free spool and watch. If the rig just drops to the floor, tighten up the break a little bit. Keep tightening the break until you have to give the rod a gentle shake to get the rig to hit the floor. Now you're ready, the spool won't out run the line anymore. You may have to keep playing with the setting until you get good at it. I recommend you continue to use the cheap line until you get the hang of it. Keep in mind, seasoned casters can use a bait casting reel with no tension on the reel, rather, they use their thumb and experiance to keep the spool under control. When using the break to control the spool speed, you sacrafice probably 35% or more of your distance.
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First of all, you already know it's a cheaper reel, so half your question on castability is already answered. Remember, fishing reels are one of the few products where you really do get what you pay for, unlike T Shirts or hamburger buns.
Next, 50 pound mono isn't exactly the best casting line in the world. So when you spool it up with the 50, casting will be much worse than with the lighter line. It must be a good sized reel to hold that much 50, so it's really not made to cast at all, more for trolling or dropping strait down on structure.
The reason the spool keeps going once the weight hits the ground is because the break on the reel isn't set, granted that you can even tune the spool break enough to even make it castable. The break is the little knob on the side of the reel where the star drag is. You want to set the break according to what weight you are using. So, stick the reel on a rod and attach what ever rig you'll be using. Now, put the reel in free spool and watch. If the rig just drops to the floor, tighten up the break a little bit. Keep tightening the break until you have to give the rod a gentle shake to get the rig to hit the floor. Now you're ready, the spool won't out run the line anymore. You may have to keep playing with the setting until you get good at it. I recommend you continue to use the cheap line until you get the hang of it. Keep in mind, seasoned casters can use a bait casting reel with no tension on the reel, rather, they use their thumb and experiance to keep the spool under control. When using the break to control the spool speed, you sacrafice probably 35% or more of your distance.
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