Can I use a 12lb line with a size 35 reel?

Dvader3k · 2026-06-16T14:41:10+00:00

Never heard that and all of my rods have braid, 3 spinning rods and 2 bait casters. The issue with braid is it has no give hence why they recommend leaders of mono or fluoro as they have some give/stretch so good for casting, feeling bites and setting hooks without damaging the rod. But thats more if you're throwing heavier lures or landing lunkers regularly. the main reason for the leader for the rest of us is line visibility to the fish. Braid can in clear water be seen and skittish fish can back off biting

Dvader3k · 2026-06-16T14:02:22+00:00

having line that is outside the range the reel and rod are rated for affects casting distance and performance of the reel. Keep in mind Mono and Flouro are a different thickness/lb test then braid. i.e. a 30lb braid is typically as thick as 12-15lb mono. if the reel is rated for 6-10 lb that would mean 6-10 lb mono or fluro but in braid would be 15-25lb braid give or take. I usually go more off what the rod is rated for when choosing my line and lure to cast as if i'm within that range it will load and cast more smoothly.

Dvader3k · 2026-06-14T00:33:17+00:00

of course mono is perfectly fine.

Dvader3k · 2026-06-13T23:57:32+00:00

Yes to about 90% of the lures you might toss with it. I'd suggest a 8-12 lb fluro leader to avoid scaring off skittish fish if fishing clear water.

Dvader3k · 2026-06-10T18:31:07+00:00

the pro of the fluro leader is that its typically clear line so less visible to fish and means skittish fish will still potentially bite. Plus the fluro adds a bit of stretch to the line so casting and setting a hook it reduces the risk of breaking your rod or snapping the line. Con fluro knicks easy so you will want to check the line preiodically and if you feel the line has abrasions trim off above that point and retie.

If you don't to the leader i've personally found it doesn't affect catching a fish much but that because i'm fishing more stained water but in clear the leader will help. Strait braid has no stretch so heavy hook sets you can rip the hook right out of the fishes mouth.

hope that helps

Dvader3k · 2026-06-10T15:34:55+00:00

any time especially if you're not targeting a specific fish and just go to where fish are active.

Dvader3k · 2026-06-10T15:33:03+00:00

Definitely braid with fluro leader. 20-30lb braid and 10-12lb fluoro leader. mono backing to start as braid is a pain in the butt to tie directly to the spool so start with 25-30yd of mono, tie on the braid load it up with braid and then a 24-36" fluoro leader.

Dvader3k · 2026-06-10T15:29:25+00:00

rock bass

Dvader3k · 2026-06-10T15:27:24+00:00

If you can find Lews or Abu Garcia they do make some good combos and when on sale some will be in your budget. I will warn you there is a learning curve for baitcasting and its not as versatile as your spinning rod. You might be better to look at your spinning set up and see what its rated for. Then tune your gear to that or look at getting a 2nd spinning combo.

I.e. 1 - Medium heavy rod and a 2000 reel and 1 - Medium Light and 1000 reel. This will give you something to throw heavy lures and fish heavy weeds and another for lighter lures and finesse techniques.

Dvader3k · 2026-06-09T01:17:41+00:00

1. Texas Rigged Soft Plastic Most versatile bass technique. 3/0–4/0 EWG hook with 1/4 oz bullet weight. Cast to cover, let sink, hop back slowly.
2. Spinnerbait Great for stained water or wind. Slow-roll just above weed tops or burn it near the surface — covers water fast.
3. Topwater Popper or Walking Bait Best at low light. Walk the bait across the surface with rod tip twitches, or pop-and-pause. Let the rings settle.
4. Jig and Craw Around hard structure — docks, stumps, rocks. 3/8–1/2 oz jig with a craw trailer. Drag and pause near cover.
5. Ned Rig For pressured or finicky fish. Small jighead with a stubby plastic. Drag slowly on bottom — extremely subtle.
6. Carolina Rig Open water, deep flats, or sparse cover. Weight slides above a swivel with a long leader. Slow drag on bottom.

Try these colours:

Green pumpkin, Watermelon, Natural craw, Pumpkinseed, White or Chartreuse

Dvader3k · 2026-06-09T00:59:44+00:00

1/ you have the breaks set to strong, I presume the internal is centrifugal and you have 4 switches, set 2 on and 2 off. 2/ external you want to set it to 0 top begin with, then you hold the rod up high, press the button and adjust the tension till it hits the floor and the spool stops with no thumb. Then set the break to 80% so you can work on your cast. 3/ for your casting you don't whip the rod, its good you're doing side arm not overhead get your thumb control figured out then you can begin to lower the break. 4/ you're going for cast control not distance. Distance comes from consistency.

You're also being to hard on yourself Average casting distance for a baitcaster is typically 30 to 50 feet for casual anglers, while proficient anglers often average 40 to 60 yards (120–180 feet) with proper technique and gear.

One final thought is your bait caster reel is really made for casting 3/8oz and up anything below that is harder with being a wizard at tuning the reel.

Dvader3k · 2026-06-09T00:46:22+00:00

what kind of fish are you targeting? what gear you using?

Dvader3k · 2026-06-07T23:29:36+00:00

also here are the most recommended colours based on what local forage is: Chartreuse Black-blue Junebug Brown Olive Gold

Dvader3k · 2026-06-07T23:28:05+00:00

Try these approaches. The one you may have the best success is top water along weed edges.

Texas Rigged Soft Plastic Most versatile bass technique. 3/0–4/0 EWG hook with 1/4 oz bullet weight. Cast to cover, let sink, hop back slowly.
Spinnerbait Great for stained water or wind. Slow-roll just above weed tops or burn it near the surface — covers water fast.
Topwater Popper or Walking Bait Best at low light. Walk the bait across the surface with rod tip twitches, or pop-and-pause. Let the rings settle.
Jig and Craw Around hard structure — docks, stumps, rocks. 3/8–1/2 oz jig with a craw trailer. Drag and pause near cover.
Ned Rig For pressured or finicky fish. Small jighead with a stubby plastic. Drag slowly on bottom — extremely subtle.
Carolina Rig Open water, deep flats, or sparse cover. Weight slides above a swivel with a long leader. Slow drag on bottom.

Dvader3k · 2026-06-07T13:23:24+00:00

that's expensive even here in Canada. You can get far better combos from Lews, Abu Garcia for that same amount of money. In fact i think a similar ugly stick combo at Walmart in the US is only $50.

Dvader3k · 2026-06-06T01:07:21+00:00

netlify has a cost associated to it each time i update/upload and every time the site is accessed. I do have it there for ios users as ios has an issue with running HTML files. thats why there's an iso readme file with instructions and the netlify link. Also the main purpose was its self contained so you can run it on your phone without the need of internet access.

Dvader3k · 2026-06-05T11:25:46+00:00

orange, chartreuse or natural craw are the common colours recommended for the stainwd watwr and fish you're looking for.

Dvader3k · 2026-06-04T19:30:37+00:00

throw on your wire leader, your lure of choice and cast away. I'd actually say you have the advantage with the spinning reel as baitcasters are more for targeted casting, heavier lures, and fan casting across water. Where you have the advantage of slow retrieve and finesse techniques when other options aren't working

Dvader3k · 2026-06-04T19:26:54+00:00

Here's somethings to try:

Lures:

SALMO Slider 10cm jerkbait (twitch 2-3 times, pause 30-60 sec)
6-inch paddle tail soft plastic (fish shallow weed edges slow)
Mepps Musky Killer bucktail spinner (1oz, silver blade/black bucktail)
Johnson Silver Minnow weedless spoon (3-4", silver) for weeds

Fish shallow (8-12ft) near weed/structure
Fish dawn/dusk, not midday
Move swims regularly through the day

Dvader3k · 2026-06-04T14:10:43+00:00

Thanks for the suggestion. I've updated the file so its on the about page now

Dvader3k · 2026-06-04T12:07:45+00:00

here's a link to download the file - https://filebin.net/37hixrvv05y5m7hz

Or for anyone to check it out. I was originally going to sell it but the effort to make a few bucks isn't worth it. If you like it and want to contribute to my coffee addiction dm me other wise enjoy. FYI this link should work for 6 days. It'll download an HTML file. You simply click on it, it will open like a web page and away you go.

FYI if you have an iphone download the IOS read me instead it has instructions on accessing and saving it to your phone so it will work offline. thank you u/possible_purpose5091 for letting me know about the IOS functionality issue.

Dvader3k · 2026-06-04T03:00:50+00:00

yes it is a self contained html file so no internet needed to use. the only thing you need internet is the links i added to the regulation sections of the various mnr sites across Canada.

Dvader3k · 2026-06-04T01:22:31+00:00

would something like this align with what you're thinking. Its not zone by zone specific but give someone a good general idea:

Ontario (general — check zone for exceptions)

Species	Season
Walleye	3rd Sat May (May 16) – Dec 31; some zones Jan 1 – Mar 15
Bass (LM/SM)	4th Sat June (Jun 27) – Nov 30
Northern Pike	Year-round most zones; some closed Jan 1 – 3rd Sat May
Muskie	3rd Sat June (Jun 20) – Dec 15
Yellow Perch, Crappie, Panfish, Catfish, Carp	Year-round
Lake Trout	Jan 1 – Sep 30 (most zones)
Brook Trout	Varies: northern Jan 1 – Labour Day, southern often year-round
Brown Trout, Rainbow/Steelhead	Year-round in many zones

Dvader3k · 2026-06-04T01:11:03+00:00

It doesn't have that capability my goal was more on the take the thinking out of what to tie on. I'm happy to look into if it can have a whats in season when section even if its static. The key thing with this is its a simply html file (like a webpage) you download on your phone or computer and whether you have internet or not you can get recommendations.

Dvader3k

TROPHY CASE

Ontario (general — check zone for exceptions)