Braid, Why So Heavy?

[Jar11591]

The strength of the braid isn't for the fish, it's for what you might have to pull the fish out of. That being said, I personally have no reason to go over 30 lb braid. It still allows me to throw in the really thick cover and rip it out. I won't go over 30lb braid unless I am given a reason too. (Musky fishing maybe).

[Drewski73]

I moved from SoCal to South East Texas two years ago. I grew up fishing offshore in socal, and have a few hundred days long ranging under my belt. Ive fished the waters you fish, and now I fish here. I had 30 lb braid on all my rods when I started. Now I have 30lb on two rods (flukes/senkos and light T-rigs), and 50-65lb on everything else. The reason, I have to! These arent Calico in kelp, where 30lb braid cuts the kelp really well. These are hardwood trees! You need a chainsaw to cut them. I lost a few really nice fish in the trees, due to frayed braid and that was that.

 

The picture that Catt posted above is what our lakes look like. Can you land fish with 20lb braid, sure. Will you lose more with 20lb than 65lb, absolutely. So for me, its a matter losing as few fish as possible.

[Catt]

I've fished for bass from San Antonio, TX to Inverness, FL and from the gulf coast to north central Ohio. I've fished the Gulf of Mexico from Brownsville, TX to Tampa, FL, out 200 miles, and all the coastal marshes in between. I know what y'all fish for, in what types of cover, in both fresh and salt.

The bass are spawning in the shallow buck brush/mesquite, schools open, y'all come on down!

[boostr]

Oh yea I forgot the standing timber over those boys shoulder is usually 2-3' under water & where I fish this point. Notice the white pole with a green top? That's a buoy marking the boat lane! Ya know the place where we run our boats @ 70 mph+

So you are trying to tell me it's low tide.

[Raul]

Hey Catt, them trees don´t have branches, the ones at my lake do ! and add to something that looks like that picture the huizache and cat nail brush on the bottom plus potreros ( piled rock walls ).

[gulfcaptain]

I thank you all for the replies.  If some of you have not figured out my screen name I do work in the South.  I know what lakes in Tx and La look like.  I work there, so yes  I know about the stumps, the trees, the timber.  You run a bass boat down there, I run a crewboat down some bayous and river channels that I really don't believe a 170ft boat belongs in and would rather have a bass boat on the back deck to take off into some of the cuts and creeks.  Lived in Okla and fished there before moving back out to S.Cal so I have fished timber and mainly everything back then was 15-20lb mono.  Now would I fish 20lb in the stumps you showed, yep.  Would I use it for flipping, nope. I would up grade to 30lb.  If I new there were big fish, I'd throw a 10" swimbait at them and hope for the best.  Yes, I would do that in the south without blinking.  I'm glad I have gotten many responses.  And I do enjoy full contact fishing where you go into the worse looking cover you can.  Now would I flip 30lb into flooded timber at Choke Canyon or Falcon when they are at full pool and full of flooded brush, probably not.  I would go up to 50lb. I do see a case for the heavy line, and like I said before, it looks as most choose to fish heavier braid for the simple reasons that they like the handling of the thicker line as well as have more confidence in it. 

[Catt]

So you are trying to tell me it's low tide.

Nah, they dropped the lake level for repairs in the dam!

[Bass_Fanatic]

20# test would be your first choice?

Maghee Flats??

[BigMoneyGrip]

I used to use 50lbs when I fished from the bank. If I got snagged on something, it was either coming to me or the hooks would straighten out. I was able to save a lot of lures this way.

[Catt]

Maghee Flats??

Dude you know better!

South bank Housen' Bayou looking toward 944 & Ashmore Branch.

[boostr]

Nah, they dropped the lake level for repairs in the dam!

Gotcha

[bflp3]

Is there a reason not to throw the big line? Seems the fish will see the braid either way, I'd rather have the extra strength to prevent a break off when around heavy cover.

[TorqueConverter]

I used #30 regularly.  I love the power, the way it handles and the long casts it affords me over mono.  I don't know why so many people are experiencing knot failures with #30 braid.  They must be using the wrong knots and making the most ridiculous hooksets imaginable. 

[SirSnookalot]

Not every one fishes heavy timber like that, the pic does not indicate whether the 2 fisherman are fishing a more clear area or what's displayed in the background.  The intent of the original post IMO was more of a general statement about the usage of braided lines for bass fishing, not a specific area.  Where I fish in Florida I'm not contending with an underwater forest, for my heavy slop and vegetation 15# or maybe 20# works just fine for me.

[Catt]

Snook, the kids are standing on the end of a point that is usually 12-14' deep. They are casting towards the same timber in front of them you see over their shoulder. Where they are standing is usually covered with Hydrilla & Lily pads. What you see in the back ground is not an isolated case, it is what the entire 190,000 acres looks like.

The OP is Braid, Why so Heavy? I gave my answer of why!

[carlm01]

I have 30lb power pro braid on my reel that Ive had problems with , halfway thru a cast it stops and I end up with a nice birds nest and was starting to think it was because of it's dia"  ?   I put it on as tight as I could ,so im not sure if I'm doing something wrong or should move up to a larger line dia"   ?

[gulfcaptain]

My intentions and reason for posting was I wanted honest answers of why some choose to use such heavy line.  Not to bash one another nor to call me out, which I have defended myself very respectfully. If Catt wanted to fish sometime and see if I could fish my way in his area, I'm only down the river in Cameron where I work and would be excited to.  I would just need some heads up to bring some gear with me when I went to work and.  Snookalot, your opinion is valued as well but I wanted individual reasons and they did give them.  Now with that said, carlm01, does your reel stop in the same place each time?  How heavy of a lure to break/spool tension do you have your reel set at?  Is this the first time using braid on one of your reels?  Just trying to get some helpful info as to possibly be able to solve the problem your having. 

[FrankW]

Hi carlm01,

I use 30lb braid on several bait casters with no problems of dig in. There are times that it digs in but that is after a hook-up or snag. If you catch a fish or snag you have to pull off the line past the dig in and rewind. Winding on tight helps with a solid base but once you cast a few times the line you are using is no longer packed like before. If you hook a snag and straighten out a hook, then you have a dig in and must remove it before you cast again.

Frank

[carlm01]

Thanks for the help guys , I have several reels with braid, a curado 200e  and a ***  the concept is new and is the one I had the snaggs on so I'll take a good look at it before I use it again .... 

[ColdSVT]

I know ive boated 100+ lb tarpon on 30lb braid

Yet i have 40lb for certain bass apps lolol

[Diggy]

Depending on the area...I'll get lures stuck in trees or on other structure and get them back with 50-65, sometimes that will even break off if bad enough but I usually get them back 98% of the time.

[TorqueConverter]

I have 30lb power pro braid on my reel that Ive had problems with , halfway thru a cast it stops and I end up with a nice birds nest and was starting to think it was because of it's dia"  ?   I put it on as tight as I could ,so im not sure if I'm doing something wrong or should move up to a larger line dia"   ?

 

How worn is the line?  When braid becomes "broken in" from use it becomes softer and more flexible.  It eventually breaks in to a point where it is too soft and flexible.  It'll start to do two things that can result in the problem you have described. 

 

1. It looses it roundness over time and begins to flatten

2. It won't lay on the spool right and will develop loops in the spool

 

Some braids live longer than others.  I really like Sufix 832 because to retains it roundness and manageability longer than other braids I have fished. 

[primetime]

I also feel that thicker braids, especially 8 strands are more abrasion resistant and that also helps me with confidence when fishing in phosphate pits and strip mines that have some sharp objects that cause abrasions, and I am not good when it checking my line as often as I should.

 

If Power pro is a 4 strand spectra weave, then I feel more confident that the plus which is an 8 strand weave will give me 8 fibers which will possibly allow me to land a fish even if 6 fibers are frayed. I have not idea if this is true or not, I also like the feel and handling of 8 strands like Plus, Samaurai, 832, and some of the new lines that are adding graphite, teflon, and other fibers to increase the abrasion resistance. I like the fact that 832 adds some gore, but I am a believer in the confidence factor......If you believe it to be true, and think using a heavier line while flipping is going to help you boat more fish, then it will allow me to fish without worries. Maybe I am not the best when it comes to casting thin braids on a casting reel, but I can cast 50-80 until all the color is gone, have the tension knob spinning free, and I just don't have any digging issues or failure for whatever reason....

 

I still prefer to fish with heavy Mono like Big Game 25lb, or Hybrid in #15-20 and when it comes to spinning gear I am always comfortable with 10-20lb test, usually 15, but I also feel good using 6-12lb Trilene in certain cases. I never have issues with braid breaking regardless of pound test. I do fine with 10, 15, 20, even 8 on spinning gear, and I take my time tying knots. I am getting into big swimbaits, and I find throwing them on 25lb big game allows me to get more strikes or at least I believe it does, and I trust that line from years of use, so it is good for what I do....I guess that is all that matters....Guys Like Patrick Sebile enjoy the thrill of trying to land trophy fish on very light line, and I can respect the skill involved, in fact, I just read a woman landed a 33lb redfish on 4lb test out in the gulf....I am impressed even if it was a hybrid line with 6-7lb breaking strength. That takes skill.

[Hattrick7]

For me it's all about line diameter. I just started using braid and I know I'll never really need it where I fish but putting 20# braid on my BC being equal to about 8# test or whatever diameter just isn't gonna work for me.

I spooled up 50# because 12# diameter is the lowest I feel comfortable with.

[Grizzn N Bassin]

I have 1 set up with 50lb power pro on it. I fish fields of pads all the time with a 7'3 xh. Im stepping up this year to a 7'9 xh for frogging the thick,stuff. I,will still use 50lb theres no reason for me to go higher. I have 3 set ups with 30lb braid 1 frog rod/ punch, a spin rod and my all around rod 7,2 mh for fishing by nasty stuff or brush. I tie fluro or mono leader on there. Depending on what im fishing