Why Use 50+ Pound Braid?

[ThatZX14Fella]

I'm just curious, why do so many people use such heavy weight braid? You aren't going to catch a 50+ bass and if you get hung up on something your hook will straighten or your rod will break before you get your lure loose if it's caught up that bad. I wouldn't use any more than 20 personally unless I was fishing at a dam for giant cats. Anyone else confused as to why people use this or is it just me?

[BrianinMD]

I use up to 65lb braid, when you are fishing heavy grass you need this strength to get fish back out. Either frogs across the top or punching thru it means whenever you get a fish it will bury in and if you don't have the right line it will not come out.

[ThatZX14Fella]

I fish weeds a lot and I just use 12 pound mono. I have 20 pound braid on my jigging rod but 65 just seems like over kill to me. I could just be dead wrong and completely ignorant about fishing but it just seems kind of crazy to me to use that much. I guess if you're doing tourneys and want to makes absolutely sure that you won't lose a fish I could kind of understand but 20 pound would be just as good for that.

[doyle8218]

I think it is more for the diameter than the #.

[BadBassWV]

Its all to do with the diameter of the line. 65# braid is 12lb diameter. I fish nothing but braid, i can feel a fish just thinking about hitting my lure. LOLOLOL

[ThatZX14Fella]

I like how strong braid is, but I hate fishing with it. I can tell whether it's a fish or a rock, stump, log, etc better with mono than anything. Still though, wouldn't you want the lighter braid so that it's less visible?

[BadBassWV]

Lighter braid digs in on itself on a Baitcaster. I have 10# on spinning set up for drop shotting. For me its harder to fish lighter braid on a baitcaster.

[ThatZX14Fella]

I haven't had any problem with the 20 pound yet, but I haven't been fishing it long. I just bought a new baitcaster Friday and put my 12 pound mono on. I've always used mono so maybe that's why I like it so much more. That, and the fact that I can only get 150 yards of braid for $15 and I can get 1175 yards of mono for $12.

[BadBassWV]

I like to fish With a Flouro leader most of the time. Your right braid can be expensive, For that reason and My thinking the fish can see heavy braid is why I use a Leader. It takes some time on the water to tell the difference between rocks and twigs and fish bites. Hell alot of time you cant tell. Hook sets are free.

[ThatZX14Fella]

I'm not much into having to tie a leader on because I would have to put more on quite often considering how much I change baits. I'll just stick to my mono, it's more my style. Lol then again I also don't understand why someone would want a different line for every job. I just like to fish and catch fish and sometimes eat fish. That's why I don't have $150+ dollar rods and reels.

[tomustang]

Because you never know when you're going to catch that 50 pound bass.

[ChrisD46]

Lighter braid digs in on itself on a Baitcaster. I have 10# on spinning set up for drop shotting. For me its harder to fish lighter braid on a baitcaster.

+1  .33 inch diameter (or greater) line size  to prevent braid from digging into the spool puts you at 40lb + regardless of the braid manufacturer .

[jason41987]

ive tried lighter braid and its actually sliced itself off in a backlash causing me to lose a significant portion of my line, i tried 20lb monofilament but the line memory was way too much and it didnt perform well, i prefer braid for the no line memory and lack of strength, i choose the 50lb test for the diameter being the same as the 12lb monofilament my reel came with so it doesnt dig in or cut itself, and hardly ever backlashes. ill use monofilament leaders of a lighter breaking strength so if anything gives itll be that leader and not my main line which realistically should never break

[ThatZX14Fella]

ive tried lighter braid and its actually sliced itself off in a backlash causing me to lose a significant portion of my line, i tried 20lb monofilament but the line memory was way too much and it didnt perform well, i prefer braid for the no line memory and lack of strength, i choose the 50lb test for the diameter being the same as the 12lb monofilament my reel came with so it doesnt dig in or cut itself, and hardly ever backlashes. ill use monofilament leaders of a lighter breaking strength so if anything gives itll be that leader and not my main line which realistically should never break

 

Understandable, I buy Trilene 12-15 pound mono and the memory doesn't bother me. Fluoro on the other hand has so much memory after just a day of sitting the line comes out in spirals. 

[jason41987]

Understandable, I buy Trilene 12-15 pound mono and the memory doesn't bother me. Fluoro on the other hand has so much memory after just a day of sitting the line comes out in spirals. 

thats why i only use about a 20lb fluro in 12" lengths for a leader, then i dont have to worry about line memory, its less visible underwater which allows me to use a high visibility braided line and itll always be the first to snap

[ThatZX14Fella]

I can't get into tying a leader on repeatedly after I change baits about six times though. I only have two rod and reel setups so I wind up changing baits a lot on the same rod and reel. Mainly because I like to use my better one more often and I just use my cheaper one for certain applications.

[Cgrinder]

Larger diameter braid has better shock strength. I'd be worried about frogging with 20 lb or less in pads with a H or XH rod and a 3/4 oz ish frog.

[ThatZX14Fella]

I've never seen anywhere around here that had pads, so I'm not to worried about them. The heavy grass I even fish with mono, I just don't throw anything that gets hung real easily in there.

[jason41987]

I can't get into tying a leader on repeatedly after I change baits about six times though. I only have two rod and reel setups so I wind up changing baits a lot on the same rod and reel. Mainly because I like to use my better one more often and I just use my cheaper one for certain applications.

i dont tie leaders to the braid, i tie a split ring to my main line, tie swivels to my leaders (i go this way because i can actually push the small split ring through the eyes for removing my reel without having to cut the line) then i make up multiple leaders with different lures tied onto them, then hook them to the split ring on my main line

[OroBass]

Just learn to tie a double uni or a blood knot! Practice until your fingers hurt and you can tie it in a dimly lit room. I assure you itshould alot faster than you think.

[ThatZX14Fella]

I never thought of that, I always wondered what those swivels were for. I guess I was just to dumb to figure it out. Lol

[jason41987]

I never thought of that, I always wondered what those swivels were for. I guess I was just to dumb to figure it out. Lol

 

prevents line twist caused by your lure too

[F14A-B]

Well there's nothing inherently wrong with doing it that way, still tying a lot of knots though, your choice. Maybe in winter practice tying double uni's or whatever once you get it down do it everyday and bam! You will have it!

[Raul]

Because of places like this:

 

 

I normally don´t fish with braid ( when I do it´s 30 lb ) I´m mainly a nylon user, but a big bunch of guys fish with even heavier than 50 lb ( in these places 50 is considered "light " ) and it´s not beacuse you are going to catch a 50 lb fish, it´s beacuse in places like the one in the picture you don´t want to give the fish even the slightest chance to put even the slightest fight, you have to horse it in as fast as you can or it will be bye, bye !

[F14A-B]

Yea, a few (4 ) years ago in Texas a guy that took me out was flippin 100 pound braid due to the Mesquite bushes! Mean stuff right there!! You know it has it's place, just like 2 pound mono has it's uses... It really depends on the water you are fishing, and the structure type. I mean basically, what Raul said....