Why Use 50+ Pound Braid?

[WRB]

The heaviest flipping bass rod made can't lift 10 lbs of dead weight. The reason most anglers use braid .013 + diameter or 50 # + is the larger diameter is easier to handle without cutting into your fingers. If you are fishing high abrasion cover, use a high abrasion resistance line. Braid doesn't have high abrasion resistance to sharp hard rocks, great for cutting through softer vegetation. Hardwoods like salt cedar it's better to use 25# copolymer high abrasion resistance line or 50#+ braid and set the drag at 8 lbs, use your thumb if needed to prevent the bass from turning.

Tom

[einscodek]

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.

Exactly.. I dont think this was acknowledged

For braid, you dont get 50lb+ for weeds, even in a weedball the lunker isnt going to weigh 20 lbs weeds and all..

Its all about shock strength and the bigger diameter braid will give you more leeway in shock

when setting the hook against the weight of the fish and the weeds together

when casting a large swimbait, the line experiences shock

when the fish swims against you then suddenly away and you tug at the same time against the fish and structure or weeds

You need shock strength

and even if one strand or two strands fray and break and i dont see it, I'd still likely be ok with 50lb for the trip

[WRB]

The truth is braid has very high impact strength, what you call shock strength is well over 100% of rated line strength. Where braid is weak is knot strength, well under 50% of rated line strength.

Source TT braided line testing.

Tom

[F14A-B]

Well whatever the case, I have seen Buku number of rods broken by braid users... It seems to have slowed some though.

[ColdSVT]

I use it on my froggin rod only...65 pp. All my other rods have 12-20lb flouro depending on application

It makes things nice when in the thick thick pads and weeds when yankin fish out..i tried it with 20lb flouro and did ok but i lost a ton of fish too

[Kevin22]

Your 12# mono will not last long fishing in thick slop where 65# braid is used. Anyone who argues that 50-65 is not needed is a fool. How many pro fishermen do you see frog fishing with 20# braid or 12# mono? none. 

[tstone]

Come on down to Florida with 12# mono and see how far it gets you. Lowest braid I use is 40#, most is 65#. I know a lot of guys switching to 80# for flipping in the thick stuff

[ThatZX14Fella]

I asked a question about braid, I don't recall asking for people to be ******** to someone who was just asking a simple question. Get some butthurt cream and get off the forum if you're going to be a dickhead.

[iabass8]

 

I asked a question about braid, I don't recall asking for people to be ******** to someone who was just asking a simple question. Get some butthurt cream and get off the forum if you're going to be a dickhead.

To be fair, you did ask in a manner in which could come off as demeaning or saying to those who use anything higher than 20# test are inferior.

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?

[Kevin22]

I asked a question about braid, I don't recall asking for people to be ******** to someone who was just asking a simple question. Get some butthurt cream and get off the forum if you're going to be a dickhead.

 

 

I may be wrong, but I read your first post as "why do people use 50# braid" like we are a bunch of idiots who think there are 50# bass and we need some super thick line just to land a fish. Sounded like a jerk so I replied like a jerk. 

[ThatZX14Fella]

How does that seem like I'm bashing people with higher poundage exactly? I didn't call anyone a "fool" like he basically called me. I was curious about a subject and asked a question about it. If this site is going to be constant bashing, which I have seen much of so far, then I will happily leave this site.

[Kevin22]

You got what you asked for. You asked a question that has been asked many times here. They all end the same way. A few refuse to use heavy braid because they have never needed it and end up looking down on those who do use it. So we tend to be defensive when people "call us out" so to speak. The way your post was worded it was taken as you were looking down at those of us who use thick braid. 

 

A saying I heard once.. "if you have never dug a hole bigger than 5 feet, you will never see the need for a backhoe". In other words, if you have never fished in the thick slop where heavy braid is needed, you will never see the need for it. Once you expand your fishing to different situations you will realize the need for the thick line. Hopefully then you will come back and apologize to those who you have looked down on. 

[ThatZX14Fella]

Obviously you have some comprehension problems. I asked a simple question that I was curious about, I wasn't looking down upon others, I just wanted to know what heavy braid was used for. Now that I see what the members are like on this site since there have been many people who are up on their high horses, I will now leave. I came on this site for fishing help and good conversations and there are a few good members, but most of you are keyboard warriors.

[tstone]

I asked a question about braid, I don't recall asking for people to be ******** to someone who was just asking a simple question. Get some butthurt cream and get off the forum if you're going to be a dickhead.

 

How do you go from telling people they need butthurt cream to being completely butthurt yourself to  the point of leaving the forum?

[Dan:]

I have no way of validating the claim but I was once told that spatterdock lily stems can withstand an average of 18lbs of force. If you fish around something like that or heavy grass, etc.. then it makes sense to me.

[rippin-lips]

I throw my frogs and other stuff,right up into the pads. Lilly pad stems are freaking tough. Even with #65 braid I'll still bring them in on the line sometimes. Also with frogs and having 2 large wire hooks, the strong braid really helps in driving those hooks home. Plus the long distance hook set factor.

[Hattrick7]

When I first heard of 50lb+ braid I thought it was crazy overkill until I started using a baitcaster. I use it because of similar line diameter to mono or fluoro.

Putting on braid with a under 10lb diamter probably was going cause more problems than good.

[SirSnookalot]

Obviously you have some comprehension problems. I asked a simple question that I was curious about, I wasn't looking down upon others, I just wanted to know what heavy braid was used for. Now that I see what the members are like on this site since there have been many people who are up on their high horses, I will now leave. I came on this site for fishing help and good conversations and there are a few good members, but most of you are keyboard warriors.

Personally I don't choose to use heavy braid, but you received some valid reasons why others do, which is actually the consensus opinion.  

I don't think you should leave the forum just because you didn't get the answer you expected.

[Bluebasser86]

Obviously you have some comprehension problems. I asked a simple question that I was curious about, I wasn't looking down upon others, I just wanted to know what heavy braid was used for. Now that I see what the members are like on this site since there have been many people who are up on their high horses, I will now leave. I came on this site for fishing help and good conversations and there are a few good members, but most of you are keyboard warriors.

I've read all the post here and it seems to me a majority of the members that answered your question did so with valid reasons why they choose to use heavier line. I see very few "Keyboard Warriors" on this site, and I'm on here a lot. Best to ignore the answers that rubbed you the wrong way instead of going on the defensive, internet arguments rarely accomplish anything. There is endless amounts of knowledge to take in from all the great members on this site, I think if you stick around for very long you will learn that

 

It's all about line diameter for me. The heavier sizes fish easier on casting gear. There have been occasions in heavy grass that I had to have 65lb braid just to drag even a keeper sized fish out, let alone a big fish. 

[Mike L]

OP

At a tournament yesterday on Lake Istokpoga in Central Florida, my boater and I were flipping and pitching a line of mixed vegetation that would make you think you were in the middle of the jungle in Bora Bora if you were walking around. Knowing before hand what conditions we were gonna hit, I brought all 3 of my flippin sticks, he had 3 also that are always on his boat.

His rods had 50, 65 and 80 lb power pro. Mine have 30, 50 and 65 lb.

I grabbed the rod with the 65lb at safe light and 9 hrs later didn't put it down...dont know which he was useing but I guarantee you it wasn't the 50.

My point is you have to use what you have to use for where you fishing...for what we felt we had to do to give us chance, anything less would have been a waste of time and money.

Mike

[WRB]

There is always at least two sides to a story, with bass fishing more sides.

Take the recent Clear Open bass tournament in California. Clear lake is a nationally known big bass lake and one big natural lake we have. Clear lake is mostly a giant weed mate the covers about 1/2 the water in the summer, heavy braid is a common line used by most anglers. The Open is a big event and nearly every angler was on a frog bite, except the winner who used 12 # FC and drop shot Brush Hogs into openings in weed pockets. 80 lbs for 3 day event, with 12# FC in the grass!

Tom

[OroBass]

I live in northern California and people forget how big bass get out here. I've caught a handful of 6 to 8 pounders this year and one over ten. All were caught on 12 lb or less and in hydrilla or coon tail. I'm getting ready to try braid out because I feel it will be easier to get these fish out but it is not a necessity!

[Master Bait'r]

There is always at least two sides to a story, with bass fishing more sides.

Take the recent Clear Open bass tournament in California. Clear lake is a nationally known big bass lake and one big natural lake we have. Clear lake is mostly a giant weed mate the covers about 1/2 the water in the summer, heavy braid is a common line used by most anglers. The Open is a big event and nearly every angler was on a frog bite, except the winner who used 12 # FC and drop shot Brush Hogs into openings in weed pockets. 80 lbs for 3 day event, with 12# FC in the grass!

Tom

 

 

Man, that is a sneak attack right there haha talk about thinking outside the box!  

[hatrix]

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.

I don't know where you get your line or what you use but.... If your getting 1175 yards of mono for $12 it's junk. Time to switch it up and buy some better line. Also you can fish that same spool of braid for years.

[ThatZX14Fella]

I don't know where you get your line or what you use but.... If your getting 1175 yards of mono for $12 it's junk. Time to switch it up and buy some better line. Also you can fish that same spool of braid for years.

 

It's Trilene, that's not exactly junk. You don't have to spend a ton of money to get good line.