Should I Use Braid?

[bassboy33]

Hey guys I was just wondering if it was worth it to switch over to braid. I currently use 2 spinning setups for smallies, and I have 6 and 8 pound test mono on them. I have heard braid works well, I just didn't know if it was versatile enough for my uses. I run dropshot rigs, splitshot rigs, tube jigs, and grubs primarily. I also throw some spinners and crankbaits to. If I do run braid I will use a leader, of either flourocarbon or mono. Thanks for your guys advice!

[Arv]

I use braid on everything. Tie a leader on if necessary. It's my favorite. 

[LunkerFisher]

Try it on one first. Just make sure you leave enough to spool up the 2nd reel once you realize how awesome it is! I'd suggest sufix 832 20lb braid in lime green if you're a line watcher, or moss green if you're not.

[Hogsticker]

Johnday eh....What a wonderful smallie world!! Put some 20 lb. braid on whichever rod sees the most use for any bottom contact presentations. Anything where your line will always be tight. Braid sucks for slack line sensitivity. Leave mono on the other reel. Whats the biggest bronzeback you've landed out of that river?

[Scott F]

Switch because what you are doing now is not working for you. I switched because I could not stand the stretch in mono. Be prepared to alter the way you fish to adjust to the line. Because it doesn't stretch, ease up on the hook sets and don't tighten down your drag. Deal with leaders if you want, but I fish clear rivers and lakes for smallies and have never had the need for a leader.

[BadBassWV]

Yes

[bassboy33]

Johnday eh....What a wonderful smallie world!! Put some 20 lb. braid on whichever rod sees the most use for any bottom contact presentations. Anything where your line will always be tight. Braid sucks for slack line sensitivity. Leave mono on the other reel. Whats the biggest bronzeback you've landed out of that river?

Thanks for your advice! My biggest smallie out of that river was a 5 pounder. Funny thing was me and my family  had beached our boat to have a picnic. I cast out a drop shot, and wham! I  brought in that brute. He was so long, and that was what amazed me! 

[Stumphunter]

Ever line has its place on my boat.I don't primarily use just one type of line. Different scenario calls for different lines. While you can use one line for every scenario doesn't mean its the most effective way to fish. 

[Hogsticker]

The John Day is an amazing smallmouth fishery with a lot of fives to be had. Ever fish the Columbia? I caught my personal best of 5.13 out of the sewage from the Willamette.

[roadwarrior]

Not me. I have been experimenting with braid on three different spinning rigs for various presentations.

Got rid of the last one today. I am back to #4 & #6 Yo-Zuri Hybrid on all my spinning gear. 

[OntarioFishingGuy]

I normally use braid, but I am trying to expand to mono, fluoro and copolymer. I'm just used to the no memory aspect of braid. I would say sure, try it and see how you like it. If not, you can go back to mono.

[Nick49]

Your line management will be much better with 10 lb or 15 lb braid, and use fleuro or mono leaders when the situation warrants it.  If fishing jigs/plastics deeper than 20 ft, I would go to straight fleuro.

[fishballer06]

I would consider braided line to be much more versatile than mono line. Hands down.

[ClackerBuzz]

braid all the way for me.  fishing with anything less is like fishing with a slinky (fluoro is nice but too expensive and requires too much treatment). braid has amazing sensitivity, zero memory and stellar hook sets. use leader for finicky fish or remove it to be more versatile and confident around cover. i even use it for my deep crankbaits...just tie a 25ft fluoro leader so they dive better.

[thehooligan]

Once you get used to the sensitivity of braid its really hard to go back to straight mono/flouro.

 

Like others, i highly recommend 10-15 braid for spinning reels, add a flouro/copoly leader for clear water.

 

A shimano with 10-20lb braid is pretty much the best line management you'll ever get with a spinning setup. 

[massrob]

I want to switch to braid on my president spinning reel. I'm new to fishing do I have to put mono on first as a backing to the braid or can I just put it right on the reel. I saw someone say something about this. Thanks

[bassboy33]

The John Day is an amazing smallmouth fishery with a lot of fives to be had. Ever fish the Columbia? I caught my personal best of 5.13 out of the sewage from the Willamette.

I fish the Columbia alot. Hit the willamete today and my pops landed a 3.5 pounder. Good little river! I still can't understand how people swim in that crap.

[doyle8218]

Not me. I have been experimenting with braid on three different spinning rigs for various presentations.

Got rid of the last one today. I am back to #4 & #6 Yo-Zuri Hybrid on all my spinning gear. 

Interesting.

I am leaning that way also. What are the benefits that you find?

[hatrix]

I want to switch to braid on my president spinning reel. I'm new to fishing do I have to put mono on first as a backing to the braid or can I just put it right on the reel. I saw someone say something about this. Thanks

People do it for basically 2 reasons. The first is so you don't use a whole spool of line on 1 reel since the majority of it will never see the water. That way you can get 2 possibly 3 reels lined with 1 spool. Secondly it is to stop the braid from slipping on the spool. I have personally never had a problem with that but it happens.

[CDobber]

I've gone to braid on all 3 of my spinning setups.  For me, its a confidence thing, fishing from the shore and don't lose as many lures.  I've had too many pop on a mono or fluoro setup (even as a leader) when casting or on a snag that it became more economical in the long run.

[jiggz125]

I was wondering the same thing last year. Switched 2 of my spinning set ups over to braid and will probably never go back to mono. You will get wind-knots from time to time but overall the positivies outway the negatives. personallly I like PowerPro but Suffix 832 is also good. I like one posters suggestion, try it on 1 setup first and go from there.

 

More recently we have been using straight braid throwing weightless wacky stick baits. It may be in my head, but I defintiely feel the bite more with braid then mono. Also, the hooksets have been great and have not broken any fish off or lost any once hooked. The lakes I fish are stained so a dark green braid doesnt show up much so I dont even bother with a leader.

[massrob]

Thanks for the answers. I'm going to switch over tonight.

[GANGGREEN]

I'm another guy who's been pretty stubborn and who still mostly uses mono.  When it was first coming out, I was using Fireline or braid on several of my spinning outfits but for one reason or another, I've gone back to mono on most of them.  I presently have braid on one ultralight set up for deep perch fishing with small jigs and one medium spinning rod for livebait perch fishing in very deep water on Lake Erie (often 50-60 feet deep), otherwise, my reels are all spooled with mono.  I'm guessing that perhaps the newer braided lines are better than the earlier stuff may have been and I'm surely willing to give it a try again (I'll probably spool up one medium spinning rig in braid next spring).  I've always recognized the zero stretch and increased sensitivity but for me, mono was more versatile and easier to use.

 

Oh, one tip that most of you already know by the way, if you're not using a mono backing with your braid, you can wrap a strip of electrical tape around your empty spool before spooling up with braid and that will prevent the line from slipping on the spool. 

[iceintheveins]

I prefer braid for hard jerkbaits, or whenever I'm in heavy vegetation. I primarily use 15 pound power pro for my hard jerkbaits with a fluoro leader. With casting gear, I use 50 to 65 pound braid on my setup. Heavy punching, I would go even heavier, up to 100 pound braid, especially in areas where monsters abound like the cal delta where punching slop is a necessary way to catch fish.