Using Braid For Soft Platics

[hoosierbass07]

  This winter I've been watching a lot of youtube videos on bass fishing from kayaks and boats/shore.  I've noticed some hard core fishermen who mostly use spinning reels and they mostly use braid with a mono or fluorocarbon leader.  

 

 I'm seriously considering trying out thirty pound braid on one of my spinning reels with a mono leader for bass fishing.  But, I mostly use soft plastics split shot rigged and Texas rigged.  

 

 I'm wondering - can soft plastics be used well with braid when you are using a Texas rig or split shot rig or mojo rig?  I fish on two kinds of water - very clear strip pits and greenish/brown reservoir.  

 

 Also, can thirty pound braid be used to super finesse fishing like the Ned rig with little mushroom jigs?  

 

Thanks!

[adam lancia]

I wouldn't use 30#, that's really heavy braid for a spinning reel. 20# at the most, but 10 or 15# will be fine. Last year all I used was 15# super 8 slick and either a fluorocarbon or mono leader and was perfectly happy with that setup.

[ChrisWi]

This winter I've been watching a lot of youtube videos on bass fishing from kayaks and boats/shore. I've noticed some hard core fishermen who mostly use spinning reels and they mostly use braid with a mono or fluorocarbon leader.

I'm seriously considering trying out thirty pound braid on one of my spinning reels with a mono leader for bass fishing. But, I mostly use soft plastics split shot rigged and Texas rigged.

I'm wondering - can soft plastics be used well with braid when you are using a Texas rig or split shot rig or mojo rig? I fish on two kinds of water - very clear strip pits and greenish/brown reservoir.

Also, can thirty pound braid be used to super finesse fishing like the Ned rig with little mushroom jigs?

Thanks!

braid has its advantages. However if you want to Ned rig I would use flurocarbon, using super light heads with braid might cause trouble because braid Floats.

[hoosierbass07]

 What about using braid (around 20 to 30 pound) on a spinning rod for spinnerbaits and crankbaits?  

[Dypsis]

My first rod an inshore ugly stick and pflueger president spinning reel I used for about a year and a half.  I used 20lb braid the entire time for EVERYTHING.  I would think that using the ned rig or even mojo rig it would hinder the action - but tying on an 8lb leader or something could help. 

[Wayne P.]

I wouldn't use 30#, that's really heavy braid for a spinning reel. 20# at the most, but 10 or 15# will be fine. Last year all I used was 15# super 8 slick and either a fluorocarbon or mono leader and was perfectly happy with that setup.

If you would use 8# mono or fluorocarbon line on a spinning reel, you certainly can use 30# superline. 

They are the same diameter and the superline is more flexible and not subject to line memory.

[HoosierHawgs]

I would go 20, but 30 would be fine. Use a longer than normal leader on some of your ultra finesse presentations.

[Cgrinder]

I would go 10 or 15 lb. on a spinning reel. For me, the casting performance gained by dropping from 20 to 10 lb. was significant. However no matter what lb. test you choose to go with, braided line on a spinning reel with a leader is a great idea for nearly everything.

[rippin-lips]

Braid handles excellent on spinning combos due to it not having memory. Also it's diameter compared to it's mono equavilent of the same # test. You figure most people use 6 or 8 # test mono and do just fine. I'm a braid/leader user on almost all of my combos. Weather it's casting or spinning. I like to spool up with #15 braid on spinning gear and use whatever # leader is needed to accomplish the task at hand.

[Blues19]

I believe Bluebasser86 says that Braid with a Fluoro leader is the way to go for the Ned rig. 

[BaitMonkey1984]

On most of my all terrain spinning outfits I have 8 lb power pro super slick 8 with a 14 lb fluorocarbon bass pro shops xps leader. A majority of these set-ups have grubs, senkos, beaver style baits, etc and I love the braid no stretch. I think the sensitivity is increased in this line compared to other lines. I do not lose a lot of fish, but then again I am anal with my knots and maintaining my gamagatsu hooks. You should have no problem with your set-up. 

[EvanT123]

I fish only braid on my spinning reels and love it. There is one major draw back though and that is slack line sensitivity. Make a cast into the wind and get a large bow in your line and you will have a hard time feeling the bottom. Leave your bait in place on the bottom and drop your rod tip you will have a hard time feeling the bottom or a bite.

How many fish has this lost me? I dunno. There are always trade offs to be made. There is a writer for in fisherman that has wrote an article or two about finessing and he prefers flouro. I might give it a try but don't want a dedicated bottom contact rig. Time will tell but for me the trade offs with braid are worth it at this point.

[Joedodge]

I've been having great success on my 3000 daiwa with 15 pound fins wind tamer braid. Casts a mile and spools so nice . I think my fishing improved a lot with soft plastics when I went to braid

[Scott F]

braid has its advantages. However if you want to Ned rig I would use flurocarbon, using super light heads with braid might cause trouble because braid Floats.

Exactly how buoyant do you thing braid is? Do you think a jig, even a light one won't sink because braid floats? A bare hook will cause braid to sink. Braid barely floats. I use braid exclusively on my spinning gear in mostly clear water and have never used a leader. I don't like anything more than 10 pound because I like to make long casts and I start losing distance as the line gets heavier. You will cast so much farther with 10 pound braid than you will with 30.

[Sherlock 60]

Been using braid on spinning gear for soft plastics for years. Last year I dropped from 20# to 15# and am very happy with the 15.

I fish lots of weeds and Lilly pads and usually don't use a leader. The braid cuts through the weeds effectively and allows me to get where the fish live.

[Tony L.]

I have 10# braid on my finesse spinning setup that I use with an 8# flourocarbon leader. It works very well in most situations, but the cover I fish isn't super thick and the bass in Indiana aren't super huge.

[Arv]

Every spinning set up I have/had has 20# braid. I usually have a lighter fc leader tied on as well. I've never had any issues working plastics, or anything I can think of for that matter.

[adam lancia]

If you would use 8# mono or fluorocarbon line on a spinning reel, you certainly can use 30# superline. 

They are the same diameter and the superline is more flexible and not subject to line memory.

 

He can use what ever he wants for line, yes, absolutely. However, I was giving him the option of using lighter line without sacrificing strength while gaining casting distance. Had he prefaced his topic with, "All I have is 30# braid", my answer would have been very different. But since he said he's looking at trying out 30# braid on a spinning reel, I took this to mean he would have to buy the line. If that's the case, he could buy 15 or 20# rather than 30#.

[SirSnookalot]

I wouldn't use 30#, that's really heavy braid for a spinning reel. 20# at the most, but 10 or 15# will be fine. Last year all I used was 15# super 8 slick and either a fluorocarbon or mono leader and was perfectly happy with that setup.

I'm in total agreement, I don't use anything but braid 10 and 15# for bass fishing, I always use a mono leader.  I don't even use 30# braid when I'm tarpon fishing.

[TorqueConverter]

I'm in total agreement, I don't use anything but braid 10 and 15# for bass fishing, I always use a mono leader.  I don't even use 30# braid when I'm tarpon fishing.

 

Don't you know you need #100 for 2 pound hawgs and to prevent dig in as well as 'mysterious breakoffs'????? 

[roadwarrior]

Braid handles excellent on spinning combos due to it not having memory. Also it's diameter compared to it's mono equavilent of the same # test. You figure most people use 6 or 8 # test mono and do just fine. I'm a braid/leader user on almost all of my combos. Weather it's casting or spinning. I like to spool up with #15 braid on spinning gear and use whatever # leader is needed to accomplish the task at hand.

 

Braid with a leader answers a lot of questions.

 

 

[jcoffman55]

I would go 20 lb bright colored braid with a 12 lb flouro leader. Braid floats, flouro sinks. I like the combo because if I'm throwing over grass or pads the braid stays on top and is visible, letting me see a lot of bites that I don't feel due to the muk, The flouro leader helps the bait sink, but doesn't drag my whole line down with it. This lets me target specific "holes" in the pads or grass without my whole line getting mixed up in it. I can hit a hole and my bait will sink down into it slowly while my braid stays more or less higher up.

 

 I also feel like I can keep a little more slack in the line when I want to with the braid,flouro leader combo which lets me work the bait more effectively for a lot of presentations. My favorite is a weightless soft plastic on a smallish light wire EWG hook on a four to six foot leader with braid main line. I thinks this  gives an awesome presentation to a trick worm or fluke while letting me see the line on the water. I don't worry about it because the flouro is all the fish is really around. This is my favorite spinning setup.

 

Also, as a side benefit, if I do get hung up real bad and have to break off, the leader breaks and this lets me keep the majority of my main line. I just carry around a small spool of flouro and retie a new leader on. Albright knot with a drop of super glue is what I use. Always wrap the braid, not the flouro.