Braided Line And Swimbaits

[Las_Vegas_Bass_Fishing]

Hi, this may sound like a dumb question, but when throwing swimbaits on braid with a mono leader do you need to adjust the way you cast? I was recently fishing with an S-waver 168 on 50lb braid with a 15lb fluorocarbon leader and I made a cast and my leader snapped and my S-waver went flying across the lake  . I used a double uni knot to connect my leader to the braid and my line was not nicked or anything. Did I just use the wrong knot? Any info on what I did wrong would be very helpful. Thanks

[FuglyMonkie]

How long of a leader? Does the knot go though the guides? Ive read that the knot couldve caught a guide and causes the leader to snap.

[Bluebasser86]

You do need to adjust the way you cast when fishing a swimbait with braid. When you reel your bait in, before your next cast, disengage the spool and pull the line off the spool a little at a time until it's all off the spool. Cut the line at the knot and respool with some copoly or flouro, 15-17 would work well with the S-Waver 168. Fishing swimbaits with braid is playing with fire, especially a sinking bait. 

[d-camarena]

With swimbaits use at least 20lb mono

[gulfcaptain]

I fish braid on everything with a leader and use the Albright Knot.  Also don't use anything under 20 for my swimbaits.  My set-up for smaller swimbaits under say 3oz's is 40lb braid with 20lb leader and then the hudds/Line Thru 8" baits as well as Triple Trouts get 40-50lb braid and either 25lb mono or FC depending on which bait it is.  Need to make sure your connection is really wet before tightning up on it also.  I figure most already do this, but had a tournament partner that wouldn't wet it till the end right before he pulled it tight.  Needs to be wet prior to pulling it snug or this can cause damage to the braid.  

[CTGalloway21]

I have been using straight braid on my swimbait rods lately since I fish from a kayak and the stretch of mono kills my hooksets.  I use 80lb.

[Big Bait Fishing]

your best bet for throwing swimbaits is using a good co-polymer line , braid is okay using top water baits like rats , but for glide and sinking baits , co-polymer line or even flouro is the way to go ! the less knots/connections you have , the better

[Fisher-O-men]

Yeah, braid with a leader is not what you want with heavy baits.  If anything goes wrong, any sudden stop will tax the short leader beyond its breaking point, as you found out.  At least it was not a Deps!

[WRB]

Anytime you tie 2 knots you are looking for trouble, double the odds of knot failure.

Braid can cut off the end of your rod if the line wraps the tip, cut your soft plastic swim baits severely if the line wraps the lure.

If you are not fishing in weedy areas, no reason to use braid. Some prefer it for easier hook sets, never had a problem with hook sets using 20 lb Big Game mono or Armilo Deifer 25 lb Nylon line.

It's a sickening feeling watching a sinking expensive swimbait break off and slash down in deep water.

Tom

[Dwight Hottle]

Anytime you tie 2 knots you are looking for trouble, double the odds of knot failure.

Braid can cut off the end of your rod if the line wraps the tip, cut your soft plastic swim baits severely if the line wraps the lure.

If you are not fishing in weedy areas, no reason to use braid. Some prefer it for easier hook sets, never had a problem with hook sets using 20 lb Big Game mono or Armilo Deifer 25 lb Nylon line.

It's a sickening feeling watching a sinking expensive swimbait break off and slash down in deep water.

Tom

I picked up on Tom's suggestion of the Armilo Deifer line have used it for about a year and I am very happy with it.

[Klebs01]

How much stretch is there on the defier? I currently have 20# CXX on my swim bait rod and am looking for something thinner with less stretch. I use braid with leaders on most of my other setups and feel the stretch with CXX has hurt my hook sets and caused list fish.

[bassbro420]

Heavy braid with a SDJ knot is more reliable than any mono or copoly. No leader just straight braid.

[zeth]

It happens but you have a few choice:

• ditch the braid
• tie a longer leader so that the knot is a few handle turns deep on the reel. You'll need to retie the knot more often and your thumb will be a little sore from the knot but less stress on the knot I think. Doing this I almost never have a breakage problem.
• Tie a better knot
• superglue your knot
• ...i gotta get to work

[WRB]

Hook set problems with swimbaits for bass isn't line stretch it's either the technique or dull hooks.

Soft swimbaits like a 8" Hudd is like a big gum ball in the basses mouth, yanking on the lure with rod at the wrong time doesn't more lures hook, the reason Butch designed his top of the head treble hook rig.

Keep the rod down and tip pointed at the swimbait as much as possible, hook set by reeling fast to load up the line then make a hard rod sweep. The rod needs to have enough power and length to move the bass. Timing is critical, like a crankbait strike, the bass should have the lure in it's mouth and turned with it before you hook set.

Braid or mono is your choice, braid with a leader has too many knots to fail.

Tom

[blckshirt98]

Double Uni I've found to be a horrible knot to tie braid to fluoro.  It's too easy to get line burn and a weak spot at the knot, where it'll break just after the knot where you'll be left with the fluoro portion of the uni connection.  I'd ditch the braid altogether for swimbaits and use straight fluoro (20 or 25lb Sniper FC).

[Big Bait Fishing]

Hook set problems with swimbaits for bass isn't line stretch it's either the technique or dull hooks.

Soft swimbaits like a 8" Hudd is like a big gum ball in the basses mouth, yanking on the lure with rod at the wrong time doesn't more lures hook, the reason Butch designed his top of the head treble hook rig.

Keep the rod down and tip pointed at the swimbait as much as possible, hook set by reeling fast to load up the line then make a hard rod sweep. The rod needs to have enough power and length to move the bass. Timing is critical, like a crankbait strike, the bass should have the lure in it's mouth and turned with it before you hook set.

Braid or mono is your choice, braid with a leader has too many knots to fail.

Tom

the reason for the butch brown top hook treble mod is not for hookset , it's so the bass can't use the stock  top hook to use it to throw the hook/bait ( using the weight of the bait as leverage ) . and yes , line stretch does have a LOT to do with hooksets !! you need a fast hookset ,not a sweeping hookset on a hudd , you have to move that 4-5 oz. bait quickly in the basses mouth and drive the hook in thier mouth . for slow moving baits like the hudd , braid is the wrong choice , go with a low stretch , strong co-polymer line ...

[WRB]

the reason for the butch brown top hook treble mod is not for hookset , it's so the bass can't use the stock top hook to use it to throw the hook/bait ( using the weight of the bait as leverage ) . and yes , line stretch does have a LOT to do with hooksets !! you need a fast hookset ,not a sweeping hookset on a hudd , you have to move that 4-5 oz. bait quickly in the basses mouth and drive the hook in thier mouth . for slow moving baits like the hudd , braid is the wrong choice , go with a low stretch , strong co-polymer line ...

Do know Butch? Have you spent time fishing with Butch? Yes his rigs helps prevent leveraging the Hudd, but it also uses a much smaller wire diameter hook and when the bass whips the Hudd around during head shakes that can tear it out faster than leveraging it out.

I have known Butch since his was a young teen living at lake Sherwood and have been fishing swimbaits since the late 80's. Having caught a few hundred DD bass on swimbaits, timing the hook set is a very important factor and each angler needs to develop a feel when to set.

Tom

[Big Bait Fishing]

Do know Butch? Have you spent time fishing with Butch? Yes his rigs helps prevent leveraging the Hudd, but it also uses a much smaller wire diameter hook and when the bass whips the Hudd around during head shakes that can tear it out faster than leveraging it out.

I have known Butch since his was a young teen living at lake Sherwood and have been fishing swimbaits since the late 80's. Having caught a few hundred DD bass on swimbaits, timing the hook set is a very important factor and each angler needs to develop a feel when to set.

Tom

 

i don't know butch or care to know him , i have seen his '' butch brown rigging '' , i have tried it myself but used an Owner ST-41 in size 1/0 , used it on that bait ( a ROF 16 ) and didn't care for the wire and crimps , maybe one day i'll try it with 80 lb. braid . hooksets are , to me , the same as any other bait pretty much , but of course timing plays a role .

[Robert Riley]

I use a lot of big baits for muskie, #80-#100 test with a swivel and a fluoro leader, it about #200 actually! (buddy makes them and sells them)

 

I know its not exactly what would be used for bass, but i've had very little problems and i cant see there being more if you downsized.