Fishing with Braided Line

[Dxdger30]

So I recently just strung up my bait caster with some braided line, first time braided user here, its 30lb Sufix 832. I have a KVD frog on it right now. My question is, is what other baits are good to throw with braided line?

[Zachb6]

Top water spooks buzz baits 

 

[Nitrofreak]

I have used braid with just about everything you can think of.

Top water works really well but IMO, braid is best suited for working heavy cover with punch rigs, or areas that are really abrasive, it has a lot of applications it can be used for.

[Hurricane]

All my Baitcasters are line with 50lb Suffix 832... Absolutely love that line...

[gardnerjigman]

I prefer it with frogs and flipping. Spooks and buzzbaits get paired with mono. 

[MDBowHunter]

I with gardnerjigman I never use braid for top water walker type baits because it's way too limp and the bait will actually run over the line and it will tangle with the hooks. Mono will stay some what stiff and will stay out in front of the bait. How ever I do use braid for jigs, frogs, spinnerbaits, Chatterbaits, drop shot.

[the reel ess]

I use braid for single hook applications. And I don't use any leader. Fish don't seem to care about that visible line. But I use mono for treble hook baits, especially topwaters. The buzzbait is the only exception to that.

I bought 50# braid for my baitcasters thinking it was the thing to do. I'll probably replace it with 30# next time. The thing is it doesn't wear out. And you can reel it from one reel to another and use the unused end.

I use 20# braid on my spinning equipment. It casts like 8# mono.

[Mark888]

I would use 30 lb braid for frogs/rats, jigs and flipping primary! When I'm fishing around grass (i.e. chatter bait), i would also use braid! I would stick to mono for top water baits with treble hooks! Good luck!

[fishwizzard]

I have some 50lb PowerPro on a surfcasting rig and that stuff is so stiff that I can't imagine using it on a bass rod.  I assume the higher end braids are more supple at the higher ratings? 

[riverbasser]

almost all my fishing is done with braid except topwater. I highly recommend braid to anyone just starting to use a baitcaster as well. it cast great and all birdnest pull right out

[Yudo1]

I use braid with leaders on 90% of my reels.  30lb is my favorite, but 50lb on my frog/punching gear.

[Jar11591]

2 hours ago, the reel ess said:

I use braid for single hook applications.

This for me as well. With the exception of frogs, a double hook application  

[Dye99]

I use braid on every rod and reel I own.

On my dropshot and shakey head I do use a leader on occasion, but every other style gets braid from 10-30lb.

[avidone1]

7 hours ago, MDBowHunter said:

I with gardnerjigman I never use braid for top water walker type baits because it's way too limp and the bait will actually run over the line and it will tangle with the hooks. Mono will stay some what stiff and will stay out in front of the bait. How ever I do use braid for jigs, frogs, spinnerbaits, Chatterbaits, drop shot.

the braid can also loop around the tip top during the jerk pause jerk movement

[loudcherokee]

9 hours ago, Bunnielab said:

I have some 50lb PowerPro on a surfcasting rig and that stuff is so stiff that I can't imagine using it on a bass rod.  I assume the higher end braids are more supple at the higher ratings? 

I've got my Lews Tournament Pro spooled up with 50lb moss green power pro for frogging, jigging, and t-rigging and it handles just fine and doesn't seem stiff at all.

LC

[NorthwoodsLife]

I'll throw any lure on braided line. 

[avidone1]

11 minutes ago, NorthwoodsLife said:

I'll throw any lure on braided line. 

I understand this, but casting a front prop bait with braid line and no leader is a real waste of time unless you just reel it straight in.

[S. Sass]

2 hours ago, avidone1 said:

I understand this, but casting a front prop bait with braid line and no leader is a real waste of time unless you just reel it straight in.

So all the fish we catch without the miracle leader we should never speak of unless we just reeled it straight in. ???  I'm being sarcastic of course. There are those that have their faith in leaders for what ever reason and more power to them. 

[Dye99]

So many different situations for braid and leaders...

You can't say one is right or wrong, only what works for you.

For ME, Ive used a leader for dropshot, and to prove my point, cut it, and ran 15 pound straight braid, and still out caught those with me. 

There are no set rules in bass fishing, thats what makes it so interesting.

[Hawkeye21]

I've used braid for every type of fishing.  I even use it when I go trout fishing.  I love it.  I can't stand how other lines have memory and get twisted up.

[the reel ess]

On 5/20/2016 at 6:44 PM, Jar11591 said:

This for me as well. With the exception of frogs, a double hook application  

Yes. The frog is the reason I started with braid. I spent a long day of not getting any hooksets with 12 lb Trilene mono. So I started reading and got the correct gear. I went and bought a $100 Cabelas Frog rod. But it's too heavy IMO. It won't cast as far or smaller frogs or jigs. The butt cap keeps falling off so i think I will return it for a MH.

Anyway, after using the braid for frogs, I started using it for jigs, then T rigs. 50# braid that you know fish can see, but they don't care. If anything, I've caught more on it because there's no stretch for better hooksets. I did learn that you still need some drag though because you can straighten out a normal EWG hook horsing a big fish.

And for spinning gear, it's just the best ever. No twist, no line memory and the smaller diameter 20# casts like 6-8 lb mono.

[FishHard247]

I use braid on every rod I have except one. 30 lb seaguar green. Watch the clear or clearish water tho. You may have a hard time getting them to hit it because of the braid. I fished yesterday on my 140 lake and half the lake at the creek channel was orange but in the main channel it was clear. Switch over to flouro in that case. They CAN see it (in my opinon)

[the reel ess]

On 5/21/2016 at 11:08 PM, avidone1 said:

the braid can also loop around the tip top during the jerk pause jerk movement

I once got a treble right through (between strands of) the braid. That took a long time to pick out because I was in the kayak without scissors or clippers.

OP: do yourself a favor and buy some scissors or some cutting device made for braid. Clippers usually aren't sharp enough for a clean cut. Then you have a time trying to feed the frayed end through a bullet weight. If you don't know the Palomar knot you need to learn because most mono knots won't work with braid.

[fishwizzard]

I use an improved clinch/Trilene knot with braided line and in my informal pull tests (line tied to hook, hook around metal pipe, live end of line wrapped around a stick) the hook either fails or the line breaks at the knot, I have never hand a knot slip or fail.  I am currently messing with Snell knots in braid and am having similar results. 

This season I am trying hybrid line on my reels with a second spool.  I am having decent luck with it but am not convinced I prefer it to braid + leader. 

 

[blckshirt98]

Any reaction/power technique you can go straight braid if you'd like!  Finesse just add an appropriate FC leader!