Why such big braid?

[NHBull]

Howdy Folks.

I have been doing a lot of reading and I am tying to find out why many are using 30 and 40 lb braid for bass in large open areas.....no weeds, trees, docks ect.  

 

Heck my 10lb braid is perfect..

 

What am I missing 

 

Thanks, Al

 

[Angry John]

Handling for me.  I like 40 for jigs and single hooks and I have cast off baits with 20.  just what I like on a baitcaster.  I run 20 on a spinning rig.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

Outside of punching heavy mats braid is all about sensitivity and line handling. 10# braid can be prone to digging in and wind knots. If it's working for you on your circumstances no need to change. 

[flyfisher]

how it handles on the spool and abrasion resistance for me.  The thinner braid i just don't like in anything smaller than 6lb diameter.

[Onvacation]

Braid has a tendency to dig into itself.  Higher the test, less likely this is to happen.  Plus, I personally don't know that I'm always going to be fishing open water without weeds, trees or docks.  Sounds like tuna fishing to me. I personally search that Stuff out. 

[WRB]

Spinning reels the smaller diameter braids overlap wrap on the spool prevents the line digging down into spooled line underneath. With bait casting reels the line isn't wrapped onto the spool with a overlap like the spinning reel, the smaller diameter line like 20 lb test can dig into the spooled line underneath. 

If you have a shallow spool baitcasting reel 20 lb/.010D  braid works OK, 15 lb /.009D  or 10 lb/ .007 D not so good if you happen to get a backlash or the small diameter line gets inside the reel frame past the spool.

The problem isn't the strength of the line, it's how the line performs on the reels and the anglers ability to handle the very small diameter lines.

Tom

[Raul]

3 hours ago, NHBull said:

Howdy Folks.

I have been doing a lot of reading and I am tying to find out why many are using 30 and 40 lb braid for bass in large open areas.....no weeds, trees, docks ect.  

 

Heck my 10lb braid is perfect..

 

What am I missing 

 

Thanks, Al

 

I fish sharp edged rocks.

[Bluebasser86]

I have 20lb braid on both of my topwater rods that have braid, but 50lb on my frog rod. The 20lb backlashes much worse and digs in worse also, but it allows me to work the baits better also. It's also burnt me because it doesn't take much to fray 20lb braid in half. Recently cost me a Whopper Plopper 90 when a fish got behind a dock cable. Took surprisingly little pressure to part the line on that rough surface. 

[Darren.]

Are you talking spinning or casting?

I caught my PB in thick slop on a baitcaster 
with 10# braid and a 10# leader... But now 
I use 20# for casting.

Spinning is 10# and 15# plus a leader of
varying pound test. As you indicate, 10#
braid is plenty strong to bring in a large
bass.

I use the above in all areas, rocks, docks,
trees, bridges. Rarely ever have a line break
due to such things.

[Todd2]

15lb on spinning reels, you can cast light lures a country mile. 30lb for casting reels for less digging and more abrasion resistance. It's been working for me.

[new2BC4bass]

12 hours ago, Raul said:

I fish sharp edged rocks.

In that case braid isn't going to work very well.  Not that I've tested it out, but there is a youtube video showing how little it takes for braid to break when dragged across a rock.

[Hez]

I found this chart on another site - which explains why I fish 50 lb braid on my baitcasting reels.  

My baitcasters recommend 12 lb mono for best performance.  Different companies braid is different diameter, so this chart may help.  I fish power pro.  

Braids and Equivalent Mono Diameter

Sufix Performance Braid

6 / 2 lb.
10 / 4 lb.
20 / 6 lb.
30 / 8 lb.
50 / 12 lb.
65 / 17 lb.
80 / 20 lb.
100 / 25 lb.
130 / 40 lb.

Berkley Fire Line braid
- ultra low stretch
14/6 Lb. 
20/8 Lb. 
30/12 Lb. 

Berkley Big game
30/8 Lb. 
50/12 Lb. 
65/15 Lb. 
80/17 Lb. 
100/20 Lb.
130/30 Lb. 
200/50 Lb. 

Spider Wire stealth

20/6 Lb.
30/8 Lb
50/12 Lb.
65/15 Lb.
80/17 Lb. 
100/20 Lb. 

Spider-Wire original Braid 
60/12 Lb. 
20/6 Lb.
10/4 Lb.

P-Line's Spectrex IV

Stren® Super Braid Fishing Line 

14/4 Lb. 
20/6 Lb. 
30/8 Lb.
40/10 Lb.
50/12 Lb. 
65/17 Lb. 
80/20 Lb. 


Power Pro
US Sizes

SIZE (lb.) DIAMETER (in) ~ Mono Equivalent
8 / 1
10 / 2
15 / 4
20 / 6
30 / 8
40 / 10
50 / 12
65 / 16
80 / 18
100 / 20
150 / 30
200 / 50
250 / 80

Ande
Braid Mono 
8 / 1 
10 / 2 
15 / 4
20 / 6 
30 / 8 
50 / 12
80 / 20 
125 / 25

Western Filament Tuf Line

15 lb / 4 lb mono
20 lb / 6 
30 lb / 8 
50 lb / 12 
65 lb / 16 
80 lb / 18 
100 lb / 20 
130 lb / 30
150 lb / 40 
200 lb / 50

[WRB]

Add the line diameters and the chart may be useful.

Tom

[Raul]

1 hour ago, new2BC4bass said:

In that case braid isn't going to work very well.  Not that I've tested it out, but there is a youtube video showing how little it takes for braid to break when dragged across a rock.

I know it isn't going to work very well straight braid, that's what leaders were invented for.

[Hez]

2 hours ago, WRB said:

Add the line diameters and the chart may be useful.

Tom

Sorry Tom, that's too much work for me - it was just to give the OP a general idea.  

[Choporoz]

19 hours ago, NHBull said:

Why such big braid?

 

Last thing you want to worry about once your on the water, is LTE...(line test envy.)  Once you've glanced over and seen your fishing partner has 50# braid, you'll dang sure not go out with that 10# stuff again

[WRB]

50 minutes ago, Hez said:

Sorry Tom, that's too much work for me - it was just to give the OP a general idea.  

Agree it's more work then it's worth.

Power Pro braid*   

#test / diameter

8 / .005

10 / .006

15 / .007

20 / .009

30 /.011

40 /.013

50 /.014

65 /.016

80 /.017

* PP is a 4 carrier braid, not round, 8 carrier braid tends to be round.

It's difficult to determine what brand mono is used for comparison to the diameters shown for PP and most popular braids, possibly Trilene XT but about .001 smaller in most sizes.

Tom

 

[Hez]

28 minutes ago, WRB said:

Agree it's more work then it's worth.

Power Pro braid*   

#test / diameter

8 / .005

10 / .006

15 / .007

20 / .009

30 /.011

40 /.013

50 /.014

65 /.016

80 /.017

* PP is a 4 carrier braid, not round, 8 carrier braid tends to be round.

It's difficult to determine what brand mono is used for comparison to the diameters shown for PP and most popular braids, possibly Trilene XT but about .001 smaller in most sizes.

Tom

 

I agree - here is the mono comparisons just for the Visual people.

Trilene Big Game Monofilament diameter 

10 /  .012

12 / .014

15/ .015

20/ .018

25/ .019

30/ .022

So, this supports my original post - it has a lot to do with performance for me - because I surely don't need 50 lb test braid fishing a t-rigged worm...but it helps!!!  and it definitely catches fish!!! 

 

[NHBull]

Thanks guys.....really appreciate the I put.

Makes perfect sense....