Serious question: Did Satan invent braided fishing line?

[wasabi_VA]

Had a great day on the water yesterday except for 2 or 3 braid issues that defied the laws of physics. Surely Satan invented braid. I know he's the one who made the wind blow so crazy.

[Russ E]

I hve a love/hate relationship with braid. I love the sensitivity and zero stretch when setting he hook on long casts.

the wind knots on the other hand are definitely on the hate list.

[jimmyjoe]

   Yes, he did. I saw him. And he was chuckling an evil chuckle all the while....

   The trouble with braid is in the fiber. If you got some Dacron braid, it would behave better. If you could get the old black nylon braid, it would behave better yet. But the allure of the Dyneema and Spectra fibers has driven those off the market, or relegated them to trolling. I've found the total answer to all the problems of braid, though:

    I use monofilament.    ???    jj

[OnthePotomac]

I know there are a ton of anglers who love braid, but I gave it up except for my frog set up and do quite well with mono and flouro.  I just got tired with messing with it at inopportune times.

[ResoKP]

Serious answer: no.

[A-Jay]

Braid, Fluorocarbon & Monofilament ~ 

They're all just tools.

Helps to be a jack of all trades - like me.

Unfortunately, I'm just not a master of any of them.

But I'm working on it.

A-Jay

 

[Darren.]

That's a negative. Seriously.

[lmbfisherman]

I love braid.  What does that mean?  Am I going to hell?  

[WRB]

Do you know what causes wind knots?

Tom

[The Bassman]

24 minutes ago, WRB said:

Do you know what causes wind knots?

Tom

 

[GrumpyOlPhartte]

Nope, but he must have had a hand in fluorocarbon! Today I got out for the first time this year and actually met the unholy trinity; new rod with lighter action than I’ve ever used, new baitcasting reel, and fluorocarbon line.  Definitely atoned for a few of my past sins!!!

[waymont]

My advice is always to not cast as hard as you have been. When I started mellowing out my casting speed any wind knot issue I would occasionally have went away.

[Jaderose]

No but I AM sure he gives all devilish desires.  Like the desire to cast a light lure into the wind, for instance

[Hulkster]

Quote

I've found the total answer to all the problems of braid, though:

    I use monofilament. 

Me too. former Sufix 832 user. Now I use Sufix Siege mono for everything.

[Glenn]

I get the tongue-n-cheek tone of the OP's message.  It's not really a "religious" post, so...

 

I've always said, braid is not a silver bullet, and should never be used as an all-purpose line.  It's not.  It definitely has it's place and purpose, but it's not for everything. 

 

I use Seaguar Smackdown for heavy cover situations such as flipping/pitching, and froggin'...sometimes big swimbaits too.  And I love that line!  But really that's it. 

 

I won't use it for finesse and crankbaits, for example.  I need a line that has more stretch in those cases - and is less bouyant - such as Seaguar Tatsu or InvisX fluorocarbon line. Those are terrific lines for those applications!

 

I could go on, but suffice to say, every type of line - fluoro, braid, mono, and copoly - has it's place and time. They're all tools that fit the proper applications.  There is no "one size fits all".  Properly matching your line, reel, and rod for each technique will greatly improve your catch ratio.

[WRB]

Everyone thinks braid cures one twist without knowing that yarn braid is twisted 10-12 times per foot before it's braided and continues to be twisted with each revolution of a spinning reel bail if the end of the line has sometime tied on the doesn't allow the braid to untwist. Line twist causes wind knots, not twisted intestines.

I tried today braids on spinning, didn't like it or making leaders, baitcasting jigs and worms, didn't like it and finally for heavy cover and liked its and that's all I use it for.

Tom

[jbsoonerfan]

My guess, you are using braid that is too light. When I first tried braid on a baitcaster, I bought 20lb. Disaster. Then I tried 40 lb and 50 lb and it is amazing. 

[The Bassman]

I stick with light braid for spinning.  Being a shore fisherman distance is important. The very occasional tangle is offset by the benefits. 

[jimmyjoe]

   You're right, @The Bassman. And I just woke up to the fact that the OP didn't tell us whether he was using casting or spinning equipment.

   I, too, have a love/hate relationship with braid. It stems from the fact that I use it on spinning gear for twitching small spoons and jerkbaits. Those techniques build up twist in the line, and more in some brands than others. But I got stupid and crazy and discovered a way to stop SOME of the twist.

    My twist is always clockwise. In other words, I have to re-twist the line counterclockwise as I hold the rod and look down it. So took an el-cheapo spoon and bent it with a pliers so that it always twists CCW. When the twist builds up so that I can see it, I put this spoon on and cast out a couple times. That cures 90% of my twist. Now I'm not saying it cures ALL the twist. There's some left right next to the reel on a loooong cast. That twist, way down in the length of line, has to be taken out the hard way ..... by hand.

   When I say, "... when the twist builds up that I can see it ..." I mean that I hold the line up to my eye and look straight down it. The twist will be obvious. As you work the line and the twist increases, that will be obvious, too.  I use braided line that this twist is obvious. I haven't used all the braids out there, and I don't intend to try. Some might not show this twist as being obvious.

   I use braid on only one baitcaster. Haven't had any problems there. Then again, I use that setup differently.

   One bad thing I found out: once braided line takes a severe twist, it seems to re-arrange the relationship between the filaments, as if it changes the friction mechanism between them. And then, the line will take a new twist ten times as easily and ten times as quickly. At that point, new line is in order.

   Oh, well ....... the fight goes on.   jj

[Scott F]

As far as I’m concerned, I want to anoint sainthood to the guy who invented superlines. I know it isn’t perfect, no line is, but I use it on all my rods all the time, never with a leader. For me, it’s been a blessing.

[keagbassr]

Braid ,probably not. However , the yankees,cowboys , lakers and canadiens most definitely.?

[fishwizzard]

I am trying braid/mono leader on my topwater rod and last night as the light was fading I got a tip-wrap and cast off my favorite PopMax.  The wind was gusting hard but not steadily and due to the failing light I was having trouble keeping track of my lure as I was following it around the pond, waiting for it to hit the bank.  I lucked out that a very very understanding DNR officer, who arrived to chase us all out of the park, used his I think 100m lumen flashlight to spot the lure and was kind enough to stand there with me for 10 min while we waited for it to make land fall.  

 

It was my fault for not checking for the wrap given the conditions, but I suspect the mono I had been using on that combo would not have almost cost me my fancy lure.  I understand the advantages of braid and use it when it make sense, but I will go through a lot of other line options before I give in and use braid.  

[Bluebasser86]

No way, I couldn't imagine fishing a lot of situations without braid. Wind knots suck, but so does busting off a big one in the grass because you didn't have braid. 

[Koz]

I love braid on my baitcasters but not on my spinning gear.

[Columbia Craw]

I will admit, braid today is definitely better than what was out there 15 years ago.  I'm slooooowly adapting toward braid for a few applications but had braid on the frog rod for some time.