I'm not a perfect angler but I just don't get it.

[craww]

I’ve caught myself wondering the same things. Braid certainly isn't the end all be all for everything, I don't use it for a lot of things due to certain characteristics.

However.... Ive just never seen all these weird issues folks seem to have with breaking it off randomly, knots slipping (A lot of Blue Cats up to 75lbs on the polamer), uncalled for fraying, etc.

 

I’ll even go so far as to say after using maybe 18 brands- if you use the right diameter- braid is braid generally speaking. Even the cheap amazon off brand stuff has been fine for me.

[WRB]

15 hours ago, king fisher said:

I Make my living big game fishing on the Pacific coast of Mexico.  When the super braids came out it completely changed the game.  I couldn't even imagine ever going back to mono as a main line. All my rods are braid with floro leaders, or mono top shots.  I can correctly tie almost any knot used with braid, direct to lure, braid to floro, braid to mono, hollow splice and more. I only give this back ground because I want to make it clear, I do know how and do tie all my gear correctly.  When I started bass fishing again a few years ago after many years away from the sport, I naturally thought I should use braid for everything.  It worked and I caught lots of bass.  I have gone back to using mostly mono for my bass fishing, because in many situations, I don't see a great advantage to braid.  I do feel that tangles are more difficult to deal with,and I don't like having to fool with leaders if I don't have to.  I have done many knot tests with a crane and scales and will tell you that all the popular knots I tested with braid will broke at 75% or less.  The break is usually about 1/8 inch above the knot on most knots.  I realize that doesn't really mater if you are using 50 pound line.  Even at 50% break strength 25 pound is more than enough to land any bass.   Even with lighter braid there isn't a problem because most peoples leaders are significantly lighter than the braid.  You can get over 90% strength with hollow braid splices but that is not applicable for most bass fishing.  My point being that braid is great line, it is by far the best line in many situations,(punching, frogging, many others) lasts forever, doesn't stretch, very strong for diameter, and is the line preferred by many great bass fishermen.  However I personally believe in many situations, mono works as well with less hassle.  I also believe mono holds knots better than both braid and floro.  That does not mean that your knots with braid are going to break.  I'm sure many people here have landed way more bass than me without knot failure. I just  don't get why more people don't use mono more, and braid as a specialty line.  

Totally agree, in fact sounds like I wrote this reply but never made my living off shore big game fishing. 35 years recreational and tournament fishing Baja Pacific coast and understand the advantages of using small diameter braid for increased line capacity on 2 speed conventional reels.

I understand using braid where it is an advantage and do so.

Tom

 

[Spankey]

16 hours ago, dodgeguy said:

https://images.app.goo.gl/LmFYtQ4SxbutKyNs6

I’d like to think in my 60 years I’ve been receptive of change. Changes are constant in the manufacturing work world, family life and experiences and fishing plays a big part of my life. 

 

Family has told me that I’m not all that receptive of change and I’m a creature of habit. They don’t see much change. They are right. 

 

I’m afraid of braid. That solo frog setup I have with 35# braid on it I’m still out to lunch on. Had been using Big Game but at a lesser test. 

 

I’ve started a slush fund mad money stash for next season all ready. I want to pick up a new ML Xfast stick and go all out and buy the new version Stradic. From the get go I think I’ll do the braid and fluoro leader. You guys (+ the pros) would not fish like that if the negatives out weighed the positives. My favorite spinning plastics set up now is a SC Med. Xfast 6’3” Avid w/ the white old school 2500 Stradic. I fish a SC 6’8” and a 5’9” M Xfast also with the old

Symetreys. 

[Tennessee Boy]

I’m intimidated by the level of experience in this thread.  I’m only 56 so I don’t think I have anything I can contribute.

[OkobojiEagle]

4 hours ago, dodgeguy said:

Post is not about if braid is better than mono or flouro. 

...neither is my response.   

 

oe

 

 

[Buckeye Ron]

I’ll soon be 65 and have fished for about 58 of those years, so like the OP I know a thing or two about fishing, or at least I tell myself that I do. Personally I was late to the ‘braid game’, believing that if it ain’t broke, why mess with it?

I started experimenting with braid when I moved to Florida three years go, and I’ll just say it has its place, no more no less. What I have found to be true in my case is that braid brings with it its own complications. Learning complicated knots, joining braid to mono or flouro leaders, all are things I never had to deal with as a strictly monofilament line fisherman. 

Fortunately for me, 95% of my fishing is bass fishing and I have little need for braid at this time. For me, that works.

[Big Rick]

9 hours ago, Catt said:

Palomar knot is all I use on braid, mono, or fluoro with zero issues.

Here's a hearty and resounding AMEN!!!

 

 

[Shimano_1]

That's the problem with listening to other people give their opinions.  Basically everything I use is trash in a lot of guys eyes. I agree completely that most problems people have with most types of line are user error. I'm not a huge fan of braid for most things but I keep 2 rods spooled with it year round and have never had any issues using old junky spiderwire braid that most will say is awful. I've learned to just try what I am curious about and figure it out for myself.  Of course there are things I think are garbage that a lotta people love. Guess that's why there's such a variety 

[evilcatfish]

1 hour ago, Big Rick said:

Here's a hearty and resounding AMEN!!!

 

 

Same here, I don’t care if it’s a Ned rig or 5oz swimbait. People look at me crazy when I tell them the only knots I need are a palomar and surgeons knot. 

[Hammer 4]

I use braid where it's applicable..i.e. frog's, flipping and punching. Most everything else is mono, cept for my finesse spinning which is fluro, and that may change..

[FishTank]

1 hour ago, Hammer 4 said:

I use braid where it's applicable..i.e. frog's, flipping and punching. Most everything else is mono, cept for my finesse spinning which is fluro, and that may change..

I would agree.  

 

Braid is just another tool.  I use it for top water and in thick coverage.  I use some mono but 12lb FC is my go to line.  

[DanielG]

I've always used mono. Recently I spooled up some fluorocarbon. It was okay but I just didn't like it. It was like mono but with a bad feel to it. I put some braided super pro slick on my spinning reel, #30 and immediately loved it. A couple of weeks ago I've put some braided, #40, on my caster and I equally love it. I'm not using leaders but feel like I probably should. Not looking forward to that. I guess I can use up what's left of the fluorocarbon for that next season.

 

BTW, on another note. I have a Curado DC reel. It was great with mono and fluoro as far as nesting was concerned. Didn't happen much, or bad. Since I've spooled up the braided I find it's very difficult to get it to tangle. If I use it along with a little thumb, I expect I may never have to pick out a nest. Watch that statement make me a liar tomorrow!

[Tony johnson]

I started using braid in west coast big fish fishing. when i recently started fresh water fishing again i spooled up 6 rods with floro and mono then month later the line is all coils and just a hassle to deal with... so now all my stuff is full of braid and i fish straight 30lb or 50lb braid on all my baitcasters. hardly ever use a leader unless its drop shot spinning rig. If i feel i need to try a leader it takes me all of 20 secs to tie braid to leader... only time i have done it is if i am noticing abrasion marks from the quaga mussels

[Wizzlebiz]

On 9/19/2019 at 3:38 PM, dodgeguy said:

O.K. I'm not perfect. I'm not even close. But I am 60 years old and have been fishing since I was 7. That's 53 years so I think I know something. As many of you know me I love braided line. I've used it since 1993. I've used a bunch of different brands and numerous products within those brands. I've read many reviews on braids and many posts about braids. I've read about braid snapping when casting. I've read about wind knots.Ive read about tip wrap. One guy will say a braid is to limp. The next guy will say it's to stiff.It seems a lot of people have horrendous issues with braids. Knots seem to be one of them. I use a Palomar knot all the time and have never had it slip with any brand of braid.I am completely convinced that 99 percent of peoples problems with braid are user error. Yes some braids are better than others.But the problems you read about are amazing. In all the years I have fished braid I have never snapped it on a cast. Even with a 1.5 oz spoon and having a backlash stop the cast. Granted I used 50 lb test with it. If your throwing big lures on light line what would you think might happen. I would never throw that on light braid. Another complaint is that braid is hard to remove a backlash from. No it's not. It's really easy and the line doesn't Get damaged. I've maybe had to cut out 5 backlashes with braid since 1993. The good old Bill Dance jam your thumb on the spool and reel technique works for me. Like I said guys I'm not a perfect angler and many here could probably outfish me but when it comes to braid and the problems people have I just don't get it.

I love braid. But I also havent used anything below 30lb test. I hear it can become an issue with the lower test. I also dont see any real reason to use lower than 30lb so I guess it really is not an issue. 

[DanielG]

I'm a recent convert to braid from a lifetime of mono and brief bout with fluoro. I use 30 on spinning and 40 on casting. I don't think I'll go back. Definitely not to fluoro. I'm still toying with the need for a clear leader though. I like not having one but still wonder if it's necessary or not. Verdict out for me on this.

[Ratherbfishing]

Meh, braid is good but it isn't the be all or end all for all fishing applications.  If you know and honor its strengths and limitations, it is a good tool.

[Bird]

This must be an old guy thread.....good I feel at home.

Maybe I'm simply comparing braid to substandard mono but the difference is substantial, give me braid.

 

MUCH better hook set, MUCH further cast , MUCH better sensitivity and better bait action. Polamar knot.

 

My only complaint is the need " maybe peer pressure " for a floro leader in clear water which now gives you a weak link with the prevalent downfalls of floro....STRETCH.

 

[PourMyOwn]

Since this is an old guy thread, I'll say that I'm 42 but have used braid since 1993. Here in NH we have a lot of shallow ponds filled with lily pads and heavy grass. I've used 40-60 pound braid for all applications in those ponds-all using Palomar knots. I watched many a friend lose fish in the pads to mono.

As others have said, brand isn't overly important.  I went through miles of Fireline, now I use power pro.

On most of my spinning rods I do braid to leader on all but my dropshot outfit, which is 8lb Silver thread. 

All of my other baitcasters have mono or copoly. There's a place for all if it.

[Yumeya]

All I use is braid to leader, on every setup even ice fishing...

 

I love the stuff