Yes, Braided line Q again :)

[Eddie101]

I've a feeling that this topic may have been discussed ad nauseam already - sorry about that. Although I've been fishing for some time, I've never tried braided line since I've always been a mono guy, and I saw no real reason/need to change. Well, I'm about to change that, and ordered some Sufix 832 so I can at least look good, and be a part of the "crowd", if you will. LOL  Anyway, my questions to you experts/pros are; 1)my rods are old so will braided line damage the rods in anyway such as guides for example? 2) do you recommend mono backing or none at all? 3)Will my reels function properly with all braided line? I think I've read from somewhere that w/o any decent backing, reels could slip or won't cast as well? I don't recall. 4) if you do use a leader, about how much of a leader do you put on your reel? 5)Will those knots impede casting in anyway? Thank you, and Happy Father's Day to you all!

[Captain Phil]

Opinions on lines are like belly buttons, everyone has one.  Here's mine.  Braided line has a place in bass fishing.  I use it when frog fishing as I often have to hoist a fish out of a forest of pads, hydrilla or both.  Time and time again I have seen two anglers in the same boat fishing plastic worms side by side.  If one of them is using mono and the other is using braid, the mono fisherman will get more bites.  You can use a leader to overcome this issue, but that adds a knot.  The knot often hangs up on the cast and/or collects weeds.  I fish worms with the lightest mono line I can get away with and no leader.  Fluorocarbon line is great for worm fishing.  It's costly, stiffer and harder to cast.

 

My son is an excellent back country salt water angler. He loves braid.  He says it casts further.  He does not use a leader.  He spools mono under his braid, so the line doesn't turn on the spool.  If you are going to use braid, you will need to pay more attention to knots.  For years I used an improved clinch knot with mono.  If you use this knot with braid, you will lose fish (been there, done that).  A double line improved clinch knot (Jimmy Houston knot) does not slip. 

 

Much has been said already on this issue.  I am sure others will have their own opinions. My suggestion is this, try both and see what you think.   

 

 

[PhishLI]

I'm not an expert, just an ordinary ham and egg'r.

 

It's nearly straight braid time due to where I fish.

 

It may damage older guides depending on which ring material they use. 8 carrier braid is less likely to be problematic. Post your rod models and someone may chime in with advice.

 

I do not use mono backing. Tie the braid to the spool using an arbor knot. Cut two 1/2" square pieces of electrical tape, preferably Super 33 because it's very soft, and place the squares over the line at 180 degrees apart on the spool and wind it on. I've never once, not one time, had braid slip using this method.

 

Leaders are optional. Some people like my buddy have no confidence without them. He also breaks off more fish using flouro leaders than anyone else that I fish with, but they never use leaders. I've never left a fish with a lure in it's mouth fishing straight braid other than one humongous pickerel. If you're going to use a leader, especially flouro, then learn and practice your connection and terminal knots and retie at the hook after you catch a fish. All leader knots are noticeable going through guides. Some people don't mind. It reduces my pleasure so I don't. If I feel that the line type is an issue in clearer water, or I need the sink rate, I simply switch to a rig or mount up reel with straight fluoro or copoly. 

[Eddie101]

17 minutes ago, PhishLI said:

I'm not an expert, just an ordinary ham and egg'r.

 

It's nearly straight braid time due to where I fish.

 

It may damage older guides depending on which ring material they use. 8 carrier braid is less likely to be problematic. Post your rod models and someone may chime in with advice.

 

I do not use mono backing. Tie the braid to the spool using an arbor knot. Cut two 1/2" square pieces of electrical tape, preferably Supper 33 because it's very soft, and place the squares over the line at 180 degrees apart on the spool and wind it on. I've never once, not one time, had braid slip using this method.

 

Leaders are optional. Some people like my buddy have no confidence without them. He also breaks off more fish using flouro leaders than anyone else that I fish with, but they never use leaders. I've never left a fish with a lure in it's mouth fishing straight braid other than one humongous pickerel. If you're going to use a leader, especially flouro, then learn and practice your connection and terminal knots and retie at the hook after you catch a fish. All leader knots are noticeable going through guides. Some people don't mind. It reduces my pleasure so I don't. If I feel that the line type is an issue in clearer water, or I need the sink rate, I simply switch to a rig or mount up reel with straight fluoro or copoly. 

I've old (vintage? ) All-Star M/H, Medium and Heavy rods and AFAIC, they are out of business? I like the elec tape idea! Much obliged!

28 minutes ago, Captain Phil said:

Opinions on lines are like belly buttons, everyone has one.  Here's mine.  Braided line has a place in bass fishing.  I use it when frog fishing as I often have to hoist a fish out of a forest of pads, hydrilla or both.  Time and time again I have seen two anglers in the same boat fishing plastic worms side by side.  If one of them is using mono and the other is using braid, the mono fisherman will get more bites.  You can use a leader to overcome this issue, but that adds a knot.  The knot often hangs up on the cast and/or collects weeds.  I fish worms with the lightest mono line I can get away with and no leader.  Fluorocarbon line is great for worm fishing.  It's costly, stiffer and harder to cast.

 

My son is an excellent back country salt water angler. He loves braid.  He says it casts further.  He does not use a leader.  He spools mono under his braid, so the line doesn't turn on the spool.  If you are going to use braid, you will need to pay more attention to knots.  For years I used an improved clinch knot with mono.  If you use this knot with braid, you will lose fish (been there, done that).  A double line improved clinch knot (Jimmy Huston knot) does not slip. 

 

Much has been said already on this issue.  I am sure others will have their own opinions. My suggestion is this, try both and see what you think.   

 

 

I just looked up Jimmy Houston knot, and it looks solid! I'll try that knot for sure. Appreciate your input, Captain Phil.

[Captain Phil]

1 hour ago, Eddie101 said:

I just looked up Jimmy Houston knot, and it looks solid! I'll try that knot for sure. Appreciate your input, Captain Phil.

I use it for everything except really heavy mono when I use the Palomar knot.

[Mike L]

For me, braid is a specialty item to be used only for certain applications. 

Frogs get 50# and punching 80# other than that I’m 100% fluorocarbon for every technique. 

If you are convinced that using a leader is to your advantage considering the structure of your home waters, then adjust your combos accordingly. 
 

There are a 1/2 dozen different line to line knots that work just fine. 
Do a search on here and you’ll be reading for 2 days.
Everyone has their favorite determined by their confidence in what they use which is gained by experience. 
 

Any fairly quality rod using fairly quality guide inserts will be fine running braid. 

Using mono backing will save you money, but @PhishLI suggestion is a good one and works. 

Any quality reel won’t be effected by using it.  
 

 

 

Mike

[Eddie101]

For a spinning reel of 2500 size, what lb test braided line would you recommend? I think anything less than 20 lbs should be ok? 

[Mike L]

20# is probably the sweet spot, I don’t use them.  
The spinning guys should be along shortly. 
 

 

 

 

Mike

[Eddie101]

34 minutes ago, Mike L said:

For me, braid is a specialty item to be used only for certain applications. 

Frogs get 50# and punching 80# other than that I’m 100% fluorocarbon for every technique. 

 

 

 

Mike

Isn't fluorocarbon notorious for getting birdnests? Any tricks to prevent that from happening?

[OkobojiEagle]

2 hours ago, Captain Phil said:

Opinions on lines are like belly buttons, everyone has one.

Just thought I'd let you know... because of surgery immediately following her birth, my daughter doesn't have a belly button.

 

oe

[Mike L]

31 minutes ago, Eddie101 said:

Isn't fluorocarbon notorious for getting birdnests? Any tricks to prevent that from happening?

If you don’t use a quality product,  set your reel correctly to achieve the fine balance of distance and accuracy any line will backlash. 
However, the KVD product line has a spray called line and lure that will help a lesser product a great deal. 
 

Don’t get caught up in all the “notorious” negative attitudes that folks have of it. 
I and millions of other anglers use it over other lines because it’s positives outweigh the negatives that get complained about more loudly and more often. 


 

Mike 

[Maggiesmaster]

I use 30 lb yellow braid with a 12 lb mono leader, joined with a Shin knot. The braid let’s me feel the bottom better with worms & creature baits. For everything else, I use mono. 

[Captain Phil]

28 minutes ago, Maggiesmaster said:

The braid let’s me feel the bottom better with worms & creature baits. 

Braid also works well with a Carolina rig.  As Maggiesmaster stated, you can feel the bottom better and you are going to use a leader anyway.  

[new2BC4bass]

Like some I reserve braid for slop fishing and use a mono or co-polymer for the rest.  Don't use a leader.  Did once and the connection knot held fine.  Leader broke elsewhere when I got snagged.  I have faith that my knots will hold should I decide to try leaders again.

 

I splice with the Alberto Knot.  I use the Uni Knot for lures.  I use the Fish N Fool Knot if worried about the line/lure connection.   It is nothing more than running the line through the eye twice on a Uni Knot.  Have straightened out jig hooks with the plain Uni Knot on 30# braid.

 

As already stated, there are several knots that will work just fine as long as you tie them correctly.  Both for splicing lines and lure tying.

[WRB]

3 hours ago, Eddie101 said:

For a spinning reel of 2500 size, what lb test braided line would you recommend? I think anything less than 20 lbs should be ok? 

Spinning reels most members use a leader with braid. Leader requires 2 knots, 1 knot braid to leader and 1 knot leader to lure, hook or snap. 

You will get a dozen suggestions how to tie knots joining FC leader to braid and terminal tackle because FC isn't reliable regarding knots. If you choose to use a mono leader a simple blood knot or Uni knot to join leader to braid and Palomar to terminal tackle.

Tom

[Bandersnatch]

Braid to leader. 

[Manifestgtr]

You’ll hear terms like “stretch”, “sensitivity” and “visibility” a lot when people discuss lines but braid is purely a matter of convenience for me. I fish in heavily, HEAVILY structured water...often from shore. I finally reached a point where I got tired of constantly respooling the chewed up line in my half-filled reels and gave braid/leader a shot starting last season. Still have the same braid in several of my reels and now I just swap out leaders for the most part. The leaders act as my “sacrificial line” more than anything else. If they help reduce visibility as well, great...I’ll take it. It’s been a really welcome change...and I’ve found that I don’t miss line memory at all. I’m a line watcher so having the shortest, straightest possible connection to my bait has helped my confidence a lot and we all know how important that is...

 

I can’t really speak on guides all that much, though. All of my rods are relatively new...the oldest one I throw regularly is an early nrx. The rod builders and vintage rod fans can help out in that dept. 

 

EDIT: The only reason I changed was because it felt practical. If you’re having an issue with mono, braid or fluoro and you think you can do better with something else, give it a shot. Going with the crowd isn’t necessarily the reason to change. There’s wisdom to be found in the crowd but there’s also a lot of bandwagoning and irrational thinking. If something isn’t working for you and you see a lot of opinions on something that might help out, go for it. But if you’re catching fish with mono, trouble free...you prooobably won’t notice much of an “uptick” by switching to something else. 

 

 

 

 

 

[Heartland]

9 hours ago, Eddie101 said:

I' 1)my rods are old so will braided line damage the rods in anyway such as guides for example? 

It is certainly possible that it will damage the guides on older rods they were not all of a hardness that prevented damage, most modern day rods use very hard guides that prevent damage from the tiny pieces of sediment and debris that get trapped in the line and then saw back and forth on them from casting and retrieving line.  Pay attention as you use the line and check for any signs of grooving.  

 

2) do you recommend mono backing or none at all?  I recommend a mono backing for two reasons, the first is it  braided line can slip around the spool when retrieving under tension, it will feel much like you have no drag pressure.  With a few layers of mono which does not slip this can be prevented.  The second reason I suggest using a cheap mono backing is that you then do not need to spool as much braided line onto the spool 75 yards or so is plenty just use the mono to make up the difference so you have a full spool.  You can then use the other 75 yards on another setup if you like it, or once the braid get old just remove it and tie the remaining line to the backing.

 

 

 

 

[OnthePotomac]

I have never understood anglers having a problem with flouro carbon on a bait caster.  I don't have it on every single bait cast reel I have (some with mono), but have never had a problem with 10, 12, 15 and 20lb flouro. I still use 8lb mono on my three spinning reels, so can't comment on using it on spinning reels.

[Maggiesmaster]

I use mono backing on braid because 50 yards of braid is all I need, and that way a 150 yd spool of braid will do 3 reels, instead of 0nly one. 

[Eddie101]

6 hours ago, Maggiesmaster said:

I use mono backing on braid because 50 yards of braid is all I need, and that way a 150 yd spool of braid will do 3 reels, instead of 0nly one. 

Do your use a leader?

[RoLo]

 

For my money, if you're going to use a leader with braid, use a monofilament leader not a fluoro leader.

Differently put, use straight fluorocarbon, straight braid, or braid with a nylon leader.

 

Roger

[Eddie101]

1 hour ago, RoLo said:

 

For my money, if you're going to use a leader with braid, use a monofilament leader not a fluoro leader.

Differently put, use straight fluorocarbon, straight braid, or braid with a nylon leader.

 

Roger

Why do you prefer mono over fluorocarbon? 

[RoLo]

On 6/22/2020 at 8:11 PM, Eddie101 said:

Why do you prefer mono over fluorocarbon? 

 

A ‘knot’ is the weakest link between the fish & fisherman, and a knot between braid and fluoro

probably has the least reliable knot-strength in the sport (Not the weakest, the most ‘unreliable’).

Fluorocarbon is a solid, dense material, disposed to knot slippage, knot burn and line elongation.

 

There are advantages and disadvantages to every line material.

IMO, if you want the advantages of fluorocarbon, use straight fluoro.

If you want the advantages of braided line, use straight braid.

When I elect to add a leader to braid, I tie a mono leader to the braid main-line using a spit-free,

uni-to uni-knot, which offers consistent knot strength every time.

No need for line conditioner, Alberto knots, saliva ~ ~.

 

As one fisherman put it: There’s more BS in fishing lines than in a cattle yard.

I can only offer my single opinion, but it’s best to browse thru many objective opinions

to form your own, the most important opinion of all.

 

Roger

[Lmsmbassaddict]

If you are happy with mono just stick with it. There's no sense in trying to be trendy fishing. Now, if you are trying to gain performance then we can start talking. 

 

Up until a year or two ago I was really into fluorocarbon. I used that stuff 100% of the time. But I also loved how braid felt and the sensitivity. Now I use braid to fluorocarbon leader and 100% fluorocarbon spools. In my opinion there is a ton of added performance going from mono to FC and braid. If you are primarily using lures with treble hooks you might actually not notice much a gain in numbers landed. 

 

I'm still in the boat that mono has its purpose with treble hook. But I also think a good deal of that could be gained switching from mono to FC. 

 

Also, you really need to get up on your A-Game with knots. Mono is very forgiving because of the way the material is made. Braid and FC are not very forgiving. 

 

If you need any sort of help let me know

 

Aj