Slack Line Bite Detection Braid vs Fluoro

[Scud_Muffin]

Ok so I understand that while braid is more sensitive on a tight line, fluoro is more sensitive on slack. I am trying to decide on buying either some premium fluoro or braid for my heavy rod, used primarily for jigs and Texas rigs. I will likely need to eventually have braid so I can use frogs. 
 

My concern and the overarching question I have is just how significant is that difference in bite detection and does it merit forgoing braid for fluoro; or is it easily overcome with practice and adapting one’s technique? 
 

I’ve thrown jigs on both, and I feel like I prefer braid particularly in current for my ability to watch the line. At the same time, I do see the slack line fluoro sensitivity and wonder how many bites I may be missing when the jig is getting popped up and falling or simply falling on the initial cast. Is there a trick to being able to detect those slack line bites on a braid-fluoro leader setup if you don’t see the line jump?

[DaubsNU1]

I fished a lot in the early 90's when braid was gaining popularity. Loved it.  Most of my reels still have Fenwick Iron Thread spooled...can't wear that stuff out.

 

When I got back in to fishing last summer I tried fluoro...didn't like it.

 

My bait-casters all have braid. My spinning rods have mono, and one has braid. 

[ATA]

If you are on slack, Flouroocarbon will have best bite detection. David Dudley have demonstration in his garage about it and you can see it by your eyes, However personally nothing can change my mind for braid to leader  

[roadwarrior]

My dedicated jig rig is spooled with Tatsu.

 

[Russ E]

Everyone has their own preference. Neither is wrong.

I personally use fluoro on all rods that see slack or semi slack line presentations.

I was on an all braid kick a few years back. It seemed I had a lot more fish spit the bait before I got a hookset. My thoughts were I had bites that went undetected. When I picked up line the fish felt me and spit the bait.

[Dens228]

I use hi vis braid to leader for jigs............I wouldn't switch..............ever..............

[J Francho]

If you use braid, pick a highly visible color like yellow or pink so you can watch the line.  Some vicious strikes look like just a small twitch of the line where it enters the water.

[Fishes in trees]

I'm not so certain that fluorocarbon line is more sensitive on a slack line.  I use fluorocarbon on line on most of my bait casters, fishing soft plastics/ jigs on or near the bottom because I think that it is harder for the fish to see and for abrasion resistance.  I think that I feel the strike first/as compared to seeing the strike first most of the time.   I often fish soft plastics/ jigs on a semi-slack line.  I don't know if using braid would lead to seeing the strike first more often than feeling the strike first.  I'm a 68 year old geezer and I'm pretty sure that I don't have hair trigger reflexes.   I'm pretty sure that I don't have an ultra powerful hook set technique,  it has been years since I've broke a rod on a hook set.

 

I use a braid/fluorocarbon leader when I'm throwing jerk baits and I frequently let them set for 5 to 20 or so seconds, pausing after a jerk.  My experience is that when you get bit on the pause the braid works more or less like a strike indicator does when you're fly fishing, i.e. you see the bite prior to feeling it.  

 

I've tried 65 lb braid for throwing frogs and it works ok.  You see or hear the bite first as often as you feel the bite first - so that's kind of a push.   I think that frogs work just as well on 20 lb mono and I don't think that I'm giving up that much strength to drag fish out of stuff.

 

I don't know - something to pay attention to next season I guess.

[Sir Shamsalot]

I have a H/F rod set up for braid and another one for FC. I can see the bite often using braid to leader most of the time, but with quality FC, I can feel any bite. Basically, I use the braid when fishing the junk, the the FC for open waters. 

 

Going to something like a wacky rigged senko on a M/F. I so far prefer hi-viz braid to FC and seeing the bite on slack line. With a straight hi-quality FC rig on a good rod, I can feel the bite when slack (and bluegills nipping at it). Unfortunately, I can't usually tell how much FC line I have out. I have a new hi-speed reel this year, and I plan to try it out on this. 

 

[Logan S]

Short line and/or shallow water it doesn't matter as much, when you don't have a lot of line out it's less likely for the braid to be 'dead'.  But long casts and/or deeper water it makes a big difference, at least to me.  

 

Line watching is a good thing for whatever line you choose but wind, waves, glare, distractions, etc, etc, etc, can make it harder or impossible....Conditions and situations aren't always perfect so for me, what I feel through the line is more important than what I can see the line doing.  That means I prefer flouro for many situations over braid (but not all).  

[Team9nine]

2 hours ago, Scud_Mufffin said:

Is there a trick to being able to detect those slack line bites on a braid-fluoro leader setup if you don’t see the line jump?

 

Yes there is - prayer ?

 

If you can’t feel the bite because you have no slack line sensitivity, and you can’t see the line “jump” at times as you mention, then prayer is your only hope. Pray that the fish holds onto your bait long enough for you to regain feel and tightness and can set a hook into him before he spits the bait.

 

Personally, I use straight fluorocarbon so I can just feel ‘em and swing.

[Choporoz]

2 hours ago, Scud_Mufffin said:

Ok so I understand that while braid is more sensitive on a tight line, fluoro is more sensitive on slack. I am trying to decide on buying either some premium fluoro or braid for my heavy rod, used primarily for jigs and Texas rigs. I will likely need to eventually have braid so I can use frogs. 
 

My concern and the overarching question I have is just how significant is that difference in bite detection and does it merit forgoing braid for fluoro; or is it easily overcome with practice and adapting one’s technique? 
 

I’ve thrown jigs on both, and I feel like I prefer braid particularly in current for my ability to watch the line. At the same time, I do see the slack line fluoro sensitivity and wonder how many bites I may be missing when the jig is getting popped up and falling or simply falling on the initial cast. 

Yes.  I agree with all of this.  And I don't have an answer, either.  In fact, I have two jigs tied on right now, one braid, and one fluoro.   A 3/8 brush jig on 40# braid, and a 5/8 (or 3/4?) football on 15# fluoro.   I am convinced that I feel bites out there on longer casts better with fluoro.   I was concerned about stretch on hooksets, but that hasn't seemed to be a big problem.  Closer combat still gets braid,  as much for visibility as anything. 

[OkobojiEagle]

Which PE line and which fluorocarbon line does make a difference.  I've been using original Fireline braid in 8lb - 10lb tests and can feel bites when the line is bowed due to breeze.  I also can see this line jump on the waters surface better than other PE lines I've fished.  I would guess that fluorocarbon lines are better than original Fireline for what you're asking but I prefer the line management qualities of PE lines to fluoro.  I thought NanoFil had better slack line detection than original Fireline, but didn't wear as well and I stopped using it.

 

For the record, I don't care for original Fireline on bait casting reels.

 

oe

[A-Jay]

2 hours ago, Scud_Mufffin said:

 Is there a trick to being able to detect those slack line bites on a braid-fluoro leader setup if you don’t see the line jump?

Yes - there most certainly is ~

Start fishing at night.

You may find out that staying in touch with what your bait is doing

does not reduce strikes but can be very helpful

when it comes to detecting them.

@Catt

A-Jay

[Deleted account]

Sensitivity with slack braid is non existent. Having said that, you can fish with "almost" slack, (which is what yo want with all lines most of the time), it will work. A thicker stiffer braid will be easier to learn on. 

[GreenPig]

4 hours ago, Russ E said:

Everyone has their own preference. Neither is wrong.

I personally use fluoro on all rods that see slack or semi slack line presentations.

I was on an all braid kick a few years back. It seemed I had a lot more fish spit the bait before I got a hookset. My thoughts were I had bites that went undetected. When I picked up line the fish felt me and spit the bait.

Totally agree for BC(except frog) but I go braid to fluorocarbon on all my spinning reels.

[huZZah]

7 hours ago, A-Jay said:

Yes - there most certainly is ~

Start fishing at night.

You may find out that staying in touch with what your bait is doing

does not reduce strikes but can be very helpful

when it comes to detecting them.

I have to agree that night fishing, especially pitch black, is excellent for learning the feel of these things. I also don’t think that I feel more from floro than the braid. Seems I’m more aware at night or in 30 mph wind  when I can’t watch. 

Not when I’ve changed line. 

[WRB]

FC line is hard to see in the water. Bright color braid is very easy to see move floating on the water as a strike indicator. 

 I pride myself for strike detection by feel and had my hat handed to be using FC fishing unweighted Senko’s by my partner using bright braid with FC leader. Couldn’t detect a strike using FC on slack line, not controlled slack because the bite was on slack line sink. Used my partners outfit and caught 3 bass on 3 cast watch line movement. Lesson learned for slack line bite.

Tom

[NorthernBasser]

9 hours ago, Russ E said:

Everyone has their own preference. Neither is wrong.

I personally use fluoro on all rods that see slack or semi slack line presentations.

I was on an all braid kick a few years back. It seemed I had a lot more fish spit the bait before I got a hookset. My thoughts were I had bites that went undetected. When I picked up line the fish felt me and spit the bait.

 

It's unlikely they're spitting it because they feel you putting tension on the bait. Think about when a bass catches a bluegill, perch, crawfish etc. There's likely all kinds of commotion going on inside the bass' mouth.

 

Same thing when you set a hook on a fish and hook them for only a split second. Many people think that fish isn't gonna bite again. But think of the spiny fins that stick into the bass' mouth when they're feeding on other fish. They'll definitely bite again. 

[Russ E]

1 hour ago, NorthernBasser said:

 

It's unlikely they're spitting it because they feel you putting tension on the bait. Think about when a bass catches a bluegill, perch, crawfish etc. There's likely all kinds of commotion going on inside the bass' mouth.

 

Same thing when you set a hook on a fish and hook them for only a split second. Many people think that fish isn't gonna bite again. But think of the spiny fins that stick into the bass' mouth when they're feeding on other fish. They'll definitely bite again. 

That may be true for young  unpressured fish. There have been many times I missed a bite and as soon as I felt the fish it spit the bait. Around here it happens a lot with jigs if you are not paying attention.

[Catt]

10 hours ago, Logan S said:

Short line and/or shallow water it doesn't matter as much, when you don't have a lot of line out it's less likely for the braid to be 'dead'.  But long casts and/or deeper water it makes a big difference, at least to me

 

Greg Hackney has made a pretty good career flipping-n-pitching-n-punching shallow with braid on slack line. 

 

So has many other Pros 

 

For me it depends on the cover I'm fishing, matted vegetation & buck brush get braid.

 

@A-Jay

Night fishing well teach you how to feel bites ya never knew you were getting.

 

Remember how amazed you were the first time you threw tungsten, night fishing is that & more.