My review of the Abu Garcia Veritas PLX tournament edition casting rod

[CrashVector]

46 minutes ago, OldManLure said:

I don’t doubt you, and I’m sure there is no compelling reason to not use that size braid, but it just seems unnecessarily excessive.  

Because it is lol

1 hour ago, HaydenS said:

 

 Do you guys do any heavy flipping or punching or heavy slop frogging?  I’d be a little scared of using fair wand line in that stuff.  Guys in Florida punch with 80 pound braid.

I’ve caught countless fish on 65 pound braid.

My frog rod has 65 pound braid and my heavy flippin stick has 20 pound fluoro.  I would only use 20 pound braid on a spinning rod, or for an open water topwater rod.    

 

 

Yes.  All on 20lb braid 

[jbsoonerfan]

20lb braid for frogs? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

 

On a H rod? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

[CrashVector]

48 minutes ago, jbsoonerfan said:

20lb braid for frogs? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

 

On a H rod? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Yes.  Works out very well for me.

 

Most people prefer H/F rods for top water frogs just fyi.

[DomQ]

Honestly I don't think I've ever been disappointed with any of my Abu rods, they look and feel great!

[HaydenS]

21 hours ago, CrashVector said:

Yes.  Works out very well for me.

 

Most people prefer H/F rods for top water frogs just fyi.

He laughing at the heavy rod with 20 pound braid.

 

What reel do you use to cast 20 pound braid, and what happens if you get a backlash?

Biggest fish on this combo?

[CrashVector]

1 hour ago, HaydenS said:

He laughing at the heavy rod with 20 pound braid.

 

What reel do you use to cast 20 pound braid, and what happens if you get a backlash?

Biggest fish on this combo?

 

Revo S and Revo SX.

 

Backlashed the revo s a few months ago...I pulled it out, wound up the line, and threw out again.  I haven't backlashed the SX.

 

Biggest fish so far this year was 7.25.

 

People use heavy rods with 12-15lb mono.

 

20lbs is a lot.  I catfish with 20lb mono, and on video, I've hauled in 50-60lb fish with it.

 

20lb test line is MORE than enough for any bass fishing.

 

[PhishLI]

11 hours ago, CrashVector said:

20lb test line is MORE than enough for any bass fishing.

Straight 20 lb braid is very strong in itself, however its ability to deal with shock at the knot is limited, especially when swinging hard on baits with heavy hooks. Perhaps you have a particular touch with setting superline hooks using 5-6 power rods and 20 lb braid that most of us lack. My choice of knots wouldn't cut it. Care to share which knot you tie?

[Bankc]

14 hours ago, PhishLI said:

Straight 20 lb braid is very strong in itself, however its ability to deal with shock at the knot is limited, especially when swinging hard on baits with heavy hooks. Perhaps you have a particular touch with setting superline hooks using 5-6 power rods and 20 lb braid that most of us lack. My choice of knots wouldn't cut it. Care to share which knot you tie?

 

I prefer the Fish N Fool for braid.  It's much more reliable than the Palomar, and not too hard to tie.  At one time, the Palomar was my go-to for everything.  These days, I rarely use it outside of a drop shot.  My at-home experiments with various knots have turned me against using it.

 

I use 30# braid for most stuff.  30# is all I need (though do have one rod with 40#).  At 30#'s, you can't hardly break-off, even when you need to.  I have a steel rod I use to break off with.  The rod won't support anywhere near that much force, so you max out on leverage pretty quick.  And no reel I own has anywhere near that much drag, so it's not like I'll be able to reel anything in at that force anyway.  

[PhishLI]

10 minutes ago, Bankc said:

I prefer the Fish N Fool for braid.

Haven't tried it. I'll give it a whirl.

10 minutes ago, Bankc said:

I use 30# braid for most stuff

I use 30lb on a good number of reels. Tied with an eight turn improved clinch I've never been broken off on a hookset or when a fish dives deep into weeds, but I have been broken off if they they wrap up in pads. That hasn't happed using 40lb and up tying the same knot. Not once. However, I've had the knot cut the line on straight 20 lb enough times where I fish using several knots. It's now relegated to braid-to-leader setups or open water situations. If the OP has a knot that's less likely to blow using stiff rods and heavy wire hooks I'm all ears.

[CrashVector]

16 hours ago, PhishLI said:

Straight 20 lb braid is very strong in itself, however its ability to deal with shock at the knot is limited, especially when swinging hard on baits with heavy hooks. Perhaps you have a particular touch with setting superline hooks using 5-6 power rods and 20 lb braid that most of us lack. My choice of knots wouldn't cut it. Care to share which knot you tie?

Palomar knot

 

2 hours ago, PhishLI said:

Haven't tried it. I'll give it a whirl.

I use 30lb on a good number of reels. Tied with an eight turn improved clinch I've never been broken off on a hookset or when a fish dives deep into weeds, but I have been broken off if they they wrap up in pads. That hasn't happed using 40lb and up tying the same knot. Not once. However, I've had the knot cut the line on straight 20 lb enough times where I fish using several knots. It's now relegated to braid-to-leader setups or open water situations. If the OP has a knot that's less likely to blow using stiff rods and heavy wire hooks I'm all ears.

 

I fish with standard 3/0 and 4/0 gamakatsu EWG's.  Palomar knot.

[ironbjorn]

40 minutes ago, CrashVector said:

Palomar knot

 

 

I fish with standard 3/0 and 4/0 gamakatsu EWG's.  Palomar knot.

But there's still the issue of frogs. My buddy once blew my mind when I saw him using a frog with 10 lb mono, so by all means do what you like and that works for you.

 

The problem isn't that 20 lb braid isn't strong. The problem is that small of diameter braid on a heavy rod with frogs and the knot holding up. You can't compare 15 lb mono here because the knot strength is completely different.

 

[CrashVector]

51 minutes ago, ironbjorn said:

But there's still the issue of frogs. My buddy once blew my mind when I saw him using a frog with 10 lb mono, so by all means do what you like and that works for you.

 

The problem isn't that 20 lb braid isn't strong. The problem is that small of diameter braid on a heavy rod with frogs and the knot holding up. You can't compare 15 lb mono here because the knot strength is completely different.

 

 

I can honestly tell you...I have never had a knot fail using 20lb braid.  Ever.

[Diggy]

1 hour ago, CrashVector said:

 

I can honestly tell you...I have never had a knot fail using 20lb braid.  Ever.

Did you do a review on youtube? I saw one recently, was wondering if that is you. I am interested in getting one of these rods. I like trying new items, especially when discounted since I have a credit with Abu.

[HaydenS]

20 hours ago, CrashVector said:

 

Biggest fish so far this year was 7.25.

 

 

You caught a seven pounder, on a frog, on twenty pound braid?!!!!?

 

 

[CrashVector]

18 minutes ago, HaydenS said:

You caught a seven pounder, on a frog, on twenty pound braid?!!!!?

 

 

On video.  Multiple.

 

I get people just do what others tell them they should do, but there has literally never been a circumstance I've come across while bass fishing where I said "Know what would have worked better?  Braided line that holds 6-7x the weight of a huge bass."

 

Use what you want, but you can't convince me you NEED 65lb line to fish for bass.  Ever.

 

36 minutes ago, Diggy said:

Did you do a review on youtube? I saw one recently, was wondering if that is you. I am interested in getting one of these rods. I like trying new items, especially when discounted since I have a credit with Abu.

Yes..I have a yt channel.  

[OldManLure]

26 minutes ago, Diggy said:

Did you do a review on youtube? I saw one recently, was wondering if that is you. I am interested in getting one of these rods. I like trying new items, especially when discounted since I have a credit with Abu.

Now that CrashVector has replied, I will say that you will not be disappointed.  An outstanding rod!  

[Diggy]

7 minutes ago, CrashVector said:

On video.

Yes..I have a yt channel.  

Ahh, it actually appeared in my feed around the time you posted the initial thread

[OldManLure]

13 minutes ago, HaydenS said:

You caught a seven pounder, on a frog, on twenty pound braid?!!!!?

 

 

I am very curious.  Why do you find that so unusual?

[CrashVector]

7 minutes ago, OldManLure said:

Now that CrashVector has replied, I will say that you will not be disappointed.  An outstanding rod!  

 

 

Yes it is.  The price tag is FAR below what I'd expect for a rod like this.

[HaydenS]

46 minutes ago, OldManLure said:

I am very curious.  Why do you find that so unusual?

Not many people do it.  I don’t see why people don’t get the biggest advantage you can against a bass in heavy cover.  I’d have 0 confidence with 20 pound braid and frogging.  The best frog fisherman in the world all use big braid.  Some of them even punch with 80 pound braid.

 

To each their own I guess...

[CrashVector]

28 minutes ago, HaydenS said:

Not many people do it.  I don’t see why people don’t get the biggest advantage you can against a bass in heavy cover.  I’d have 0 confidence with 20 pound braid and frogging.  The best frog fisherman in the world all use big braid.  Some of them even punch with 80 pound braid.

 

To each their own I guess...

 

The best in the world use heavy braid?

 

You mean people paid to catch a few fish do.

 

I know lots of lifelong fishermen that can and DO often out-catch the so-called pros, and none of them use 50 and 65lb braid.

 

"Pro" fishermen are little more than salesmen that get paid to sell you stuff.

 

There's a difference in people who get paid to catch 5 fish, and guys who know how to catch fish.

 

I prefer to listen to the latter.

 

The biggest advantage of braid is that it's thin for it's lb/test compared to mono.

 

20lb braid is as thin as 6lb mono.  Using 50-65lb braid negates the biggest advantage that braid has.

 

I saw the video posted up thread.  Thing is...I've pulled my kayak around like that with 8lb mono that hooked a log.

 

If you're having knot breaks, then you're trying bad knots.

 

Also saying thick braid cuts through lilly pads and weeds better is false.  Physics says that a thinner line would cut through them easier.

 

I literally catch several hundred bass a year with ease.  Those saying I have no idea what I'm talking about bc I use 20lb braid on H/F rods with no leader obviously haven't seen me pulling them in one after another on that exact setup.

 

I know it sounds contrary to people who get paid to say certain things, but there has literally never been a situation I've encountered where I needed anything stronger than 20lb line while bass fishing, and I never have problems catching.

 

[CrashVector]

On 12/23/2021 at 6:19 PM, OldManLure said:

I am very curious.  Why do you find that so unusual?

 

Because people don't believe you can fish top water frogs on anything less than a steel cable because they buy into things people who are paid to say certain things say...and "they" say you need 65lb braid, so that's what they go buy.

 

 

I fish frogs back in the swamps...through brush and slop and laydowns and thick vegetation....all on 20lb braid.

 

Never had a break off.  Never had a knot slip.  Ever.

 

However, I don't set the hook like I'm in the Olympics doing the clean and jerk portion of the weightlifting competition either.  Again...it's a 10lb fish, and hooks are sharp.  If you're setting the hook hard enough to pop the knot on braided line, then you need to learn how to set hooks properly.

 

[VirginiaKayakBasser]

This really got off topic (Veritas Tournament), but I use 30 pound braid for everything.  You can pull a big bass out of slop with it.  You just can't horse a big one out of it and sling it up into the boat with a couple of pounds of weeds attached.  Might have to use a net.