(For Me) the worst thing about Braid-line is.......

[Captain Phil]

There isn't enough space on this website for me to list all the things I hate about braid. ?

[PressuredFishing]

7 minutes ago, Captain Phil said:

There isn't enough space on this website for me to list all the things I hate about braid. ?

Ditto (2x)  

[NHBull]

21 hours ago, FishTank said:

I mainly use these two but I also have a pair of Gerber pliers that have an anvil type cutter and they work just as well.

 

If you use the tip of the boomerang for braid and the opposite end for everything else, they last for years

[WVU-SCPA]

Used my split ringer pliers that recently have been misplaced and worked great for light and heavy braid.

 

My teeth really hope they turn up soon.

[A-Jay]

20 hours ago, Darth-Baiter said:

my fiskers like the ones shown above didn't get it done.  it would fold the braid and then fray it to heck.

 

granted mine are older and maybe dull.  these are the clippers favored by trimmers.

 

I had to do a TW order, so I added a pair of the Cuda 5".  looking forward to it. 

 

Most any scissor type deal can have the 'edges' tunes up with a stone or light file.

It's especially easy if they come apart; the better ones do.

The unit I posted above is small and good for intricate work;

like cutting off the tag ends of the leader knot off super thin braid as well as small diameter FC.

Just saying.

A-Jay

[MickD]

Hard to believe so many have trouble cutting braid. 

 

My biggest issue with braid is something I don't really understand, that of having trouble casting with baitcasters.  I cast just fine in the yard, but on the water I think the braid gets heavier when wet and spins off the spool and contacts the posts on the casting reel and screws up the cast.  That's the only thing I can figure out.  Maybe I have too  much on the spool.  But I recently solved it by replacing it with Suffix Elite camo braid in 14 pound test, and it works great.  Any others experience this with braid?

 

I love braids on spinning, but even there, there are some braids that work well and some do not.  There is more difference between different brand braids than most people think.

[bulldog1935]

@Mick D I like your post. 

I don't experience that problem, and I'm using X-braids, PE#0.8 (16-lb) to PE#1.2 (27-lb). 

(ok, and PE#1.5, 35-lb in surf)

In general, I'm casting lighter weights than most (except the surf), which is where braid really shines, 1/8 to 3/8 oz, and 1/2 oz on a tuned rig. 

Most recently, I've been fishing my braid-raced Ambassadeur 1500C on stream UL rod for endemic bass (Texas Brook Trout), and giggling over casting 1/8 oz (and 1/16 oz) - way farther than I need. 

 

You could be onto something with non-coated braids. 

The coated braids (e.g. X-braids) have an FEP coating that is fused when the woven strand is also fused, so they should not soak up water. 

The softer coatings have an advantage on spinning tackle, while the harder coatings are needed on baitcaster - my first choice for B/C is Duel X-wire. 

 

[MickD]

The braid I just took off was old, probably not coated.  I think I'll stick with my Suffix mono, not ready to spend over $40 + $18 shipping on X wire.  I only find it on E-Bay.

[bulldog1935]

@Mick D

I include it in lure, etc. orders from Plat and especially FishingShop.kiwi (who subtracts Japan VAT). 

Wasn't specifically recommending it as much as discussing the coating differences. 

Varivas also makes X-braid with Casting-hard coatings. 

Sufix 832 is very well behaved and reliable - advantage to X-braid is twice the strength for the same diameter. 

[Woody B]

22 hours ago, Captain Phil said:

There isn't enough space on this website for me to list all the things I hate about braid. ?

Yep,  but I can't help but list a couple.

 

It's not durable at all.  It frays way to easy and is really weak when it's frayed.  Any line is weak when it's frayed but it takes more to fray mono that it does braid.   

 

 

Another, it's not "strong" like people think.  Sure if you pull really hard and slow 30 pound braid is strong.  People want to tout the "no stretch".  Well that's the problem.   A hook set on a big fish that wouldn't break 12 pound mono has a good chance of breaking even 50 pound braid.   

 

 

There, I said it.  Use what you want.  No braid for me.   

[Captain Phil]

On 6/3/2022 at 3:53 PM, Captain Phil said:

There isn't enough space on this website for me to list all the things I hate about braid. ?

 

The stuff is terrible to cast.  It wraps around your rod tip and guides.  It backlashes like no body's business and when it does you need Houdini to dig it out.  It's expensive.  The rough texture saws your rod guides and hangs on cover.  Knots don't hold.  It has no give whatsoever.  It looks like cable to a fish.  Some of it is so stiff it makes soft plastic baits look like falling sticks.  Braid was invented to make big profits for line manufacturers and it does that job well.  I have filled garbage cans full of braid that I took off and replaced with mono.  If you like it, use it.  I'll stick with my Trilene Big Game.  

[dodgeguy]

7 minutes ago, Captain Phil said:

 

The stuff is terrible to cast.  It wraps around your rod tip and guides.  It backlashes like no body's business and when it does you need Houdini to dig it out.  It's expensive.  The rough texture saws your rod guides and hangs on cover.  Knots don't hold.  It has no give whatsoever.  It looks like cable to a fish.  Some of it is so stiff it makes soft plastic baits look like falling sticks.  Braid was invented to make big profits for line manufacturers and it does that job well.  I have filled garbage cans full of braid that I took off and replaced with mono.  If you like it, use it.  I'll stick Trilene Big Game.  

Good braid casts awesome. Braid is far easier to get a backlash out of than either mono or flouro. It doesn't backlash any where near as often as the other two. I've fished Sufix 832 over rocks with no issues. Like any other line you need to watch and retie. I e never snapped 50 braid on any hooksets. I have snapped rods. I then learned you don't need to set that hard when using braid.If braid cut through your guides you're using garbage guides. Never had that happen in 30 years with Fuji guides. I use sic or alconite.

[GreenPig]

My Kershaw because it's always in my pocket and my scissors are ????

[MickD]

4 hours ago, Woody B said:

Yep,  but I can't help but list a couple.

 

It's not durable at all.  It frays way to easy and is really weak when it's frayed.  Any line is weak when it's frayed but it takes more to fray mono that it does braid.   

 

 

Another, it's not "strong" like people think.  Sure if you pull really hard and slow 30 pound braid is strong.  People want to tout the "no stretch".  Well that's the problem.   A hook set on a big fish that wouldn't break 12 pound mono has a good chance of breaking even 50 pound braid.   

 

 

There, I said it.  Use what you want.  No braid for me.   

You evidently have found some braid that is unlike anything I have ever used.  Different in just about everything you describe.

[waymont]

There is not enough space on this website to list all the things I love about braid.

[bulldog1935]

The differences in braid over the past 15 years are Much More Significant than the differences in nylon and fluorocarbon monofilament over the past 70 years. 

Just a half-dozen years ago, 4x uncoated braids were best used for backing on trolling reels. 

What's happened in the last 4 years with fine-fiber, center-strand, fused and coated X-braids is next-level. 

After they increased the strength by 60%, now they're working on the coatings. 

We get nit-picky about our mono mainline, leader, toughness, diameter, abrasion resistance, low memory, etc (limp and low memory are polar opposites, unless you want braid). 

But the word braid is lumped and used generically, and if you don't try it, or maybe listen to someone who has, you may not recognize the progress or the differences. 

 

[Catt]

8 hours ago, bulldog1935 said:

you may not recognize the progress or the differences. 

 

Or maybe we do recognize progress or the differences & still ain't impressed.

 

I said it before & will continue saying braid has been around longer than monofilament or Fluorocarbon. 

I've fished braided Cotton, Dacron, Micron, Suture Material (Silk), Micro Dyneema®, Kevlar, & Spectra.

 

For frogging-n-punching braid, everything else Big Game. I throw Horny Toads & Ribbits on 20-25# Big Game. 

 

 

[bulldog1935]

Actually, 10-lb silk is a serious joy compared to casting mono.

(1881 cover page links to chapter on fishing lines)

 

but claiming to be able to compare modern 30-lb PE thread to linen cuttyhunk is beyond ridiculous

100-y-o silk line, btw, is perfect today if it was kept from mildew by drying on a line drier after each outing. 

I've even caught big trout on varnished silk fly line, silk-gut leader, eyeless hook dropper rig - just for grins, to be able to say I did it.  You have to soak silk gut leader overnight, and carry it to the river in a tin against wet wool felt.  Got a double one day. 

(I always fish cane with trout, and with modern lines - fishing cane feels like nothing plastic). 

[Captain Phil]

25 minutes ago, Catt said:

I said it before & will continue saying braid has been around longer than monofilament or Fluorocarbon.

 

"The earliest fishing lines were constructed out of natural materials like cotton or linen or other animal materials and braided together meticulously by hand. Although cotton, linen or horse hair were the most common materials, those who could afford it fished with the much more expensive silk material."  Many early anglers had to dry their line after each use.  After the war, Dacron became popular. 

 

Mono came out in the fifties. At first it was kind of stiff which lead to frequent backlashes.  Eventually softer more user friendly mono came out.  Millions if not billions of fish have been caught with mono fishing line. 

 

My son loves braid, I don't.  That does not mean he is right and I am wrong or vice versa. Whatever gives you confidence catches fish.  

[Catt]

26 minutes ago, Captain Phil said:

Many early anglers had to dry their line after each use. 

 

I work as a deck hand & then first mate on my uncle's charter fishing boat. One of my jobs was to remove all lines onto a drying racks & then respool em.

 

We talking a dozen Penn International reels!

[suzuki2903]

No negatives here with braid! Use quality braid like sufix 832 or j braid etc and that will cut out most issues….  Straight braid or braid to mono leader for all 36 setups I have and never saw increase in backlash, breakage, fraying etc …  like any line you need to keep an eye on the knot and watch for Knicks ! Aside that I’m guessing a lot of user error going on….  

[Darth-Baiter]

I went and retied all my leaders yesterday.  I got my new snips.  I took the recommendations above about the Cudas.  They worked great.  I’m going to buy another pair for my garage.  Thanks. 
 

cliche alert!  “ like butter”

 

 

[Bass Rutten]

Tiny and light I wear this on a necklace made of paracord, cuts braid clean and always right there when I need it.

 

[lunkerboss923]

Got some for 3 bux at Academy...pretty legit! 

[Bluebasser86]

I got a pair of Fiskers kids scissors that cut braid like nothing on sale for $.99 after the big school sales are over. WalMart also sell kitchen shears for $1 that cut braid (and lots of other things), very well and don't hurt to replace when I drop them in the lake.