20 or 30lb braid?

[bigspirit]

Currently have 40 on my SLX that I’m going to put on a new medium rod to use for jerkbaits, some lipless baits, and small spinnerbaits so I’d like to go with a smaller diameter braid. 
 

I plan to use 12lb leader, but is 20lb braid too small? Go with 30? Mainly worried about it digging into itself but have never used less than 40 on a bait caster. 

[Backroad Angler]

I use to roll with 40lb braid on my baitcasters but switched to 30lb for certain techniques such as using light weight plastics. Haven’t had any issues with it digging or anything like that. I would go with 30. No experience with 20lb braid on a baitcaster.

[PhishLI]

59 minutes ago, bigspirit said:

I plan to use 12lb leader, but is 20lb braid too small? Go with 30?

It can be on reels without a fast pitch level wind, especially 4 strand braid. I use 30lb Daiwa J8 on my most used reels without worry of dig in as it doesn't happen when fishing baits sometimes up to an ounce in very weedy water.

[Dwight Hottle]

Try stepping down to 30lb braid and see how it works. I personally would save the 20lb braid for spinning tackle. Dig in problems depend on the particular braid you chose to use & how open you snag or are in heavy weed cover. When fishing open water it is much less of a problem if at all. 

[newapti5]

I guess I am the minority here. I mostly fish clear water and rocky bottoms with not much weeds, and 20lb braid with 12lb FC leader is my most commonly used line on baitcasters, for 1/4 - 3/8oz jigs and other bottom fishing techniques. I don't have digging problems as I only set my drag on 3~4 lb, and I don't normally have abrasion problems either, unless a muskie gets my lure. 

[DaubsNU1]

I have been running 20lb PowerPro on my old school Shimano Citca's and Curado's for many, many years. No issues what so ever.  

[GreenPig]

30 will be good

[bulldog1935]

If light-lure distance is your friend, 20-lb braid backed with 20 to 25 yds 20- to 25-lb mono (not fluoro).  

Here's the capacity calculator for stacking lines 

https://www.pattayafishing.net/advanced-fishing-reel-line-capacity-estimator/

 

[ABU is overpriced]

Always 20lb Sufix 832 or Berkley X9. Cuts through wind much better than 30 or 40lb, so you cast further.

[bigspirit]

Awesome, appreciate the input everyone. Just grabbed some sufix 832 in 20lb. I looked at the 30 but figured if I wanted to see a noticeable difference I may need to make more of a step down. 
 

We’ll see how it plays out!

[ChrisD46]

On 8/30/2024 at 7:15 PM, Dwight Hottle said:

Try stepping down to 30lb braid and see how it works. I personally would save the 20lb braid for spinning tackle. Dig in problems depend on the particular braid you chose to use & how open you snag or are in heavy weed cover. When fishing open water it is much less of a problem if at all. 

With today's thinner braided lines - I believe #30 lb. braid is as thin a diameter as I would go on a bait cast reel to prevent line digging into itself on the reel . True , with careful spooling , rewinding under tension , etc. some successfully use #20 lb. braid on a bait cast reel - but for me it's just not worth the potential trouble ... Only #30 lb. - #65 lb. braid for me on a bait cast reel .

[WRB]

Like any line the diameter vary greatly per pound test.

The reel level wind worm gear speed that overlaps the line prevents smaller line digging in.

Tom

[Aaron_H]

On 8/30/2024 at 9:10 PM, bigspirit said:

Currently have 40 on my SLX that I’m going to put on a new medium rod to use for jerkbaits, some lipless baits, and small spinnerbaits so I’d like to go with a smaller diameter braid. 
 

I plan to use 12lb leader, but is 20lb braid too small? Go with 30? Mainly worried about it digging into itself but have never used less than 40 on a bait caster. 

 

So when I first started my jerkbait grind, I was throwing them on an SLX with 30lb braid to a 12lb mono leader paired with a medium rod. I landed quite a few very nice bass on that setup, with a couple just over 10lb. It will work, and with braid's lack of stretch you only have to put the softest of movement into the rod to get the bait to slash.

 

That said, the lack of stretch also meant those big fish were thrashing the trebles on my jerkbaits. The first DD I caught on that setup bent out 5 of the 9 hooks on that bait. Even with running light drag, the soft medium power rod, and the mono leader, there was not enough give in the system to relieve pressure off of the hooks.

 

I have since switched to running straight 12lb mono on the same combo, and have had 0 hooks bend out even with running much tighter drag. I have to put a bit more effort into the rod twitches, but it's not an unbearable difference.

 

Your mileage may vary.

 

For lipless I prefer throwing them on a MH/MF rod with 15lb fluoro. I find they run deeper than I like on 12lb.

[new2BC4bass]

On 8/30/2024 at 11:10 PM, bulldog1935 said:

If light-lure distance is your friend, 20-lb braid backed with 20 to 25 yds 20- to 25-lb mono (not fluoro).  

Here's the capacity calculator for stacking lines 

https://www.pattayafishing.net/advanced-fishing-reel-line-capacity-estimator/

 

Considering you've done this a lot, maybe you can answer a question for me.  The amount of line given is to what point on the spool?  Many sheets that come with the reels say to fill 1/16 or 1/8 or 1/16-1/8 below the rim?  (Or is it below the spool bevel?)  So the amount given on the box is to one of these points or to the spool bevel?

[bulldog1935]

@new2BC4bass I always fill my spools, but never over-fill them.  My photo above is a perfect example - it's filled right to the angled shoulder of the spool rim.  

While the spool above is a deep spool, and 2/3 of the spool depth is Big mono backing with 100 yds braid on top,  note these 2 BFS spools.  

The 2-mm-deep spool is called 2.5-mm (that's too much), and the 3-mm spool is called 3.5-mm.  

 

As a general rule, to you want completely full, to have max length of line peeling off for every rotation.  

Also, while BFS gets hammered into someone's box, both of the spools just above are fishing inshore ML, with 120 to 150 yds PE#1.2, which is 27-lb braid.  The deeper spool on the right gets backed with a little-thicker braid.  

[new2BC4bass]

4 minutes ago, bulldog1935 said:

@new2BC4bass I always fill my spools, but never over-fill them.  My photo above is a perfect example - it's filled right to the angled shoulder of the spool rim.  

While the spool above is a deep spool, and 2/3 of the spool depth is Big mono backing with 100 yds braid on top,  note these 2 BFS spools.  

The 2-mm-deep spool is called 2.5-mm (that's too much), and the 3-mm spool is called 3.5-mm.  

 

As a general rule, to you want completely full, to have max length of line peeling off for every rotation.  

Also, while BFS gets hammered into someone's box, both of the spools just above are fishing inshore ML, with 110 to 150 yds PE#1.2, which is 27-lb braid.  

 So you are saying the formula works to the angle?  That's where I fill my reels to.

[bulldog1935]

The formula works off the reported capacity for the spool.  

FWIW, most reel makers under-rate their spool capacity (especially Daiwa - they usually hold more than they're rated).  

Use the calculator as a guide for planning - except for 832, I've found most reels hold more thin braid working line than the calculator reports.  This is probably because the X-braid is generally thinner than it's reported, while 832 is always thicker than it's reported, and your spool will hold less than the calculator results.  

10-15 yds either way isn't going to kill your project.  

[Brian11719]

I keep it simple and use 10lb braid for my spinning setups, 30lb (with a copoly leader) for topwater, and 50lb for frogs / punching. So my vote would be 30lb. Not sure what I'd even use 20 for to be honest since it seems like it would be a little to heavy for a spinning reel and too light for a casting reel.