Braid for all?

[rboat]

I am really upset at snapping mono everytime out. I have tried every brand and style. Flourocarbon is even worse, it snaps easily. I am thinking of going to braid for everything. Lighter lb for spinning gear and heavier for baitcast. The fish do not seem to notice the braid and it doesn't snap easily. Has anyone tried this and is there any down side to just using braid for all?

[Jig Man]

I don't have it on all of my spinning reels but I do have it on all of my baitcasters.  When I am in clear water using a jig or t-rig I use a fluro leader.

BTW: What pound test line have you been using and what knot are you tying?

[rboat]

I have been using 6 - 10lb on my spinning and 12 - 20 on the bait casters. I use a good palomar for all of it. It has been breaking in all areas and not just at the knot. Maybe I have just been getting bad spools or old spools, but every brand ends up the same with a broken line on a fish or a snag. and I check my line often and retie several times each day.

I guess I could go with heavier lines, but spinning gear does not work good above 10lb.

[dbass]

rboat88h,

Is your line snapping on all of your riggs, or just one or two of them?

If it has been letting go on all of your riggs, I would suspect bad spools of line..

On the other hand, if it is only letting go on one or two of your riggs, I would suspect a bad guide or two on the rod/s, and even suspect a bad ceramic line guide on the reels.

Check those Items for cracks and damage using a Q-tip... Run it through the suspected ceramics, if there is cotton fibers left behind, that indicates a cracked rod guide or line carriage ceramic, that could be the reason your line is snapping.

Just my .02¢

Good Luck & Tight Lines!!!!

[Marty]

I don't have a problem with using braid for any given application, but that snapping of mono is not normal and I'd want to determine the cause. I used mono for over 30 years before I tried superlines and never had snapping problems, except very rarely. And who's to say, the cause of your mono problems could also cause problems with braid.

[Bassn Blvd]

How can your line snap so often.  I fish 3-4 times a week and cant remember the last time my mono snapped on a fish.

[Joel W]

I use to use Power Pro with a leader on all my baitcaster and spinning reel setups. Slowly over the last few years I've switched to Sufix Elite 8 lb test for all my spinning setups except for my finesse jigs and plastics setup which is spooled with #6 test.  3 baitcasters are spooled with 30 lb Power Pro and 2 have a 12-18 inch leader so I don't get cut off dragging cranks and wt'd plastics over rocks. My spinnerbait setup doesn't need nor use a leader. The 4th baitcaster setup which is dedicated for jigging is spooled with 50 lb Power Pro and no leader.

[islandbass]

I too am curious to get to the bottom of this.  Mono in good shape should not snap like that unless it is from a bad batch or there is unseen wear on the line. In my short fishing time of about 4 years, I have never had mono snap on me unless I purposely broke it (ie, breaking off a snag).

Ironically, because braid has little stretch, it is more apt to snap from the shock of a huge snapping cast or eye crossing hookset over mono. You just might be surprised.

Hope you can provide more details as to what is going on just before the line snaps. Thanks!

[.RM.]

I think he is just mad and venting, may have lost a good fish to broken line, or losing money on expensive lures, and venting looking for an alternative line.  

I personally would like to now whether or not he has checked the line carriage ceramic on his reels, and the shock rings in the guides of his rods, and what he found... :-?

Tight Lines All!!!  

[smb]

Another possiblity is that damage can occur to any line - mono, flurocarbon or braid - through use.  How often do you check your line and re-tie?  This must be done regularly for all lines.  Knots must also be tied with much care.  A Palomar with crossed line on the hook eye is considerable weakened, especially with mono.  I can honestly say that I have had no problems with any line snapping, subject of course to me doing my part.

[TournyFish001]

braid on everything is a bit excessive- you will be selling yourself short on a variety of techniques

[rboat]

The line was breaking on all of my rigs. I think it was bad, old,  or exposed to sun light. I did check the line guides per (reelmech) they all seem fine, but thanks for the great tip. I have respooled to braid for some of my rigs and have had less problems. I still like mono for topwater, crankbaits, and spinnerbaits. The extra stretch and properties work better for those. I will just respool more often and move up to a higher lb test and a different brand until I get the performance I want.

Thanks to all for the advise.

[Davis]

I think he is just mad and venting, may have lost a good fish to broken line, or losing money on expensive lures, and venting looking for an alternative line.

I personally would like to now whether or not he has checked the line carriage ceramic on his reels, and the shock rings in the guides of his rods, and what he found... :-?

Tight Lines All!!!

I'm with Reel. It has to be the guides on his rods. I have been using Trilene XL in 8lb test for most of the year (not the greatest line), and I have never had a break. Something is causing some serious knicks and cuts in your line. Has to be....

[Davis]

The line was breaking on all of my rigs. I think it was bad, old, or exposed to sun light. I did check the line guides per (reelmech) they all seem fine, but thanks for the great tip. I have respooled to braid for some of my rigs and have had less problems. I still like mono for topwater, crankbaits, and spinnerbaits. The extra stretch and properties work better for those. I will just respool more often and move up to a higher lb test and a different brand until I get the performance I want.

Thanks to all for the advise.

Less problems?

There has to be something going on somewhere. I can probably count the number of times I have had a line break on my one hand. Just has never been an issue for me and this is my first year with a decent rod (St Croix). Something is going on and I for one would like to know what.  

[roadwarrior]

Well, line doesn't just "break", there has to be a reason. I know I use lighter and thinner line than a lot of guys and the only unintentional break-off I can recall in years was at Lake Fork fishing with Flechero last March. That was on a hook-set on a fish or weeds, I'll never know. There must have been a weak spot I didn't notice, but my point is this: Line does not just break.  

[ABC123]

I fish a company tourneyment in the spring. One of the participants proceded to lose 4 lures, in 45 minutes, while casting, using braided line. Bass fishing is about correctly presenting the correct lure, at the correct place, at the correct time. If fishing consists of violently throwing lures around, in hopes of getting the correct combo, then more lures will be lost, than fish boated/landed. No line can withstand that, not even 100lb line. It too will eventually break down and become problem line.

Any line can have random issues, no manufaturing system, line, load of raw material, inspection procedures, ect... is perfect. For one person to have multiple issues with multiple lines, and multiple brands, IMO, is not bad luck, it's operator/equipment errors.