Using Braid in clear water?

[hawgchaser]

First off, great forum and I am glad I found it!

My question is how many of you use braid, without a mono leader, in clear lakes? I have a place on Greers Ferry in Arkansas and have been using Power Pro and really like it. I am not sure that I have had less hits using braid over the usual mono or flouro.

What do you guys and gals think?

[jrhennecke]

Welcome!  I always use a fluro leader with my braid.  

[paul.]

use powerpro without a leader all the time in some very clear water.  have outfished guys using straight floro or mono.  i really think a lot of the "line visibility" thing is in people's heads.  just in case though, i "camoflage" my powerpro with a sharpie.

[Bassnbrett101]

I don't know much about braid in clear water, i only have it spooled up on one baitcaster.

But a couple guys from my club have found fireline crystal.  They use it up erie alot and from what they said is a good braid for clear water.  I know its not the same as powerpro but I just thought I'd mention it

[Wayne P.]

I agree with hawg caller, but I don't camoflage the line and don't use Power Pro.

[Tin]

For the most part it is another one of those personal preference/confidence issues. Whatever floats your boat. :-/

[hawgchaser]

For the most part it is another one of those personal preference/confidence issues. Whatever floats your boat. :-/

I am not sure its that cut and dry. thats why i was wanting some experienced opinions.

Many people claim that fish aren't capable of seeing the line and some swear that they can't catch a fish unless they have a mono leader. I am not sure. My opinion is that it doesn't matter on fast moving baits like traps, crank baits, spinners, etc...

I haven't decided if it does on clear lake plastics....ie worms, tubes and lizards.

[GitRDoneIke23]

Welcome! I always use a fluro leader with my braid.

Yep. Usually about 1-3 foot leader, depending on the depth.

Tight Lines 8-)

[Tin]

For the most part it is another one of those personal preference/confidence issues. Whatever floats your boat. :-/

I am not sure its that cut and dry. thats why i was wanting some experienced opinions.

Many people claim that fish aren't capable of seeing the line and some swear that they can't catch a fish unless they have a mono leader. I am not sure. My opinion is that it doesn't matter on fast moving baits like traps, crank baits, spinners, etc...

I haven't decided if it does on clear lake plastics....ie worms, tubes and lizards.

Just check out one of LBH's video's (The Fall Feed really shows it). You can see the super clear water we fish, about 15' plus. There has never been a consistant difference in fish catches with someone using braid vs. mono or fluoro. I think most people stay away from the braid in super clear water because most super clear lakes up here contain lots of rocks. And rocks and braid don't mix  ;D

[Tin]

http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1145738498

[Bassnbrett101]

wait, how come rocks and braid don't mix?  Do the rocks slice the braid up?

[Tin]

wait, how come rocks and braid don't mix? Do the rocks slice the braid up?

Cuts through like nothing. Atleast with Power Pro and Suffix anyway.

Who knows, maybe New England just has sharper rocks. :

[Bassnbrett101]

Ahh i see. that makes sense. lol i've never used either of those

[low_pro]

http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1145738498

great, thanks Tin.... I can't get that song out of my head

SLAM! dup du dup, dup du dup, let the boys be boys.....

[David P]

I'm beginning to think less and less of the whole "Line Invisibility" junk. I've been using just plain braid, and haven't noticed a real difference at all.

The one thing people should always do, is if you're fishing rocks, tie on a leader. As someone listed earlier, braid rips on rocks, much more so then other lines.

[RoLo]

When I first switched over to braid I used a clear leader. Today I never bother with a leader and haven't noticed any difference at all.

If I dared to plant the "line visibility" seed, I might be inclined to blame a bad day on my PowerPro braid.

Wiser by far is to discard that notion altogether and spend that same mental energy on tactical adjustments like location, speed, depth ~.

Hey, if you honestly believe that a fine thread is going to intimidate a feeding bass,

than you had better remove those two large treble hooks while you're at it ;D

Roger

[hawgchaser]

Good info, I haven't had a huge problem with rocks since switching to Power Pro BUT it was bad with Spiderwire.

The jury is still out for me with braid. I kind of have a love hate with it. I am however a big fan of Seaguar Fluoro!!! What to do what to do.

[CWB]

I never use a leader. One more thing to fail when you get that lunker to bite. If water is really clear, try flouro. I use Power Pro for froggin' and buzzbaits and flippin/pitchin in slop. Open water I always go to Flouro.

[Bassnajr]

You know, I was thinking about this today.....

As Power Pro (the braid I use) is used, it begins to fade color wise. I don't see how it would be any more visable than say, a green mono. Granted, I haven't used PP to much for plastics in clear water but as it fades, I can hardly see it out of the water.

ajr

[Tin]

You know, I was thinking about this today.....

As Power Pro (the braid I use) is used, it begins to fade color wise. I don't see how it would be any more visable than say, a green mono. Granted, I haven't used PP to much for plastics in clear water but as it fades, I can hardly see it out of the water.

ajr

You are wise grasshopper. 8-)

[Catt]

To me it's one of the mysteries of bass fishing

One chooses braided line because of it's the strongest type of fishing line in relation to its diameter, almost zero stretch & highly resistant to abrasion. Then one chooses to attach the same monofilament they were trying to get away from in the beginning.

Kind of like an Oxymoron  

[low_pro]

To me it's one of the mysteries of bass fishing

One chooses braided line because of it's the strongest type of fishing line in relation to its diameter, almost zero stretch & highly resistant to abrasion. Then one chooses to attach the same monofilament they were trying to get away from in the beginning.

Kind of like an Oxymoron

I agree...

I only use braid b/c of the characteristics are like no other line... I can have a 20 pound strength line on a small spinning reel... also, it's a major confidence thing. There are trees and weeds everywhere I fish and I have no hesitation when pulling fish to the boat... no leader for me. and so far, I have seen no negative effect when fishing clear water. Even a wacky rigged senko in gin clear water still catches fish.

[Tokyo Tony]

I've been thinking a lot about this lately since the other similar thread.  After reading RoLo's posts, I have come to the conclusion that braid visibility is a non-issue.

However, there are other reasons to use a mono/flouro leader, and some have been mentioned.

Some that I don't think have been mentioned:

- sometimes, especially with the heavier braids (30lb), if you get hung up, trying to break off could seriously damage your reel (I think it was flechero who explained that to me). When I'm jigging without a leader and get hung up, I either pull the tree towards me or straighten the hook on my jig.  No bass fishing reel is desiigned to withstand 30+ pounds of pressure on the spool mechanism.

- sometimes it's beneficial to have a shock absorber (Fish Chris explained that to me as one of the reasons he uses a leader with his braid)

Note - if you use a "stretchy" leader with braid, it's still much more sensitive and responsive than using a whole spool of "stretchy" line, so it's not really defeating the purpose.

[Bassnajr]

I'm gonna add a question here...

I have some yellow PowerPro and have noticed the red PP for sale at BPS. Do these color braids fade as well??

I bought the yellow by accident and have it on a spinning reel that I haven't used yet. What do you folks think??

Tin...

I know you are only 19 years old and don't know anything about anything, but you can weigh in on this if you care to!!

ajr

[Tin]

I know the red fades, I have never used the yellow before though.  :-/