Unfair Braid is....

[bassripper2000]

So guys, I am wondering why people use braid.  I personnaly feel that using braid takes the sport out of fishing to some degree.  Braid is so strong the fish never has a chance.  People using 40lbs braid for LMB is a little overkill I think.  WHen you hook a fish, all you gotta do is crank it on in.  I like the ecxitement of not knowing whether you will or will not land that lunker.... I use 6lb test LMB and 12 for heavy cover and cranks and such.  Aside from fishing heavy cover, y do you guys like braid.  Dunno, just wondering....  I can use 10 lbs braid for trout.. but I choose to use 2lbs mono...

What do you guys think, am I missing out on the fun of braid?

[fishfordollars]

So guys, I am wondering why people use braid. I personnaly feel that using braid takes the sport out of fishing to some degree. Braid is so strong the fish never has a chance. People using 40lbs braid for LMB is a little overkill I think. WHen you hook a fish, all you gotta do is crank it on in. I like the ecxitement of not knowing whether you will or will not land that lunker.... I use 6lb test LMB and 12 for heavy cover and cranks and such. Aside from fishing heavy cover, y do you guys like braid. Dunno, just wondering.... I can use 10 lbs braid for trout.. but I choose to use 2lbs mono...

What do you guys think, am I missing out on the fun of braid?

You my friend have evidently never fished Falcon, Rayburn, Toledo Bend, Guntersville, or any other southern lake loaded with brush or hydrilla. If it is not fair to the fish think about all the time you wear one down playing it on lighter tackle. Just as bad or worst. FYI I don't use 40#, I use 65# braid.

[thetr20one]

1. You must get fish to bite first. Braid does not help this

2. With 100 feet of line out mono will stretch 10% or more meaning 10

   feet or more you cannot make this up with a rod change but you

   can reduce this by using a braid with a leader

3. Braid is LESS abrasion resistant in rocks than tough mono or flouro.

4. Most will use the lightest least visible line when they can.

5. You cannot throw your 2# test or 10, 20 or even heavier mono into

   brush all day without stopping to retie very often. This is a huge

   help when you need to make as many cast as possible in a tourney.

6. Braid is not a cure all for people expecting to instantly start catching

   every fish that bites.

7. I have had the same braid on my flippin stick for three years now

   and there has been little or no deterioration.

8. When ripping baits through grass braid slices through weeds like a

   knife.

9. It floats and some like this for certain techniques.

10. It's not cheating in anyway if that is what is being implied, you

   cannot will any tackle rod or line to make you catch more fish.

11.Also braid absolutely does not make fishing anymore fun, just

   more efficient.IMO.

[Pond Hopper]

IMO, there are 3 reasons not to use braid(on BC gear).

1.  It is too strong to break off.

2.  Abrasion resistance, rocks do not favor well for braid.

3.  Treble hook lures, it pulls them out.

The only one of those that ever comes into play is #3 for me, I throw some Yozuri on my crank combo.

[Grey Wolf]

So guys, I am wondering why people use braid. I personnaly feel that using braid takes the sport out of fishing to some degree. Braid is so strong the fish never has a chance. People using 40lbs braid for LMB is a little overkill I think. WHen you hook a fish, all you gotta do is crank it on in. I like the ecxitement of not knowing whether you will or will not land that lunker.... I use 6lb test LMB and 12 for heavy cover and cranks and such. Aside from fishing heavy cover, y do you guys like braid. Dunno, just wondering.... I can use 10 lbs braid for trout.. but I choose to use 2lbs mono...

What do you guys think, am I missing out on the fun of braid?

If you think using braid is not sporting and you love the thrill of fighting the fish on a level playing field then god bless you but I fish to catch Mr, bass and not to give that fish the oportunity to beat me.

[flechero]

And to think- some of us actually do ok with mono... even living in the south.  ...lol

[joe_ohlandt]

Sorry bassripper2000, but history tells us you are incorrect. Braided lines were around long before mono which was first manufactured in 1939 but was not even really used by many anglers until 1959 when Dupont introduced Stren. Early fishing lines were often constructed from horse hair or silk thread, with catgut leaders. Most of these lines were made from linen, silk, and more rarely cotton or flax, sometimes with a waterproofing compound added such as fats and waxes.

[Raul]

And to think- some of us actually do ok with mono... even living in the south. ...lol

Count me in !

This is how my everyday lake looks like:

[The Next KVD]

When money is on the line, braid is the way to go.  However, even if you do get a fish to bite the lure it still has a chance to throw the hook, you try dragging a 8lb bass out of a grass mat that is so thick you swear you could walk on it.

[bassripper2000]

I see.  So braid is good for different types of situations.  I have never fishes grass you can walk on so yeah.  I am not implying that braid users are unsporting or cheating, just wanted to get a few opinions and open a topic for discusions.  But in the end, doesn't matter... your still fishing

[roadwarrior]

And to think- some of us actually do ok with mono... even living in the south. ...lol

People who use braid love it, the rest of us hate the stuff.

However, I can assure you that none of us "non-users"

ever consider the reason to be giving the fish any

advantage. I'm totally convinced that I get more bites on

other lines than I would with braid when I'm using a finesse

presentation. For "moving" presentations this may not be an

issue, but I still don't fish braid.

8-)

[Wayne P.]

It does matter to the fish. While you are having a sporting and exciting time trying to land a bass on light line, you are contributing to the potential death of the fish. If you have to spend much time landing a big bass with light line, lactic acid builds up in their muscles and they may die because of it. It is more beneficial to the fish if it is landed quickly and released quickly.

Using 12# line in "thick" cover is adding another harmful effect to the fish if you have a break off, you will be leaving some amount of line attached to a hook that may result in their death.

That is not very sporting or exciting.

[powerman970]

I like to just tie a piece of dental floss to a toothpick.  I also find hooks to be an unfair advantage so I just use small pieces of velcro and hope that the fishes teeth will get entangled.  The bottom line is that most fishing gear that is designed is put on the market to give anglers an advantage.  Is it unfair to use a good sturdy rod?  Is it unfair to use a sharp hook?  Is it unfair to fish from a boat instead of the bank?  I think not...The object is to catch fish.  Any product that brings me closer to that objective will be in my arsenal.  I have recently started using braid and honestly it never crossed my mind to consider it unfair.  It did seem like overkill to use 50# braid until I realized that it seems to be more manageable than the lighter stuff and does not bite into itself on the reel as much.  I use 50# Sufix and am happier with it than I was 35#.  Sometimes it is not about fair or unfair, it is about catching fish.  If you are happy with mono then you should fish with mono.  My dad has been fishing for about a million years and he likes a closed faced Zebco spincast reel.  He has thrown the others but is more in his comfort zone with what I refer to as "kiddie equipment".  It took me a while to understand that different people are more comfortable with different techniques and equipment and I guarantee you that there are days when I am so sick and tired of reeling in what seems like 30 pounds of crankbait that my arm feels like it's going to fall off or I have pitched so many docks that my shoulder blades are on fire.  On those days I *** those guys who are just happy to be fishing and don't care if they catch fish or not but I just can't do it...I'll take whatever advantage I can get.  It also sucks to fish an area where you know that your chances of losing a fish are greater than your chances of catching one because you might have to drag 20 pounds of grass along with 3 tree limbs to the boat along with that 3 pound fish.  Do the math, maybe 50# test is not heavy enough.  I'm gonna switch to chain, it sinks and is very abrasion resistant.  You can also use a short length of it to club a fish at boatside if he decides to make one more surge before he is pulled into the boat.

[harshman]

What's fair about breaking off a fish and leaving a hook in his mouth that he might eventually die over?

I like to just tie a piece of dental floss to a toothpick.  I also find hooks to be an unfair advantage so I just use small pieces of velcro and hope that the fishes teeth will get entangled.  

;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

Who says the fish gets a vote in what is fair, I'm just gonna put him back after I've had my fun. Any tackle I can use that will not harm the fish I say bring it on.... Braid, Heavy rods, jerk baits with 3 sets of treble hooks, crank baits that wear sexy fish lingerie, land mines, air strikes, atom bombs...etc  

I've always wondered if I have ever made a fish late for something or if the other fish put up missing posters. Do you think there is a Bass missing fish division in Lunkerville?

Harshman

[Catt]

And to think- some of us actually do ok with mono... even living in the south. ...lol

In 2007 I landed 3 bass over 10 lbs on Lacassine Wildlife Refuge (marsh) & 6 bass over 10 lbs on Toledo Bend (grass flats with timber) with 15# Berkeley Big Game.

[flechero]

In 2007 I landed 3 bass over 10 lbs on Lacassine Wildlife Refuge (marsh) & 6 bass over 10 lbs on Toledo Bend (grass flats with timber) with 15# Berkeley Big Game.

Just think of how many DD's you COULD HAVE caught if you weren't "handicapped" with mono.   ;D

[surfer]

It does matter to the fish. While you are having a sporting and exciting time trying to land a bass on light line, you are contributing to the potential death of the fish. If you have to spend much time landing a big bass with light line, lactic acid builds up in their muscles and they may die because of it. It is more beneficial to the fish if it is landed quickly and released quickly.

Using 12# line in "thick" cover is adding another harmful effect to the fish if you have a break off, you will be leaving some amount of line attached to a hook that may result in their death.

That is not very sporting or exciting.

x2

Long fights and or break off's are not good for the catch and release concept.

[farmpond1]

Dyamite is an unfair advantage.  Braided line, IMHO, is just one tool in a fisherman's arsenal.  Besides, there are times when mono and/or flourocarben offer greater advantages.

[guitarkid]

I like to just tie a piece of dental floss to a toothpick.  I also find hooks to be an unfair advantage so I just use small pieces of velcro and hope that the fishes teeth will get entangled.  The bottom line is that most fishing gear that is designed is put on the market to give anglers an advantage.  Is it unfair to use a good sturdy rod?  Is it unfair to use a sharp hook?  Is it unfair to fish from a boat instead of the bank?  I think not...The object is to catch fish.  Any product that brings me closer to that objective will be in my arsenal.  I have recently started using braid and honestly it never crossed my mind to consider it unfair.  It did seem like overkill to use 50# braid until I realized that it seems to be more manageable than the lighter stuff and does not bite into itself on the reel as much.  I use 50# Sufix and am happier with it than I was 35#.  Sometimes it is not about fair or unfair, it is about catching fish.  If you are happy with mono then you should fish with mono.  My dad has been fishing for about a million years and he likes a closed faced Zebco spincast reel.  He has thrown the others but is more in his comfort zone with what I refer to as "kiddie equipment".  It took me a while to understand that different people are more comfortable with different techniques and equipment and I guarantee you that there are days when I am so sick and tired of reeling in what seems like 30 pounds of crankbait that my arm feels like it's going to fall off or I have pitched so many docks that my shoulder blades are on fire.  On those days I *** those guys who are just happy to be fishing and don't care if they catch fish or not but I just can't do it...I'll take whatever advantage I can get.  It also sucks to fish an area where you know that your chances of losing a fish are greater than your chances of catching one because you might have to drag 20 pounds of grass along with 3 tree limbs to the boat along with that 3 pound fish.  Do the math, maybe 50# test is not heavy enough.

Try standard issue naval anchor chain, It has to stand up to everything, PLUS it will get your bait down very fast and I would go as far as to say that you will never have to break off or cut your line. The only problem is that I am not sure if it will fit in your average baitcast/spincast/spinning reels.

                    -searoach

[T-rig]

It does matter to the fish. While you are having a sporting and exciting time trying to land a bass on light line, you are contributing to the potential death of the fish. If you have to spend much time landing a big bass with light line, lactic acid builds up in their muscles and they may die because of it. It is more beneficial to the fish if it is landed quickly and released quickly.

Using 12# line in "thick" cover is adding another harmful effect to the fish if you have a break off, you will be leaving some amount of line attached to a hook that may result in their death.

That is not very sporting or exciting.

x2

Long fights and or break off's are not good for the catch and release concept.

x3. I don't find it very sporting having fish swim around with hooks and lures in their mouth. I fish with mono (12lb. upwards) where I can but in cover and with topwaters I use braid.

[Davis]

Fished braid for the first time last night.

Was throwing jigs in flooded timber and brush for the first time this year and figured it was a safe bet. Was suprised on how sensitive braid is. Really enjoyed fishing with it and will continue to do so for jigs and maybe even t-rigs.

[bassripper2000]

I just picked up some more expenisive lures (Lucky Craft Pointers)

Should I use braid with them.  I think it would be unfair to me if I lost one of these bad boys