Interesting article on using Braid with Spinning Gear

[Captain Chaos II]

More of a baitcaster guy myself so this is good info for me.  I do have one spinning outfit which I plan to use more of this summer.  Gonna get some braid to try it out......

http://www.insideline.net/weeklynews/08-0529.html

I have heard that you don't get line twist with braid and that is my #1 gripe with spinning gear.

Thoughts?

[senile1]

I've actually used 10 lb PowerPro on a medium light spinning rod.  I can attest to the fact that the line handled well.  

[Live.2.Fish]

x2 on the power pro on spinning reels.  In the past I used 10lb braid on spinning with no problems.  I'd say, go for it.

[Big Tom]

Thanks for the article.  I have been toying with the idea now for a couple of weeks.  It looks as if I am going to have to give this a try.

[roadwarrior]

Been there, done that.

I like Gary Yamamoto, but I hate braid.

8-)

[Big Tom]

What about it didn't work for you?  Finally, somebody with a differing opinion.  I couldn't find anyone that had anything bad to say other than the price yet so few people use it.  

[roadwarrior]

#1 You can't break it when you need to which means you generally lose all of your leader or 20 yards of braid if you tie direct.

#2 It's dangerous and can cut you. Fishing on a river, this comes into play more often than you might think.

#3 Wind always sucks, but even more so when fishing braid.

#4 There is a tendency for the line to wrap around your rod tip which can be disasterous, but is generally just an inconvience.

#5 If you tie direct, the braid cuts and frays on rocks. (A leader will reduce this problem.)

#6 And although this is a little thing, the knot still bugs me!

8-)

[Big Tom]

Good points.  Numbers 3-5 are things I really hadn't thought about.

It looks like I will continue to ponder using this stuff.

[Pigsticker]

I dont want to sound like crazy or that im commiting over kill on line size but, I use 65 lb braid power pro on a spinnig rod,

yet i do have a 7ft hvy ex. fast action spinning rod and i have a very large quantum pti energy 40 models that are massive.

I havent had any problems (much more problems with flouro) but hybrid line that RW is in love with(j/k) ;D  is a fantastic line and is a better choice when line size and visablity is an issue

[Tin]

If clarity and rocks are not an issue I will use braid on my spinning gear. I love 15 lb Power Pro on my spinning gear when I can get away with it. It is a grassline and brush must imo.

[senile1]

#1 You can't break it when you need to which means you generally lose all of your leader or 20 yards of braid if you tie direct.

#2 It's dangerous and can cut you. Fishing on a river, this comes into play more often than you might think.

#3 Wind always sucks, but even more so when fishing braid.

#4 There is a tendency for the line to wrap around your rod tip which can be disasterous, but is generally just an inconvience.

#5 If you tie direct, the braid cuts and frays on rocks. (A leader will reduce this problem.)

#6 And although this is a little thing, the knot still bugs me!

8-)

Responses to your enumerated points:

1)  Solve this problem by not hanging up.    Seriously, hangups suck with braid.  You have to pull your boat up close and if you can't get it loose then you have to cut the line.  (Scissors work best.)  If you cut from far away you're leaving a length of line for other animals to get hung up in.  (Not a good idea.)

2)  I've been cut by every type of line known to man.  Braid will only cut you if you do something stupid with it, like trying to break it off with your hands, or trying to pull or hold it with your hands.  (Hands off when hung up.)

3)  True.  Wind can be a pain.

4)  This does happen once in awhile but if you're paying attention it's no biggie.

5)  RW fishes rocks all the time.  I fish weeds and trees.  There's no line better for thick weeds and trees.

6)  Are you referring to the knot used to attach the fluoro leader?  I agree.  

[basser89]

I switched to braid a couple years ago when I fish the Potomac for smallies on crankbaits and jerkbaits. I started off with Spiderwire Stealth (which was pretty good) but I have since switched to Suffix and really like it! I go with 20# test so if I get hung, I can still break it with not alot of effort. The reason I switched to braid was to help reduce my cut-offs from walleye and musky. I've had a hand full of walleyes over 20" that I've landed as well as a 30" musky (two smaller as well), in the past I lost fish of these sizes and smaller when both species cut my mono. Strong wind can still be an issue at times and the only other issue I've had is braid (obviously) is not a cold weather fan! It will freeze up in the winter and this is the only time I've had an issue with the line wrapping around the rod tip. ;D I have heard great things about Power Pro but it's not readily available to me which is the reason I went with Suffix.

[Laurentino]

I'm using PowerPro 15 regularly on spinning gear.  I really like it.  I took Gary Yamamoto's advice and starting using 15 to 25 feet of FC leader.  I use the slim beauty knot to tie it on and have little problem.  This way the knot is on the reel when you are trying to land the fish which takes pressure off the knot.  The long leader also keeps the braid away from the rocks.  The added sensitivity of braid is a real plus for me.  By using leader lighter than the braid it also breaks off in the leader rather than the braid when you get hung.

[Tokyo Tony]

This is crazy - Gary's article is almost exactly what I do, and those are a lot of the conclusions I've come to over the past year or two. I use 10 lb test yellow power pro on a M rod (sometimes 5 lb, 8 lb, 15 lb, or 40 for frogging and jigging), but just posted yesterday about finding a ML rod that I thought would be more fun to use. I almost always use a flouro leader, and usually start out with a long one that winds onto the spool, and as the day (or week) goes on, it gets smaller until I change it at about 3-4 feet. If fishing like Gary Yamamoto is wrong, I don't wanna be right!  ;D

RW - once you get used to braid the line will almost never get wrapped around the tip, and that should never happen while fighting a fish (it has never never happened to me). I definitely agree with you about river fishing - if you don't use a leader that could get dangerous. And when you get hung up, a lot of the time the weakest point is the leader knot so yeah, you'll probably have to tie a new leader if you get hung up. However, if you use the uni to uni leader knot, not only will you notice that you won't always break at the leader knot when getting unhung, but also that it only takes about one full minute to set up a new leader once you get used to it, and I cinch my leader knots down so expertly  ;D that I barely feel the knot going through the guides. And lastly, fishing in the wind can be a pain, but that, you would also learn, can be overcome with some changes to your technique.

I do like Ultrasoft more than any other non-braid I've used (still use it for some things), but for me, I seriously doubt I'll ever break off my relationship with Power Pro. We just get along so well and love each other very much. It has amazing qualities (sensitive, strong, etc.) that I don't thing I'll ever find in another woman...err, line.  ;D

[hawgchaser]

I will take a good 6-8lb mono/hybrid line 95% of the time. Easier knots, more manageable on windy days (most days are windy on big water), I can cast light lures much further with mono, easy breakoffs, and less visability.

However, I do like braid for one reason, it allows me to use light spinning reels( rated for 6-8 pound test) for everything. I use mono for bass and trout, then simply put on my spare spool of braid for hybrids, stripers, and redfish. I have a new Abu 701 series spinning reel that weighs 8oz. I was using 6 pound test this morning and will have 20lb sufix braid next weekend in Venice, LA catching MONSTER redfish. NOW thats versatile!!!!

[surfer]

I have been using braid for about a year now and would like to adress RW's #4 wraping the tip.

I had one braid set up that notoriously did this to me for about a month.  I have 3 other braid set ups that are very similar without this problem.  So I cut the lure of and trolled the line behind the boat to get rid of twists. shazam.  The line no longer wraps the tip.  

The oddest part is that the braid did not show the signs of twists that mono and floro do.  I did it on a hunch and it appeared to work.  Maybe this will help someone else.  I can't swear by it, but it worked for me.  Might be worth a try before giving up on braid and throwing a way a $15 spool.

[-BassMasterBling-]

Id have to say that article helped me out soo much. I didnt use a leader before but i decided to put one on and caught many more bass. This helped alot.

what knot do you guys use to attach the leader? i have been using the uni-to-uni knot which isnt bad.

[fish-fighting-illini]

 I use braid for spinning. The no break off thing is irrelevent to me. If it is an issue just use smaller pund test, same for leaders just use a smaller leader lb than the braid. I have had a fair amount of trouble getting braid or Yo-zuri to break. Yo-zuri is very high break vs lb test ratio. I've cut my hands too many times w either line to pull by hand. From the bank I use a stick and wrap the line a few turns around it and pull the stick. In a boat I would use a paddle, my pliers or anything else I can get my hands on. I'm never pulling on line by hand again.

As far as wrapping on guides yep it has happened. Seems to happen much more so on my BPS extreme with a BC though. Could be the MH action?

As far as line twist braid solves 99% of my problems. I am experimenting with flouro leader this year to see if it afffects my bite ratio.