Braid Slips

[SirSnookalot]

I've gotten bent spools from striper and salmon guys using braid and too much drag.

It's possible, they are fairly formidable fish, but a bass bending your spool is highly unlikely( personally I'd classify it as next to impossible). Even the largest of bass lack the power, strength and stamina to do any damage to your equipment, if the equipment is in good condition to begin with. IMO fishing exclusively for bass and catching the occasional 40" pike, you have nothing to be overly concerned about equipment damage, especially using b/c and mh to heavy rods, you're over powering the fish.

The solution is simple to avoid a near impossible situation, tape instead of tie. Worst case scenario is being spooled, which is also a near impossibility catching any LMB, these fish just do not make 100 yd runs.

I know some guys are going to say they use a big rod for big baits, I understand that, but the day I use a heavy rod,b/c and 50# line to catch a 10# fish is the day i quit fishing.

[.RM.]

i've been using braid since the 90's and have never bent a spool.

That's because you know how to setup a rig for use with braided lines!

[.RM.]

Hook set shock absorbance is important when using braided lines.

The proper rod tip action and reel drag settings are important, to compensate for the lack of the lines shock absorbance (stretch). As far as fish fighting, if the rod and reel are setup properly for use with braided lines then there is little reason for spool shafts to bend or rods to break..

Just an opinion from my 27yrs service experience.....

Good Luck & Tight Lines!!

[J Francho]

It's possible, they are fairly formidable fish, but a bass bending your spool is highly unlikely( personally I'd classify it as next to impossible). Even the largest of bass lack the power, strength and stamina to do any damage to your equipment, if the equipment is in good condition to begin with. IMO fishing exclusively for bass and catching the occasional 40" pike, you have nothing to be overly concerned about equipment damage, especially using b/c and mh to heavy rods, you're over powering the fish.

The solution is simple to avoid a near impossible situation, tape instead of tie. Worst case scenario is being spooled, which is also a near impossibility catching any LMB, these fish just do not make 100 yd runs.

I know some guys are going to say they use a big rod for big baits, I understand that, but the day I use a heavy rod,b/c and 50# line to catch a 10# fish is the day i quit fishing.

I agree, a bass isn't going to hurt your gear. Where I fish, there are some pretty big fish. Last Saturday evening's short 3 hour trip I caught 5 smallies, two brown trout, one over 10 lbs., a "small" 24" rainbow, and had a Coho salmon on for about 15 minutes before it shook off at the boat. All just drifting in 10 feet of water chucking a spoon. So, while a bass cannot damage incorrectly set gear, other fish can.

Older Abus have a two piece spool, and I've seen them split on the shaft and bent. Some cheaper, plastic framed reels billed as big game reels (Okuma Striper series) don't hold up either. I've replaced both spools and worm gear/line guide assemblies on these reels.