Anyone Crank With Braid? No Leader

[Diggy]

Ive tried with all lines,but I like using it because I can feel the bait better. I can't comment on big deep lakes with rocks and timber but from the shore I've done well. I haven't been ripping hooks from fish as many say. I don't have a real cranking rod yet so I use my medium and have used a mh.

When I get a real cranking rod things may change. I'm interested to see if anyone uses it as it's unconventional to most.

[jignfule]

yes, many times if I'm fishing shallow depths.

[Packard]

Might work for shallow cranks. I prefer fluorocarbon though.

[james 14]

I've done it and also used braid for spinnerbaits a lot. You basically just keep your wrist a little looser than you might normally would and hesitate a split second after feeling the strike. This is a moot point if you're pumping the bait rather than reeling it straight in as 99% of your hits will come while the bait is at rest. There are some benefits to using braid as well so its not a total compromise.

[Sam]

Yes, especially on the Rappahannock River in Virginia where we have barnacles on the boat docks and piers or if I want to go really deep with a deep diving crankbait.

Mostly use either mono or flouro lines for treble hook baits.

There are no specific rules as to what line to use for crankbaits. Pros used to use mono but more are not using flouro.

Give it a try and let us know the results.

[Diggy]

Might work for shallow cranks. I prefer fluorocarbon though.

I don't mind fluoro but my makeshift crank rod was/is also my spinner buzz rod and top water rod so I tried some mono to get away with everything but the feel is eh. Haven't tried cxx yet so I can't comment if that will cover all areas for me to get by. Once I get more technique specific I can vary things a bit.

[BradH]

I like to use braid on the glass cranking rods with more give. I still use a leader to save the line from rocks and such.

[QUAKEnSHAKE]

Ive tried with all lines,but I like using it because I can feel the bait better. I can't comment on big deep lakes with rocks and timber but from the shore I've done well. I haven't been ripping hooks from fish as many say. I don't have a real cranking rod yet so I use my medium and have used a mh.

When I get a real cranking rod things may change. I'm interested to see if anyone uses it as it's unconventional to most.

Mostly my use from shore as well.

I have a ML Mod rod thats where my give comes in. I toss from Bitsy Minnow to KVD 1.5 with 10# braid.

The Bitsy Minnow is my "boil buster" see the fish suface strike toss to that area and bam fish on lots of times.

[jj'sbassinforfun]

Mono or Flouro for cranking. Braid is for wood and weeds in my boat.

[James Yalem]

I have been using braid since the early 1990's when the first Spectra braid lines hit the market. I used to have to dye them, but I never used a leader. I always use 5'6" psitol grip rods in heavy action for bottom baits and medium-heavy for the rest. I have never had a problem with rod breakage or even excessive hook pull-outs of fish. I have caught bass in Florida, LOZ, MO and mostly Truman Lake admittedly a muddy water lake without a leader. Mostly I have used about 30lb. test which is the diameter of about 10-12 lb mono.

IMO, the diameter of the line matters more to getting strikes than line visibility. Just look at the Alabama rig. The lines on it are thick, yet people are fishing it in clear water lakes.

[dodgeguy]

i fish 50 lb sufix 832 for cranks on a graphite rod with a soft tip.i have no problem pulling hooks.loosen your drag and don't horse the fish just keep pressure on them.i fish over rocks all the time and have no abrasion problems.just retie when needed.you have to do this with other lines also.

[loodkop]

I use braid on my lipless cranks. Most of my regular waters are very weedy and braid helps me "rip" my red eyes and aruku's better than mono or fluoro.

[zip pow]

Only on Lipless cranks I tried it on some dt cranks and didn't like it I could feel to much .

[ww2farmer]

Yes, I crank with braid exclusivly. Deep, shallow, lipless. If I am cranking grass I use no leader, if I am fishing wood I use no leader, if I am fishing rock I use a leader. If pike are active and playing I use a leader. Cranks on 20 lb braid can be cast a mile, reach max running depth, and the no stretch lets you get the hooks into the fish on the end of a long cast or in deep water. The key to keeping crankbait fish hooked is the rod, not the line.

I use Power Pro, I tried the sinking Spiderwire Fluorobraid last year and was unimpressed. Yes the line sank, but it didn't do any thing for me that Power Pro couldn't do, didn't seem to get the baits any deeper, was WAY less abbrasion resistant than Power Pro too. In short I thought it was crap.

There is a learning curve using 20lb braid on casting gear, and I understand it's not for every one, but I am not going back to mono, or fluoro.