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Thinking about going braid for everything #11272487 12/09/15 08:33 PM
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gene30 Offline OP
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Tell my why I'm wrong and what you would not use braid for.
Thanks and you won't hurt my feelings a bit.


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Re: Thinking about going braid for everything [Re: gene30] #11272523 12/09/15 08:49 PM
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chas1 Offline
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It has many uses, but the line wrapping around the end of my rod on a windy day drives me crazy, mono will undo itself ,but not always with braid. smile


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Re: Thinking about going braid for everything [Re: gene30] #11272544 12/09/15 08:59 PM
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Ken A. Offline
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I don't think its a bad idea at all. Learn to tie one of the Alberto knots and tie a leader of mono or fluoro if you are worried about the fish seeing your line.

Braid does have some issues (like wind-knotting) but it is brutally strong, has no memory, and has no stretch at all.



Re: Thinking about going braid for everything [Re: gene30] #11272564 12/09/15 09:09 PM
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KPDenney Offline
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Make sure you have the right rod actions for all braid applications, fast tip with a lot of power will pull a bait away from a fish or rip the hook out of his mouth with braid. That was an expensive lesson. Lost a lot of money on lost fish that day

Re: Thinking about going braid for everything [Re: gene30] #11272613 12/09/15 09:31 PM
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NTX Fisherman Offline
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I love braid. It's way cheaper than fluoro and doesn't have all the fluoro issues to deal with.

I've done a lot of cranking with straight braid and enjoy it. You need a flexible rod, and you need to back off the drag some. The sensitivity is great - you can feel every little thing the bait touches.

I also use braid for slow moving baits, but I do think finicky fish can see it and might shy away. I tie on a 6 ft fluorocarbon leader using an FG knot. That knot won't break.

Re: Thinking about going braid for everything [Re: gene30] #11272652 12/09/15 09:55 PM
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bigbass94 Offline
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Braided lines are great. There's no doubt about that. However, there are times when I feel that using flouro over braid has huge advantages. Those times are: clear water, post frontal conditions, certain lure techniques.

Call me crazy, but I really believe that fish are weary of braided line in those situations.

Let's break it down by scenario!

Clear water: When I fish water with visibility of 4ft or more, I do not fish braided line (except for punching and flipping super heavy cover and grass). I feel like those fish can see the line a little too well (especially when fishing slow). I don't think it keeps them from biting, I just believe that they think it's unnatural. I definitely get a lot more bites without braid in clear water. However, you can use braided line with a leader. You also can't make as long of a cast with braid as you can with flouro or mono. And long casts are necessary in clear water.

Post frontal conditions: I try to stay away from braided line after a major front rolls through. When I fish after a major front, I downsize, slow way down, match the hatch and fish smarter. If I know that my baits are small, silent and natural, I feel like I'll get more bites. Braid contributes to the sound of your lure. When you cast your lure, it makes a sound, when you reel it in and it goes through your guides, it makes a sound. It makes a sound when you set the hook too, but that doesn't really matter if the fish is one the other end of the line. Hahaha.
And when fishing slow presentations, I don't want the fish to see my line. You need to back off of the fish and make long casts after a front, and you can't make as long of a cast with braid as you can with flouro or mono.

Certain lure techniques: There are certain techniques that I don't use braid with. Those are: any crankbaits (except lipless cranks), finesse fishing (braid with a leader is more than fine), and jerkbaits.
Braid floats naturally. When throwing a crankbait, you want the bait to dive to it's desired depth. You can't the desired depth with braided line... you'll also rip the hooks out of the fish's mouth with braided line. I've found that when I use a flat sided crankbait, using braided line will hurt the wobble of the bait and it won't run true. Braided line with lipless cranks is fine if you're ripping it out of the grass. I never fish finesse tactics with braid. If I'm finesse fishing, I'm obviously downsizing and slowing down. I want everything to be natural, including the movement of my bait. If I'm fishing a bait and it's running sideways or not true, I'm not gonna get many bites. Moving the bait slow gives the fish more time to observe the line, I don't want that. You'll also have light bites and pickups when finesse fishing. If you're using braid and you get too excited and jerk the rod, you'll most likely rip the bait out of the fish's mouth. Flourocarbon has just enough give to allow the fish to inhale the hooks. I throw underspins a lot when I finesse fish and if I use braid the bait won't run true. I don't know why but it just won't.

There are quite a few techniques where using braid can hurt the presentation. However, there also certain times when braid is a must. These are just my opinions and observations. Plenty of people have caught fish using all braid, I'm sure you will too! Just be prepared to maybe not get as many bites as someone using flourocarbon or monofilament.

The number one thing I try to tell new anglers or inexperienced anglers is to FISH TO YOUR STRENGTHS AND USE WHAT YOU HAVE CONFIDENCE IN!

Tight lines!


"If people concentrated on the really important things in life, there'd be a shortage of fishing poles." - Doug Larson
Re: Thinking about going braid for everything [Re: gene30] #11272712 12/09/15 10:24 PM
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gene30 Offline OP
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Good points Bigbass. This is the reason I spend time on the forum. There are many guys here who share their knowledge and I'm sure not only I will learn something's from TFFers like you. Appreciate you!


fishin fool
Re: Thinking about going braid for everything [Re: gene30] #11272719 12/09/15 10:28 PM
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lipjerk Offline
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Tactical Bassin has a couple vids on using braid and the transition to it, Matt has some great vids here is one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XKn9Pgl1sYI

Re: Thinking about going braid for everything [Re: gene30] #11272754 12/09/15 11:04 PM
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I like straight braid and braid to leader for many applications
Straight braid for frogs, flipping grass, and large topwaters. I'd throw arigs on braid.
Braid to fluoro and copoly leaders for many other applications (jigs, trig, wacky, drop shot, ned rig, spinner baits, chatterbaits)

I do not like braid around heavy wood cover; it grabs and snags on everything making the fall of the jig or Trig inefficient. Coated braids like super slick are less snaggy.

Don't like it for big swimbaits or smaller swimbaits--prefer fluoro or copoly.

I do not like straight braid with crankbaits--too easy to rip the treble hooks from the mouth/lips.

I prefer straight fluoro or copoly for suspending jerkbaits--braid is too buoyant for most suspending jerkbaits

On crig, I'll use it as initial main line, but then copoly the rest of the way to swivel, then more copoly from swivel to hook.


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Re: Thinking about going braid for everything [Re: gene30] #11272791 12/09/15 11:28 PM
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Dr JL Offline
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I would not recommend going only braid op.
Overall you will get fewer bites with braid over time with most techniques other than shallow water heavy cover reaction strikes. I only use braid when I know I won't get them in the boat with other lines.
I like the comment above about doing what you are confident with as well- lots of answers- likely most of them are working well for the other guys due to confidence. I do not like any extra knots so no line to line leaders for me.

Re: Thinking about going braid for everything [Re: gene30] #11272801 12/09/15 11:38 PM
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The "A" Rig looks like a wad of coat hangers coming through the water column, yet it is banned in the major tournaments for it's effectiveness. I am of the idea that lure presentation trumps braid spooking fish. Now I totally agree that it may spook some finicky fish. But I also think I feel more bites and land more fish & that offsets the negative. I do try the various methods to camo the line as has been pointed out here many times. I carry brown, green & black markers & color the last 6 -8 feet. One of my best methods this year has been 20# braid (diameter of 6/8#) on a M action spinning rig pitching Cabin Creek Spider Parts. YMMV.


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Re: Thinking about going braid for everything [Re: gene30] #11273031 12/10/15 01:13 AM
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Yep I hate braid around brush/wood hangs on everything and when you pull on it just saws itself in deeper.

Re: Thinking about going braid for everything [Re: FMJshooter] #11273129 12/10/15 01:45 AM
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Happykamper Offline
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If you use braid with a leader you will get the same number of bites as you would with mono/fluro, you will catch more fish imo, I do not use it on cranks or spinnerbaits, only on T rig, jigs, C rig, drop shot, and frogs.


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Re: Thinking about going braid for everything [Re: gene30] #11273310 12/10/15 03:06 AM
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One reel with fluoro--which I use very seldomly. Everything else with braid (Daiwa) and fluoro leader (not fluoro fishing line) ranging from 8lb to 30lb. I use the "j" knot to tie the leader to the braid. I do not use mono at all. Top water baits--same setup, but fly line gel to float the leader(mono leader may be useful here). Just my preference. Try the "j" knot-- it really does work very well and is easy to tie--I use this knot for salt water fishing also with no knot failures for fish up to 200lbs. Daiwa Sumuri Braid 55lb for the casting reels and the same line in 30lb for the spinning rigs.
Seaquar Fluoro Leader Premier used for the leader.

Re: Thinking about going braid for everything [Re: gene30] #11273323 12/10/15 03:12 AM
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In regards to my information about leader with braid--I keep the knot off the reel that connects the braid to the leader material. Therefore the length of the rod will dictate the length of the leader which gererally extends about a foot past the tip guide for me. Pitching and flipping setups can have almost twice as much leader due the manner in which the lure is cast.

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