Got a buddy who does it... out fishes everybody on a regular basis

I have a buddy who does it a lot too. While he doesnt out fish me too often it doesnt seem to hurt him at all. He converted me on my C-Rig. A lot of people still run a mono leader by i do it straight braid and no issues. Dang sure dont break off but if it gets hung its stuck! Interested what others opinions are.

I wouldn't say braid for everything.......

I've been using braid with a leader for the last 7 or 8 years now and I did start out as a braid for everything.

It really is a timesaver for me throughout the year because I don't re spool very often. Braid lasts forever and when it gets old I tie it to a different reel and spool it up straight off the old reel. The backing is rarely ever used and by doing it this way the old worn out part of the braid now becomes the backing on the other reel. So I get twice as long out of the braid that way. I will go the entire season sometimes more without ever changing the braid. Not to mention the added sensitivity does make lesser rods more sensitive. I have a Dobyns Champion and a Falcon Lowrider, with braid the only difference in the rods is the weight and price. Ask my buddy what rod I fish the most and it's a 10 year old Falcon Lowrider that's 7'1" Medium Heavy that has had every eyelet replaced over the years and has lost all it's lamination.

The only thing I change out is the leader and even then if I don't break off I can go several trips on that same leader. The key is buy LEADER material. Do not use regular floro, you will get your heart broken in the long run if you haven't already. The leader material is thicker and more abrasion resistant it also holds a knot better.

Texas Rig, Jig fishing, Carolina rigging, all do really well for braid, I especially like it on my spinning reels. On spinning reels you don't have to worry about the memory you do with floro or mono and it doesn't mess up on the spool like those do either. Plus you can get a much smaller diameter with the braid.

I just carry leader material from 10lb to 25lb test in my bag. Specifically most of the time I have 10, 15 and 20lb leader.

The three situations I have quit using it are cranking, spinnerbaits and finesse baits that I want to sink without weight I.e. flukes and senkos.
- Cranking is more about personal preference than anything, I don't like the feel of braid when I am constantly reeling. The other reason Is I like to use clips for my cranks to quickly change them out. With braid and leader I'd break the leader and lose the clip. Takes too long to retie.
- Spinnerbaits again is a bit of personal preference, I don't like reeling the braid all day. But this one also had to do with hookups. I felt like the extra sensitivity had me yanking the spinnerbait away from the fish. I use old school mono for my spinnerbaits, I like that extra give. I find I personally get more fish in the boat with it.
- Finesse this is easy to explain. Braid floats and it creates a pendulum effect on weightless baits. I want as natural an action as I can get with a Senko so I went back to floro. This one is a tough one that I am still experimenting with though because I don't feel the bite as good as I did with the braid.

Straight braid I use on Frogs, A-rigs, heavy cover pitching and flipping and Topwaters.....yes topwaters. I think this is an application that braid really shines. It floats, so you don't have that sinking of the line that makes the topwater perform funny. Not to mention I never lose topwaters no matter what they get hung in. With 30lb braid I straigten hooks, but I get the topwater back. I have had one of the original Reaction Innovation Vixen Jr's for 6 years because I use braid!

Last tip and this is again through years of practice. Braid can and does wrap eyelets and can be a pain in the butt at times on windy days because of this. My preference is Berkley Fireline because it is stiffer than other braids. It's not limp and this helps keep it from wrapping the eyelets. When it starts getting wrapped in eyelets it's time to change it out.

Edit: Forgot to mention. Back off your drag when switching to braid. I've heard alot of people saying downsize your rod power. IMO, most Bass Fisherman don't know how to use their drag effectively. Most of us crank it all the way down and that's good. Realistically you should feel a little drag give when you set the hook. With braid that drag squeek is such a sweet sound. You know you got a good one when you hear that drag scream on the hookset.