I've seen multiple videos where crappie fisherman said they used high visibility braid for crappie. I guess I was always told to use small flourocarbon because crappie were easily spooked by visible line.

It sure would be nice on my eyes to use high visibility lightweight braid, but only if it doesn't adversely affect the bite!

What do you think?

I use high vis mr crappie 6 lb all the time for crappie...

I use hi-viz Suffix 20# braid all the time and have had no problem with fish seeming to be bothered by it. I sometimes use a leader and usually don't. Doesn't make any difference to the fish.


In very clear water it might but around here it doesn't.

Dad use to take a welding rod , flatten the ends, drill hole on each end,
split ring on top , split ring and gold hook on bottom.
Caught tons of crappie on this rig , great brush rig.

I don't think crappie are line shy. ( at least in cover )

maybe in very clear open water,

MO

Braided line noted (takes notes). May be time to hit Academy on the way home from my acupuncture appointment late this afternoon. Likely stronger than the 6-8# flourocarbon I use (did lose about 5 jigs this morning), but in most cases, I've been able to land big fish with my current line without a problem.

Posted this about a month ago . (hi-viz) line in general . One day I started out using my regular braid and didn't catch much. Switched to the Mr.crappie Hi-viz and caught 6 . the ability to watch your line is key! As soon as I can find Hi-viz pro braid in stock , i will be changing over my reels- Guess there is a reason 6lb-10 ln is sold out right now!

I hate braid. When I'm fishing the main lake high Vis 4lb mono works good when I'm in clear water in creeks or the backs of clear coves I'm using fluorocarbon.

I got this on ebay. $130 if I remember right. Guess you could say I "LOVE" braid! LOL. My only crappie gear without it is my dock shooting rods. They have Mr. Crappie 8lb Hi-Vis yellow.

I can't stand braid myself but hi vis line in general doesn't matter around here. Never have a problem catching fish with it even in pretty clear creeks.

I said the same thing before trying some of the newer braids that have come out in recent years. Suffix 832, Bonehead, and especially Power Pro Super Slick are stiffer lines and handle much better than the early small diameter braids. I would give it one more try with one of these. I find braid to have more positives than negatives.

power pro 30# is great!

I have spent a lot of time studying/testing this set of issues; braid versus mono, flouro; low vis versus high vis lines; one company versus another company. What got me started on this issue was a comment I made to Josh over at Bonehead a few years back after someone gave me some of his mono to try out (I am mostly a braid fisherman due to the structure I fish.) because of my stated reluctance to use mono (at the time.) During testing, I would fish two exact setups, one in each hand, with one type of line versus another type in order to properly test my theories. Here are some of my musing from my testing.

1) Normally, you will catch more fish with mono, floro than with braid, even during the spawn,
2) You WILL rety much more using mono rather than braid,
3) 12 lb Braid is better for crappie fishing than 20 lb braid (and doesnt break as many rod tips either),
4) LOW vis anything is better for getting bit by crappie than high vis,
5) Hi vis is better in HIGH light, LOW light, and NO light situations to SEE bites,
6) Most of the monos, flouro's need to be changed often to stay worry free (memory, abrasion)
7) A spool of Braid will last a long time with no issues (other than line fading)
8) Flouros are more abrasion resistant than monos,
9) Line diameter is an issue with crappie; lower diameter produces more fish (2lb is too light)
10) A net is best with lighter line (I hate using nets)
11) Older versions of braid (super limp) are a pain to thread through a slip cork,
12) Line stretch is a big deal, mono (most), flouro (middle) braid (almost none) in deep water,
13) I have not mentioned everything, but I have some general comments to make!

Now that I have listed some of my musings, there are some things that I consider when deciding whether to use mono, flouro, or braid, as well as high vis or low vis. In the springtime or anytime the fish are biting aggressively, I use black braid, because I can catch fish while others are busy retying their other (better) line choices. If the fish are biting light or negative, my mono pole, with low vis (or tangerine), will be coming out of the rod box. Clear water is going to get mono or flouro depending on the structure, I am fishing. Crappie fishing is mostly a line watching game, if you can see the low vis stuff use it, if you cant, use high vis. You dont need high vis braid, due to the lack of stretch, if you will keep your finger on the line (by the reel) and use black colored line. IF fish are actively biting on the fall (especially mid fall) use high vis, it will result in more hook setting by you! My two favorite high vis lines are 1) Bonehead Tangerine (orange) in 8lb (approx 4lb diameter) and Cajun Red 6lb, only because I think they disappear better in the water(and I can see them ok, I know they get lots of bites relative to other offerings of high vis that I tested. At night, I use high vis yellow (even with my high vis yellow cork rigs!)

When I was busy testing lines, Josh went through four generations of both braid and mono. First generation was not very good IMO, last generation was fantastic. I still have two reels spooled with the last generation braid for about two years now (one black, one high vis yellow). The yellow has turned white and the black looks grey/black (from heavy use.) and I caught fish on it last night right before dark. I wish all the manufactures would make the tangerine high vis, I like it better than the yellow high vis, but at least there is the Cajun Red. Yes, I do use high vis yellow, but only when I HAVE to...it is my last choice.

When I was testing the lines, I used Crappie Maxx rods, Proangler rods, Ugly Stick light rods, and Bonehead rods. I found that the Boneheads spooled with low vis braid, mono, flouro were superior to the others with high vis, due to an enhanced ability to FEEL the Strike rather than SEE it; therefore more hookups. However, fishing shallow with boneheads and braid can be dangerous due to flying fish about head high if you are a hard hook setter (former bass or cat fisherman.). I quit using my ugly sticks about half way through the testing,as the other rods were much more sensitive. I also ended up buying eight Bonehead rods based on the performance of the rods during line testing. Balance of the rods, in order best to worst...Bonehead, Crappie maxx, Proangler, Ugly Stick Lite. Sensitivity of the rods in order best to worst...Bonehead, Crappie Maxx/Proangler (tie), Ugly Stick Lite. Most expensive rods, Most expensive to least expensive, Bonehead (100) Proangler/crappie Maxx (50), Ugly stick Lite (30).

I know this is more information than you asked for in the thread, just thought I would give you and others who may be wondering my perspective after extensive testing on the subject. I hope this information helps. Feel free to PM me if you have additional questions, as I am not trying to start a word war over this product or that product, just trying to lay the facts out as I discovered them and explain why I use the setups that I use.

I'm OCD so I use a cane pole with cat gut.

I WAS wondering what that stuff was you had spooled up! HEY, cat gut DOES have its usefulness!

Put on the high-vis, 20lb braided line last night and fished with it today at The Office, while hanging with FishBonz and his buddy (great guys).

Lining it on my fly reel was no fun and briefly had a rats nest, but once I got it right, it fished as light as my 6# Mr. Crappie high-vis monofilament and I was able to have more confidence in horsing out a few hogs earlier today. $20, so not the cheapest line, but doubt I'll need more anytime in the coming few years.

Was worth the investment...

I bought the 20#, high-vis PowerPro braided and the crappie didn't notice the difference. So I agree. Now I don't have to worry (at least on my custom jig pole SlabMeSilly made me about 10 years ago) about changing line in the coming years. I kept MrCrappie 6# high-vis monofilament on my ProAngler 5' rod.

I prefer the braided line using my plastics, while using the monofilament for my hair jigs. I didn't use hair jigs today, because my plastics were hot and kicking butt.

You sound like me all around, except the $130 part for 1500 yards of PowerPro braided line. I get why you would want to just buy it once though and not worry about buying anymore for years.

You're close to me (I'm on N Tarrant/Beach St). I just went to Academy by the railroad tracks off N. Tarrant Pkwy last night and they have #20 PowerPro, high vis line and and up (30#, 40#, and 50#). They had plenty in stock (at least last night). The 20# is about as thin, if not thinner than my MrCrappie 6# monofilament.