Why Braid on a Crappie pole

I've noticed throughout several posts where people say that they use braided line on their crappie poles. I'm curious what the reasoning behind using the braid is.

No stretch, sensitivity, no twist on spinning gear, very low diameter for lb. test,

Ever one should give a braid a try, I don't like it myself. One of a lot of reason's is the low diameter you will break more rod tips and put more wear on the rod. also hang a bigger bass, are catfish while crappie fishing you can get a bad line cut out of it. So many people do like it must be ok.

I mostly use braid when fishing deep water like bridge pilings. The main advantage is braid is very sensitive and you can feel every peck. Those same bites will be easily missed with mono. I never use it during the spring because the water I am fishing is shallow and I see no need for it.

Reggie

I have it on all my rods except for my slip cork rig. I even shoot docks with it.
Don't forget to use a flouro leader. Some say you don't need a leader, but I wouldn't tie a jig on without it!
The "WHY" is listed above - but it's mostly the sensitivity for me

No stretch, sensitivity, strength, and how it lays on a spinning reel.

Gman

what about using it on a baitcaster?

Tried it.......didn't like it. Use nothing but Stren Clear Blue now. It disappears under the water and is very visible on top of the water.

I typically fish a single or double jig set up. Occasionally a minnow. What would be a good lb test to use for me to try out braid?

This^

The leader is also better to use so you can re-tie quickly without having to use scissors. You can usually just pull a jighead straight out of the brush if you get hung up and won't lose as many as you do with breaking off on mono. I use braid on all of my rods except for my dock shooter and slip cork rod.

For years, I was a mono guy...then gave braid a try about 8 years ago, now all 20 reels have braid on them. Just buy you a small spool and try it for 4-5 trips. There really is a big difference over mono, but it's not for everyone.

Braid is also pretty good on lakes with heavy zebra muscle population

Dang jerky you finally crawl out from under that rock?12 rods that means your still cheatin and drowning menners.Glad to see your ALIVE.Ha Darrell

Ok I'm game to give this a try. So what line pound test should be used for the braided line for crappie fishing, and what pound test should be used for the 18 -36" ???? flouro leader. Would appreciate some input, like a lot of this forum, I'll be back on the water Friday am. I will provide a report as soon as possible to my impressions on braided line and flouro leaders. You guys, know way more about this than I do......would really appreciate your inputs....

look at the pound test vs line dia. I have 12 lb test braid that if I recall is 4 lb dia. equivalent so 4 lb dia. but with 12/14 lb test of strength

Why Braid on a Crappie pole? Personal preference mostly. Tried braid for a year. Got really tired of line wrapping around the rod tip and almost as tired of tying on leaders. And braid doesn't slide thru the guides as easily as mono making light jigs harder to fish. I'd guess 75+% of my crappie fishing is 14 ft or less and that little extra sensitivity is not all that important when fishing 14 ft or less. When I'm fishing 25+ ft where the sensitivity is nice to have, I'm usually spider riggin and don't have the rod in my hand anyway. So I went back to mono about 12 yrs ago and I'm doing just fine with it.

You need bigger diameter braid than you think to eliminate line twists. I use 20 pound Power Pro with 12 pound Seaguar Fluro as a leader. You have to find the right ratio for good leader knots. This is my setup and I hardly ever break off at the leader knot. It's super strong.

Everyone should try it for a few trips before deciding against it. Sure it has some problems but so does mono. I use it on everything except dock shooters and slip corks.
You can shoot docks with it but it won't slide down dock posts quite as easily as mono.

I use 12# or 15# braid (Really doesn't matter, 20# would work) with 10# fluorocarbon leader. I have trouble tieing on leader to braid in the boat so I use a very small
swivel (#12 or #14) between them.

One may not be better than the other but I believe I catch more fish with braid and as long as I believe it then that's what counts.

Confidence is everything. I fully expect to catch a fish everytime I drop a jig in the water.

Well said Mr. Paty

I also shoot docks with it, but your right about it not sliding down the posts. But I don't shoot docks often here on Fork, but will keep a spare spool with High Viz mono to use from now on.

Great discussion.
My preferred method of getting the jig un-hung: take a 3/4 oz pinch on sinker and close the ears so the sinker slides down the line to the jig. Works 90% of the time getting the jig lose. With that leader knot, the sinker doesn't work.

Little man and I spooled some orange bonehead braid he got from Mr Skinner on his pole last night. Might test it out tomorrow on Palestine. I've never used it much or tried a leader with it so will probably go the small swivel route and stick some 10lb vicious Florocarbon on there and give it a shot. My timber and deep brushpile rods all have 10lb Florocarbon on them and my bridge and dock rods have 6lb Steen clear blue. I probably need to get some sinkers to try and get jigs back. Right now I just break most of em off. But somebody has gotta keep those jig makers in business!!

So is that Bonehead braid sorta stiff???
Currently I use Berkley Fireline, it's stiffer than most other braids & don't tangle on the tip of my rods...
Braid is the way to go in my book....
However that Fireline is getting harder & harder to find.....

I used the FireLine for years for that very reason. I now use The PowerPro slick. Its a little stiffer than most braids and reduces tip tangles, and goes throught the guides easier. Seguar Red Label is my go to floro leader.

Gman

That's why you use a spark plug! Works 90% of the time with the leader.

I use Berkley fire line fused braid some have been on my reel more than yr.The coating is better than all other braids.I really can't believe y'all think a crappie will shy from braid and have to Ty on a leader.if you believe that then why don't you paint the line pink red or orange like ya think the jig heads have to be .Come on there a dumb a-- fish that can only see 5 colors past 10ft .Dang ya just try to make fishin tough.Darrell

Yeah I'm around here every now and then, just not posting as much

I use 20-pound line that has a 6-pound diameter. I don't use a leader...just straight braid to the jig...but I am sure a leader would work just fine too.

I'm using 20# Sufix 832 and 8 or 10# fluoro joined with an Alberto Knot.

Here's a link to the knot:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J56O3CZVu7M

I like that knot.

Interesting knot. I'll have to try it especially since its Knot normal.

Just to add to what I already posted....

The 1st braid I used crappie fishing was 14# Fireline. I used it for about 3 years with no complaints but then my tackle 'ho syndrome popped up and I had to try something new. I tried Power Pro Super Slick and the 832, both in 10#, and hated them due to handling issues with my biggest gripe being the dreaded tip wrap. Went back to Fireline until I read something that made me believe that a step up in diameter might make the handling issues better. I bought a spool of 20# 832 and never looked back. The difference in handling was night and day and as an added bonus it seems to hold it's color better than a lot of the other braids.

The Alberto knot I found after I got frustrated with break offs at the leader knot using the double uni. Learned to tie the Alberto and in probably 4 years I've broke maybe 2 or 3 line to leader knots. It looks a bit complicated at first but if you'll learn it before you get on the water it's not hard to tie at all.

Last thing on braid is I use it for a couple of years and then reverse it on the reel and get a couple more out of the same line. Since 90% of my fishing is vertical jigging I use quite a bit of mono backing and only have about 50 yards of braid on a reel and only the first 25-30' of that get used most of the time. That makes the higher cost of braid a lot cheaper over time.

DW bring your braid up here where the fish are BIG and Smart. I always heard the fish on Stone were Stoned and dumb. Meet me at the ramp and let's go fishing, I'll buy the gas and the minnas, my boat

I will come fish any day you want .But your not buyin the gas and dang sure ain't gonna be no menners or I will just stay home.Pick day Tommie is there so we can follow him around ha Darrell