Just curious as how many, if any, people use braid solely? No flouro leaders, just straight braid to lure? I know Falcon, Choke Canyon you go braid exclusive, but with stained waters around DFW, I am contemplating braid only

I only use a flouro leader on a drop shot. The only reason is that the small diameter braid kept wrapping around the hook. The flouro makes the hook stand out better.

Everything else is braid to the lure.

Nope....

Only in really thick brush or thick grass where I feel that the line gets disguised by the cover I'm fishing it in.

That's coming from a guy who uses braid exclusively on all my setups 90% of the time, but I use a leader.

It may be more of a mental thing with me, but I feel as if I do not get the bites if using straight braid when the water is not stained. But love the fact that I do not have to babysit the knot with braid. When it is windy and the line is wet it can be a pain though wrapping around your rod and such!

I have a few rods set up with straight power pro no leaders, and a few with leaders. Always use a floracarbon leader, but i have fished quite a bit without one, including when i was kayak fishing for smallies on the guadalupe and broke my leader off on some rocks and had no extra line for leader. That water was crystal clear and i was sight casting to huge smallies, and they never had a problem taking it with 30lb power pro tied straight to a worm hook weightless.

I've been using straight braid since about 1995 or 1996. I don't seem to have a problem getting bites. I honestly believe the "fish can see braid" idea is a mental thing and a matter of confidence.

Besides, how often do we actually fish gin clear water in East Texas?

The best part? In all those years I have only had one fish break my line, and that one was probably a 10+ that sawed me off on a dock post after about a 60 second fight.

I see...I'm just starting to hit the DFW and East Texas lakes and while I lived in Killeen and fished Stillhouse/Belton, braid only didnt hunt...So, I assume you crank deep with braid and no issues?

I use braid only on shallow cranks around heavy cover and flipping/pitching heavy cover.

That crankbait will get deeper with straight braid. Try fishing deep cranks with 20lb Sufix. I think you'll like it.

I know you loose bites with braid. But I always have at least 2-3 with it on, and sometimes more when conditions demand it.

i know a older guy that only uses braid and he puts the whoop on me all the time lol

I promise you that fish can see it and it will make them not bite. I was on Lake El Salto a couple years ago and I thought i would try straight braid on a c-rig just to see how it worked. It was so bad that I didnt get a bite for 3 hours while my dad was catching them left and right. I switched to a flouro leader and immediately started catching them better than everybody else. Braid is ok to use all the way to the hook if the fish arent scared of it where you are. There are definitely times where it pays to see if they are scared of the braid. Like in the bushes on Falcon in January.

For me it is more about the type of bait I am using.

Reaction lures such as Spinnerbaits, Crankbaits, buzzbaits, etc all get Braid only.

Slower Presentations, such as tx rig, Drop shot, etc, where the fish has a chance to really scrutinize the bait before committing, I want every advantage.. thus, Flouro leader or straight flouro.

I clear water, I will default to Flouro leaders, in stained water or heavy cover, Braid.

So how heavy do you go on your braid? Or better yet I assume you are going down to 20lb on the cranks?