Is anyone using braid on their main line with a Carolina Rig? I am having a bad time breaking off on the hook set lately. I haven't been setting the hook hard, a good swift sweeping action.

yes, use it all the time. just a steady swing, no need in swinging hard, too many breaks and straighens out hooks. Would also recommend you using flouro leader instead of regualr flouro line, even use mono. My drag slips at peak of hook set anyway.

Yes, I do, actually we use braid on the main line and leader at Falcon with good results.

Having your drag set correctly is definitely important when you do use braid for a c-rig. I like it to slip just a little like SkeeterDon said to ensure a good hookset while keeping your line from breaking. Make sure you're setting your drag according to your leader, not the braid.

? How would you exactly set the drag on a c-rig ??
Cornfused

I have been doing that for several years. You can feel everything down there with the braid. I use Izor line braid 50# test main line and a 15# test leader.
I use a Kistler 7-6 Helium with a fast tip and it works well.

Thanks for the info and checking to see who else is doing this before I gave it a try. Nothing like losing fish to make you upscale. I figured it was possible the way its fished that knicked the line infront of the weight dragging through stuff.

Drag is supposed to be set just below the breaking point of the line which would be your leader.
By the book you would find out what the breaking # of the line is and then tie it off to a scale and then adjust the drag till you are almost at the breaking point of the line on the scale.
I just loosen the drag till I can rotate the handle without it being too difficult to turn. You may have to readjust it later if the fish it pulling out too much drag and you have no control because that was a little too loose. That may not be the right way but it has worked for me for years now.
Make sure you use good knots and make sure you are not using glass beads if you are using a tungsten weight.

What rod are you using?

I also use braid for my main line c-rigging. 30lb sufix performance braid and 20 lb seaguar abras-x fluoro. and an owner 4/0 or 5/0 hook depending on the plastic.

I check my drag on every rod at least a few times a day so I can just pull the braid and tell now. But, to really test it you can start out with putting your hook around (don't mess up your hook point) a boat cleat, the dock, a tree.. or whatever with the drag on your reel loose and slowly tighten the drag until your comfortably getting some slip on a normal or harder than normal hook set without breaking your line.

I know this is a fly fishing video but there are some good overall points about that basic concept as you are testing all of your knots, leaders, etc all at once:



The boat cleat method is also one of the best ways to get the best balance with your drag between being too loose or too tight on a spinning set up.

Never don't! I always have braid on my main line for C-Rigg and I actually hate braid...but the benefits are too big not to use it for this type of fishing. Zero streatch means great sensitivity. Zero streatch means better hooksets. Not so important when dragging a C-Rigg in 6' of water 20' from the boat but these benefits are magnified when making long casts off a point in 30' of water. Long-sweeping hooksets to take up the slack. I think O'Brien is reminding you above to set your drag for the mono/fluro leader and not the braided mainline. In other words set your drag to the weakest link. I dont believe the high visibility of the braid is a negitive in this type of fishing with the clear leader. Also a big benefit to the set up is when fishing thick deep stuff like we were at Falcon the other day when you do break off you usually only loose your leader and hook(weakest link again). I hate having to rety the whole set-up out on the water.

Have always used braid on my C-rig main line and never had it break. Only times I have broken the line was at flouro leader. This was usually because I was careless tying a knot.

yes yes and yes, 20 lb leader, 65 lb braid mainline. only way to travel with it as you usually just bend off the hook instead of breaking off.

yes sir, anything a can chunk a mile. c-rig, spook, frogs, buzzbait. On my flipping I use braid with a floro double uni knot, spinning reel, 14lb briad with 17lb floro with double uni knot. there are many ways to use braid.

I personally am not a fan, at least on Fork. I will out fish a person using it 3-1+ because of the sound it makes conning thru brushpiles or standing timber. These high pressured fish seem to know that sound and stay away opposed to floro main line..

The only time I throw braid is frogging or (w long floro leader, for it's lack of loops) in openwater