braided mainline on baitcasters

[SPSwallow]

OK, sounds like there are a few options.

 

One thing I am finding difficult to understand is that everyone uses so much higher BS line in braid, instead of taking advantage of thinness. If I am wanting to replace 0.36mm 14lb mono, I could see that 0.26mm 20lb braid would be a win/win move.

 

However going to same diameter, 30lb or more, what is the point of that? You need to use a mono leader anyway, and whether your main line is 14lb or 400lb, you're not going to go much bigger than 14lb on your leader are ya?

 

So it's extra wind drag and visibility for the sake of ludicrously strong line you will never need...

 

Mono leader?

[Rich_]

Been using Power Pro for a few years now with no problems for heavier lure fishing. & I have some of that Shakespeare Bionic stuff in 35lb test on my light rod & that has been OK too.

[Arf]

Mono leader?

 

 

I'd put a mono leader in betwixt the end of my braid and my lure, so that if anything snaps is the lure end, and also so that the flailing lurefish doesn't seem to be pushing a long straight white thing with its nose, to any fishy observers...

 

Or is that not standard practice at all?

[SPSwallow]

I'd put a mono leader in betwixt the end of my braid and my lure, so that if anything snaps is the lure end, and also so that the flailing lurefish doesn't seem to be pushing a long straight white thing with its nose, to any fishy observers...

 

Or is that not standard practice at all?

 

I was just suprised as I am new to piking myself. I assumed you would use a wire trace. I guess that might interfere with the action of the lure though. Surely there must be a risk of the mono being bitten through, just as there is in dead/live baiting?

[Andy_1984]

mono leader bteween braid and lure so it can snap off.

 

what kind of nonsense is that ?

Edited February 26, 2009 by Andy_1984

[Andy Macfarlane]

No we go by diameter, so say you were using 14lb mono, you'd replace that with a braid with a similar diameter, like 50lb Power Pro. In doing so you don't exceed the reel's capacity but then you gain by doing away with mono leaders, you better control lures, you get snagged lures back with a steady pull by straightening the hooks, you feel every knock and there's no stretch anywhere along the length of your line, regardless of how far or deep you're fishing at the time. Basically you're deliberately overgunning things to your advantage, with no loss in takes or hook-ups.

 

....Anders Van Dr Poach....

[Ducktape Corkfeet]

50lb Power Pro is about the same thickness as 15lb mono. Braid is less abrasion resistant than monos, and that's one reason for the higher breaking strains, the other main reason being that you'll get your lures back every time. There is absolutely no need to use any kind of mono leader with braid when lure fishing, with exception of maybe perch, chub or zander fishing. Just always use a wire trace if there are pike in the water. Braid has almost no stretch, which keeps you in contact with the lure, so why put more stretch into it, and effectively handicap yourself?

[Andy Macfarlane]

Yes, when pike fishing there would be a wire trace but that would have similar advantages to the braid without being bitten off.

[Arf]

I was just suprised as I am new to piking myself. I assumed you would use a wire trace. I guess that might interfere with the action of the lure though. Surely there must be a risk of the mono being bitten through, just as there is in dead/live baiting?

 

Ah yes there would be a wire trace if I was piking.

 

Excuse me, sometimes I still think with my largemouth bass hat on - I'm new to places where there be pike.

 

When I talk about replacing mono with braid on my baitcaster, it must be taken into account that said baitcaster will normally be used to toss lures, but will also end up being used as a second rod with carp terminal tackle at some point, as well as a variety of other applications (I am inexplicably drawn to sacrilegious practices).

[Dick Dastardly]

Arf please excuse the cut and paste but Im rushing about getting my Zedding gear ready for the weekend! This might help you get your head around he braid thing its from an article I did a few yers back on the subject-

 

Right guys braided main lines.

 

Braided mainlines are relatively new to UK angling only really been over here for ten years or so.Been used in the US for quite a lot longer.They are similar to the braided hook length matirials used by carp specialists in that (as the name implies) made by braiding together many ultra fine filiments.One of the most common matiriels used is gel-spun polyethylene or Spectra as its some times called.

 

There are two main types of braid- fused and unfused.The unfused is made by braiding the fillaments together and the fused has unbraided filiments covered in a plastic coating and "fused" together.

 

Braided line comes in a variety of profiles ranging from round through to flat.The tightness of the braiding causes this to a degree and this affects its softness/stiffness,obviously the tighter the braiding the rounder and stiffer the end result.

 

Braids come in a variety of colours from subtle green,brown and greys to bright fluro colours such as yellow,orange and fluro green! Obviously the choice of having an invisible or highly visible line will depend on its use.One thing about colours is that the matiriels used to make these new super lines doesnt take dye very well and after a lot of use they all fade to an "off white" colour.

 

The first thing that you will notice with braid is its remarkabley low diameter for its strength compared to traditional mono.The exact diameter /strength ratios obviously vary from make to make but here are some examples-Spiderwire is 3 to 5 times thinner than an average monofilament of comparable tensile strength! In practical terms this means that Spiderwire in 10lb BS will have a similar diameter to 2lb BS mono,20lb the same as 6lb,50lb the same as 10lb and 80lb the same as 15lb! Impressive but it can and does bring its own problems.

 

Abrassion resistance or rather lack of it is the down side of using an ultra thin line.Its not the material its self merely the fact that it is such low diameter.Initialy anglers would buy the same breaking strain braid as they would mono.They would be say pike fishing with 15lb braid but in effect using a line of around the same diameter as 4lb mono! no wonder they had problems with it wearing through! Most people soon realised that the best way to select braid size was by diameter not breaking strain.Hence forth why a lot of pikers use 80lb braid and a good size braid for feeder fishing is 20lb.

 

So if we are not taking advantage of its ultra low diameter then why use it? Another of braids advantages is that it has virtually no stretch unlike mono.For setting the hooks at range or in to tough mouthed species like pike this is a great advantage.Bite detection when quiver tipping is out of this world,you would not believe the difference!

Another advantage is that some (most) braids float.In situations like floater fishing for carp or drift float fishing for pike this is a God send.The age old chore of greasing up your line to keep it afloat gone.I have never found its floating properties to be a problem when ledgering or feeder fishing but for those who want a sinking braid these are now available.

 

Braid isnt cheap.In this country expect to pay around £30 to £40 for 300yrds from most tackle shops! As with most things shop around and you can get a much better price.Although the initial outlay is high braid isnt as supseptable to UV light damage as mono is and will last many years.For example I have braids on some of my piking reels that are used every winter 2-3 days a week that are nearly 10 years old!! with mono I would have been changing that each year.So unless you are very unlucky and get a knot /tangle half way along it it works out cheaper in the long run.

I personally dont fill a spool up with braid unless its essential.For example my drifting reel has 250m on it but my normal piking reels only have 75m on them.I just simpley back them out with mono.If it starts to become a bit worn on the end after a season or two dont cut off several yards as often reccomended just take it of and reverse it!

 

There is a lot of rubbish spoken about braid and as with most things this is by people who have never used it! A common one is that you need special rings as it will cut through normal ones! Rubbish! My cat rods have standard FUGI BNHG rings and they have been used with braid for all my "work" fishing.These rods have seen more use in one year than most will see in a life time and despite landing literally hundreds of treble figure fish they dont have a mark on them.MMMy feeder rod is a cheap LEEDA Generation rod this has normal rings on and haas caught a lot of carp in both this country ,France and Spain for bait and the rings are also ok.A lot of this comes from the grating noise that wet braid makes when being wound in.

"Braid cuts/damages fish" the main line should never come in contact with the fishs body or mouth.Most definately shouldnt be used as a hook link.Just a case of using common sense really.One problem is that high strength braids coupled with todays trend for 3lbTC carp rods can be used by idiots to "haul" big carp in.Obviously all this force is aplied to the fish via the hook and Ive seen some horrendous damage caused by the hook ripping through the flesh.Once again common sense must be shown.

 

Well a bit brief as its a massive subject but I hope that gives you some insight into braid.Summing up I have found it to be a great bit of tackle and now only use mono for light float work (and most hook lengths) Need to learn to use it but well worthwhile taking the time to do so.Anything else as usual please just ask.

 

 

 

 

Just to up date that a bit.I now use braid for trotting as well.But I have gone back to mono for some jobs.These are mainly situations where I want the stretch that mono has like when using ultra light mono hook lengths for big fish,Zander fishing where the fights all under the rod and braids a bit harsh.

 

When lure fishing I used to use a short length of mono (around 8') between my braid and the wire trace but have long dispensed with it for all species.Braid direct to trace now and it doesnt put them off.