Piking with braid?

[Scopex]

Surprised by some others views concerning the use of braid, I'm interested in others forum users use of braid when piking.

 

Since switching from mono, I use 50lb for deadbaits/lures and 80lb for jerkbaits.

 

I enjoy the benefits of using braid and personally feel that the extra b/s is a major benefit in that it enables me to return my catch sooner and in better condition. Also the threat of potential line snapping and the subsequent risk of the fish being tethered to some underwater obstacle or other are much reduced.

 

Can't fathom the criticism that it is somehow unsporting? I'll stick to safeguarding the welfare of my catch, whether it's sporting or not!

 

[ 18. October 2005, 05:52 PM: Message edited by: Scopex ]

[Dave Horton]

I've honestly not read of Braid being considered unsporting? Perhaps it's on this forum somewhere?

I almost always only use Braid now and apart from having to learn not to bully fish so much I swear by it!

 

[ 18. October 2005, 05:56 PM: Message edited by: Dave Horton ]

[B.P]

Spot on Scopex.

 

( Get them back alive )

 

Bill.

 

 

9

[slodger]

I had some reservations initially, and I Still think there is the odd situation where Mono is easier to use than braid, but I wouldn't go back from braid now.

 

As for not sporting? Well this aint the States, (No offence intended Newt. ) and if you want 'Sporting' Pike are, at most times of the year, the wrong species anyway IMHO. A decent barbel or carp knocks spots off em in the fighting department.

 

Personally, I can never understand this preoccupation that some anglers have with the 'fight'. Unless you deliberatly undergun your tackle, with modern gear it's a term that's all but defunct.

 

....Besides, the last thing I want is for a big old pike to put up a fight after all the trouble I've gone to in hooking it!!

 

[ 18. October 2005, 06:58 PM: Message edited by: slodger ]

[mark barrett]

personally i am no great fan of braid for pike, zander or perch. in fact for the latter two i would say its inferior to mono as its lack of stretch ends up with the fish throwing the hooks when they thrash their heads.

 

having said that, i do use braid in specialist circumstances, lure fishing, drifting etc.

 

however for the rest of the time i just dont see the need for it. 15lb soft steel with the rest of your gear balanced is nigh on impossible to break by a fish, and i prefer it.

[slodger]

I wouldn't use it for perch either. For a start I don't get on with it in finer diameters. Plus I do think, despite it's comparitively thinner diameter, it's a bit more visible than Mono.

 

As for Zeds 'Thrashing' their heads? Give over Mark! They're the 'Gemima Puddleduck' of fighting fish!

[argyll]

Why would anyone not use braid for perch? I've been using 20lb PowerPro for general perch/chub fishing amongst the snags and 10lb PowerPro and Spiderwire for open water ultralite perch/chub lure fishing for about four years and never had a problem. It may be however because I use rods suited to the task with a more forgiving action than more popular ultrafast action rods.

 

Whatever floats your boat, but with the exception of small stream trotting I use braid for everything and some of the more experienced grayling fishers on Anglersnet even use very low diameter braid for trotting.

 

Visibility is relative to where you fish. Whilst thames water visibility is usually very clear, the perch habitats amongst the weed beds along the walls and banks suit any kind of green/brown lines which blend in with the natural surroundings. For most times of the year when there is either weed growing or dying on any water, there is the same advantage for using braid for just about any species that swims. Not too dissimilar to the same reasons that some carp and barbel anglers swear by green/brown braided hook lengths.

 

Besides what we see and what a fish sees are two entirely different things. Even from a human perspective, the view of mono framed against the sky is far more obvious than framed against the bottom.

 

Ultimately its a 'confidence' thing but if I were forced to go back to mono I'd probably take up golf instead.

 

[ 18. October 2005, 07:25 PM: Message edited by: argyll ]

[mark barrett]

you know chris its a funny old thing zander fights. on some waters i would tottaly agree with you, the ouse being one of them.

but on the level or the channel they go as hard as pike. in fact was talking to one of my mates today and he was telling me of a real battle jhe had with one over the weekend. he thought he was into an upper double pike, turned out to be a 10.08 zed!

[mark barrett]

argyll:

Why would anyone not use braid for perch? I've been using 20lb PowerPro for general perch fishing and 10lb PowerPro and Spiderwire for clear water ultralite perch lure fishing for about four years and never had a problem. It may however because I use a cheap ultralite rod which has a more forgiving action than more modern tippy rods. Whatever floats your boat, but with the exception of small stream trotting I use braid for everything and some of the more experienced grayling fishers on Anglersnet even use very low diameter braid for grayling.

gerry you answered your own question. you are using it with a very soft rod (presumasbly very short too) and thats giving you the softening effect. that type of rod would be useless for float fishing livebaits or lobs, an avon rod being a better bet. with this type of rod theres less cushioning and its very typical for the hooks to be thrown out when the perch thrashes its head on the surface.

[Peter Waller]

Braid everytime. Not so much to land the fish, more to prevent the loss of tackle.

 

Yes, I do enjoy a bit of a scrap. Bringing a fish into the boat whilst it still has stacks of fight left in it can be an interesting experience.

 

Braid unsporting? I've heard that from a US perspective, but not a UK one. Give a fish a sporting chance to escape, naaaaa, land it! Retrieve your tackle and let it go.