Braid for rivers

[Dick Dastardly]

Whiplash is a great example of this braid/low diameter lark.It has arguabley the worst reputation here on internet angling forums.Due purely in my opinion to its remarkabley low diameter and the subsequent problems this brings.Not used it myself but I wouldnt mind betting that if brought by diameter Whiplash's multitude of problems would dissapear.

[kleinboet]

Having bought the braid from jeepster, I decided to try it "just to get the feel of it". Fishing at Pimlico Farms specimen lake, I picked up a small submarine which took off like a rocket and snapped me off like cotton. I was using the 10lb braid as mainline with 10lb mono as hooklength. Guess where the line snapped? the mono didn't stand a chance! I don't care what anybody says, braid for me from now on!!

[argyll]

Hate to be the one to say this Kleinboet, but if something in a small stillwater snapped 10lb mono then it must have been ancient or damaged mono, dodgy knot, badly set clutch, slack line or something similar. Properly handled, 10lb mono or braid, should be able to eventually subdue anything that might be lurking in a small stillwater. Even small submarines. It wasnt that long ago that 12lb mono was standard for most pikers and carpers.

 

[ 23. September 2004, 03:52 PM: Message edited by: argyll ]

[kleinboet]

Sorry Argyll, The line was brand new and tested by me before I used it as I have lost fish through bad line before. Did not mention though that the specimen lake is VERY snaggy. I also cast into the reeds by accident, so I locked the reel and walked backward.......the mono broke!

I took a spring scale (not accurate, I know!) and tested the line - stopped at 18lb with the braid still not breaking!!

[Newt]

I love braid in weed/reeds. Cuts them nicely which mono does not tend to do. Even die-hard mono-using lure anglers will usually switch to braid if luring in weed.

[Peter Waller]

I think that braids have their uses, especially for pike and lures. But when it comes to fine line I'm beginning to realise that a good mono takes some beating.

[Dick Dastardly]

Same as me Peter.Despite usaing braid for every thing else I still stick to good old Maxima for fine float work.

[Andy Thatcher]

I see 20lb Power Pro has been mentioned and that is what I have been using for a few years. As Newt says it cuts through reeds and weed easily and has never given me a moments grief in any aspect.

 

Would I go back to mono for the rivers ? Haven't met anyone big enough to make me yet.

 

That said there is one species that I use mono for. Namely perch. Mono gives you the cushion you need to ensure the hook stays in place where as I have noticed losing fish when using braid.

[Dick Dastardly]

Thats interesting Andy.I have heard a few others say this as well.I have been using the braid I normally use for my feeder/barbel fishing namely 20lb Spiderwire and havnt had any problems.What rods/rigs do you use?

[argyll]

Budgie....lovely line Spiderwire. Have had some 10lb stuff for ultralite perch and chub fishing for about two years (the stuff in the red box)For a period I had some problems finding it outside BassPro so I got some 10lb PowerPro to put on a spare 'pin. Curious to see how well it would work. Seems to work fine. Hope to use it on grayling later this year.

 

Kleinbot.....if the braid as still solid at 18lb then it probably had a breaking strain of 20lb irregardless of what it said on the box and therefore it would be hardly fair to compare it to 10lb mono. Fact is as I remarked earlier in this thread, braid tends to have a much higher actual bs than the stated bs. I'm not putting braid down, I rarely use anything else, but mono has its uses. However if you put 10lb mono on the front end of 10lb braid and pull hard then either the knot or the mono will almost always go first. If only for the reason that I've just given.