Braid for rivers

[Dave Lumb]

I wouldn't go below 30lb Power Pro for barbel.

[Peter Waller]

Phewwwwww, even 50lb!

 

Tongue in cheek or serious Dave? If serious then why please.

 

[ 04. September 2004, 09:50 PM: Message edited by: Peter Waller ]

[jeepster]

using 30lb braid seems massive overkill, we're not talking piking here where you're chucking out big plugs etc, use a thin braid and get minimal resistance and lots of strength, if you;re fishing a

snaggy rocky swim doesnt matter if you use 10lb or 30lb, the rocks will get it sooner or later

[Peter M]

Jeepster

Do you recommend braid as hook link for barbel fishing or do you stick to mono? also how long should the hook link be when going for barbel in fast water?

[jeepster]

if i'm using mono i use a braid (kryston merlin or a fox one i cant remember the name of) hooklength, usually a pretty short one. if i'm using a braid mainline i sometimes use braid hooklength, but i'm sceptical about hook pulls with the lack of stretch, but people i know fish regularly with braid straight through (using an avon rod) and have no problems. i usually use a mono hooklength with braid, often just a length of my mainline pinched off a spare spool.

 

as to how long in fast water, as i said earlier i usually keep them pretty short

[Dave Lumb]

Serious Peter.

 

The simple answer is this:

If you are curently using 10lb mono you DO NOT replace it with ten pound braid, you DO replace it with a braid of a similar thickness. This is what people fail to understand. You should always choose line by diameter - no matter what you are using it for. The advantage of braid is NOT it's reduced diameter it is it's increased strength. 100lb for jerkbaits is used because it is around the same thickness as the 25lb mono we started out using.

 

Whatever I fish for my aim is to use the strongest tackle I can get away with consistant with getting takes.

 

30lb braid is easier to handle on a reel than 10lb - less prone to wind knots, tangles etc. Less susceptible to bad knots. Might not give you much of an edge in abrasion resistancce, but any line that is thicker than another is inherently more abrasion resistant.

 

I'd happily use 50lb (or 100lb) for barbel. It's not overkill at all. Once you have a line that you can't snap on a fish (ten pound mono or thirty pound braid, it makes no difference) it is the rod that determines overkill or not.

 

30lb braid does get more rigs back than 10lb mono - maybe not many, but some.

 

Of course, Peter, I was aware that floppy hatted, purist, barbellers might be upset....

 

They might not like my wire hook lengths either! Now, was that tongue in cheek or not?

 

I'll let you know when I have tried them!

[Peter Waller]

Thanks Dave, might try this barbelling lark someday, be able to use my pike gear !

[jeepster]

i'm perfectly aware of the reasons for using heavy gauge braid dave, i use 100, 65 and 50lb powerpro for my piking, but the reasons for using braid for barbel to my mind are slightly different, being able to use a line of similar strength but massively lower diameter is crucial sometimes, and if you're going to get cut off then as i said before, it will happen with 30lb or 10lb, i know i've been there.

[Dave Lumb]

i'm perfectly aware of the reasons for using heavy gauge braid dave,

 

I wasn't talking to you, I was answering Peter's question!!

 

but the reasons for using braid for barbel to my mind are slightly different, being able to use a line of similar strength but massively lower diameter is crucial sometimes,

 

Please explain? What advantage does 10lb PP offer over 30lb?

 

and if you're going to get cut off then as i said before, it will happen with 30lb or 10lb, i know i've been there.

 

I never said otherwise (most braids are not abrasion resistant) - but 30lb has the edge on pulling out of snags.

[Newt]

Dave Lumb:

Please explain? What advantage does 10lb PP offer over 30lb?

Smaller diameter, lighter line.

 

In this context I have no idea if it would make a difference or not but I use 10lb for all my U/L lure work since it is great on 1/32 oz to 1/8 oz lures where 30lb is about like tying them to hawser.