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Guest
·I thought I would share this as there seems to be some misconceptions about braided line. So here are my experiences with braided line and what I consider it's best and worst applications.
Braided line is excellent for certain things and I use it quit frequently. I use a variety of brands such as Power Pro, Spider Wire Fireline and Tuff Line and even Stren Super Braid. Basically they are all the same except the least favorite for me is Fireline. I don't like the flat shape nor all the wax coating or whatever it is they put on it. It is too stiff for me.
Let me say that if you fish around rocks or barnacles, oyster beds, clams, mussells or metal fences or wrecks then using braid is a disaster waiting to happen. Also, if your lake has toothy fish like Musky, Northern Pike, or Gar or even Pickerel using braid is a disaster waiting to happen.
Braid by it's very nature is by far the worst abbrasion resistant line there is when it comes to sharp objects. Don't believe me? I callenge you to take a sharp knife and rub it over any tight braid in any strength 30lb, 50lb or even 65lb and just see how easy it is to cut this line. Now do the same thing to mono. Try 20lb mono or even 17lb. It is harder to cut then all of those braids.
I have learned this the hard way as I used to fish for Redfish in Texas in the coast. Redfish love to hang around oyster beds and I would get a big Redfish on and immediately I would loose it reel in my line and it was cut. Time after time I would lose Redfish. Since I was told this line had supperior abbrasion resistance I kept using it believing that was just how it was until my brother came with me using 20lb mono he caught every Redfish that bit his line yet I lost almost all of mine.
Later on when I lived in Colorado and was learning how to fish for Smallies. I would fish around rocky bluffs and boulders underwater. Since I like braid I tried that several times with texas rigging twin tail grubs. I would get bit and set the hook only to have my line cut on the rocks time after time. Ok I am a slow learner
However, flipping into timber or into heavy grass cover I will NEVER throw anything else but braid. Braid will kick mono's, Flouro's or Coploymers butt in these 2 examples. Wood is no match for braid and neither is grass of any kind. I consider this the best time to use Braid period.
So keep this in mind when you plan on fishing with braid around sharp hard objects. Better to use a leader with mono or Flouro then straight braid. Here is a trick though that I have successfully tried. I fish in lakes that are filled with Pickerels which have sharp teeth and I have lost many a lure to these bastages of fish
Braid stands no chance against their teeth. Since I use braid with my lipless cranks so I can rip the bait out of grass I sacrifice a lure here and there to these toothies. Well, not anymore. I discovered that if I will take super glue and add it to the line about 2 inches up from the knot all the way to the knot that it provides a great hard barrier that the toothy fish can't cut through. I don't recommend doing it much higher as it will make the line stiff. But I haven't noticed a change in how it makes the lure work either so for now this is helping me keep my baits when a Pickerel bites it.
Peace.
Braided line is excellent for certain things and I use it quit frequently. I use a variety of brands such as Power Pro, Spider Wire Fireline and Tuff Line and even Stren Super Braid. Basically they are all the same except the least favorite for me is Fireline. I don't like the flat shape nor all the wax coating or whatever it is they put on it. It is too stiff for me.
Let me say that if you fish around rocks or barnacles, oyster beds, clams, mussells or metal fences or wrecks then using braid is a disaster waiting to happen. Also, if your lake has toothy fish like Musky, Northern Pike, or Gar or even Pickerel using braid is a disaster waiting to happen.
Braid by it's very nature is by far the worst abbrasion resistant line there is when it comes to sharp objects. Don't believe me? I callenge you to take a sharp knife and rub it over any tight braid in any strength 30lb, 50lb or even 65lb and just see how easy it is to cut this line. Now do the same thing to mono. Try 20lb mono or even 17lb. It is harder to cut then all of those braids.
I have learned this the hard way as I used to fish for Redfish in Texas in the coast. Redfish love to hang around oyster beds and I would get a big Redfish on and immediately I would loose it reel in my line and it was cut. Time after time I would lose Redfish. Since I was told this line had supperior abbrasion resistance I kept using it believing that was just how it was until my brother came with me using 20lb mono he caught every Redfish that bit his line yet I lost almost all of mine.
Later on when I lived in Colorado and was learning how to fish for Smallies. I would fish around rocky bluffs and boulders underwater. Since I like braid I tried that several times with texas rigging twin tail grubs. I would get bit and set the hook only to have my line cut on the rocks time after time. Ok I am a slow learner
However, flipping into timber or into heavy grass cover I will NEVER throw anything else but braid. Braid will kick mono's, Flouro's or Coploymers butt in these 2 examples. Wood is no match for braid and neither is grass of any kind. I consider this the best time to use Braid period.
So keep this in mind when you plan on fishing with braid around sharp hard objects. Better to use a leader with mono or Flouro then straight braid. Here is a trick though that I have successfully tried. I fish in lakes that are filled with Pickerels which have sharp teeth and I have lost many a lure to these bastages of fish
Peace.