braided line: what say you?

[DB731]

Haha yep. Not the casting bottle

Usually use the hydroflask, but the coke bottles are great too. Always used mono with those.

If you haven't tried it already, I would recommend trying one of these things. It's called a Cuban Yo-Yo reel. I have fished with handlines as a kid, but this device is vastly superior to the devices I have used before. By superior I mean that I am now able to cast lures to some insane distances with it, longer than with spinning rod and reel for the same lure weight. It does require a bit of patience and persistence initially, for your brain and limbs to coordinate. It's like the line is coming off a giant spinning reel. On Plumberroy's kind advice, I found a nice selection of these things on ebay, for about 5 bucks shipped from Florida. There are several sellers. It would appear they come in 6" and 9" diameters. I am guessing the larger one is more suitable for heavier line and saltwater species, but it's all personal preference. Solid plastic multiple colors, some quite vivid.

As far as using braid for this, well, it would have to be pretty thick braid for me to consider trying it. I currently use 0.41 mm mono, no problem. I just spooled up another reel with 0.37 mm mono.

Couple tips, observations: when casting, I follow through with the left hand (the one holding the reel) kinda like bowling, "aiming" the face of the reel at the target zone. Initially I used some latex gloves for the casting hand, but they are more of a pain in the ass as you lose some of the feel. That leads me to another tip/observation: to avoid cutting your hands, when reeling in, I use my palm to distribute the line over thicker skin, and over different areas of the hand. For me, what works is that motion not unlike hitting the speed bag in boxing.

Oh, and these things are supremely addicting, not to mention it feels grrrrreat to be doing it differently than the guys on TV with their sponsors plastered all over their clothing.

Have fun. I started couple weeks ago and caught a pike on a spoon with it in Minnesota.

PS for Ebbtide, if Mitchell 300 is like blackpowder, this little thing is something the Cro-magnon would use...

 

[Ebbtide]

Like a rock

As a kid I caught plenty of fish with mono on a beer or pop can...
That's the beauty of fishing.
You can make it as simple or complicated as you like

 

[MaximIsayev]

Braided line is pretty great, I've tried Power Pro, Suffix and a few others, keep coming back to Power Pro. I've used the Power Pro 30lbs the other night for salmon, it held up like a champ. I still use a fluorocarbon leader for smaller stuff like perch and bass, but I don't think I can go back to mono now after using braid for a few years.

 

[d762nato]

Yep power pro is some good line as I've used the 100lb stuff which is 20lb diameter. I use it mainly on the Mississippi and Missouri river systems here in my state of Mo. I have had it broken once and bent an 8/0 circle hook out another time. Yes I know I shouldn't try hogging a catfish over a 100lbs I guess.

 

[needler420]

Yep power pro is some good line as I've used the 100lb stuff which is 20lb diameter. I use it mainly on the Mississippi and Missouri river systems here in my state of Mo. I have had it broken once and bent an 8/0 circle hook out another time. Yes I know I shouldn't try hogging a catfish over a 100lbs I guess.

If you're using 100 pound test to catch a 100 pound fish that shouldn't be a problem if you play the fish right to tire him out and have a quality reel and rod meant for that which probably isn't a medium action bass rod.

Recently on my fishing trips I see a lot of people not know how to play their drag. Soon as something big hits and they set hook they reel in as fast as they can with a tight drag. Fish ends up having all its energy and half the time thrashes its way off the hook or snaps the line.

Certain species like gar I won't even set a loose drag ill just leave the bail open and let fish go with open bail for like 5 minutes taking yards of line out. It really depends on species and what you plan on doing with it. When I'm with a friend of mine I don't mind if my bass swallow the hook as long as their legal size my friend will eat them. If its too small and swallows the hook then its gar or alligator or bird food.

 

[Sosa]

On big fish with a tough mouth you can horse them in with a quality reel with a heavy drag like 30#s or so. Especially necessary when fishing near pilings and such. Break the fish spirit and let them run with that tight drag.

 

[DB731]

What is it about braid that (for the same diameter) makes it more likely to cut your hands? Micro serrations effect or something else?

Also, for the same diameter and same equipment used, should typical braid result in longer casts than typical mono?

 

[sykes3170]

What is it about braid that (for the same diameter) makes it more likely to cut your hands? Micro serrations effect or something else?

Also, for the same diameter and same equipment used, should typical braid result in longer casts than typical mono?

I think it is the smaller diameter and the braid. Even fireline, which is not a braid, will cut the heck out of you, so I would say the small diameter and strength are more likely the cause.

And yes it does cast further because it has no memory. It can be a nightmare to use on a baitcaster because it will backlash like a mutha.

 

[Ebbtide]

The weave in the braid works like little serrations on a knife.
Add to that the lack of stretch and it gets pretty ouchie in a hurry

 

[DB731]

The weave in the braid works like little serrations on a knife.
Add to that the lack of stretch and it gets pretty ouchie in a hurry

...or "sonofa%@$$#%bastard! dammit mo$@#!#~uck! shi$!$!@$!"

(I would fit in perfectly on a pier in Jersey)

btw, I must have run into an antique: found two 100 yard spools (never used) of True Value Action Line 15 lb braided nylon casting line. They look kinda thick by today's standards. Anywho, could not break the line with my bare hands, so it must be in reasonable shape still. 2 bucks for both of them, worth playing around with. If nothing else, I can use them as cord for tying bucktails..nice cool black color.

 

[jdm61]

A lot of big game guys use HEAVY braid with a topshot of whatever test mono they want to use and a HEAVY fluorocarbon leader that can be as much as 100 yards long or more long. The reasoning is that the mono has some stretch and the braid ones not. some also put a light bit of mono at the end of the spool so that if you get spooled say by a big bluefin tuna or marlin, you aren't holding on to a rod with line that has 200 pound breaking strength when the line runs out. Other guys will just splice the braid to the leader or loop it trough the double twist of braid or mono so it is a wind on setup. If you get a compliant leader through the tip, it is a "legal" release under IGFA/tournament rules. No grabbing of the leader required.

 

[Sosa]

A mono backing is commonly used to grip the spool. If not spooled properly braid will slip on the spool rendering your reel useless. Some reels feature rubber inserts on the spool and need no mono backing.

 

[jdm61]

I have heard of guys putting 30 pound mono as very short backing for 200 pound braid. I have also seen video guys have that same braid break. It's pretty funny as long as you are not the guy eating the Shimano 12/0 I haven't fished for like 5 years, but we always used Ande tournament grade mono just in case we caught a record fish. Most oft he time in recent years were were using 20-30 pound loaded on big spinners, Shaimnao TLD's and a couple of old lightweight Fin-Nors and 50 at the heaviest on 30W Penn Internationals. We had two 80 pound Shimano rigs case Moby Dick popped up in the spread, but rarely used them except in the Abacos.

A mono backing is commonly used to grip the spool. If not spooled properly braid will slip on the spool rendering your reel useless. Some reels feature rubber inserts on the spool and need no mono backing.

 

[Sosa]

Yeah. I put about 15 yards of 15# mono backing on my reels I spool with braid. I use 100# spider wire stealth on my daiwa bg90 spinners. I use 60# on my conventional jigging and trolling reels. If it's 30# and below I use Ande mono so I don't know if the lighter braid slips with the weaker drags.

 

[numbersman]

I've never used braid. I have found some really good nylon lines that worked well for me. The best was a Tortue line that had carbon fibres in it, and was just fantastic. It transmitted the bites like crazy, and set hooks instantly. (As far as I know it was nylon surrounding the carbon fibres , but don't hold me to that.) Currently I use a cored nylon line, which has two layers an inner layer and an outer layer. Can't remember who makes that, and I don't feel like going out to the shed to check, but it has been nearly as good. Good luck with you decision!