Been Too EMMBARESSED TO ASK...

[0119]

Planned obsolescence is engineered into everything made today even your spectra.  And your five year old line is degraded even if you dont know it or find you are losing fish with it.  I probably have more experience with spectra and dynema than anyone on this board.  But not in fishing.  I wore it for 25 years, 12 hours a day, 84 hours every 2 weeks.  It degrades pretty darn quick just from human touch.

[saltydog]

Well each to his own opinion, I have used spectra for 20+ years from when it first came out. I have had my issues with it but once you learn the proper knots and when to use it is one of the best options for fishing , from crappie to tuna to sharks. Topshot length is of personal preference and sometimes like when shark fishing off the beach a necessity . Rarely do you need more than a three foot topshot when fishing braid and if you really look at the pulled hook issue it is from super stiff rods with no give to locked down drags and soft mouths, put a hook in your cheek and rip 30# of drag into it in an instant and see what happens, oops hook pulled.

The real key to fishing braided line is to practice your knots a lot and get them right.

Use more mono when around obstructions.

Remember all fish don't have mouths of stone like a tarpon and hooks will pull out of soft tissue with to much drag.

Use some finness , you don't need to overpower a fish to break his will.

Don't listen to the manufacturers balony they always overpump there gimmicks to get people to buy there products.

I use solid braid mostly and have used a modified Albright for years without an issue.

Good fishing
William

[Keta]

Planned obsolescence is engineered into everything made today even your spectra.  And your five year old line is degraded even if you dont know it or find you are losing fish with it.  I probably have more experience with spectra and dynema than anyone on this board.  But not in fishing.  I wore it for 25 years, 12 hours a day, 84 hours every 2 weeks.  It degrades pretty darn quick just from human touch.

I'm still fishing for large Pacific halibut with 20 year old Spectra and my line is as good as the day I spooled the reel.

[day0ne]

To the original poster, if you've used nothing but mono and been basically content with it why change?  I find braid to be nothing but negative. Every aspect of it.  I've bought so much of it trying to like it and get used to it, I could've made a house payment!  For fifty years mono served me well and its stretch never cost me a fish. Braids lack of stretch has cost me lots of fish during the fight.  Braids cost me a lot of fish due to its pitiful lack of abrasive strength. Braid has cost me a lot of terminal tackle due to its totally unforgiving nature to a less than a perfect knot. An important issue if you do not have the luxury of fishing out of a boat, fish at night, have to tie a knot as you stand in a hoard of mangrove bred mosquitos or suffer from middle aged eye syndrome.

To those of you who think you are getting years of service from your braid, there are now indications that braid loses a lot of strength even after less than a year of use and exposure.  Remember there's more to strength than just its pulling ability.

Falling into the braid is everything camp is just the same as falling for having the latest is greatest in reels.  Its simply falling prey to manufacturers marketing men who in todays business model, dictate what you want and manipulate the angler into thinking he wants what the manufacturer can make and get the most profit at selling.  Not something that's going to last for ever, but something built by engineers to include planned obsolescence.

First of all, most of the things you say braid cost you look more like you failing to adapt to a different way of fishing. No, braid is not the answer to everything, but it is far superior to mono for many things. Like Keta, I used Dacron before Spectra and for the same reasons, mainly lack of stretch.Then I mostly bottom fished and mono required heavy weights and broom stick rods. Dacron and Spectra allowed much lighter gear and much more fun fishing. I absolutely refuse to drop mono 200 to 400 feet. It is, to me, a waste of time and energy. There is a better way to do it. While I agree that many things fall into marketing trap, I don't think braid is one of them, and I rarely let any marketing man dictate anything to me. As a general rule, I don't believe anything a manufacturer tells me without proof. Remember, Spectra was never intended to be fishing line. Izor saw a need and adapted it from Kite string.

[OSIRIS631]

Dayone thanks for your insight.. you make a good point!

John

[Dynamo]

 issue it is from super stiff rods with no give to locked down drags and soft mouths, put a hook in your cheek and rip 30# of drag into it in an instant and see what happens, oops hook pulled.

Or face ripped, LOL. He really does have a point. Rods are meant to help you, they're shock absorbers, not simply sticks. As I've said braid and how you go along fishing it really does depends on where you fish. and some people have perfect experience w. it and some do not  . ("I lost a good fish to braid, I hate it forever." "Got a good fish to the boat w. it, means its perfect.") Note: not accusing anyone, all of the advice on this post is good advice by me. Only my humble opinion, as always.

[AllenW]

Use what your happy with and works, not always a good thing to reinvent the wheel every time something new comes out. imho

But...
I run mainly mono and most of my tackle is set up for that, I do find the braids have their strong points also, jigging in deep water and heavier jigs for one.
While I like a bit of line stretch having your rod go up and down and the jig stay stationary doesn't work very well.
I also do a bit of musky fishing and the braids work better imho for that.

Visit any of the fishing forums and you'll most likely find many and lengthily debates on mono versus braid.

Set a rod up for it and give braid a try on different situations and see when it works or doesn't work for you.
Not everybody fishes the same, what works for me might not work for you or anybody else.

Good luck either way.

Al

[OSIRIS631]

Well each to his own opinion, I have used spectra for 20+ years from when it first came out. I have had my issues with it but once you learn the proper knots and when to use it is one of the best options for fishing , from crappie to tuna to sharks. Topshot length is of personal preference and sometimes like when shark fishing off the beach a necessity . Rarely do you need more than a three foot topshot when fishing braid and if you really look at the pulled hook issue it is from super stiff rods with no give to locked down drags and soft mouths, put a hook in your cheek and rip 30# of drag into it in an instant and see what happens, oops hook pulled.

The real key to fishing braided line is to practice your knots a lot and get them right.

Use more mono when around obstructions.

Remember all fish don't have mouths of stone like a tarpon and hooks will pull out of soft tissue with to much drag.

Use some finness , you don't need to overpower a fish to break his will.

Don't listen to the manufacturers balony they always overpump there gimmicks to get people to buy there products.

I use solid braid mostly and have used a modified Albright for years without an issue.

Good fishing
William

Saltydog what knot do I use to add a top shot of mono to braid?

[Bunnlevel Sharker]

He uses an improved albright, i like to use a 8 turn surgeons loop to a improved bristol. Its mostly personal preference

[OSIRIS631]

Thank you, Sharker!