TO BRAID OR NOT TO BRAID

LTM · December 21, 2013, 05:04:48 AM

Guys,

For those of you who DONT use braid on ALL of your reels; what is your reasoning for NOT using braid on some of your reels?

Thanx,

Leo

Keta · December 21, 2013, 05:11:00 AM

I have ONE reel that has braid backing with a extremely long topshot for fishing on a friend of mine's charter boat, he does not allow braid on his boat because he feels it causes cut offs, bad tangles and his deck hands don't like to wear gloves.

AndrewC · December 21, 2013, 05:12:04 AM

Three main reasons I don't use braid

1) It has not give in it
2) It not very abrasion resistant especially when you use a running rig
3) It gets damn expensive when you get spooled

Dominick · December 21, 2013, 05:30:15 AM

Quote from: Mr Grumpy on December 21, 2013, 05:12:04 AM
Three main reasons I don't use braid

1) It has not give in it
2) It not very abrasion resistant especially when you use a running rig
3) It gets damn expensive when you get spooled

Mr. Grumpy: you should never get spooled. Set the drag for the fishing you do. Dominick

Shark Hunter · December 21, 2013, 05:41:16 AM

I fish from shore for Sharks and it gets cut pretty easily on shells, other sharks, ect. Mono is much more abrasion resistant. You have to give up capacity, but I'm fishing with large senators and 1000 yards of 130lb. is not a problem. Plus the cost.

AndrewC · December 21, 2013, 06:13:58 AM

Quote from: Pescachaser on December 21, 2013, 05:30:15 AM
Quote from: Mr Grumpy on December 21, 2013, 05:12:04 AM
Three main reasons I don't use braid

1) It has not give in it
2) It not very abrasion resistant especially when you use a running rig
3) It gets damn expensive when you get spooled

Mr. Grumpy: you should never get spooled. Set the drag for the fishing you do. Dominick

Well ya see Dom the problem is we fish for Mulloway (Jew Fish) on 30 or 40lb mono, using half a mullet as bait with 13'6 Beach rods and that works pretty well as we sometimes need to cast them out around 100yards. The problem is Bull Sharks,and Bronze Whalers also like mullet (And Mulloway). Small ones about 4 or 5 feet we can deal with. When they get over 6 feet and over 250lb's when they start to head north we haven't got a hope in hell of stopping them.

Stingrays (Big ones) with a wing span over 7 feet also inhabit the same waters and they'll strip 200 yards of line really quick. You've got two choices fight it and risk getting spooled or cut them off. Either way it gets expensive.

I only got spooled once last year. My big Samoan mate lost $300 of braid in about 5 minutes on night and then got done again the following week. he's gone back to using Mono because I hate seeing grown men crying on the beach

Keta · December 21, 2013, 06:16:47 AM

Quote from: Mr Grumpy on December 21, 2013, 06:13:58 AM
My big Samoan mate lost $300 of braid in about 5 minutes on night and then got done again the following week. he's gone back to using Mono because I hate seeing grown men crying on the beach

Put a short topshot of lighter mono on the end of your braid and it breaks leaving your expensive line intact.

maxpowers · December 21, 2013, 06:19:52 AM

Are you fishing straight braid to hook? If not your mono should failed long before your braid is broken assuming that you 50 - 60 lbs braid as backing with the 30-40 lbs mono.

LTM · December 21, 2013, 06:47:08 AM

Lee,

Are you saying that you only have one reel with braid, or that this particular reel has a long top shot as opposed to the rest of your reels that have braid on them?

Leo

Keta · December 21, 2013, 06:51:47 AM

Quote from: LTM on December 21, 2013, 06:47:08 AM
Lee,

Are you saying that you only have one reel with braid, or that this particular reel has a long top shot as opposed to the rest of your reels that have braid on them?

Leo

I have only 1 reel that isn't almost completely filled with braid, including my Calcutta 51 kokanee reels.

LTM · December 21, 2013, 07:10:46 AM

I've heard of braid causing cut-off to others lines, and Ive also heard of people using braid with short top shots for the sole purpose of cutting kelp when fishing in kelp to assist in getting fish from kelp. Anyone know how true this is?

Leo

Keta · December 21, 2013, 07:46:05 AM

I've been cut off when we had 5 wahoo on.

MFB · December 21, 2013, 07:53:18 AM

I use mono for shallow water 30 metres & below, a lot of my snapper (stray lining) & gurnard fishing is in 15-20m of water. It's nice to be able to fish light gear with only 2oz sinkers on ledger rigs & stray lines aren't weighted. Mono has about 30% stretch so it's a bit of a safety factor when you have a big snapper on. But for groper fishing 150m plus I use braid you can feel your 32oz sinker hit the bottom & you need to be on the bottom to hook up.

Rgds

Mark

AndrewC · December 21, 2013, 08:50:12 AM

And I forgot to mention that marine stingers stick to it like Super Glue which gets very painful when you're baiting up at night

Tunacious · December 21, 2013, 05:02:59 PM

With the type and size of pelagics I go after, I don't feel I need the extra line capacity. It's also a pain when you get in tangles. A friend and I own a line winder and he can get large discounts on bulk spools of mono. It's much easier and cheaper to go this route. Bottom line....I just like being old school with my 30 year old reels and mono line.