Braid vs other arig

[Bigguyone]

Wanting to see what your experience has been with braid compared to other lines on an Alabama rig in the sense of bites. Have you tried them side-by-side? Thank you.

[Jeff Hahn]

I doubt that using braid would spook the fish any more than the metal arms and other appendages on an Alabama Rig.

[Wackyjig]

I've never tried side by side but after I saw the underwater video wired2fish posted of braid coming through the water I won't use braid for anything but fishing grass.
It's not the visibility of braid, it's that it sings and hums like crazy coming through the water.
Id always thrown my rigs on braid so if I hung a stump I could get it back but I rarely caught fish on it. Went to 20lb fluoro after seeing that video and started catching more on it

[bassman3800]

Good question and responses. I have always used braid on my arig and have always had trouble with the line tangling up on the head of the arig even when I stop the cast before it hits the water. Now I am wondering with the concerns on the noise the braided line makes in the water if I should change to fluoro, and if the fluoro being stiffer, I would also have less trouble with the line tangling on the head of the arig.

[DMart1]

I doubt that using braid would spook the fish any more than the metal arms and other appendages on an Alabama Rig.

Bingo. I use nothing but 60 lb braid for throwing A rigs and I fish the gin clear water of Ozark lakes. They blow em apart.

[DMart1]

Good question and responses. I have always used braid on my arig and have always had trouble with the line tangling up on the head of the arig even when I stop the cast before it hits the water.

Give it a hard pull after it hits the water and it will straighten the rig and rarely tangle line or baits.

[Fishin is life]

Id always used braid on my a rig in case i hung it id generally get it back. I struggled catching many fish on it. A guy told me he was on a good a rig bite so off we went to our local lake. Im on the front deck getting first shot at relatively shallow fish, and he has me down 7-0 throwing fluoro. To say i was irritated was an understatement. Finally after he lands his 7th, i pick up a rod not suited for the rig with 20lb fluoro and i start catching them. I catch 5 of the next 7. Can i swear it makes a difference? Nope. Am i a firm believer in using fluoro now? Yep. I wont throw braid again and honestly my catch rate on the a rig in general has gone up. Maybe im just in the right places at the right time more often now, maybe not

[DMart1]

Id always used braid on my a rig in case i hung it id generally get it back. I struggled catching many fish on it. A guy told me he was on a good a rig bite so off we went to our local lake. Im on the front deck getting first shot at relatively shallow fish, and he has me down 7-0 throwing fluoro. To say i was irritated was an understatement. Finally after he lands his 7th, i pick up a rod not suited for the rig with 20lb fluoro and i start catching them. I catch 5 of the next 7. Can i swear it makes a difference? Nope. Am i a firm believer in using fluoro now? Yep. I wont throw braid again and honestly my catch rate on the a rig in general has gone up. Maybe im just in the right places at the right time more often now, maybe not

Whether you realized it or not, there was likely a significant difference in line diameter between the braid and flouro you were throwing, this dictated how deep your rig ran. But yes, many times a difference in confidence is what it takes.

[jmcarrol]

Id always used braid on my a rig in case i hung it id generally get it back. I struggled catching many fish on it. A guy told me he was on a good a rig bite so off we went to our local lake. Im on the front deck getting first shot at relatively shallow fish, and he has me down 7-0 throwing fluoro. To say i was irritated was an understatement. Finally after he lands his 7th, i pick up a rod not suited for the rig with 20lb fluoro and i start catching them. I catch 5 of the next 7. Can i swear it makes a difference? Nope. Am i a firm believer in using fluoro now? Yep. I wont throw braid again and honestly my catch rate on the a rig in general has gone up. Maybe im just in the right places at the right time more often now, maybe not

Same thing happened to me. Fishing buddy was catching them 3 to one throwing fluoro vs me throwing 30 lb braid.

[willwork4fish]

20lb CXX or Big Game is what I've been using.

[fishinarc]

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[John Jackson]

I use braid because I can impart erratic action much better on a long cast, then any mono or floro. Too much stretch with a lot of line out for the quick twitch.

[dstep0]

Call me crazy, but I often keep two rods rigged when it comes to A-rig fishing. One with 40 lb Daiwa Samuri braid and one with 20 lb Seaguar. If they fish are eating the braid, so be it. If they aren't, and we think they should be, a switch to the flouro is made.
FWIW, Daiwa Samuri is the quietest braid made in many's opinion. That being said, braid still makes a hum coming through the guides and some think that sound is transferred down the line as well.

Using that method. Have you been able to start catching them once you picked up Fluro OR increased catch rates by switching to fluro when they are eating braid?


I'm in the belief that it doesn't matter. I throw the rig a lot. I catch them in gin clear water on braid and will catch equal or more than someone with fluro. I have found presentation and having a "feel" for sink rate and what the rig is doing is far more important than line. Get it in front of one and it's going to eat.

[TableRock55]

Bingo. I use nothing but 60 lb braid for throwing A rigs and I fish the gin clear water of Ozark lakes. They blow em apart.

I fish same water. 20# mono and 20# flouro on two rods. Used to use braid, but if it’s dam cold, I don’t wanna mess w/braid icing up. Don’t worry about spookin em w/a rig.

[steve1206]

Fishing around big rock, brush piles, and especially dock cables made braid a necessity here, unless you want to lose $150/day.

[DMart1]

Fishing around big rock, brush piles, and especially dock cables made braid a necessity here, unless you want to lose $150/day.

Preach on!

[rcjoutdoors]

I fish same water. 20# mono and 20# flouro on two rods. Used to use braid, but if it’s dam cold, I don’t wanna mess w/braid icing up. Don’t worry about spookin em w/a rig.

I feel you on that. I was able to bend out a hook yesterday and get my lure back in one piece.
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I will fish my a-rig with braid primarily in lakes with snag hazards or weeds and nylon/fluoro in open water.