Ok I’m just a little confused on what line to buy and how to set up my rods.
I fished mostly with mono years ago. And used braid only for jigs in heavy cover.
now there is as much different line as lures.
I’m trying floalcarbon with leaders on spy baits. Ect.
im sure everyone has an opinion.
but is there a rule of thumb on aplacation I’m missing? Surly I don’t need different line on every rod.
There are as many opinions on this as there are line options, so you'll get a bunch of different answers.
Personally, I've gone to using braid almost exclusively. Tons of advantages - easy casting, no memory, lasts all season, sensitive, solid hooksets, and so on. I'd highly recommend it, with a couple caveats. The first is the obvious one that there's no stretch, so you end up with what amounts to a "faster" action for a given rod when using braid versus mono. If you don't adjust, you'll find yourself missing more fish (particularly on moving baits) and losing more fish where you're used to using the stretch of mono to keep them pinned. In practice, stepping back in power on spinning rods seems to take care of it (use a medium light where you'd use a medium previously), and using more moderate-fast action rods as opposed to fast action rods for moving baits on baitcasting rods (buzzbaits, spinnerbaits, swim jigs, chatterbaits, jerkbaits, etc). Due to missing and losing fish, I won't use braid on crankbaits that aren't squarebills - that's my only reel that gets mono. The second caveat is that I think you need to be OK with leaders and leader knots if you're going to go all braid. Most won't bother with leader knots on casting presentations, but I'm actually tying leaders on all my spinning rod presentations and any casting presentation that isn't actively moving.
I run 50 lb braid on all my casting setups except the aforementioned cranking rod (12 lb mono), and my frog rod which gets 65 lb braid. It sounds like overkill, but remember: 50 lb braid is the same diameter as 12 lb mono. I'll tie a 16 or 25 lb leader on my Texas rigs, jigs, and punch rigs. Maybe not always necessary, but I truly believe I get more bites this way and it allows me to avoid having to have separate setups with fluoro and braid. Jerkbaits get a 10 or 12 lb leader, and I've been known to tie the 16 lb leader on my spinnerbaits, swim jigs, and chatterbaits. I think it's less important on the last set there, and in practice only will try it if I'm fishing very clear water. Straight braid on topwaters, though a mono leader can sometimes be beneficial if a walking topwater is grabbing the line. I like Sufix 832.
I throw 20 lb braid on all my spinning setups - this is the same diameter as 6 lb mono. Some guys like smaller, but I've found the 20 lb to be the perfect blend of easy casting, easy to manage, and durable enough to be worry free. High vis is a big deal here, I think - the extra bites you detect when you are able to watch your line and consciously do so is amazing. I'm actually running an offbrand of braid called "Xtreme Braid" on my spinning setups now. It's awesome stuff, and I like it better than my previous favorites Daiwa J-braid and Power Pro Super Slick. I'll tie on anywhere from 5-12 lb leaders on my spinning setups depending on conditions.
i've found that in addition to the other advantages, braid allows for a ton of versatility. In situations where you might need to try different line sizes, you can accomplish that by simply changing the size of a leader. No more carrying a ton of different reels or respooling line all the time.
Again, the above is just my opinion. Lots of guys will read what I wrote and think I'm nuts (particularly the parts about leaders on casting setups).
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I use two types of line on11 different rod and reel combos. I use braid on flipping rods and copolymer on all other rods. I prefer Izorline brand for all...Izorline Brutally Strong Spectra is my braid and Izorline Platinum is the copolymer that I use. You can buy Izorline on Tackle Warehouse. http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/searc...opt_perpage=20
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I only use 3 different lines, but 5 different lb tests .. braid for drop shot, flipping, and frogs, mono for topwater and some cranks, and flouro for everything else..
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Originally Posted by DrewFlu33
Im about like this.^^^^
BRAID BRAID BRAID
But I use tatsu floro on my crankbaits. mh moderate rods
I use suffix 832 on my buzz bait, it catches less wind than braid so even with the stretch I feel I can get it reeling faster as Im always in the wind. I use a 8.5 reel on topwaters. I may switch it to the tatsu since Im exclusively buying it now.
I do use leaders but not always, Im not honestly sure it matters yet..... midwest water is dirty and 20lb braid probably blends in. Next time Im on a smallie clear water lake Im going to test some high vis yellow w no leader, some claim line doesnt matter period.
Bold text is mine!Im about like this.^^^^
BRAID BRAID BRAID
But I use tatsu floro on my crankbaits. mh moderate rods Since Fluorocarbon sinks and folks generally like to get their cranks deeper, that's logical.
I use suffix 832 on my buzz bait, it catches less wind than braid so even with the stretch I feel I can get it reeling faster as Im always in the wind. I use a 8.5 reel on topwaters. I may switch it to the tatsu since Im exclusively buying it now. Suffix 832 IS braid. Since braid and copolymer/monofil float, they are much more appropriate for topwater than Tatsu or another Fluorocarbon line. I'm not seeing a reduction in wind drag from 832 over Power Pro Slick 8. Wind and current "bagging" is the problem with braid, that's for sure.
I do use leaders but not always, Im not honestly sure it matters yet..... midwest water is dirty and 20lb braid probably blends in. Next time Im on a smallie clear water lake Im going to test some high vis yellow w no leader, some claim line doesnt matter period. Yeah, I suspect that you can do fine without a leader IF you some ignorant fish, but maybe not so good if the fish are pressured. I'd look forward to seeing some reports on experiments like that. I have my skipping rod (spinning) setup with 10 lb. test high- viz braid, but haven't been fishing docks much the past season. Two best fish (5 lb. SM and 4-ish lb. LM) came at the start of the season and at the end of the season, and both at the end of their respective docks. Both on a 7' M baitcaster/10 lb FC/Shaky with 5" GP Zoom lizard.
I use fluorocarbon line for just about everything. I don't use it for top water baits where the line lays on the water, but I do use it when throwing buzzbaits. I only use braid when the situation absolutely calls for it. For me that means hollow bodied frogs, or if I am flipping and pitching (or punching) in very thick cover. And I will also use braid from time to time as the main line for Carolina rigging.
Everything else I use Tatsu fluorocarbon line.
Always funny to read this stuff. I remember all we had was Trilene and Purple Stren. Oh man then golden Stren came out!! We caught fish every day all day long. Now all the "experts" are telling us what to use. Blah blah blah. Yeah progress If they quit making braid and fluorocarbon tomorrow and everyone was "forced" to use Trilene you'd catch just as many. Sucked into the hype
I'm sucked into the hype. I've thought I should use mono more.
I do like it for wacky worms, floating worms, topwaters and spinnerbaits in shallow weed cover. Wouldn't reccommend it for dropshot, A-rig, and soft jerkbaits. I like flouro for open hook tubes because of the durability/less stretch. I like it better for football jigs and crankbaits. Flouro will help your baits stay down better and let you use a smaller diameter line.
I'll agree that some of the things I read when different kinds of fishing lines are being discussed, is ridiculous. But the above is even more so. No way you would catch as many fish. You're saying that you'd catch just as many fish fishing a hollow bodied frog over heavy matted weeds, as you would if you used nylon mono filament instead of braid? Not.
Nor would you catch as many fish on the end of a long cast, or in deep water. I could go on ... but there really is no need to do so. The quoted statement speaks for itself.
Chill out! I love braid and fluorocarbon . I'm saying if that's all we had we would still catch fish! We had no options in the early '70's. knew there would be one expert chiming in. Maybe not catch as many, but wouldn't know any better
Hahahahaha! I gotta say...I remember when we had black, stretchy, nylon braid, and when monofilament came out!!! Take that!
Thanks for the input guys. As an old mono guy it is going to be interesting. But I’m looking forward to the process.
I have spooled a few different set ups. To try out. It is interesting how much line has changed even the attitude and style that guys have when a fish is on. As you know in the old days we all looked like bill dance, playing fish for minutes with light drag. Now days it seems power fishing with braid is popular.
sorry I use a suffix mono on my buzz not a diff braid.
I had some rods that were breaking floro line on casts and even as it slowed, so I went to braid exclusively and once youve caught a few hundred fish on braid and then go back to a floro and set the hook your about to fall out of the boat... im hoping the off season lets me get back to the floro on some rods, but not holding my breath.
Funny! Yeah I’ve still got my dads Hurd Supercaster full of old braid hanging on the wall. Made with old tank antennaes.Hahahahaha! I gotta say...I remember when we had black, stretchy, nylon braid, and when monofilament came out!!! Take that!
I feel like I have tried nearly every line (mono, fluro, copoly and braid) for most techniques...certain ones like frogging I have not tried fluro on or mono on deep jigs on long casts....but have tried and tried many of types of line and finally getting it to where I think I am not needing to test a bunch more after 10 years.
Tatsu helps a person make some decisions and realize how to use it in place of other lines and helped me narrow things down. Spinning rods really need braid in almost all cases just due to simplicity of line management...832 is my preferred at this point after trying about 10 brands/types.
Where are the BIG ones? When are we going?
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Well said
For you guys who run a fluoro leader on braid for baitcasters, Do you put a long enough leader so it reels in past the tip or do you try to avoid that? I have had problems when I tried that with the knot breaking as it goes through the tip top when I am casting heavy baits like 3/4 footballs.
Last edited by johnnybass; 01-08-2018 at 01:20 PM.
thru the tip
10 foot leader for me on my spinning reels
6 foot casting
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