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    Braided Line Options

    Jordan.Cassell
    Jordan.Cassell


    Posts : 18
    Join date : 2015-03-12
    Age : 36
    Location : Harrisonburg, VA

    Braided Line Options Empty Braided Line Options

    Post by Jordan.Cassell 3/30/2015, 4:11 pm

    Who has used what? I have a medium flex rod that I'm going to string with monofilament line as I plan to utilize for "trolling" behind my yak as I paddle and otherwise letting a worm sit on the bottom just in case something curious happens to eat it (hoping that the line stretch allows me time to release the bail so that the fish can run while I secure my current rod in use) - and then I have a light flex rod that I'm considering using braid on. Both are spinner reels - I plan to either back the braid with mono or utilize the electrical tape trick. Just looking for input as to what's worked/not worked for everyone. Currently leaning towards Fireline Smoke but I've read a whole lot of reviews that swear by the PowerPro line.
    Daniel Clarke
    Daniel Clarke
    Admin


    Posts : 21
    Join date : 2015-02-09
    Age : 34
    Location : Harrisonburg, VA

    Braided Line Options Empty Re: Braided Line Options

    Post by Daniel Clarke 4/10/2015, 12:43 pm

    Excited for you to get out and try it man - never having used the braided before i want to know what you think of it!
    Jordan.Cassell
    Jordan.Cassell


    Posts : 18
    Join date : 2015-03-12
    Age : 36
    Location : Harrisonburg, VA

    Braided Line Options Empty Braided Line Review

    Post by Jordan.Cassell 4/13/2015, 3:18 pm

    Since no one offered an opinion on my previous question (perhaps no one else has used braid and had the same questions I did), here's what I've learned so far:  

    Braid Choice:  I spent about a week reading all manner of reviews and comparisons as I tried to decide A) whether or not I should fish with braided line and B) what brand was best.  To answer the first question I wanted to know the major differences between the three types (Monofilament, Fluorocarbon, and Braided).  Once I figured out that I did, indeed, want to invest in braided line, I narrowed my choices down to PowerPro and Berkley's Fireline because I trust Berkley's as a brand and PowerPro had (literally) 245 reviews on DicksSportingGoods.com.  After much reading and comparing the choice ultimately came down to how the two felt in my hands in the store.  Braid is interesting in that the manufactures actually leave a sample of the line on the outside of the package for physical inspection during the purchasing decision.  The Fireline, being a "superline" (meaning that it's heat treated and infused with fancy things) felt more like traditional fishing line in my hands and less abrasive than the PowerPro (one of the things I came across in my research is that braided line can cause abrasions on the rod eyes and reel guides).  So Fireline it was...then, as all things in fishing, it came down to what color I wanted.  Again, having done research, I learned that while the "Crystal" color sounded like the perfect compromise of strength and invisibility, that the "Smoke" is much more pliable and better reviewed through multiple sites.  

    Casting Distance:  The Fireline casts farther than any monofilament line I've ever thrown.  It's taken some getting used to (honestly, I'm still adjusting), but I'm finding that I get significantly more distance with less effort than before.  Which is wonderful when I'm trying to cover a lot of water - a bit cumbersome when I'm sight fishing and I want an accurate, short cast.  

    Strength:  Obviously the pound for pound strength of braided line is second to none - to the point that my wire cutters in my Craftsman tool box had trouble making a clean snip.  While I've not had the (mis)fortune of hooking a 50-inch Muskie (yet), I'm fairly certain that I'll damage the light-action rod before I break the braid reeling in most of the fish I catch locally.

    Knots:  As I researched various braid brands and comparisons, I kept seeing reviews and anecdotes about braided line slipping out of knots.  Now I've not performed a thorough inspection of the knot holding on my fluorocarbon leader, but I was tossing a substantial, deep diving crank bait over the weekend that caught two decent bass...and I still had the fluoro leader attached as I drove home so if it's slipping it's so miniscule I haven't noticed.  One thing I did find is that you must either back your spool with mono and tie the braid on to wind the spool or use electrical tape to secure the braid to the spool as the usual knot-and-wind method doesn't work.  I elected to use the tape since my spool is rather small and I wanted the maximum amount of line possible - those fishing larger rod/reel combinations may choose to back with several yards of monofilament line since it's much less expensive and only spool as much braided line as they typically cast/use when fishing.

    Sensitivity:  I'm not the best judge of this as I changed, quite literally, everything when I began fishing with braided line - new rod, reel, line, the whole works.  My old rod was a medium action, one-piece blank that acted more like a medium-heavy so my new light action rod feels twitchy if a goose breaks wind 40 yards away.  Most reviewers say that braid is extremely sensitive due to the lack of line stretch...sounds good to me so they must be right!

    Opinion Overall:  So far, I have zero regrets with my braided line choice.  I find that while it's much more difficult to follow as I'm casting because it's so thin, the wind definitely catches more of it on a breezy day, and it was marginally harder to work with when tying knots and the like, careful preparation when setting up and consideration for the conditions when casting and reeling are simply good fishing basics to be followed with any type of line.  For me, the benefits far outweigh the drawbacks for my style of fishing.  

    Feel free to ask questions or post your own reviews, this is by no means a comprehensive judgment of all braided line - I'm merely a fisherman trying to share my experiences.
    Daniel Clarke
    Daniel Clarke
    Admin


    Posts : 21
    Join date : 2015-02-09
    Age : 34
    Location : Harrisonburg, VA

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    Post by Daniel Clarke 4/13/2015, 10:45 pm

    You killed that review man cheers - great info! My 4lb mono is struggling on my new pole (I've had to string it twice already due to reduced line from knots). Definitely going to be getting some braid!
    Jordan.Cassell
    Jordan.Cassell


    Posts : 18
    Join date : 2015-03-12
    Age : 36
    Location : Harrisonburg, VA

    Braided Line Options Empty Re: Braided Line Options

    Post by Jordan.Cassell 4/14/2015, 8:53 am

    With as small as your reel is on that new pole I'd say do as I did and just go full spool of braid and I have plenty of extra fluoro if you want a leader.  Just make sure if you use a leader that you utilize a good knot for combining lines of two different diameters.  I visited this page 15 Knots Every Angler Should Know and used this knot The Alberto Knot for my braid-to-fluoro connection and I've been very pleased with it.  It was pretty simple to tie and seems to hold very securely.

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