[Marq]

After using braid several years ago i gave up after 30 casts Since then i have used mono 12lb BS Sometimes i wonder iff i am a little undergunned when i hook into larger fish Although ive not snapped the line whilst playing fish there is always a first time Anybody got experience of Pro Line braid? I am thinking around 30lb BS Do fish see braid in the water? Do you all tie on a leader? Has anybody noticed a drop in catch rates if braid is used straight through to the lure? HELP I am confused All replies gratefully received

 

[Simon L]

I made the switch to braid some time ago now. If you pick a good braid (cheap crap braid will put you off for life), you'll find it superior in many scenarios. The extra feel that you get is awesome - it just adds to the whole experience.

Having said that, if your catch rates are good, and you havent lost any fish due to b/s then there's a good argument not to change anything.

If i were you, i'd make the investment of buying a good braid, give it a try, and make your own mind up - it's very much a personal preference thing at the end of the day!!

 

[Tim Griffin]

MarQ, I am no expert here, but braid seems to be standard amongst most anglers plugging for bass . 15-20lb braid such as PowerPro seems the norm, often with a short fluoro leader (1-3 feet) with the fluoro of similar strength to the braid. Catch rates seem unaffected by connecting directly from what I know, the fluoro leader being more fior abrasion resistance than anything else. I use the above set-up as does my son and we have few if any problems (occasional wind-knot, almost always caused by mis-management of the bail arm). Out of interest, what problems were you having that caused you to give up with braid so quickly? I think you would love the extra contact and direct reaction of lures to braid versus mono.

 

[kevin white]

braids great for direct contact with the lure/fish, you get to feel everything, but there is also the downside, feeling everything can be a real pain the the as*, because at times you'll miss fish by striking too soon, when hooked into good sized fish you can pull hooks because there's no give in the line unlike mono which will stretch but because of this stretch you'll miss a lot of subtle takes if fishing jigs and or suspending type lures, braid isn't very resistant towards rocks etc, mono is slightly better, flurocarbon is better than both and also has less stretch than mono, harder for fish to see it, but slightly bigger dia than braid for equal breaking strain, if going with braid, power pro is good as is power shot.

there's no easy answer, sometimes braid is required, sometimes mono, sometimes flurocarbon, they all have there place in the fishing scene and all for different applications.

kev

 

[Henry Gilbey]

Marq - you are more than welcome to have a proper go with my reel, braid and rod etc. - send me an email or a PM and give me your number again because I am an idiot and think I have lost it !! Will most likely be out the weekend at some time or another......

 

[The Squid]

Marq,

You are missing out on the touch-feel that braid gives you over mono (don't get me wrong I still use mono for lure fishing in certain circumstances). The most user friendly I have found is Power Pro, and with .19 you have reliability -- power -- longevity. Remember to underfill your reel by a lot more than you would think and then even more.

 

[Dave Irving]

Marq,
I use braid not because of the added breaking strain (only so hard a spin rod can pull), but for the extra ability to work the lures I am fishing, Even at full distance I can feel how the lure is working, allowing me to adjust the retrieve speed/action based on that feedback. I haven't missed any bass because of braid, I don't strike, just wind into the weight when I fish takes. I think often what we feel as a missed take, is really the bass thumping the lure to "stun" it. Seen lots of bass tail slapping topwater lures this year-feels the same to me.
I couldn't wouldn't go back to mono for my general plugging, only if a very specific technque required it. Braids have come a long way since the first time I tried them, much less prone to wind knots/tangles.

 

[Carl B]

switched to powpro this year 15lb phantom red loved it straigt away, braid tech' moving quickly these days so micks prob the man to spreak to iv you change over, good luck

 

[Marq]

Big thankyou to all that have replied The problem i had with my previous braid was a wind knot on every cast Like i said after about 30 casts the stuff got binned Think i am very tempted to try Power pro 25lbs ish Jury out on the leader But will try with and without Happy Fishing

 

[Dave Irving]

Under fill the spool by a mm or two, and stop the braid coming off the spool with your finger as the lure hits the water, and you shouldn't have any problems with Power Pro. Personally I like a fluro leader, of between 15-25lb partly to be less visable and partly to absorb any abrahesion. But plenty of guys do well straight through.

 

[alan mce]

try berkley whiplash pro 30lb much thiner
do a few short casts first to wet the line you should have no probs afther that