Thinking of putting Braided line on one of my rods to try it out. Not really sure which way to go go about it. i usually use monofilament and flurocarbon. I have heard people using braid with a flurocarbon leader. I was wondering which pound braid i should use? what type of knot works? to use a swivel or not? Basically i am interested in hearing peoples opinion about it.

Hey huffman143,
  There are lots of applications where braid will improve your fishing, but just as many it will hinder. What we need to know is what type of rod and reel it will be going on and  the type of baits to be used.
                                                                              

I use 30 lb PowerPro on my bass jig rod. I always tie a palomar knot direct to the lure, and i usually just fish bass jigs and spoons on that rod. I'm about an 80% mono guy. I like PowerPro but there are a lot of braids and super lines I've never tried that I'm sure work just as well. I have had good luck casting it, it's sensitive and I haven't lost a lure yet. Reeled up a few branches with it. I never use a leader either but I've heard a lot of guys go with a fluoro leader on superlines/braids. I use mono for topwater, worms and spinners and fluoro with my crankbaits.

i would be putting it on my baitcast rod it is a 7'' mh with a daiwa reel. i usually just put crank baits and football jigs on that rod. i also have a rod i use use for finesse fishing 6'6'' medium light. should i consider putting a braid on that? i like the line i am using on all my rods so this makes me a little torn but i am all about trying new things.

i would be putting it on my baitcast rod it is a 7'' mh with a daiwa reel. i usually just put crank baits and football jigs on that rod. i also have a rod i use use for finesse fishing 6'6'' medium light. should i consider putting a braid on that? i like the line i am using on all my rods so this makes me a little torn but i am all about trying new things.

Hmm...I see...now we have a crisis! The braid will improve your jig fishing, but its not a good choice for crankbaits. While its sensitivity and lack of stretch enhance jigging, with cranks you'll get more lips than fish! Looks like its time for another rod&reel......like Hoss said, fluoro or mono for cranks. As far as your finesse outfit, braid is great for soft plastics too. You'll feel so many more hits, you won't believe it......I use a fluoro leader for soft plastics. Now when it comes to braid size, keep in mind the skinny diameter of braid. I wouldn't use less than 30lb. on the baitcaster. Anything less has a tendency to "dig" into the spool and cause problems. Remember that 30lb. braid is equal in diameter to 8lb. mono, pretty thin for a baitcaster! With spinning reels, you can go as light as you like, but I use 15lb. braid to a 12lb. fluoro leader. I think once you try braid for your jigging and soft plastics, you'll be a believer too. I use Power Pro, Tuf-Line, Fireline, and the new Nanofil. I think the Nanofil is the best I've ever used, but it only comes in a max. strength of 12lb., hopefully Berkley will add bigger lines soon. Good luck and "tight lines"!
                                                                                 

Hey...just thought of yet another application for braid. Most pros use it for topwater frog fishing, but in the same breath, they recommend mono for all other topwater baits. I have used braid for topwater frogs, and it certainly helps those hooksets in the slop. Unfortunately, its sinking trait hinders the action of most other topwater baits, so now you'll need yet another rod&reel!(or at least some spare spools) Seems like fishing gets more technical and expensive every day.
                                               

I was solely mono until last year, when I tried braid for the first time, 20lb Berkley Pro Braid, but I backed mine with 8lb Trilene mono XL uni-to-uni'd on the spool. I put it on my 7' spinning reel to start, because I'm still fairly novice at fishing and I didn't want to waste the money putting it on a baitcaster and bird-nesting it beyond repair. After last year I got comfortable enough with it and found that it's so much more flexible than even 8lb mono that I shouldn't have problems on a baitcaster. As well I really appreciated the sensitivity I was feeling the bottom so much better pulling a jig or a tex-rigged worm along the bottom.

This year I finally got my wife sold on the braid is better idea (more expensive but last longer, can be reversed on the spool and used twice as long) all the benefits I could think of. She bought into it and I'm going to take advantage of the Suffix deal they have this year buy two spools of Suffix 832 and get a spool of Suffix Flouro 100% free.

Then Tuesday I backed my sale with the wife with a valuable lesson I learned fishing my day off work. Late morning, top-water bite was dying down, but I was still getting some bites... slowly. I had a chug popper tied on my fav baitcaster with 14lb mono. The rod is a medium very fast tip. I set the hook and it felt like stretching out a slinky. Got the fish to the bank, he jumped one last ditch effort and threw the popper right back at me. Went home to the wife steaming, "That's it, I'm down with mono. It was cheaper and worked for me when I was learning. But I'm getting better and I've lost several fish already this year with poor hooksets because the rod and line are both too soft, somethings got to give and it's not the rod."

Braid is an investment more so than almost anything other than rods, reels, and boats when fishing. But there are benefits and applications that it shines so much better over other options. Biggest gripe I have for braid is in wind, like on my spinning reel, the wind will catch it and it will fly off the spool while the lure is still casting.

Good luck!

hey thanks guys. these are all very helpful tips and i will take them all into consideration when i go do some fishing shopping this weekend.

While I respect Mo65's oppinion and fishing ability, I am wondering what kind of braid he has been using that sinks, as the only superlines I am aware of that sink are Fluorobraid and the Suffix 832. The Tuf Line, Firetline and Power Pro that I have used are all neutral to floating.

Posted By Pegsguy on 10 May 2012 08:57 PM
While I respect Mo65's oppinion and fishing ability, I am wondering what kind of braid he has been using that sinks, as the only superlines I am aware of that sink are Fluorobraid and the Suffix 832. The Tuf Line, Firetline and Power Pro that I have used are all neutral to floating.

Hee hee...just a brain fart Tom...my braid floats too. I was talking braid and thinking fluorocarbon.

I figured one of us missed something somewhere along the way! At least we set a good example for conflict resolution

I have a question about using a leader with braided line. I bought 50lb powerpro line which works great.. Say I wanted to put a leader on it if the situation calls for it do I match it with 12 lb fluro or mono, or do I go up to 20lb fluro or mono, or is the rule of thumb to go smaller say 8lb?clear

I'm using a 15lb. leader with 65lb. braid, so a 12lb. leader with 50lb. braid sounds like a good starting point. Then adjust from there.

it depends in my opinion. if you fish using a bait caster type rod, id HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend sticking with mono filament. braided line in a bait caster, once you get ANY backlash, allot 30-45 min getting it untangled! HOWEVER, if you have a spinning rod, id go braided all day, it cast better, 10x stronger, just overall better line. the knot id recommend would be the Palomar knot. check it out dude, you wont be disappointed.

Really? I have quite the opposite experience. If i backlash a braid it takes me all of about 5 seconds to get it out usually. It's the light monos that will get me. At least that's been my experience. If you set your tension correctly though, no backlash should be too terrible.

depending on what your fishing for, 12lb trilene braided works perfect on my bait caster.

I started running 40lb braid on my baitcaster this year. Love the sensitivity for feeling strikes and cover. I would even say it may have saved me from losing a few lures by being able to feel what's around. I used that rod for soft plastics, spinners, and chatterbaits.

I have also had better luck with quick recovery from backlashes.

braid can generate some pretty NASTY knots if you dont keep an eye on loops and small tangles, but the pros outweigh the cons

by using braid you will GREATLY increase your casting distance and most likely sensitivity too

I would even say it may have saved me from losing a few lures by being able to feel what's around

from tkotattoos is very right.... whenever your in an area thats surrounded by lilypads, weeds, trees etc its nice to have 20-30 pound line to rip thru anything you get snagged on, i typically bend hooks before i break my line

having braid will def save you a bunch of lures etc from snags