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I am gearing up for kokanee fishing and will be respooling my level wind reels with braid. I have used power pro, spider wire fused, and stren (the white kind?). I have liked the power pro the best so far and the spider wire shredded too quickly.
What other lines have you tried and really liked? What life span did you get with them?
There are a lot of options out there so if there is some newer better stuff let me know.
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I have ha great luck with Suffix, the line holds up really well.
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Why are you using braid for Kokanee?
I don't like it. I tried it for about 3 trips.
It does not work that good in my down rigger release
and it does not have any stretch.
If you are jigging it works OK.
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I would not use braid for trolling off a down rigger, the braid line picks up too much moss because it's going thru the water in a vertical motion. I used braid one time trolling off a down rigger and when I hooked up I could only reel in a little ways and the moss built up in my tip guide and I couldn't reel in anymore line, had to wip my rod thru the water to clean the moss out.
for kokanee I use 12 lb. mono and I've never had a problem.
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I'm like you Power Pro is my favorite and I've used quite a few different ones. I am also concerned with braid trolling Koke because of the lack of stretch its easy to pull the hook out of their mouths. They seem to be really soft mouthed so it's easy to jerk too hard, at least I have that problem. Later J
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I fish Power Pro, though I use it for fishing plastics, jigs and frogs for bass. I actually like it for jerkbaits and topwaters as well, I just use a softer rod and a fluoro or mono leader.
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I have researched this on some of the kokanee forums and from my personal experience here is why I use braid.
Personal experience:
The release clips I use have cut my mono before. (Du-Bro release clip)
There is less drag due to smaller dia. therefore less blowback.
I like to use ~20-25lb braid so that I lose fewer sling blades or dodgers. (Usually I am operating the boat and downriggers at the same time so underwater structure can sneak up on me; I don't always have people with me to help out)
Less memory
Knots hold just fine (improved clench knot).
I have noticed no difference between mono and braid for moss/algae buildup. (I think its easier to clean off the built up algae by just "snapping" the line, works better with braid due to less stretch).
From what I have read from others' experience:
As long as you have a good drag set low and a flexible pole the less stretch does not matter as much.
Catch rate with braid was on par with mono.
When the fish is near the boat the 12-20% stretch of mono only equates to a few inches of stretch anyway, so a properly set drag and flexible pole is important too.
Jigging is easier. ( I have only attempted to jig for kokes but I use my spinning reel for that with 8 lb braid)
Kokanee don't really care much about line size. ( I have been told this by kokanee addicts that catch a lot of fish so I assume it is true)
I am by far not an expert on kokanee fishing and using braid, but this has been my experience so far.
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Power pro is great stuff. walmart sells it cheaper then anyone else too
suffix makes great line as well
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I have had algae build up on mono and braid about the same. Braid seems to release it easier for me.
Quantifying Braid vs Mono is probably an impossible question because it mostly is based on preference. I like it and find the stretch in mono just too much squisheyness. Doesn't seem like I can feel whats happening with mono. Again, my preference.
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I use braid for every rod i use now. switched last year from power pro to Kast King. I think it lasts just as well and is about half the price. The only problem i have seen with is that it bleeds green the first time you use it. ordering more soon. Check out the comparison online
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I feel just the opposite of Quicky about trolling for Kokes with braid. I'll NEVER, EVER, go back to a mono for trolling. I have never had a problem with braid coming out of the release, but I like the larger pad releases. Those mini pad releases suck for every type of line. My downrigger rods are the key to fighting Kokes. They are Cabela's downrigger trolling rods, 8'6", medium. I also run my lures anywhere from 75' to 150' behind the cannonball especially when there is a lot a fishing pressure. This gets the lure away from the boat as far as possible. With mono, there is so much stretch in the line that hook-ups just don't happen as readily as compared to braid. I don't want any stretch, I let my rod and reel's drag take up the fight with the fish.
Now, as to my favorite braid. I've tried just about all of them. I like Spiderwire Stealth (I hated Spiderwire fusion) and I also like Powerpro. I run a 6', 15lb flourcarbon leader from my braid to my dodger, then another piece of flourcarbon to the lure.
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I used to fish silver thread excalibur exclusively and I still like it for some applications, but over the past few years I've started using braid more and more. I like how you can set the hook at the end of a really long cast and have zero stretch. It really does make a difference at long distances. The zero stretch makes it easier to feel bottom and also makes the fish feel stronger when you are fighting them.
The big key for fishing braid if you decide it is for you is to use a little longer rod than you normally would and a lighter action than you would normally use. That allows the rod to do a lot of the work in terms of "give". I also like to loosen up my drag just a little bit after the hookset so that there is some more "give" too.
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I think we're on the same page with braid.
Using the right release clip is key. Some work well with braid, some work well with mono. I have found that my release clips do not work well for mono, but they work great for braid.
Again, the key here is knowing how to use the tools that you have available to you. There are extra precautions using braid that you don't have to worry about with mono (line stretch and letting the rod flex and drag work for you), but I like the sensitivity that I get with braid. Braid has its advantages as well.
If I am long lining with mono I do not see the rod tip twitching as much when using diving lures. With braid I see each twitch and it lets me know quickly if there is moss or something wrong with the lure not swimming right.
Trolling for kokes is done almost exclusively on downriggers and I still prefer braid even if I might lose a few percent more each year.
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Would you identify the release clips that you like with braid?
I like Chamberlain because they don't rely on pinching the line between pads.
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Its made by Du-Bro. I get them at Sportsman's Whorehouse. Monofilament does not do so good with them I think. Braid does well. The adjustment screw works for me but sometimes others want to use their setup on my downrigger and the adjustments have to be made for their line size.
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If you can find a brand that has as much stretch as fluorocarbon that would be cool. I was at a Kokanee seminar and they were very adamant about not using braid. While you lose far less Dodgers, you will also lose a ton more fish. Without the stretch that Fluorocarbon offers you will rip way too many books from Kokanees soft mouths. I'm not a pro by any means but I have heard from many many pros don't go with braid if you plan on landing Kokanee. Just my 2 cents.
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000]I tried braided line for kokanee for the entire 2014 season. I went back to mono in 2015 and will not use braid again. One of the main reasons for not liking it is the fact that I could not load the rods properly in the downriggers because the braid would slip through the pads (not release) before the rods were fully loaded. This in turn caused far more releases on hits without a hook set. This was also true when trolling for trout as well.[/#800000][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000]I even tried the Chamberlin releases, but the problem with Chamberlin's is they are very hard on mono. The mono would develop weak spots every where it was twisted and rod load pressure applied. Lost way too much tackle because of it.[/#800000][/font]
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][#800000]Braid has its place in fishing, but IMHO, kokanee/trout fishing isn't one of those places. It works great on wipers, catfish, walleye, bass, and I suppose tiger muskies, but for downrigger fishing for the soft mouthed fish like kokanee & trout, mono is the better choice. But that's just me.[/#800000][/font]
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Bob Hicks, from Utah
I'm 82 years young and going as hard as I can for as long as I can.
"Free men do not ask permission to bear arms."
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Don't know anything about Kokanee fishing, but I've been trying all the braids for the last few years and Power Pro is by far the longest lasting regardless of the type of guides on your poles. I'm not even using mono leaders anymore and the hook rate on bass has improved. Did go to medium poles, ya gotta have a shock absorber.
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Bob,
I can see we need to fish together again. I ONLY use braids and I have NEVER had an issue with loading my rods with braid. However, I use the largest pinch pad releases which are not only more sensitive to releases with braided line, but also with mono. There is simply no room for error with the small pad releases. I have used several different pinch pad releases, but my favorite are the Scotty Power Grip Plus and the Off Shore brand releases. They are extremely easy and fast to use. They are very large both in size and the pinch pads. This makes for very easy setting with cold hands (especially at Bear Lake is December and January). I also like the Cannon release, but its a little trickier to open up (instead of just pinching like the Scotty and Off Shore). It might take a time or two to figure out how "deep" to put your line into the grip, but once you do, its easy as pie. I don't think I have EVER ripped a lure out of a soft kokanee mouth using braided line either. As I said, that is what the rod's action and my reel's drag is doing for me. In the end it is each to their own. This is about like asking what is better: Chevy/Ford/Dodge. Everyone has their opinion.
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