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Is braided line better? I've heard the line makes it easier to detect a bite. I've always used my tried an true xl smooth berkley. 8 test for what hits my lure, or bait. Is it worth the extra 10 bucks? I'm just fishin for the posable monster fish in our regular lakes an rivers. I'm not going after lakers. Just nice trout an a possible fat catfish that roam Ut lake an its outlet. Yes! The jordan river. I also love to fish the weeber an the provo
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If you're using a spinning reel, try Berkley Nanofil. Amazing stuff.
Yes it's expensive, but well worth the money IMO.
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Braid is nice and does have more "feel" to it. But, it can be a pain-- hard to tie knots, hard to cut, will cut your fingers, not as resistant to abrasion.
I still stick with mono on my spinning outfits.... I only use braid if I need 40lb test or greater.
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I would think braid and a good strong fluoro leader if you're horsing those catfish out of some thick stuff... but if out in open areas where you can let the drag do the work and wear them out, than I see no need.
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I like Nanofil, it's great for spinning reels IMO but it's pretty hard to beat mono. Braid is more appropriate for casting reels and trolling outfits. I wouldn't use anything else but braid for downrigging, but that's a different ballgame. But I've got Nanofil on 2 Stradic reels and I've loved it since day one. No stretch, doesn't kink at all, casts like a dream, but it is expensive. It's also smaller diameter so you can go with a higher test if you want to. I would recommend that before using braid on a spinning outfit. But that's just me.
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I fish for all kinds of fish, and have used lots of line over the years..
For trout I like to use Nano on spinning reels it works much better then brad, but when using Nano line I like to go up in # test like from 6# to 10# and use a more limber rod cause you can rip the hooks out of trout..And I use a leader..
Bass I like to use brad on casting reels and Nano on spinning but I go up to 12# with a 15# flor. leader..
Knots can be a pain but easy if you remember one thing when tying knots if line to line with brad or Nano make three to four more raps with the Nano or brad then you did with mono or Flo..
And yes they are and do work better, but it takes time to get use to them..
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Stick with your Trilene xl, I've used it for a looong time and there is no equal all purpose line. No stretch line is over rated. If you want more power just do 10 lb xl on a rod for casting far and 12lb for all purpose from bluegill to trout to walleyes or lmb. Yes I do have a spinning rod rigged with the braid, I like to go against convention. lol. I figure out what works for me and create my own gear. That rod has 50lb braid for certain heavy cover conditions and big fish with endurance. However braid will never work well with small hooks any hooks under 2/O offset shank gamakatsu size will not set in the fish's mouth but merely pull out without ever contacting flesh. I've watched bass inhale and take the bait all the way in with a small dropshot hook, set the hook with the braid and it doesn't touch the jaw at all. It pulls out smoothly. Lost walleye on an 1/8 ounce jig on what should have been a sure thing with mono. Braid pulls the hooks out of the mouth unless the hook is big. I use braid with 2/O to 4/0 gamakatsu offset shank with big plastics, or giant spinnerbaits like the strike king midnight special. Every other occasion xl is the way to go. I like plenty stretch in the line. It helps keep fish on with steady pressure.
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How often do you replace your line? If you like to replace it at least yearly go with mono, if you want 3-4 years use braid. For me it was all about snags. I got tired of losing tackle and changing rotten line so I went braid with a mono leader and I like this set up for me. I have the nano FIL and it casts like a dream but it does funky stuff at times not sure I'm in love with it. Had a bad rat nest and it doesn't untangle well and the heavy use ends start to separate or do something funky after about six months. If you use the same reel for ice fishing braid can freeze together and can put that reel out of service. One last thing, there is a lot of difference in braids, I like the stiffer Proline type the spider wire and Cabelas stuff tangles bad at times. Just my take. Later J
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[quote SkunkedAgain]
I have the nano FIL and it casts like a dream but it does funky stuff at times not sure I'm in love with it. Had a bad rat nest and it doesn't untangle well and the heavy use ends start to separate or do something funky after about six months.
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My experience has been the same as yours. Really strange how the end starts to break down. I have also had it break on hook sets more often than other line, likely do to its no stretch and my monster hook sets.
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Yup the jury is still out for me on the Nanofil. It casts so far and nice that I love that part, but it just isn't a sturdy consistent line so for the high price I probably won't do it next time. Later J
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I use braid all the time with tiny hooks all the way down to tiny hardbaits with size 8-12 hooks on an ultralight. I rarely miss the fish. I use a moderate or moderate fast action rod, and I don't do make huge set hooks. You don't need to with braid. When you're dropshotting you just reel into the fish like you would with a circle hook. I hook almost every fish that bites on a dropshot.
Braid isn't all about power, I use it a lot in small sizes like 8lb with a 1lb diameter on spinning reels for finesse presentations. I also throw jerkbaits and topwater with it to get the best action. The small diameter allows you to bomb out huge casts, and the low stretch allows you to sense the tiniest strike at the end of a 100 foot cast and still hook the fish.
One other good thing about braid is that while expensive, it lasts much longer than mono. I change out my mono and fluoro several times during a season. Braid isn't as susceptible to twist as mono, and it is more durable. I use fluoro or mono leaders, so those take the brunt of the punishment from abrasion, but the main line remains undamaged.
One other thing to save you money if you use braid. Fill the reel partially with mono, and then attach braid for the last 60 yards.
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It appears from the replies that everyone believes in different lines for different applications.
[ul][li]All of my trolling rods have braid. 20 lb fireline crystal. I can detect the motion of any lure and it is abrasion resistant. No stretch also means that with fish like kokanee I have to use a long leader (mono with the stretch to avoid ripping the hooks from the mouth.)The one downside is that when using side planers with braid the line needs to be double wrapped around the release to prevent it slipping off due to its slick nature of the crystal. [/li][li]I use 8 lb crystal on my spinning rods because of its thin diameter it cast exceedingly well. It's breaking strength exceeds the listing and I fish from a boat giving me the ability to chase the fish if I think there is a chance of a break off. I fish for big fish like stripers, pike, tiger muskies and catfish and the braid has never let me down. No big hook sets are needed with either lures or bait provided the bait rigs use circle hooks. [/li][li]My baitcasters are filler with braid as well, using fluor or mono leaders depending on the application and water clarity.[/li][li]knot tying with braid can be problematic but the advantages justify it, in my opinion.[/li][li]I have never used nano, but intend to try it this season on my ultralights. It's hard to justify that expense when I know what to expect with crystal although it is not cheap either, but I can get through two seasons with it by turning it around on the spool. I did appreciate reading about nanos funky characteristics.[/li][li]When I fish for records I use only Ande tournament mono as it is the only line I know of that never breaks over the listed line class. If you submit a record to the IGFA and line breaks over the listing weight, you are disqualified for that line class.[/li][/ul]
So we are all different in what we prefer and use. That is good for the 100 million dollar tackle industry. It's a good topic of discussion and I appreciated reading everyone's comments,
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It's a bit like "What's better, an open end wrench or a socket?" The answer is "Yes." Unless you're using them to drive nails.
ALL lines have their place. Each is "best" at a certain thing - and lousy at another.
I've come to like braid for its strike detection and its strength-to-diameter.
I like fluoro for its reduced visibility and abrasion resistance.
I like mono for its economy, forgiving nature, and easy knot tying.
Haven't used nanofil yet.
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Braid works well for catfish but no way would I use it for trout. If you use braid you have to carry gloves and heavy duty line cutters everywhere. Then you have to deal with attaching leaders and a swivel in between the leader affects casting accuracy. Unless you know where some 30 pound browns live then braid is overkill for trout fishing on the weeb and the Provo.
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Looks like that's the issue, I use primarily med to light rods since I like the feel of them. And yes I have the hardest hook set of anyone lol. It's ingrained in me now. I will never use circle hooks ever hahaha. But even when I set the hook lightly, it still didn't do it for me. I had completely slack line after setting, after watching the hook get gulped down. The one thing I personally don't care for is to tie extra knots lol. I hate tying leaders I tie directly to the line itself. I just am impatient lol. It does last a long time for sure but braid does weird stuff, like it floats. So as a lightweight lure tries to sink, there is a little loop of slack right in front of the 1/16 oz jig for example when cast into slow river current. That loop was what caused me to miss strikes. A leader would get rid of this issue but I don't want to tie a leader lol.
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Your problems with braid are of your own doing then, not the fault of the line. It'd be like complaining that your dry flies always sink because you habitually use six split shot on the leader.
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Braid has some real positives, small diameter, castability, great strength, and great sensivity. It also has some negatives, it floats, is slick making knots difficult, and due to the small diameter, will cut into the line on the spool, creating problems. The lack of stretch can be both good and bad, good for verticle jigging, but not so good when dealing with fish with soft mouths.
I will not use braid on a casting reel due to the cutting factor and the floating aspect of the line. I am trying to learn to use fluro on my casting reels, but still prefer mono. Fluro would be an advantage as it sinks and can help with getting more depth on any given cast with a crank , spinner bait, or jig.
About the only use for braid I have is for chasing boils at Powell. I use 12lb diameter Power Pro on a couple of PTI 40 reels, to throw topwater. The small diameter, limp line gives me more distance on any given cast, important for boil chasing. The tensile strenght of the line also allows me to horse a fish in and get another cast off fairly quickly.
Every thing else is mono and possibly fluro, but I am mostly Mono. On my spin reels for drop shotting, I use 6 or 8 lb Trilene XT, bright flouro green ( can't see anything else) with a 10-12 ft. leader of 6lb fluro. All my baitcasters are spooled with 10-12 lb XT, except for the couple of reels I am experimenting with fluro. Flippin is with 20-30 XT or XL, depending on the cover. Trolling again is 10-12 lb XT.
I buy my line in 3000 yd spools and change my line 3-4 times a year, minimum. A new spool is filled with cotton twine to within about 1/8th of an inch of the lip, then line, about 50-60 yds, is spooled on to within 1/16 th of an inch. Mono can exert a great deal of pressure on a spool and actually split it if you are not careful. The cotton twine allows you to spool the line on evenly and firmly, but the twine cushions the line on the spool and prevents splitting the spool.
I have 6-8 spinning rods in the boat at any given time, along with 6-8 casting rods. Bait casters are spooled with fresh line the first time from the bottom of the spool to casting level, then when line is changed, I strip off the top 50-60 yds, tie on and refill.
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I hear you on knot tying. That is one area I really need to work on myself. Here is a really easy knot for joining a leader to braid.
http://www.anglingedge.com/angling-edge/...t#node-850
I started using it last year and had absolutely no problems with it, and it is quick and easy to tie.
There are some sinking braids coming out now, so that might be something to look into.
There are times when I still set the hook pretty hard with braid. If I'm fishing a swimbait on a weighted hook, at Texas Rig, swim jig or a frog, I'll still lay into them pretty hard. It's just treble hooked lures and drop shots that I sweep set or reel into them.
I don't really use circle hooks much either, just on the occasional catfish trip. I'm too impatient to fish bait, so I use a circle hook and leave the rod in a holder while I fish for bass with another rod. The catfish hook themselves while I keep myself occupied.
I don't use braid for everything. When I use a crankbaits and spinnerbaits I use Yo Zuri Hybrid, a mono coated in fluoro. It has less stretch than straight mono, has better abrasion resistance, and is less visible in the water.
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I think ill always keep a spool of trilene in my box he he! Its always done me good
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Thanks for the knowledge. I never thought about changing the pound test just for a differant line type.
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