Fishing Line

[Machias]

Can we have a discussion about fishing line, in particular braided line and fluorocarbon? I haven't fished nearly as much as I have wanted to for the past 5 years.  Getting back into it and it's like a whole new world has evolved.  I've never used anything other than Trilene mono, I've been doing some research on braids and I'm leaning towards Sufix 832.  I would like some opinions on weight and color and other brands to consider.  If you use or recommend a different brand, can you also say what poundage and color you like.  Thanks!!

[GWP]

I have and use all of them.
Pounds depends on what fishing you are doing, type will depend on same plus depending on casting or spinning equipment also. Both mono and braid have advantages and disadvantages.
I tend to run multi color braid with a leader most of the time, but there again, ‘it depends’. I rarely use floro but do have a pole rigged with it.
Brand, I think, is more of a ‘personal’ decision than anything else, but saying that, I had a cheap brand of braid that was a ‘screaming deal’ that started getting weak within a few years.

[Machias]

Bass in clear water, what brand and color braid?

Pike in clear(ish) water.  Anyone use Knot 2 Kinky leader material for pike?  Looks like awesome material for pike.

Salmon and big trout when trolling?

[ASHQUACK]

I'll start by saying I'm not a bass fisherman. But I have a ton of experience with braid. I use 20# Maxima ultragreen for side drifting steelhead, 40# ultragreen for trolling b10 for salmon as well as the salt. When I sturgeon fish I run 100# ultragreen . I will say that it takes some learning as there is no stretch in braid, as in none. I also never run braid to my set ups, there's always a mono bumper of some sort.

[wadu1]

I use 10lb green or chartreuse. Know your knots and braided line can damage guides. 

[Machias]

I use 10lb green or chartreuse. Know your knots and braided line can damage guides. 

Well that's a bit scary!   

[Fidelk]

A few basic comments on fishing the bottom at different depths. I've fished off the No. Cali coast (300-400 feet) and used 40 lb. mono. I've fished out of La Push with Randy Lato at Allways (600-700 feet) and used 80 lb. braided line. Fishing at 300-400 feet, it was all about "feeling the bottom" because you needed to be on the bottom to catch fish but also needed to just let it bump the bottom or you could easily snag. When I heard how deep we would be fishing out of La Push, I thought that feeling the bottom was going to be difficult. Not so......I was amazed at the feel the braided line provided at double the depth.

[Machias]

I've read it has excellent sensitivity!

[2MANY]

I love braid and run it exclusively on our reels for salmon, steelhead, trout, bass.
I do run a short section of fluorocarbon on the end for a shock buffer and ease of knot tying.
Has anyone mentioned to you to watch your fingers yet?? Braid slices skin easily.

I personally haven't had any issues with guides.

Shoot me a PM if you wanna talk.
I could help you out but hate typing.

[30.06]

I switched over to braid except for a few rods. I did have braid damage guides on a cheap rod. I generally run Power Pro Moss Green. 30# casts easy but digs into the hand horribly, and is very difficult to untangle. Also tends to wrap the tip top worse. 50 is a good all around choice for bass. I use 65 for saltwater trolling, 80 for deep water bottomfishing. Being hung to the bottom in current sucks, I use a real smooth round piece of wood to free snags. Wrapping on a cleat works if unable to pull loose by hand.

 Once you get used to the sensitivity, it's tough to go back to mono. Downsides are knot slippage and it can break easily once frayed. The lack of stretch does makes it more likely to pull hooks out of fish. There is a learning curve, but light bites are way more obvious. I always use a short mono leader. Straight braid is fine for bass unless you are finesse fishing. The coating wears off of braid but it does not degrade in sunlight like mono. It also won't cut with most nippers, so good scissors or sidecutters are a must. I check knots by pulling really hard with the end hooked on to something. I have seen knots in braid slip under heavy strain. It also needs to be wound on a reel spool much tighter than mono, otherwise the line can dig deeply into the lower layers under heavy tension.

 Sufix 8-32 is the best braid I have used. The smoothness of an 8 strand is easier on the guides and your fingers. Worth the extra dollars. High vis or white definitely has it's place. Can be nice to know right where your line is at.
 Just starting to use Fluoro for some leaders. It sinks where most mono floats. It's clearer but I still prefer Maxima UltraGreen for spinning reels, Chameleon for conventional reels. Not a thing wrong with Trilene. It does generally break well above the rated strength and has a great coating.

Braid can cut mono if they get wrapped together. So it's better if everyone on the boat is using the same type of line. I also see really long broken sections of braid around our waters. Lasts a long time and not good for our feathered friends. Lots of trade offs. A buddy started using braid before I did, but ended up switching back to Trilene. I still have a rod rigged with mono for each application in case I am fishing with someone who does not use braid. I have used braid for a leader and did not notice a decrease in action.

Braid used to be called Dacron. The difference is the new kevlar stuff doesn't rot, has a powdered coating to be smooth and that is also how it is colored. Avoid the cheaper braid as it is very rough and can damage your rod and reel while making China wealthier. Mono is stiff and has memory. Braid is floppy but can knot up in mid air on the next cast if not wound somewhat tight on the retrieve. Some people think it is best to have at least a few turns of mono on a bare spool before winding on the braid. Tight Lines!

[wadu1]

I use 10lb green or chartreuse. Know your knots and braided line can damage guides.

I should note; damage was done on older Fenwick rods and the bail on a Mitchell Garcia 300. My old school gear.

[jackelope]

I've got my 2 spinning rods/reels for my boundary waters trip this fall spooled with braid. I've got my lighter action setup full of 15# with an 8# flouro leader section that's 4-ish feet long.  The heavier setup if full of 20# braid with a 10# length of flouro leader on that one. The guys at Outdoor Emporium said not to worry about mono on the spool before the braid. Lighter rod for walleye and bass and the heavier setup for pike and lakers.

Also taking my 8 weight fly rod...
 
I've been pretty much only fly fishing for the last several years and can totally understand what you're saying when you say it's a whole new world gear wise than it was 5-10 years ago. 

[Machias]

I love braid and run it exclusively on our reels for salmon, steelhead, trout, bass.
I do run a short section of fluorocarbon on the end for a shock buffer and ease of knot tying.
Has anyone mentioned to you to watch your fingers yet?? Braid slices skin easily.

I personally haven't had any issues with guides.

Shoot me a PM if you wanna talk.
I could help you out but hate typing.

No, I had not heard that it could cut fingers.  Thanks for the heads up!!!  We'll have to chat, Thanks!

[Machias]

GREAT info 30.06!  Thanks

[Machias]

I've been pretty much only fly fishing for the last several years and can totally understand what you're saying when you say it's a whole new world gear wise than it was 5-10 years ago. 

I fell like dude, have you ever fished before? 

[Jake Dogfish]

I went through a braid phase, but have switched back to mono for most things.  I do a lot of light fishing and squidding and I like mono or flouro for that.  Still use braid for most heavier stuff.

[birdshooter1189]

I went through a braid phase, but have switched back to mono for most things.  I do a lot of light fishing and squidding and I like mono or flouro for that.  Still use braid for most heavier stuff.

Same here.

[Okanagan]

Good info re braid.  I will add two comments.

As noted above, braid is hard to untangle if backlashed.  I keep a couple of small crochet needles in my take along fishing gear, inside a plastic toothbrush holder. They are EXCELLENT for untangling a backlash.

The reason for a few tight wraps of mono on the spool arbor before putting on braid is that braid is so slick that it can fail to grip the spool.  If not super secure to the arbor the whole spool of line can slip and turn on the reel.  A wrap of tape or most anything to make the line grip the center arbor can also work.

[MeepDog]

I run braid on my walleye set ups, but I'm really on the fence if its necessary to use a leader. I know their eyes are good but their brains aren't as spooky like a bass. It's a bit of a nuisance because you're almost always gonna break the leader off on a snag, but with braid you can sometimes bend the hook out.

[GASoline71]

Don't fish for Bass on purpose, so anytime I catch one it's incidental. 

Fishing for Walleye, I use 30# braid and a 12 ft to 15 ft bumper of 15# mono tied together using 2 uni-knots bumped together.

The only salmon I use fluro for in the salt are Kings, as they can be finicky as h3ll (line shy), and I use 30# 40" fluro leaders. Tieing big line fluro leaders sucks as it's extrememly stiff.  Make sure you wet your knots extrememly well when tieing. Main line is 30lb or 40lb mono.  Coho and Pinks and Chum are aggressive and not finicky or line shy at all so I use the same mono in 20# for leaders and 30# mainline

For Steelhead I'll use anywhere from 12# to 18# mono main line or 25# braid, and use fluro leaders exclusively.  Ranging from 8# to 15# leaders.

Plain ol' Rainbow Trout I just use mono main line and mono leaders.  Depending on the lake and the size of the trout I'm after will determine the size I use.  But for most standard stocked lakes trout, I'll use 6lb or 8lb main line and a 6lb leader.

For pretty much all my fishing line, whether braid, mono, or fluro, I use P-line and have always had good luck with it.

It was mentioned above that braid can cut you.  I can attest to that when I grabbed a main line that was braid to help the wife horse in a descent sized Walleye and as it slid through my hand, it cut deep right into 3 of my fingers.  Even though I got the cuts cleaned out pretty fast, they still became infected and were very painful after about a week.  Ended up having to go in and have them drained and was put on anti-biotics to combat the infection.

Gary

[Machias]

It was mentioned above that braid can cut you.  I can attest to that when I grabbed a main line that was braid to help the wife horse in a descent sized Walleye and as it slid through my hand, it cut deep right into 3 of my fingers.  Even though I got the cuts cleaned out pretty fast, they still became infected and were very painful after about a week.  Ended up having to go in and have them drained and was put on anti-biotics to combat the infection.

Gary

Ouch!!!   

[jackelope]

Do the 2 uni knots pass through the guides pretty well?

[fishngamereaper]

Do the 2 uni knots pass through the guides pretty well?

Yes

I only use straight braid for halibut. We use braid for tuna but we topshot 10-12' of mono for some stretch and easy knot tieing..
Everything else is Berkely big game...weight varies by species.
I like some stretch in my line and it's more abrasion resistant. Braid is a pia in most cases..

[2MANY]

There is a way easier knot than the double uni knot.

[jackelope]

There is a way easier knot than the double uni knot.

I’ve been going with the Alberto.

[bearpaw]

Bass in clear water, what brand and color braid?

Pike in clear(ish) water.  Anyone use Knot 2 Kinky leader material for pike?  Looks like awesome material for pike.

Salmon and big trout when trolling?

@bassquatch might have some good recommendations

[jackelope]

Bass in clear water, what brand and color braid?

Pike in clear(ish) water.  Anyone use Knot 2 Kinky leader material for pike?  Looks like awesome material for pike.

Salmon and big trout when trolling?

I’ll be using Rio tie-able wire on my fly rod for pike. I’m told it’s the bees knees. I got 20 pound, but they make it in 30 and 40 pound as well.

[GWP]

There is a way easier knot than the double uni knot.

With my old hands not working as well as they used to I got one of those little metal tools with built in clippers, a hook file, and the curved metal uni knot tying contraption.
Works good even when it is rough out. Tie the braid part first and stick the stiffer mono through after.

I have had the best luck with a double uni for connecting, and have gotten to where I only use a few knots any more for most everything.
Single and double uni, surgeons knot, snell (single uni but wrapped on the hook) Palomar, dropper loop.

I had access to a good strain gauge and time to play with fishing knots at one point when I was working. Some of the more involved knots were quite finicky about how the line laid in the knot to have them be strong. I played with line from 4 to 40 lbs, braid, mono and floro.

There are plenty of knot testing vids on the 'interwebs' also. My testing was in line with theirs for the most part. fun stuff.

[Machias]

Bass in clear water, what brand and color braid?

Pike in clear(ish) water.  Anyone use Knot 2 Kinky leader material for pike?  Looks like awesome material for pike.

Salmon and big trout when trolling?

I’ll be using Rio tie-able wire on my fly rod for pike. I’m told it’s the bees knees. I got 20 pound, but they make it in 30 and 40 pound as well.

I will check that out, thanks!!!

[savagehunter]

I use 10 lb test proline which has the diameter of a 2lb mono.
I fish mostly clear water with rubber and have caught literally thousands of bass. I fish exclusively spinning and other than occasionally letting it drift behind the boat to eliminate twist very rarely have a wind knot or some other tangle problem. I also use it fishing spinners and drifting bait. I love it not cheap but lasts a long time on the reel. Leader it if you want but I catch a lot of big smallmouth and largemouth with Texas rigged Yamamoto grubs and drop shot. Wacky rigged senkos never feel like the fish are ever line shy. I only use the green.

[savagehunter]

One other thing it is very tough to cut so I always burn the tag end.

[birdshooter1189]

I use 10 lb test proline which has the diameter of a 2lb mono.
I fish mostly clear water with rubber and have caught literally thousands of bass. I fish exclusively spinning and other than occasionally letting it drift behind the boat to eliminate twist very rarely have a wind knot or some other tangle problem. I also use it fishing spinners and drifting bait. I love it not cheap but lasts a long time on the reel. Leader it if you want but I catch a lot of big smallmouth and largemouth with Texas rigged Yamamoto grubs and drop shot. Wacky rigged senkos never feel like the fish are ever line shy. I only use the green.

I've had very similar results with 10 lb powerpro braid, or spiderwire braid. 

I've used straight 10lb braid for trout fishing before with spinners. Now I gravitate towards straight 6lb test mono for trout/perch/bluegill.  I run 10-20lb straight braid on several bass fishing rods.

When using braid I usually tie a surgeons loop know with about a 2" diameter loop.  It's easy and it holds.  I then run that loop through the eye of the hook and loop it over the hook to make a ring hitch knot.  Sometimes other knots have slipped and pulled out for me using braid. This knot combo has never slipped on me.  And with a bit of finesse I can loosen the ring hitch and swap lures without having to cut my line and re-tie the surgeon's loop.