Thoughts on braided line...

[PNW Sam]

So I'm pretty new to steelhead/ salmon fishing and I need some advice about line.

Besides trout stuff I have one reel, and currently one rod (North River 9ft 10-30lb), and I'm going to get another rod very soon (thinking a 7ft lighter rod for steelhead). I was planning on just swapping out my reel between the rods until I get another hundred bucks to get a second reel. My current reel is a Daiwa "Millionaire Classic" 300L (high capacity), cost 65 bucks.

The problem is that to effectively fish for nooks and steelhead I would need to swap between the 25lb mono that I have on now and a lighter line. Needless to say, that would be a pain, although it would be temporary.

So, my question is, should I just put on like 40lb braid and call it good? If so, is it required to have a mono backing? Are there any disadvantages to using braid? When I get another reel I would likely leave my current one with heavier line and put lighter line on my new one.

I would also use the reel for big carp and catfish so I would essentially be switching line 3 or 4 times a year.

Thanks for the help guys! :lol:

 

[RunWithSasquatch]

40lb braid would work awesome for what you want!

I will add that in the long run, you probably wont be happy with a 7' rod for salmon or steelhead, a bit on the short side.

Only disadvantage is if you havent fished with it, there is a small learning curve.

Not horrible. Generally need a few new knots in your arsenal, hook sets, and drags have to be softer because there isn't any stretch in the braid and you can pop leaders. Tip wrap.

Usually people have a hard time with it at first, and dont like it. Once you warm up to braid, its awesome.

 

[PNW Sam]

Alright man, thanks! I'll probably go ahead and use braid. But do I need a mono backing? I've heard conflicting opinions about this.

I'm getting the 7 footer because the 9 can be a real hassle to cast around trees and brush.

 

[JeannaJigs]

Alright man, thanks! I'll probably go ahead and use braid. But do I need a mono backing? I've heard conflicting opinions about this.

I'm getting the 7 footer because the 9 can be a real hassle to cast around trees and brush.

Yes. Braid will dig in and slip around your spool. Mono gives it a buffer and it digs into the mono instead of slipping

 

[fish4life]

I would say it also depends on how you are fishing. I will only use braid for boat and float fishing I would not use it for drift fishing. One problem with the lighter # braids is that it will want to cut down in the spool. Also the line needs to be put very tight onto the spool or you will have nothing but problems. Another cure for your problem would be to see if you could get a spare spool for your reel. I would call fishermans marine or check out ebay.

 

[PNW Sam]

I would be float fishing and throwing some lures for sure, probably not drifting. My reel is a levelwind and I don't think I can get a spare spool. I wouldn't be in a boat at all.

I was thinking probably 50 pound braid maybe... Just went to Wholesale and couldn't believe how thin 40 pound was. Would 50 be good? Or should I go with 40, or something heavier? Or stick to mono and switch it out? I just want to get this right the first time lol.

I already have 25 pound mono on, so I'm assuming I could use that as backing if I went with braid, otherwise I would have to strip it all and put on lighter mono before December.

 

[mikeredding]

I run 30# braid on all of my baitcasters with no mono backing. I put a wrap of electrical tape on the spool before putting on the line and have no slipping problems and rarely have any digging.

 

[hookbait]

I switched to braid just before trout season this year and have love it. On spin gear I'm strictly a hardware guy (spinners) so if you drift, use bobbers, etc your results may vary.

So from the spinner point of view here's what I have to say.

1. I have only lost one spinner since I switched. The one I lost was a miscast that ended up in a shrub on the other bank. The stick the lure was wrapped around ended up having a higher pound test than my 20lb braid. As for rock snags in the rivers, I've been able to pull them all off. Sometimes the hook gets straightened but I make my spinners and replacing the hook and wire is no big deal. Most of the time I just bend the hook back, hit it with the whet stone and start fishing again. I tie directly to the braid by the way. On more natural presentations you couldn't get away with this because of the braid visibility. However, on spinners it's not as much of an issue. Fish: Ooo flashy, shinny mystery. Wait there's something attached to it. Oooh but the flashy intrigue, it's getting away! Nom.

2. I'm sure you've heard it before but braid is super sensitive. I set the hook on a number of leaves before I got the hang of it. Which if you've been using mono on a medium action rod equals a spinner rocketing out of the water and toward your face at an alarming speed.

3. A lighter touch is required. I'm sure I yanked the spinner clean out of the first few poor fish to hit my spinners after the switch. Refer back to item two above. This goes for the drag as well.

4. Even after fishing for the last 6 months tied directly to spinners I don't have line twist. The braid casts just as far and as smooth as the first time I let it fly.

A few words of caution. It will cut you. I have been for the most part very careful with it. When I need to pull it off a snag, I reel in tight, point the rod at the snag, palm the spool and pull. Once the stuff is under tension it's like piano wire. To drive the point home, I recently had to release a coho hen. I thought she was calm enough that I could remove the hook and grabbed the line after I set my pole down. Sure enough she decided to give it one more go and the line neatly sliced a reminder into my index finger.

Hope this helps.

 

[eat, sleep, fish]

40lb braid would work awesome for what you want!

I will add that in the long run, you probably wont be happy with a 7' rod for salmon or steelhead, a bit on the short side.

Only disadvantage is if you havent fished with it, there is a small learning curve.

Not horrible. Generally need a few new knots in your arsenal, hook sets, and drags have to be softer because there isn't any stretch in the braid and you can pop leaders. Tip wrap.

Usually people have a hard time with it at first, and dont like it. Once you warm up to braid, its awesome.

That's pretty much spot on.

I highly recommend Power Pro and you could use either 40lb or 30. I use 30lb for both salmon and steelhead.

It will take a bit to get used to, but once you do you'll never understand why you didn't switch earlier. The only thing I still don't like about it is how it seems to miraculously tie itself into knots, and the occasional tip wrap.

I recommend not using a mono buffer, because the knot to connect the two can often times catch the line when it's going out. That really becomes a pain when float fishing. Just wrap it a few extra times around the spool before you tie your knot, and you should be good to go. When you're spooling it on be sure to keep plenty of pressure on the line otherwise it will want to dig into itself anytime you fight a fish or get snagged.

Many people may tell you to not use it when drift fishing, but I think that is where it really shines. The extra sensitivity, and lack of stretch have really helped me hook into more fish. I've tried using my friends rigs with mono, and can't do it for more than a cast. Just be sure to check the last couple feet of line regularly so you don't leave it in the river on a snag.

 

[RunWithSasquatch]

Many people may tell you to not use it when drift fishing, but I think that is where it really shines. The extra sensitivity, and lack of stretch have really helped me hook into more fish. I've tried using my friends rigs with mono, and can't do it for more than a cast. Just be sure to check the last couple feet of line regularly so you don't leave it in the river on a snag.

I also love drift fishing with braid... infact... I dont own a rod reel setup that doesn't have braid on it.

 

[mikeredding]

the occasional tip wrap.

And this can vary depending on the rod. I have some rods that never get tip wrap and a Lami that wraps every single time I bring my gear out of the water. I believe it is the design of the tip eye. Very frustrating.

 

[mikeredding]

I also love drift fishing with braid... infact... I dont own a rod reel setup that doesn't have braid on it.

Same here for the most part. I do have two ultra light spinning rods with 4# mono. Everything else is braid.

 

[PNW Sam]

Thanks for all the help and info guys! I think my decision is made.

Now I'll be able to easily fish pretty much everything with two rods and one reel (for now anyway). I can't thank everyone on here enough for all the great info and help.

 

[mikeredding]

You are welcome and will be very happy withe braid once you get used to it.

 

[PNW Sam]

Ok one last question!

Does the color that I get matter? "Moss Green" vs. Yellow vs. Red. I would kinda like the yellow or red, but does it spook the fish? I would be using a swivel and leader anyway as opposed to tying straight to the mainline. Also, since it is a solid line and not at all transparent, can they see the green color just as well as yellow, or does yellow stand out to them more?

Thanks guys.

 

[mikeredding]

I have the moss green on all of mine but one and it is yellow. I really haven't noticed any difference.

 

[hookbait]

Honestly, if I had the extra cash and another spool for my reel, I would try one of the colors directly tied to the spinner with my gear and see how it does. Not that I'm recommending it, but I am curious just how much difference the line color would make on spinner presentation.

 

[RunWithSasquatch]

I would say that it makes me uncomfortable when steelhead fishing to get hi viz line to close to my presentation. Not saying that it has to be 20' away all the time either.

Depending on the technique, I see NO reason not to distance the braid from your presentation, often times all it requires is a swivel, or a single knot to tie on a preleader.

Example would be if I was spinner fishing for steelhead and I had hi viz braid, I would conjoin the braid and a 10 or 12lb preleader mono of 6' or so to the spinner.

I use a Double-Uni knot, but there are others out there that would work also.

I will also say that I prefer hi viz braid for the reason that a lot of times that I fish, in more technique than one, it helps me understand what you presentation is doing if I can trace the line to the water to see where it is at.

Just my opinion.

http://www.netknots.com/html/double_uni_knot.html

 

[hookbait]

RWS great points.

Also, I want to be florocarbon clear here. I am not recommending any one try what I was thinking about, unless they have the cash to burn and a burning curiosity. Myself, I've got the curiosity but not the cash. Since I've been thinking about it, I've developed a desire to fly fish. Since I have a DIY type personality that means fly tie'n too. With this in mind I can't help but think that the price of new braid and extra spool is roughly equal to a fly vise.

The curiosity is driven by a couple things. First, I can see a definite benefit to hi-vis braid. When it's kinda dim and you are working with the green braid it's difficult to keep an eye on the line. It's even harder when you're using polarized shades. Second, my casting style doesn't work with a swivel. I'm most comfortable and accurate if I only have about 8" to a foot of line hanging when I cast. Third, I'm a fan of simple, so a knotted on leader with extra leader to carry around is added complexity.

Someday curiosity will win and I'll let you all know how it goes.