Braid Lines - Why Use 50+lb

[Boban]

I've noticed that many members insist on using braid of the same diameter as the mono that the reel was rated for. I must ask why?

I've got my Kingfish/Coral Trout setup (Torsa) with 80Lb so I can stop them. That's not an issue because they don't fight fair.

But if you can put 20Lb braid on your bottom fishing outfit for example, and have the advantage of less drag in the water and therefore less weight required to hold the bottom, why up the size of the braid just because you can.

The same can apply to almost any other setup for species that wont readily pull you into snags.

Casting distance is another important factor

For mine, if you fished 10Kg mono, then you would be nuts to lose the benefit of the lower diameter of braided lines. Try it and see what I mean

Just my thoughts. I'd like to read your thoughts on the matter.

[Nolongeramember]

Well I use 6Lb on my 2500 and 14Lb on the 4000. I dont know if thats more than what there rated for?

Some people put more than what there reels are rated for because these days people are using small size reels to do the job of a big reel for the very reason that they can fit enough of a heavier line.

[gone_wishin]

Who says people are going bigger to match the line diameter? I think they may be the minority.

I use the best line (breaking strain) for the application and braid gives me the smaller line diameter for less resistance.

eg: for Sp's I use 6lb braid, bottom bashing 20lb braid, my kingie outfit 50lb braid.

These line classes (not diameter) are usually in the middle range of the reels I'm using.

Edited September 4, 2007 by gone_wishin

[Boban]

Who says people are going bigger to match the line diameter? I think they may be the minority.

Just what I've read and that's what prompted me to start the thread.

I do as you do but a little lighter for the SP's.

[johnno]

Boban

I think it a great question

This my take on the whole thing

i think people use there combos as a multi use combos (more then one species)

also after Netic's Braid test with low breaking points on braid.this may result in increasing your mainline size which you get a better breaking point. IE 50lb breaks around 14kg then 80lb breaks around 22kg mark

These are examples only

I also wondered why people (not everyone) example run 30lbor even 20lb on a calcutta when it can only put out around 6kg approx max drag.Yes i am guilty of it also,But i think it comes back to knot strength.

Also i have thought to myself are we angling or poling fish out of the water.

There are takes on both sides.

If a fish comes up quicker you can release with less stress or do we put to much stress on the fish by doing this.

Or If we play the fish for Double the time and release it,is it then to stuffed to recover but it isn,t going as nuts as it would

[TheDiko]

Who says people are going bigger to match the line diameter? I think they may be the minority.

I use the best line (breaking strain) for the application and braid gives me the smaller line diameter for less resistance.

eg: for Sp's I use 6lb braid, bottom bashing 20lb braid, my kingie outfit 50lb braid.

These line classes (not diameter) are usually in the middle range of the reels I'm using.

I totally agree I would never go heavier than I needed to just because I can use the same diameter as I would mono. Takes away the advantage of braid.

Plastic work for me = 4,6,8,10lb

Then progresses heavier as the need for heavier lines increase.

IFS

[gretsch]

Personally, I use what ever is on special.

Just joking... It should always be about the breaking strain although, I reckon some braid breaks way beyond it's advertised rating.

[jewgaffer]

I've noticed that many members insist on using braid of the same diameter as the mono that the reel was rated for. I must ask why?

I've got my Kingfish/Coral Trout setup (Torsa) with 80Lb so I can stop them. That's not an issue because they don't fight fair.

But if you can put 20Lb braid on your bottom fishing outfit for example, and have the advantage of less drag in the water and therefore less weight required to hold the bottom, why up the size of the braid just because you can.

The same can apply to almost any other setup for species that wont readily pull you into snags.

Casting distance is another important factor

For mine, if you fished 10Kg mono, then you would be nuts to lose the benefit of the lower diameter of braided lines. Try it and see what I mean

Just my thoughts. I'd like to read your thoughts on the matter.

Hi Mitch as you know I use 80lb braid in deep estuaries etc as do my friends in Ballina and Qld.

80lb braid has the diameter of only 18lb mono and being lighter and somewhat porous does not bloom out in the pull anywhere near as much as mono. The old brigade used 50lb mono for jew on 6"-7 alveys way back when I was a kid and any less then that you were just waiting to loose a fish on bigger hooks and baits one way or other.

A mate of my wife Shirl and myself from Kingscliff, jakjayno1 used 50lb sufix braid on the 21.8 kilo Giant Trevally he pulled out of the Tweed river on a gold bomber lure. And if you ever get the chance to see Jay in action on any fish you can think of you soon find out he knows what it's all about.

The reason I use 80lb and 3/4 drag is that, I get into shark country at times and getting break offs one way or other gives me the heebee jeebees, before identifying the fish.

As to soft plastics I have most of my rods set up with 8lb-20lb braid, but mostly use hardbodies or swim live baits and I won't use artificials when I need to dig out fish, except when I load up big squiges on snapper leads and pakula squid bottom jigging lures with fish tails hanging out of them etc., in among the other baits.

The way lure technology is advancing, they will soon have a three course fish dinner inside of disposable soft plastic like a hi tech seafood soup or a synthetic stew with squid and yellowtail gravy and tasty suicide hooks

Technology is certainly not marking time or going backwards, it's advancing rapidly with competition and marketting is filling their pockets and improving our fishing more than ever.

Not all that long ago, when you think of it, they used to catch fish by stunning them with a rock.

Regards

jewgaffer

[davester28]

Some people put more than what there reels are rated for because these days people are using small size reels to do the job of a big reel for the very reason that they can fit enough of a heavier line.

I think this is very true. It's not so much people increasing the diameter of the line to match the reel, rather downsizing the reel to match the line.

Take an example - snapper fishing with plastics. You can get away with fishing 2500 to 4000 sized reels and 15 - 20 lb braid, instead of 6000 and 8000 sized reels with 20 lb mono.

[Assassin]

I think its simple, we are not gifted enough to predict what type or size of fish is going to woof down the bait, so running a larger class of line may one day help in landing that fish of a life time.

I would personally prefer to be outfitted with a larger line class and have that option of winding my drag up should the dream fish pass by, rather than kicking myself after the fact and get spooled.

Every rod reel combo has its line limitations, but with technology we can now up the anty with our line classes.

This does not mean that i would skull drag every fish i catch to the boat, my drag is set accordingly to the species i am targeting.

Cheers

Adam

[Frantic]

I myself wouldnt want to be using Braid of any sort off the rocks especially when a 15 to 20kg JEW gets

a hold of it, and its not a matter of using braid as your main line then heavy mono for leader unless your

leader is about 200 metres long as they seem to go sideways and never straight out to see unlike spainards

or tuna

craig

[jewgaffer]

I myself wouldnt want to be using Braid of any sort off the rocks especially when a 15 to 20kg JEW gets

a hold of it, and its not a matter of using braid as your main line then heavy mono for leader unless your

leader is about 200 metres long as they seem to go sideways and never straight out to see unlike spainards

or tuna

craig

That's helpful info for new fishos and younger members who may think braid is the best fishng line for all situations.

Frantic I think this may also help. Braid was not designed or intended by the manufacturers to be used in rocky situations.

Cheers

jewgaffer

[macka17]

I think its simple, we are not gifted enough to predict what type or size of fish is going to woof down the bait, so running a larger class of line may one day help in landing that fish of a life time.

I would personally prefer to be outfitted with a larger line class and have that option of winding my drag up should the dream fish pass by, rather than kicking myself after the fact and get spooled.

Every rod reel combo has its line limitations, but with technology we can now up the anty with our line classes.

This does not mean that i would skull drag every fish i catch to the boat, my drag is set accordingly to the species i am targeting.

Cheers

Adam

Up here we don't know what we going to get on end.

I use 30lb braid on my eggbeaters and small o/Heads for on reason I have trouble tying skinnier braid.. 50 lb on my Baitcasters in dams and creeks. for Jacks and barra in the sticks. and 80lb on my serious rigs. cause we get up to 80lb Cobia and Spanno's. Plus Marlin. and all the reef fish.

Jeez. It's a hard life being retired in Queensland... So little to do. Ha Ha

Macka17

[Assassin]

Up here we don't know what we going to get on end.

I use 30lb braid on my eggbeaters and small o/Heads for on reason I have trouble tying skinnier braid.. 50 lb on my Baitcasters in dams and creeks. for Jacks and barra in the sticks. and 80lb on my serious rigs. cause we get up to 80lb Cobia and Spanno's. Plus Marlin. and all the reef fish.

Jeez. It's a hard life being retired in Queensland... So little to do. Ha Ha

Macka17

Sounds like your enjoying retirement Macka....and so you should after all those hard years of working.

tight lines

Adam

[jewgaffer]

Up here we don't know what we going to get on end.

I use 30lb braid on my eggbeaters and small o/Heads for on reason I have trouble tying skinnier braid.. 50 lb on my Baitcasters in dams and creeks. for Jacks and barra in the sticks. and 80lb on my serious rigs. cause we get up to 80lb Cobia and Spanno's. Plus Marlin. and all the reef fish.

Jeez. It's a hard life being retired in Queensland... So little to do. Ha Ha

Macka17

QUOTE macca17

"Up here we don't know what we going to get on end.

I use 30lb braid on my eggbeaters and small o/Heads for on reason I have trouble tying skinnier braid......

.....It's a hard life being retired in Queensland... So little to do. Ha Ha"

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Hi macca. Your gear obviously says it all from experience. I'd up the eggbeaters and o/hds to save losing out during dayime naps in some of the spots up there......

Cheers macka, have a fabulous time in retirement, and be sure to adjust the drag to suit your hammock, old mate.

jewgaffer

JAY COTTRELL, 21.8 KILO GIANT TREVALLY JAKJAYNO1 CAPTURED JULY 07 IN THE TWEED RIVER... attachmentid=20530]

i have started a new topic based on a previous question asked by flattieman for the benefit of others and i have done so in order to emphasize the importance of using the appropriate gear and tackle as was used by jay and quite rightly so in targetting this species of predator fish in environments where bigger specimens are likely to be present...

...when he caught this giant trevally jay went out to target trevally on that day in particular on hard body lures and knew precisely when and where he would catch them...

....try as much as you like on hardbodies or plastics and you won't get results unless you know firstly the actual conditions and secondly the likely feeding habits of the particular species you are targetting on the day

jewgaffer

GOLD BOMBER LONG A

Macka I tried to edit this section and post photos from my original topic in case you han't seen Jay's 21.8 kilo Giant Trevally, but can't seem to get them on here, so check out the photos on my members topics link.

Thanks

jewgaffer

Edited September 7, 2007 by jewgaffer