There has been a lot of speculation whether braid could replace mono as a mainline on either multipliers or spinning reels.
I started fishing braid way back in the 1990's to be exact 1991. I was in the United States, while watching the fishing boats coming off the water at Lake Michigan noticed this line (braid) on some of the anglers reels.
I asked some of the anglers about it and that was how I came to know braid.
Now not exactly braid but more FIRELINE. This being a DYNEEMA LINE and not a WOVEN LINE.
DYNEEMA --- fused together
BRAID --- woven together
I bought some "braid" there as I could not recall seeing it anywhere in SA.
Long story short, I have never fished any other line since.
(I must add, only used for edibles as mainline, but as backing when fishing for sharks)
Here are a couple of things ( my opinion ) what you should do to make your braid experience good.
Multipliers first:
Dont think that because braid is so strong that you can now fish with ultra thin line. This is where most guys make the mistake by thinking " I have 30lbs line on my reel and then let me buy BRAID with the same LBS." You end up with the same breaking strain but with a dia 3 x thinner.
Now you end up with the top layer of line biting into the bottom layer. You cast - the smallest of overwind and braid snaps -- That thin dia cannot handle the friction and heat caused by the lines overlapping with an overwind, and simply burns off.
Between the bricks, even with a leader the smallest of nick, and next strike--- snapped. Nothing wrong with the line--( thinner line-- less body for protection )
Using to thin line creates the best of crowsnest you can think of, as explained above the thin line will snap--now it snaps and buries the point between the bottom layers ( HAPPY FISHING )
My suggestion: Your top casting section of your braid should not be to thin.( if you are adamant in wanting more line on the reel, use thin dia for backing ) Dont scale down from .50 mono to.18 or .2mm braid. Scale down to between .30mm and.36mm. This dia has much the same CASTING characteristics as the mono you are used to.
The cast, the overwind, the pull on the rod will be much of a muchness. BUT still has all the feel and directness of braid.
Also when striking you move your rod tip so little guys around you dont even see the strike.
The reason being, that mono stretches as much as 10% -so you cast 80m you have 8m of stretch. Your rod is 3m, if you level it and strike it up 90 deg.
Braid does not stretch-- so if you have the same action you will actually move your bait 3m, and also strike the hook out of the fishes mouth.
Small jerk on the rod is enough to set the hook 30 to 50cm.
Braid as backing (braid on bottom and mono on top) for shark fishing gives you the advantage of getting more line (meters) on a reel as you could go for a very thin dia as you will not be casting it. The same strength or more as your mainline (mono) only much thinner.
Spinning reel
Here you can go for a much thinner line as your chance of throwing a overwind is 0.
However you get wind knots. That means the line is leaving the spool faster than what your weight is travelling away from your rod.
Some reasons for windknots--
Spool to full, line not wound tightly, weight to small to match rod, first and second eye of rod not big enough compared to dia of spool, leader knot to large and slowing down between eyes ( much the same as weight vs rod spec )
Now to overcome these windknots is very simple, and this I learned from freshwater angling where you sometimes fish with 8 to 10 lbs line ( even thinner ) in high winds.
When casting you know you use your index finger to hook the line and then release it with the cast. Now use the same hand/finger after you release the line and place this finger on the side of the spool-the line now exits between the spool and your finger. You have the same effect as with a multiplier -- You now keep a slight tension on the line-just enough needed to stop a windknot from forming.
"dont ever use braid, if you want to keep your fingers"
All I reply here is that I have been fishing with braid even before it became available in SA and have NEVER had a cut finger. That also doesn't mean it cannot happen.
You will get the same burn on the thumb as with dry mono if you apply to much pressure. You know that bad or scew cast and you want to stop everything in mid-air. DONT DO IT!!
Braid just like mono also gets " wet " after awhile and becomes more easy to handle.
Its also even better for casting when it becomes quiet soft.
Price wise you cannot compare braid with mono, braid is easily 3 x more expensive BUT on the other hand lasts MUCH,MUCH longer. I have braid on some reels that is older than 5 years and still 100%.
I however reversed the line on the reel after approx 2 years.
It gets some getting used to, and dont think you are going to go the braid way and cast a mile further than you were with mono. You will have to practise a little to get the tension right on the reel and only then, I am sure you will better your mono distance.
Hope this helps
I started fishing braid way back in the 1990's to be exact 1991. I was in the United States, while watching the fishing boats coming off the water at Lake Michigan noticed this line (braid) on some of the anglers reels.
I asked some of the anglers about it and that was how I came to know braid.
Now not exactly braid but more FIRELINE. This being a DYNEEMA LINE and not a WOVEN LINE.
DYNEEMA --- fused together
BRAID --- woven together
I bought some "braid" there as I could not recall seeing it anywhere in SA.
Long story short, I have never fished any other line since.
(I must add, only used for edibles as mainline, but as backing when fishing for sharks)
Here are a couple of things ( my opinion ) what you should do to make your braid experience good.
Multipliers first:
Dont think that because braid is so strong that you can now fish with ultra thin line. This is where most guys make the mistake by thinking " I have 30lbs line on my reel and then let me buy BRAID with the same LBS." You end up with the same breaking strain but with a dia 3 x thinner.
Now you end up with the top layer of line biting into the bottom layer. You cast - the smallest of overwind and braid snaps -- That thin dia cannot handle the friction and heat caused by the lines overlapping with an overwind, and simply burns off.
Between the bricks, even with a leader the smallest of nick, and next strike--- snapped. Nothing wrong with the line--( thinner line-- less body for protection )
Using to thin line creates the best of crowsnest you can think of, as explained above the thin line will snap--now it snaps and buries the point between the bottom layers ( HAPPY FISHING )
My suggestion: Your top casting section of your braid should not be to thin.( if you are adamant in wanting more line on the reel, use thin dia for backing ) Dont scale down from .50 mono to.18 or .2mm braid. Scale down to between .30mm and.36mm. This dia has much the same CASTING characteristics as the mono you are used to.
The cast, the overwind, the pull on the rod will be much of a muchness. BUT still has all the feel and directness of braid.
Also when striking you move your rod tip so little guys around you dont even see the strike.
The reason being, that mono stretches as much as 10% -so you cast 80m you have 8m of stretch. Your rod is 3m, if you level it and strike it up 90 deg.
Braid does not stretch-- so if you have the same action you will actually move your bait 3m, and also strike the hook out of the fishes mouth.
Small jerk on the rod is enough to set the hook 30 to 50cm.
Braid as backing (braid on bottom and mono on top) for shark fishing gives you the advantage of getting more line (meters) on a reel as you could go for a very thin dia as you will not be casting it. The same strength or more as your mainline (mono) only much thinner.
Spinning reel
Here you can go for a much thinner line as your chance of throwing a overwind is 0.
However you get wind knots. That means the line is leaving the spool faster than what your weight is travelling away from your rod.
Some reasons for windknots--
Spool to full, line not wound tightly, weight to small to match rod, first and second eye of rod not big enough compared to dia of spool, leader knot to large and slowing down between eyes ( much the same as weight vs rod spec )
Now to overcome these windknots is very simple, and this I learned from freshwater angling where you sometimes fish with 8 to 10 lbs line ( even thinner ) in high winds.
When casting you know you use your index finger to hook the line and then release it with the cast. Now use the same hand/finger after you release the line and place this finger on the side of the spool-the line now exits between the spool and your finger. You have the same effect as with a multiplier -- You now keep a slight tension on the line-just enough needed to stop a windknot from forming.
"dont ever use braid, if you want to keep your fingers"
All I reply here is that I have been fishing with braid even before it became available in SA and have NEVER had a cut finger. That also doesn't mean it cannot happen.
You will get the same burn on the thumb as with dry mono if you apply to much pressure. You know that bad or scew cast and you want to stop everything in mid-air. DONT DO IT!!
Braid just like mono also gets " wet " after awhile and becomes more easy to handle.
Its also even better for casting when it becomes quiet soft.
Price wise you cannot compare braid with mono, braid is easily 3 x more expensive BUT on the other hand lasts MUCH,MUCH longer. I have braid on some reels that is older than 5 years and still 100%.
I however reversed the line on the reel after approx 2 years.
It gets some getting used to, and dont think you are going to go the braid way and cast a mile further than you were with mono. You will have to practise a little to get the tension right on the reel and only then, I am sure you will better your mono distance.
Hope this helps
