# BRAID LINE



## sunnh2o (Jul 28, 2009)

I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT HOW MUCH LEADER I SHOULD USE WHEN PUTTING BRAID ON A SPINNING REEL. I HAVE NEVER USED BRAID BEFORE AND DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT IT. MY MAIN QUESTION IS HOW LONG SHOULD THE LEADER BE AND SHOULD I BACK THE REEL WITH MONO AS WELL. ANY AND ALL OPINIONS WILL BE GREATLY APPRECIATED.

:bowdown:bowdown:bowdown:bowdown

THE REEL IS A PFLUGER MEDALIST COMBO WHICH IS SUPPOSED TO HOLD 195YDS OF 10LB LINE. ALSO WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT KIND OF NOT SHOULD BE USED TO ATTACH THE BRAID TO MONO LINE. MAYBE AN ALBRIGHT? PLEASE HELP:banghead


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## lobsterman (Sep 30, 2007)

Unless you have a little peg or hole thru the spool then I would use about 2 full wraps of mono first to keep the line from spinning on a good fish. Braid slips. I usually use a 3' to 4' leader by tying a spider hitch to double the braid and then an albright with a 3 turn unilock.

Here are links for the spiderhitch and the albright with unilock.

http://www.leadertec.com/tipsandtechniques/knots_index.html

http://powerpro.com/publish/content/global_fish/en/nl/powerpro/company/using_powerpro/knots.html


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## lobsterman (Sep 30, 2007)

I just use a uni to uni to connect the braid to the mono down in the reel but the albright will go thru the guides alot better for your leader.


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## sunnh2o (Jul 28, 2009)

GREAT, THANKS FOR THE INFO. THE THING THAT WORRIED ME THE MOST WAS WHERE I ATTACH THE BRAID TO THE MONO. WILL IT CAUSE A PROBLEM WHEN TRYING TO CAST BECAUSE OF THE SPLICE HAVING TO GO THROUGH THE EYES? ANY OPINIONS ON WHAT BRAND LINE AND WHAT LB TEST TO USE FOR THE LEADER AND BRAID. I WAS THINKING 20LB BRAID BUT DONT KNOW HOW HEAVY A LEADER SHOULD BE USED.


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## Daydreamin (Jun 20, 2008)

The size line and leader depends on a long list of variables for the specific situation or type of fishing you are doing. Remember that braid has no stretch. Your leader helps in a number of areas like reduced visability to the fish (florocarbon leader!), stretch to keep from jerking a hook through a soft mouth, Abrasion resistence (fishing around structure, likelyhood of toothy fish cutting your leader). I would think that any size braid 20lb and less is suitable for most inshore applications. Leader size and length would depend on your most frequent fishing situation. I doubt you would want to go larger than 30lb florocarbon. If you rig 20lb braid to 30lb floro (about 3-5') and then you could tie in a smaller leader to the 30lb if you needed smaller line size at your bait.


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## lobsterman (Sep 30, 2007)

I like 20# Ultracast invisibraid and 20# fluoro for most everything inshore.


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## 60hertz (Oct 1, 2007)

Another option is to use teflon plumbers tape on your arbor instead of mono backing. The teflon tape acts as a gasket between the line and the arbor and prevents the line from slipping.


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## mistermogin (Jan 19, 2008)

suffix braid is the best braid i have used. I use 10 lb test and 14 to 20 lb flouro leader and catch 20 lb redfish. that 10 lb suffix is awsome. it stays soft and casts very smoothe.


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## pb&jellyfish (May 1, 2008)

I just started using braid line, and I still don't know how I feel about it. Anyways, I use a lot of mono backing so I am only using the braid for casting and fighting smaller fish. Any fish that pulls a decent amount of line out will get me into the backing. I figured this would save me a lot of money on that expensive braid line. I don't know if you are supposed to do it this way, but hey, it works for fly fishing.


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## reefdonkey (Sep 30, 2007)

I will generally put 20-30 yds. of 10lb mono for backing then top the reel off with braid. All but 2 of my inshore reels have 10lb braid. I keep 20lb braid on my larger setups in case a school of bigger fish run through. I attach the braid/backing and my leader with a uni to uni knot. The uni is a very reliable knot and doesnt have the issues the albright does if not looped correctly. I like a 3' florocarbon leader unless targeting finicky eaters and then I go as long as 6'. 



One thing i have learned about braided line is be patient with how it feels, cast, etc. Most complaints i hear about are the wind knots that can occur. I stripped two spools off and swore i would never use it again before a good friend of mine explained how to keep wind knots to a minimum. Make sure your line is tight before you start reeling in. I will generally cast and leave my rod tip pointing towards the bait until it hits the water. I draw the rod left, right, down, whatever to tighten the line and begin reeling. All it take is a little loose braid in the middle to put you in wind knot hell. 



Braid has is pros and cons. Some love it, some hate it. One thing it does is give the angler the ability to feel everything. 



Tight lines, Hope this helps...



Nick


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## fisheye48 (Sep 28, 2007)

i put 10lb or 12lb mono backing on..about 20-40yds ten spool on my braid...if you do it yourself make sure to run it all off when you get on the water and reel it back on so the braid is tight on the spool.....i just tie on a jig head and pitch it over and run all the braid and slowly reel it back on so that the braid is nice and tight if not it will be wind knot after wind knot


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## eric m (Oct 4, 2007)

Don't forget to manually trip your bail before you reel. It will cut down on wind knots.


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## Jighead (Feb 11, 2009)

A small strip of electrical tape on your spool prior to spooling will stop slippage. I do not use a leader and have not noticed a difference in the amount of fish I catch. Especially night fishing.


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## sunnh2o (Jul 28, 2009)

THANKS SO MUCH TO ALL:bowdown

I KNOW ONE THING THIS NEW PFLUEGER IS SUPER SMOOOOOOTH. CAN'T WAIT TO GET OUT THERE AND BREAK IT IN! I THINK I'M GONNA GO WITH AROUND 20LB BRAID TO A 5' 20LB LEADER. I WILL BE SURE TO POST ON HOW IT GOES IN MY WOLF BAY REPORT.


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## ldw (Aug 30, 2009)

braid's more expensive and a pain to take on and off a spool. therefore i'd recommend filling it with mono for a few wraps unless line capacity is an issue. 3-4.5 ' leader is adequate. Allbright is definitely the knot to use, but i just do a loop to loop connection when in a hurry. if i have time i bimini twist a loop in the braid to mono backing. remember if you make your leader too long, you have to cast the knot through the first few guides.


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## wgdunaway (Jun 15, 2009)

I love the braid for night fishing, but the wind plays havoc with it. If windy, mono is a better choice. A double Uni is a good braid to leader knot (7 wraps with braid), but if you use fluorocarbon leader, use a palomar or eye-crosser knot (a uni with 2 turns thru eye of hook). Have you used the new launch at Wolf Bay Lodge, I have heard it is better than the old one. I haven't been to Wolf Bay in a while, but the time is drawing near..Good luck...


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## sunnh2o (Jul 28, 2009)

YEP WOLF BAY LODGE IS ONLY 5 MIN FROM HOME. THE NEW LAUNCH IS GREAT BUT COSTS 8 BUCKS AND IS WELL ENFORCED. ON BUSY WEEKENDS THEY HAVE PEOPLE DOWN THERE TO MAKE SURE YOU PAY.


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## wgdunaway (Jun 15, 2009)

sunh20, check post on night fishing. Any thoughts? Skipjack


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## Buckethead (Sep 2, 2008)

> *lobsterman (9/1/2009)*I just use a uni to uni to connect the braid to the mono down in the reel but the albright will go thru the guides alot better for your leader.




I do the same thing. I've seen more swivel-based leader connections break. I have never had a fish break the uni to uni, I have broken it getting hung on stuff though. I also use 3'-5'.


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## nojerseydevil (Jan 23, 2009)

I use 50-pound PowerPro Braid and a 3-foot 20-pound Flourocarbon leader on all of my Quantum Boca 40 Spinning Reels.

NJD:usaflag


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