Advice on Using Braided Line

[Wild Thing]

Hi all

The only experience I have with braid lines for fishing was with some stuff called Dyneema a few years ago. The problem I had was that it would twist itself into little knots with a loop of line when you were retrieving and the knots were impossible to undo.

I have just been given a spool of Spiderwire EZ Braid and I don't know whether to use it or not after my previous experience. Does anyone have any experience of Spiderwire and if it has the same problem as the Dyneema stuff, how can I prevent it tying itself into tight little knots.

Thanks in advance.

Phill

[juttle]

I've used EZ braid in the past and quickly discovered why its a cheap braid! When stuff like spiderwire stealth camo, which is the stuff I usually use, sells at approx £30.00 per 300metres, this stuff EZ braid, sells at only £12.00 - £15.00 for the same length. EX Braid twisted up like there was no tomorrow, the fibres parted, knot strength was appaling, and doing anything constructive with it was a nightmare!

Spend a bit more and get the stealth or camo stealth, it'll last for ages, and it will do exactly as you wish.

Use the other stuff and be prepared to loose fish, fight tangles, and have your knots part at the most inappropriate times!

Just my twopenn'th...

[Teepee]

All Dyneema braids knot themselves, it'll be no different. The nature of the material lends itself to horrific birds nests. Its so thin, slippy and flexible, the merest loop will snag. Only coating it like in specialist hooklengths like Kryston makes will stop it.

The only way to stop it knotting is to constantly keep it under tension, feathering the line as it peels off- especially in wind. I only use it for feature finding or on marker rods anyway;the lack of stretch doesn't help the hook stay in at all and I prefer the stretch of good old nylon monofil.

I'd use it for tarp lines if I could, but I know I'd spend all my time untangling the stuff.

[Mafro]

It will naturally twist with casting and retrieval as all line does, but these twists become very apparent with braided line. You can get moulded leads that spin in the water when you real them in untwisting the line, but I have never had great results with these.

The other thing to be mindful of is that braid has no stretch to it at all. It's brilliant for bite indication and for feeling everything that the fish is doing, but in turn this is the same for the fish / rig. Any movement you make at the rod end happens at the hook end. So strike light and play the fish gently. It takes a while to get used to it, and be prepared to lose fish at first but in the right scenario (especially when its really weedy) braid is fantastic.

[Opal]

I sometimes use PowerPro, used it for years and as Teepee mentions, keep it under tension and you'll do okay.

[santaman2000]

For freshwater fishing I've all but entirely switched to braided line (spiderwire) for the last 15-20 years. The only time I use mono now is for my ultralight gear (perch/bream rods)or as the leader on a fly rod. I've had none of the problems mentioned here. In fact the opposite; the traditional fisherman's knot used to tie on your hook simply won't hold. Fortunately the knot needed is actualy easier to tie (but difficult to explain without pix)

[juttle]

I find that the Uni-knot works very well with braid and just won't slip. I've had carp to 28lbs and hard fighting barbel to 14lbs all on 15lb Spiderwire stealth camo which I've had on my reels for the last two years without any problems with it at all.

If you're going to use braid, get a good one. This is the classic case of 'buy cheap, buy twice'!

[wattsy]

i just use it for hooklengths normally

[marcelxl]

For freshwater fishing I've all but entirely switched to braided line (spiderwire) for the last 15-20 years. The only time I use mono now is for my ultralight gear (perch/bream rods)or as the leader on a fly rod. I've had none of the problems mentioned here. In fact the opposite; the traditional fisherman's knot used to tie on your hook simply won't hold. Fortunately the knot needed is actualy easier to tie (but difficult to explain without pix)

Echo that and opals advice on powerpro is a good one too, its generally what I use from my multipliers.

I like Berkeley Fireline for my fixed spools and fireline crystal (20lb) for my Bass luring, I use 30lb stuff for lighter Pike lures like spoons/spinner baits but usually 45-65lb for the heavier lures and I did use 80-100lb when I got into using silly big (and expensive!) jerkbaits in the past. FYI, the heavier strains were a safety net so - to - speak against crack offs & getting lures back as the hooks what straighten before the line gave and I would not really exert anymore pressure than I would with 10lb mono.

I use 10lb for ultralighting and have gone as low as 6 for tiny baits and use 15-20 for other lighter outfits, basically use braid for all my fishing barring flyfishing!

A couple of things, braid is a fraction of the thickness of equivalent mono so you can easily & should go much higher in B.S. All braid floats unless stated as you can get specifically sinking stuff but I have never had a use for it. The twist thing is tosh, braid is less effected by inherent twisting than mono & have found any reliable mono to be a pain with twist especially fishing certain (spinning) lures but, like any line to get twist out just walk it out through a field (with nothing on the end) and reel it all back in under tension and the grass and you solves it. Sometimes when it goes on the spool slack or you get a loop you might get a "wind" knot but once you get used to it rare. Braid has little stretch so you can feel even a shrimp farting near it and is so much more responsive......... get used to is and mono feels like elastic!
Watch for your knots, if in doubt double the end and tie as usual with any knot you would usually. I like palomar & grinner knots usually but have never had knots fail on me in nigh on 20yrs of exclusive use in lure fishing and even join it to flourocarbon for traces using a surgeons knot without issue.

Number one tip though, back your spool with mono or insulation tape! very important as it can and does spin on your spool making you think your drag it done!

Hope that helps

[Wild Thing]

Thanks gents.

I've loaded my spare spool on my Abu spinning reel with braid and I was planning on going out tomorrow, but the forecast is winds upto 30 mph, so may be a day or so before Ican report back.

Will try to remember to let you all know how I get on.

Regards

Phill

[marcelxl]

Thanks gents.

I've loaded my spare spool on my Abu spinning reel with braid and I was planning on going out tomorrow, but the forecast is winds upto 30 mph, so may be a day or so before Ican report back.

Will try to remember to let you all know how I get on.

Regards

Phill

Hope you backed it with mono!

[santaman2000]

I might add that another advantage of braid over mono is that braid doesn't develop a "memory."

[Buckshot]

When I was Salmon fishing years ago I used braid for the spinning and had no problems at all
Fly fishermen have been using it for years as a backing too

[ZEbbEDY]

Im looking to get some spiderwire stealth and understand its thinner than the mono now if id usually use 6lb for trout spinning what would I be able to use which is stronger but the equivalent size? but they wouldn't see the line more than the 6lb mono? or should I just stick to 6lb braided, would like as strong as poss for snags etc

edit-

nm got 300 yds of spiderwire ez braid in 10lb

[redsalmon]

i just started using braid over the last couple of years, spiderwire i think. my experience is i need to use more swivels when spinning and give the line time to 'unspin' itself every so often to avoid tangles. it had been good, definitely feels stronger at first, good for salt, and means i can cover different sizes of lures, salt and freshwater, on the same 12lb braid for the same thickness rather than carrying different lines. long nose pliers are useful for cutting and trimming it (and my fave multipurpose fishing tool)

but last time i used it it had become brittle, maybe from salt water use (or just general use?) and left on reel without washing. so i lost a couple of lures cracked off and a silver bar on the head yank (that hurt) . as folks say there's no flex in the line so if it's brittle it'll snap.

i tie the braid direct to a swivel, then same braid trace to the lure swivel but it can be difficult to break on hard snags. maybe better with a monofil trace. personally, if i knew i was just going for trout i wouldn't bother with braid, 4-6lb mono does me fine and it's what i know, my 12lb braid is too heavy for 0-1 size mepps but i'd be interested to hear anyones experience with lighter braid lines for trout spinning.