Braided line

[PatientlyWading24]

After hearing others talking about braid on the creek stick I have been putting in some thought to having a spool on my Light creek setup with braided line. I have only used braid one other time and it was on a heavier spinning bass outfit that was temporarily a muskie stick. it seemed to make an odd sound with the way the line was rubbing the guides, but i was also chuckin a 1oz SB that was wayyy to heavy for this setup.

I know that you can get unmatched strength in a very small diameter on braid. 14-15# braid with a 4lb equivilant.

How is the feel? sensitivity? I know it wont sink hardly at all either, which isn't neccesarily a bad thing. I have used P-line premium the first half of the year, and have gone back to Sufix Elite 6# with no regrets.

But i am wondering what you all think about throwing braid. i have a 1000fh stradic on a 5'4" GL2 mag- light. I want 100% confidence in my line, i can't say that i have ever completely had that up to this point, is braid an answer?

Any suggestions or feedback will be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

[tracker4stroke]

i love braided line. i have almost changed all my reels over to it. when i use it with soft plastics you feel everything on the bottom. very good stuff. even on my crappie poles it works great fishing in those brush piles. your hook just straightens out bend it back and you are ready to go. but every one has their favorite line.

[PatientlyWading24]

and then the question of what color do i get if i do go that route. I have trouble making out the moss or low vis green. i think i will go with the power pro phantom red. i just want to be able to see my line when fishing soft plastics, which is my main bait.

[apb]

I've been using 8# fireline on my creek rod for several years. Works well. The smoke colored stuff (used crystal for a while too). Longer casts and increased sensitively, plus you get a better hook set if they hit at the end of a long cast. If you are working a jig on the bottom, you'll feel a lot more than you would with mono. Not as abrasion resistant as your pline, so if you are fishing around a lot of rocks, that may be a concern. You could always attach a mono leader so the mono would take the rock abuse better.

Andrew

[DJD]

I had changed most of my reels (around 7) over to Power Pro years ago and as of today i have it on one spinning rod and my "Gorilla Tackle Flippin Stick". I realized through my own process of elimination that it's not the answer for every type of fishing. Now i have switched back to mono, fluorocarbon and the braid with each having it's own purpose. I really don't use it much at all anymore especially this late in the Summer with all the clear water from the lack of rain.
JMO

[worm1]

I love Power Pro!! From 50lb/12dia. to 20lb/6dia. it is the best thing ever!! As long as the water has a little color to it i feel it doesn't scare the fish off. Like DJD said, i've been using floro with this clearer water except on a c-rig. The sensitivity of Power Pro is 2nd to none, you will feel every rock, stick and bite instantly. Not to mention it has a pretty cool sound when you launch a cast or burn your bait back!

[MrSplitshot]

I've been a PowerPro man for a couple years now...I love it.

All of the no-stretch qualities that Andrew spoke of are money in the bank.

For creek fishing around here, I prefer the 2/10 PowerPro whether I'm fishing Medium Light spinning tackle or a small baitcaster, like a Curado 100 or BPS ProLite reel. I can take that 2/10 and bend a Slider hook straight without breaking it to remove a snag if I'm hung up deep. I've been using the moss green, but recently tried the Hi-Vis Yellow on a tip from a buddy of mine. I spooled up with Hi-Vis Yellow, colored the last 6 feet of line with a black Sharpie, and I love this setup. (Take a wide tip Sharpie, cut a slot in it with a razor blade, and pull the last 8' of your line through it...makes a nice dark coloration and it came straight from the head hoss at PowerPro that it does nothing to degrade the line.) You can really see your line and couple that with the unmatched feel and it makes a fellow very "aware" of his presentation. I think it's going to help me feel and see lite bites, I really do. I may switch to this setup on all of my equipment.

I'm not going to fool with mono leaders, but you need to remember that PowerPro is not the most abrasion resistant line. Check it and check it often while fishing. I had a 12" smallie take me around some rocks in a riffle this past weekend. After I unhooked him, I slung my topwater plug back into the pool and it took off to the moon. The line had frayed on a rock and it snapped. (Luckily I got my plug back. lol) But after that, I checked it anytime I got the bait around rocks and retied real quick if I felt it might be compromised. Had no problems after that.

Like DJD said, it's not necessarily the universal choice for all situations, but I'm really liking it for the majority of my fishing. It's more pricey, but I also like the fact that it lasts a long time.

[redneckshadrap]

I've been a PowerPro man for a couple years now...I love it.

All of the no-stretch qualities that Andrew spoke of are money in the bank.

For creek fishing around here, I prefer the 2/10 PowerPro whether I'm fishing Medium Light spinning tackle or a small baitcaster, like a Curado 100 or BPS ProLite reel. I can take that 2/10 and bend a Slider hook straight without breaking it to remove a snag if I'm hung up deep. I've been using the moss green, but recently tried the Hi-Vis Yellow on a tip from a buddy of mine. I spooled up with Hi-Vis Yellow, colored the last 6 feet of line with a black Sharpie, and I love this setup. (Take a wide tip Sharpie, cut a slot in it with a razor blade, and pull the last 8' of your line through it...makes a nice dark coloration and it came straight from the head hoss at PowerPro that it does nothing to degrade the line.) You can really see your line and couple that with the unmatched feel and it makes a fellow very "aware" of his presentation. I think it's going to help me feel and see lite bites, I really do. I may switch to this setup on all of my equipment.

I'm not going to fool with mono leaders, but you need to remember that PowerPro is not the most abrasion resistant line. Check it and check it often while fishing. I had a 12" smallie take me around some rocks in a riffle this past weekend. After I unhooked him, I slung my topwater plug back into the pool and it took off to the moon. The line had frayed on a rock and it snapped. (Luckily I got my plug back. lol) But after that, I checked it anytime I got the bait around rocks and retied real quick if I felt it might be compromised. Had no problems after that.

Like DJD said, it's not necessarily the universal choice for all situations, but I'm really liking it for the majority of my fishing. It's more pricey, but I also like the fact that it lasts a long time.

Ah yes...the braid thread...

I've tried both Fireline/Power Pro....When I use braid it's Power Pro 10/2. But that's when I thought it was the most important thing in my life to land every fish I hooked. Braid has it's place. Just like mono has it's place, and Flourocarbon has it's place.
I love braid when it's hooked up to one of APB's handturned plugs. I use it on a baitcaster. It floats and the rod of choice I use makes it a good fit.
When you go no stretch you have to discipline yourself on letting the fish tug on the plug before you do the "2 step drop". That's one thing I learned last yr on the Creek with APB. He was hooking up a whole lot better than I was. But I couldn't get the hook set time delay thing down. Kinda like false starting in football.
But for the hare/hair and plastics it's 4lb mono....brands don't matter. I've did some experimenting. I bought a spool of 1000yd 4lb Eagle Claw line for 7.99. I've straightened the hooks out before I've broken it a couple of times.

[MrSplitshot]

Ah yes...the braid thread...
When you go no stretch you have to discipline yourself on letting the fish tug on the plug before you do the "2 step drop". That's one thing I learned last yr on the Creek with APB. He was hooking up a whole lot better than I was. But I couldn't get the hook set time delay thing down. Kinda like false starting in football.

Definitely true there...times ten on topwater plugs, buzzers, or frogs where you can't hurry the hookset with mono, much less braid. It takes some getting used to. There's no young grasshopper samurai hooksets with braid either, or it'll leave you confused and empty handed like a nerd on prom night. A simple pop or sweeping is good enough. No stretch can be good or bad, depending on the situation and the person.

[elnutsmalljaws]

I use Fireline on my reel for FNF season then 3-way to Flourocarbon down to my jig but that is it for me and Braid. Tried it this past spring at Ky Lake flipping the buckbrush with 30lb Power Pro and hated it. One day it raveled above the jig about 5 inches that I saw, another day it broke off during the fight on a 3lber, and the kicker was when I set the hook on a MONSTER that came out of the water just after the line went SNAP. Back to 30lb or larger Flourocarbon for my flipping after that and did not have a problem. To me it seemed, "Brittle" if that makes any sense, stong as an ox when I got hung up and straightened out a bunch of jigs and hooks and never broke but the snapping of the hookset seemed to do the damage. Good Luck

[PatientlyWading24]

Thanks for the replies and the input. I have been doing a lot of thinking. Luckily on my creeker reel right now i happen to have 2 extra spools. I have to keep the clear 6# sufix on one, it really is great line, the best ive ever used. Probably will have clear blue 6# Sufix on the other for the few and far between night excursions. Then on the third will be putting braid on.
I was told that unless you have some sort of metalic guides, with enough pressure the braid will dig into them... not really interested in all that, is that true, or a problem anyone else has had?
A point APB made is hooking up more at the end of a long cast, that is one of the main reasons i look to have another option. Sometimes you just put that bait right on their nose and almost before you have your bail clicked over that fish is on and moving. I have trouble getting a good hookset in those situations. You all also mentioned that there is no give in the line, obviously, but it is also much stronger line... i guess im confused as to what i would need to do differently to get that hook up with the braid on. Is it just you have to wait a little longer before setting the hook? Is that in general or just on the cranks and stick baits that you and APB use?
Sounds like the consesus is power pro, which i like and is on the make shift muskie rod. Has anyone used the Sufix braid? I have heard it is supposed to be good stuff...

[MrSplitshot]

I'd say that the "delay" Billy talked about is a good way to put it...not being so quick on the trigger, and not laying out the hero wham-bam over the head behind the shoulder hookset.

Patience on the bite, a little more restraint on the power put into the hookset, and checking for abrasion every now and then...in exchange for mile long casts, awesome sensitivity, better hook ups at a distance, and high breaking strength. That's why I like it.

You can argue it to death beyond that.