Braid?

[buckslayer]

Hi all - new poster, frequent lurker.

I'm reading a lot about braided line and am wondering about the benefits and how to rig up using it.

1.  Do you fill your entire spool with the line of choice?
2.  Do you use a backer of mono and only use enough braid for the depths you fish?
3.  Do you run the braid all the way to your hook/jig, or use a mono leader?
4.  What type of knot do you use with the braid?
5.  What's the application for the very small braid?

Thanks, and I'm sorry for the ignorance.

[Yooper77]

I'm pretty sure the directions for braid (if like Fireline) recommend using mono to fill a majority of the spool. Then a double uni knot to splice the 2 lines. I run Fireline down to the hook on my tip ups. It's more cut resistant against pike teeth. I splice at least 18" of Fluorosilk down to the hook. It provides a little stretch, so you do not rip the lure out of the fishes mouth. Braid is so thin, that you can get away with using a heavier lb test than you normally would for desired fish.
Just my $0.02

[stripernut]

I use a great deal of braid for open water and hard water. I fill my spools (it last for many years, so in the long run it is much cheaper than mono, that I would change out many times a season) with Power Pro and as that wears out I am switching to Cortland Master Braid. At the end of my braid I tie a Bimini Twist and loop on a small Sampo Ball Bearing Swivel (Spro make good ones also), they help with line twist and are stronger than any knot to leader knot. If you don't want to learn a very useful knot like the Bimini you can use a Doubled Palomar to connect the swivel. I then use the appropriate size Fluorocarbon leader Material,(Seaguar) not flouro line, but Material, there is a big difference.

[buckslayer]

Thanks for the replies.  I use Seagaur fluoro, but did not know there was a difference between line and material.  I'll research that one.

And BTW:  #4 in my original post should've been "knot," not "know"

[stripernut]

buckslayer, I am always catching typos on my posts, the good news is that you can go back and modify or correct them!

[buckslayer]

buckslayer, I am always catching typos on my posts, the good news is that you can go back and modify or correct them!

Thanks for the heads up!!

[thewyler]

I just fill the whole spool full of braid the first few turns youll have yo do byhand but since your lines gonna be stronger you might you can crank up the dragand youll never get down there. The bestpart of braid is how little stretch there is so you get much more feeling and harder hooksets

[panfishman13]

i only really use braid for ice fishing, so i have no remorse in using an entire spool to fill one or two rods.

i really like the northland bionic ice braid, it doesn't carry as much water as power pro, which is my next choice. i also really like the fact that the northland stuff is a round line instead of flat like most braids out there.

i really like it on my jigging rods; the sensitivity is incredible compared to mono, and it doesn't wear and tear on the edges of the hole.

my only real issue with it is that it's so perfectly limp that i can't use it outside on windy days or else it will get tangled up in the ice chips around my hole.  honestly though, i'm usually jigging inside a shelter anyways, so it's no biggie.

i like to fill the spool with braid, then tie it to a small swivel, to which i add a 2 foot leader of 4 or 6 pound test fluorocarbon, depending on the fish i intend to catch.

[buckslayer]

Happy New Year!!!  Am spooling up some new rods and tipups today.

What weight braid do you guys typically run?  Somebody gave me some 2# Northland braid.  I can't break it by hand - seems very strong, but should I run a higher strength?

Also, which knots do you recommend for braid to mono and braid to tackle?  I say bimini suggested above and a double-uni.  Suggestions?

[Townie]

Uni-to-uni here; power pro ice 3# w/ 3# asso micron 3 fluoro

[conesuscrab]

Fire-line 4 lb to SPRO barrel swivel to Seagar 4 lb Fluorocarbon. 

[hi_tail]

Does braid ice as bad for you guys as it does for me?
I tried it once and the first few trips had me swearing out loud in my ice shanty from how bad that stuff iced on my spool.

[thomasthepikehunter]

I am now 100% braid on everything all year if I can help it. I just switched to braid on my ice rods this year. I've been using the power pro ice tec braid. I absolutely love it, and will put it on all from now on. I find it ices up less than mono. It does get froze a little to the spool to where a light jig won't fall on its own. I don't see the big deal with having to pull the line out by hand. Mono is always twisted, and once it gets ice on it (usually where the line meets the water), its useless. You try to break that stuff off, and it just slides down. With braid I barely pinch it and it breaks right off. I now have more sensitivity, stronger line, and it works better for me. If you are a serious panfisherman who absolutely has to have the jig back down the hole in 5.3 seconds, this line is not for you. For anybody else, it is an advantage. I just put a bit of electrical tape on the spool, and put all 50 yards on. If you are using 8# or more, its cheaper to get the regular 150 yard spools of power pro. Its the same stuff, but not in blue. I'll probably get 5 years on ice braid, and get 2 years on my casting set ups. When it gets frayed a bit, just unspool and flip the line around. I either had to replace mono ever few months, or deal with the mono spring it becomes.

[slipperybob]

Happy New Year!!!  Am spooling up some new rods and tipups today.

What weight braid do you guys typically run?  Somebody gave me some 2# Northland braid.  I can't break it by hand - seems very strong, but should I run a higher strength?

Also, which knots do you recommend for braid to mono and braid to tackle?  I say bimini suggested above and a double-uni.  Suggestions?

You must have extremely tough hands, but I would never pull on braids (superlines) with bare hands.  Those lines can cut through your bare flesh.

I myself like uni to uni when joining two lines.  I find it easy to tie and reliable.  The palomar knot is a favorite when tying braid to tackle.