Braid, braid with floro leader, or floro

[nycgrip]

What are most of you guys using? I am mostly running braid with floro, except straight braid on my frog rod, and straight floro on my cranking stick. Which way are you spooled and why?

[Tokugawa]

Depends on the technique. Contact techniques - FC. Cranking - YZH. Jerks/topwater and swimbaits - nylon mono. Slop and frogs - braid.

[zmanlane]

Depends on the technique. Contact techniques - FC. Cranking - YZH. Jerks/topwater and swimbaits - nylon mono. Slop and frogs - braid.

I use baid for everything. But if the water is super clear, then I will use a liter.

[nycgrip]

Think I need to use mono with my top waters, been trying to use fc but it does effect the action.

[zmanlane]

I hate floro. The one i tried broke on a 2 LB fish with a perfect knot.

[Tokugawa]

I hate floro. The one i tried broke on a 2 LB fish with a perfect knot.

All FCs are not created equal. I had a baaaaaaaaaaaaaad experience with the Trilene 100%. The Sunline FCs are solid tho.

[PainInTheBass]

I like the feel of braid with a fluoro leader. I use this on all of my setups.

[ppFishing]

For jigging I use FC sniper flouro. For finesse fishing I use flouro. For top water I use PowerPro 50 lbs braid. For muskies I use 80 lbs braid w/ steel leader. For swimbaits I use either 50 lbs braid w/ 20lbs wire leader or 20lbs flouro leader. For crankbaits/jerk baits I use flouro.

[Buck2thPerch]

My 2cents:

Jigging, rigged worms/baits, weightless, etc... all require immediate hook penetration. Therefore its all braid with the few exceptions when fish is finicky and easily spooked by briad. If it is murky and stained, 30lbs - 65lbs braid no question asked. My braid setups are always equivalent floro leader to braid.

Topwater only, I use 12lbs - 20lbs floro. Why? because through many years of using braid with topwater, braid tangles more onto my lures than Floro and gets frustrating to untangle every three to four cast. Also, the stretch in Floro is perfect for hook setting on topwater lures where Braid has no stretch causing me to rip the lures out of the fishes mouth, or mono where there is alot of stretch and I can't seem to get good hooksets.

Cranking.....14lbs - 20lbs Floro. Again, Floro has the perfect stretch for my cranking needs. I have lost too many fish with smaller lines especially during tangles on trees or objects I cannot see. Floro is more sensative than that of Mono. And that is also another reason.

Jerkbaits......have just been more natural with Floro. Again, Floro with its minimum stretch allows you to get good jerks yet, again, not rip the lure out of the fish's mouth. With mono....there is just too much stretch and sometimes it feels like I am fishing with a rubberband line.

Spinnerbait/Buzzbait.....again, I like to have a bit of a stretch without ripping the hooks out of the fishes mouth. Therefore Floro.

Slop and heavy cover....well its braid period. Everyone knows that.

As you can see my pattern, I use braid with all my contact rigs. All my reaction rigs use all floro. And there is no room for Mono anymore in my fishing world. But, what if ever need the extra stretch like that of Mono?...my answer is, my rod should be able to compensate for it.

[breezy]

Topwater only, I use 12lbs - 20lbs floro. Why? because through many years of using braid with topwater, braid tangles more onto my lures than Floro and gets frustrating to untangle every three to four cast. Also, the stretch in Floro is perfect for hook setting on topwater lures where Braid has no stretch causing me to rip the lures out of the fishes mouth, or mono where there is alot of stretch and I can't seem to get good hooksets.

I wish I could get away with fluoro on topwater so I could use the same setup for contact baits and topwater. Right now I have to bring a dedicated rod for topwater because the only rod with mono is my cranking rod and it is too moderate to walk the dog or work a popper. Fluoro works ok with a very fast presentation but, in my experience, when fishing a popper or other topwater baits with long pauses on fluoro the line sinks too quickly and affects the action. Is this not an issue for you?

Back to the original question, I started using lots of braid with fluoro leader a year or so ago (clear lake with lots of visibility). Braid is hard to beat for manageability, strength, hooksets and casting distance but the (lack of) slack line sensitivity aggravates me to no end. Yes, you can line watch but I still feel that I'm missing bites. If there were a line that retained the properties of braid with good sensitivity on a slack line it would be the perfect line for contact baits IMO. Braid wrapped around a fluorocarbon core? I have already switched weightless plastic rods back to fluoro since they are often fished on semi-slack line and I think my jigging setups will be next.

[nycgrip]

would putting 7' of braid as a leader on floro for topwater be effective?

[Buck2thPerch]

I wish I could get away with fluoro on topwater so I could use the same setup for contact baits and topwater. Right now I have to bring a dedicated rod for topwater because the only rod with mono is my cranking rod and it is too moderate to walk the dog or work a popper. Fluoro works ok with a very fast presentation but, in my experience, when fishing a popper or other topwater baits with long pauses on fluoro the line sinks too quickly and affects the action. Is this not an issue for you?

No. Actually I prefer the sinking and stiff properties of Floro. I have used braid for top water from 20lbs to 65lbs. And like I said, the tangle mess with braid I get becomes frustrating and then really affects how my lure moves and act. I found switching back to Floro works better. Floro sinks and does not tangle with the first treble hook on my topwater plug or lure. Where as braid would float and does the exact opposite - especially on topwater plugs where the pause is longer. Floro just works better because it is more stiff and thus the line always stays out infront of the lure/plug instead like that of Braid where the lure can run over or onto the slack. So 20lbs Floro is my go to for Topwater.

Back to the original question, I started using lots of braid with fluoro leader a year or so ago (clear lake with lots of visibility). Braid is hard to beat for manageability, strength, hooksets and casting distance but the (lack of) slack line sensitivity aggravates me to no end. Yes, you can line watch but I still feel that I'm missing bites. If there were a line that retained the properties of braid with good sensitivity on a slack line it would be the perfect line for contact baits IMO. Braid wrapped around a fluorocarbon core? I have already switched weightless plastic rods back to fluoro since they are often fished on semi-slack line and I think my jigging setups will be next.

The sensativity with braid and hooksetting power out weighs anything Floro and Mono has to offer especially with contact fishing - unless I fish on a really clear lake like those in upper Minnesota where you can see the bottom in 15ft - 20ft of water, then I'll use Floro. Both you and I know there are alot of those lakes.

Have you tried Uppger Red Lake yet? Been wanting to make a trip up there every year but it keeps getting thrown out the window every year for another lake for walleye. I have yet to make a trip up into Upper Red Lake for those monster Pikes....not to mention 1lbs crappie slabs.

[Buck2thPerch]

would putting 7' of braid as a leader on floro for topwater be effective?

I am kinda confused as to what you are trying to ask. Braid is never used as a leader...at least not in my book nor anyone I know of. However, Florocarbon is used as leader material. Braid because it does not have the friction to hold onto the reel, your braid line you tied into your spool, will spin inside your spool - that in itself is pointless. Trust me, I did this back in the mid 90's with fire line - LOL. hardway to learn and catch fish. There are other ways of using braid without a leader but that requires a spool with holes or some type of hole/notch to tie your line on, in the spool itself. The only spool with notches to tie your line on, that I have found, are spinning reels. I have yet to see one on baitcaster. I guess if you did use braid as a leadercore type of line by tieing it and looping through holes in your casting spool, it would be no issue.

So to answer your question, IMO, I would have to say no. Mono or Floro with no leader is the way to go or Mono/Floro for leadcore for braid is the way to go.

[nycgrip]

My cranking/topwater stick is floro, but when I do long pauses with poppers, the floro sinking sometimes messes up the action. I was thinking maybe adding a braid leader when im using poppers for the buoyancy aspect.

[Buck2thPerch]

My cranking/topwater stick is floro, but when I do long pauses with poppers, the floro sinking sometimes messes up the action. I was thinking maybe adding a braid leader when im using poppers for the buoyancy aspect.

I've never tried it. I suppose it may work but either way, like I said above, I have had problems with braid on topwater. Maybe I am alone on this and perhaps not. Its just my opinion.