Braid, Flourocarbon, Spectra...

[JeffB]

Spectra and are the same thing, no difference. I personally like to throw 65lb braid with a 25lb-50lb leader of floro. All depends on how clear the water is on how light of a leader and the length of my leaders. Clear water days I go with a 8'-12' of 30lb floro. Murky water day I go with a 4'-5' leader 40lb-50lb. This is what I use when throwing a dropper loop or yoyo'n' a jig. As for my surface iron I prefer straight mono, 30lb. The reasoning for it is that I get a nice clean throw through my guides and went I set the hook the line gives(stretches). I like a bit stiffer rod so that I can launch it and it allows me not to rip the bait out of the fishes mouth. As far as fly line, I just use braid with about a 20'-25' floro leader. I'm new to fly lining, so not sure what is exactly preferred.

This is what I like to do, and not what you have to do. I know that there will probably be more people reply and disagree with some of what I do. Good luck to you. Best thing about braid is that you can load 1.5x the line on your reel and if you get into kelp, it will cut it.


Another thing, mono floats and that's another reason I use it for surface baits. Braid and floro both sink down nicely.

[janines.fishtales@cox.net]

Nice. Thanks Jeff. That helps.
Janine

[Cbad Mike]

Pretty complete there Jeff.


Janine,
I think you will be pretty good to go if you follow Jeff's post.
I use 65# braid and my top shots are always 30# of mono but different lengths.
I'll start with maybe 20-25 feet and then cut it shorter as it gets scuffed and cloudy.
If you haven't spooled braid on your reels before, search the older posts to see the way different guys are doing it. I personally first spool 50 or so yards of 30# mono then Uni to Uni it to 300 yards of braid then Uni to Uni my 30# top shot.
You can learn more than you could ever want to by doing a search here on BWE to read the older posts on the subject.

I hope this helps some and I'll see ya OTW soon.

Mike

[janines.fishtales@cox.net]

Ok. That does help. Why the mono first on the spool? So you don't use as much braid? Also, you like mono and not floro carbon for your leader.
What's all the hoopla about floro anyway?

Janine

[Cbad Mike]

Originally Posted by janines.fishtales@cox.net

Ok. That does help. Why the mono first on the spool? So you don't use as much braid? Also, you like mono and not floro carbon for your leader.
What's all the hoopla about floro anyway?

Janine

I use mono because I guess I always have and it's always worked fine for me. As for why I spool it first, before the braid, two reasons... First, I spool 300 yards of braid and it looks but more importantly, it feels like the spool is only half or less full. Second, the mono underneath gives the braid a nice bed to grab on to.

Mike

[vincentek9]

for open face reels, i use 300yd of 65# spectra backing. the type of target fish determines on how much top shot to put. (YT on a kayak i do 20yd... halibut or threshers i go straight spectra). if you want to cast... you might want to uni-uni enough topshot so when you cast... the knot doesnt interefere with your guides (i put around 150yd of topshot for casting yoyo irons).

[janines.fishtales@cox.net]

Wow. Thanks all, for all the info. I think I know what to buy now, but I also think I'm still using mono for some applications. So whats a "top shot"? Is it a fancy way to say leader line or is it different?

Janine

[FlyFishinYakr]

Originally Posted by JeffB

Spectra and are the same thing, no difference. I personally like to throw 65lb braid with a 25lb-50lb leader of floro. All depends on how clear the water is on how light of a leader and the length of my leaders. Clear water days I go with a 8'-12' of 30lb floro. Murky water day I go with a 4'-5' leader 40lb-50lb. This is what I use when throwing a dropper loop or yoyo'n' a jig. As for my surface iron I prefer straight mono, 30lb. The reasoning for it is that I get a nice clean throw through my guides and went I set the hook the line gives(stretches). I like a bit stiffer rod so that I can launch it and it allows me not to rip the bait out of the fishes mouth. As far as fly line, I just use braid with about a 20'-25' floro leader. I'm new to fly lining, so not sure what is exactly preferred.

This is what I like to do, and not what you have to do. I know that there will probably be more people reply and disagree with some of what I do. Good luck to you. Best thing about braid is that you can load 1.5x the line on your reel and if you get into kelp, it will cut it.


Another thing, mono floats and that's another reason I use it for surface baits. Braid and floro both sink down nicely.

I would not argue with your reasoning it does sound good and makes sense.
Personally for me, I fish 50# or 65# straight braid fishing the SHIMANO Waxwing or add 25' of 25#, top shot (leader) fluorocarbon if the water is super clear. I might not use top shot because if I'm fishing heavy kelp, I fish straight braid so it'll can 'cut' through the kelp. I don't worry too much on about line shy fish as my jig would be moving too fast for the fish to worry about. I'm trying for a 'reaction' bite much like bass fishing. My 50# can also double as my heavy jig rod.
When I fish live bait I'll carry another rod with straight 15# fluorocarbon for small bait and 25# for larger (macks/'dines) baits. The latter I can also use it for surface jigs (I.e. Tady 45's & AA's). If there are bigger fish around like "Rocky Point"/Catalina homeguard fish I carry a rod with 50# braid with 40# top shot.
Then I always fish straight 12# fluorocarbon on an inshore rod for swimbaits around the outside of the kelp.
There are any number of variations of what you can fish, a lot will come down with what you feel comfortable fishing.
As a side note it's not a bad idea to fish top shot because if you get caught jigging in the rocks at least you haves chance of being able to 'break off' mono or flouro where with spectra you might have to end up 'cutting off' the spectra (learned this the hard way bass fishing).
MY .02
FFY