Braid difficulty

Question for the braid users and those sticking with mono over braid. I know this can turn into a 4 page long debate on most fishing forums with plenty of insults thrown about, and that isn't at all my intention (and this seems like a very supportive forum where that is less likely to happen). My question relates to learning to use braid. I've researched it several times and read nearly every forum post about it that I've been able to find. I'm somewhat familiar with the positives and negatives of both and can understand (generally) why one is better than another in different situations. My real question is how hard is it to learn to properly use braid? I've surf fished for several years, however the cumulative total of time I've spent actually fishing isn't overly significant (3-4 hours a day for a week each year for about 3-4 years). I've fished most of my life, though generally fresh water and offshore charters, so I pretty comfortable with my equipment, but from what I've read, braid is a totally different animal. I've read that it literally will cut your hands open if handled wrong or during casting, and knot tying is different from mono. That all being said, I was considering using braid on my smaller reel (shimano 300q AX (from about 23 years ago)) on my 7' fast action rod. Based on some great feedback from others on this site i plan to use the combo for a mix of bottom rigs, bait under corks and also throwing mirrolures and gotchas and bucktails. Seems like i would get better casting abilities with the braid and better responsiveness, but I'm going to give up forgiveness, which can be an asset to the inexperienced hook setters like me. So is using braid properly (and safely) something that a person with some experience can figure out relatively quickly or is it something you literally have to spend hours and hours getting the hang of? Even if i did spool the braid, i would still bring my 10lb ande back country mono with me for a quick change out if the braid was just not to my liking.

I spooled up a smaller reel of mine with braid once for Spanish, etc. I used 20# powerpro, and for throwing plugs and gotcha's and soft plastics it did fine. Unfortunately, the spanish weren't hitting that very well because they were killing the small LY's. When I switched over to trying to fish the live bait, I quickly observed that my powerpro wasn't sinking and wouldn't allow the LY to swim deeply enough to get bit as much as everyone else was. A quick trip to J&M for some 8# Momoi Illusion solved that problem to my satisfaction, and I haven't used braid since. Truthfully, fishing for the smaller fish, I haven't found anything that 8# mono won't handle....and sometimes 4# is even better. The lighter line casts almost as well as the braid does, it seems to me.

That said, the "learning curve" for fishing braid wasn't that difficult for casting plugs and gotcha lures. I've used it and fireline in freshwater situations for a long time. I learned the hard way that if you are holding the line and freespooling a bait and not watching carefully...a mackerel can give you a bad cut before you can get your finger out of the way. :)

My 2 cents.

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Originally Posted by Rich1

I spooled up a smaller reel of mine with braid once for Spanish, etc. I used 20# powerpro, and for throwing plugs and gotcha's and soft plastics it did fine. Unfortunately, the spanish weren't hitting that very well because they were killing the small LY's. When I switched over to trying to fish the live bait, I quickly observed that my powerpro wasn't sinking and wouldn't allow the LY to swim deeply enough to get bit as much as everyone else was. A quick trip to J&M for some 8# Momoi Illusion solved that problem to my satisfaction, and I haven't used braid since. Truthfully, fishing for the smaller fish, I haven't found anything that 8# mono won't handle....and sometimes 4# is even better. The lighter line casts almost as well as the braid does, it seems to me.

That said, the "learning curve" for fishing braid wasn't that difficult for casting plugs and gotcha lures. I've used it and fireline in freshwater situations for a long time. I learned the hard way that if you are holding the line and freespooling a bait and not watching carefully...a mackerel can give you a bad cut before you can get your finger out of the way. :)

My 2 cents.

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Thanks Rich1. That is very helpful. You made me think about the fact that i often struggle with my large combo (7500SS, 10' Star Rod, 20# ande mono) being affected by the strong winds and breakers when i opt for bait on a weight method. Makes me wonder if using braid on the big reel would help with the casting abilities as well as keeping wind impact to a minimum. The way the beach generally sets up in front of our rental house is tough because the first real cut/slough is pretty far offshore and getting anything out there requires some wading and a very serious cast.

Braid is great for surf fishing to help with casting. On the pier it is frowned upon in applications other than throwing lures and plugs because it can be harder to see and as Rich said it can also be dangerous. Sometimes you have to feed fish with a little extra line off the spool before you set the hook and let the drag start doing its work. In that situation you could end up going to the ER if you aren't careful because it will cut you like a knife. The best thing to do in a surf fishing situation is to use a monk shock leader to save your finger during casting.

I know this much, it will cut the shit out of your finger if you load up on it to hard

If your going to be throwing large baits or weight wrap the end of your finger with tape or a band-aid and it will solve the cutting problem

Skin is some pretty tough stuff and I honestly don't think it would have helped in my particular situation.

this is my concern. I am pretty adept at casting the big and small rods, but everyone screws up every once in a while right? Up to this point my mono screw ups haven't caused me to be out an ER insurance co pay for stitches and antiboitocs. But i'd be lying if i said i wasn't intrigued by the increased casting distance and responsiveness offered by braid.

I've been experimenting with fishing braided lines for about two years now, and if I can learn to use it properly (and safely ;-) anybody can!
You mentioned using it on an older reel, but it may not have a line roller compatible with braid.
Braid can be a PITA throwing into the wind.
You have to diligently check the spool for wind knots after each cast before reeling up slack line.
It is UNFORGIVING (no stretch) so casting heavy weights or plugs is potentially dangerous.
But it can be rewarding, with longer casts and no line twist to deal with.
plus fewer breakoffs because the line is so damn strong for its size.

A very useful casting tool for launching heavy weighted braid is the Breakaway Cannon which can save a finger or fingertip.

Hope this helps!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Pier#r

I've been experimenting with fishing braided lines for about two years now, and if I can learn to use it properly (and safely ;-) anybody can!
You mentioned using it on an older reel, but it may not have a line roller compatible with braid.
Braid can be a PITA throwing into the wind.
You have to diligently check the spool for wind knots after each cast before reeling up slack line.
It is UNFORGIVING (no stretch) so casting heavy weights or plugs is potentially dangerous.
But it can be rewarding, with longer casts and no line twist to deal with.
plus fewer breakoffs because the line is so damn strong for its size.

A very useful casting tool for launching heavy weighted braid is the Breakaway Cannon which can save a finger or fingertip.

Hope this helps!

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that is a great point. i never considered the fact that the reel in question was most certainly never intended to use braid. Do most people just use a mono backing in this case or is there something more fundamentally at issue with an older reel in relation to braid? will it be an issue with line lay or line coming off the spool when casting? Unfortunately my best fishing equipment source around here is bass pro (which i actually love going to) but the guys are almost all exclusively freshwater bass guys (as you would expect in good old Dallas, TX). They know their stuff, but they usually admit to not being salt water guys. I would imagine the bass pro off I-10 outside mobile has a salt water section that would triple what i've got here.

You also mentioned the wind issue, which from experience has been something i have dealt with when trying to fish from the gulf side of Ft. Morgan (as well as when i've fished the end of the point at dixey bar). It always seems to be windy in Gulf Shores/Ft. Morgan. I thought the braid was supposed to be less susceptible to the wind, but i guess what that really means is that the wind won't impact your line as much once it's in the water, not necessarily easier casting in the wind.