Proper braided line installation

[Capt. Lou]

I've been using braided line in one form or another, dacron, spectra, dyneema since late 1980's. I was one of the first to convert while still chartering on LK O. It was perfect for hi lining & planer board applications. It allowed the use lighter tackle sans smaller reels by increaseing their capacity. One of it's major pitfalls when I first started was the recogntion of setting the reels drag to conform to the strength & lack of stretch for this new line,backed off about 10% worked out well. Lot less hook pulls with the big guys.
Insalltion of this braid on reels today is still somewhat misunderstood ,however most now realize, this line "must" be insatalled under pressure to gain proper perfromance. If not the line can bite into itself and lock up your reel probably fighting a big fish. So whetehr spooling a spinner or conventional , alwyas do so under pressure, I use a HD leather glove so the line does not cut my hands.
Another method some use is to install best you can then let the line back out from a moving boat ,reel in and you should be go to go. Even when tightening in this manner add some thumb pressure to get it tight!
You can bear down quite heavily, there's no stretch like mono that could crush your reel spool .
Always use some form of backing ,or tie solidly to the reels CP, the braid is slick and will spin on your spool is not locked in place from the start. Most like myself prefer the backing to minimize line space so you can put on what you actually require & hold down costs. Of course when fishing certain species like Tuna you may want to fill spool.
Once properly installed you cast better, and lessen worries about losing a big fish due to poor or inproper braid installiton.

[RussH]

This should probably be in it's own thread, but once you have your shiny new braid spooled up. If you happen to be fishing on a party boat don't forget to put a NICE long piece of mono or Flouro before you start tying your hooks and other junk on. That way when you tangle. You tangle the flouro and the mate or poor schmo next to you doesn't slice their finger trying to untangle.

Also when you rig up to Flouro it's a lot easier to cut and just retie a new rig on. Braid is a bit harder to tie knots into than mono. So I like to, especially when bottom fishing, put a real long piece of flouro say 6+' and even cutting off a foot here and there it will last me all day and I don't need to deal with the braid at all. Also when going small diameter to large diameter learn the ALBRIGHT knot, it's in my opinion the best braid to flouro/mono knot out there.

[AJFISH13]

I will use it for bass, fluke, and bottom fish. Haven't really used it much in freshwater yet. I am starting to go light in my tackle, probaly why I'm using more braid now. It's only drawback is reduced knot strengh. I fish Power Pro strictly and it holds and works better than any other brand of braid out there on the market.

[wink_man]

Originally Posted by AJFISH13

It's only drawback is reduced knot strengh.

I personally don't believe reduced knot strengh is an issue at all if the proper knots are used. But most importantly, as mentioned in the above posts, braid is very very slick, and just as it will cut into itself on a spool, a knot, even a properly tied one will also cut into itself when under continual pressure. I always tie a knot with braid, wether braid to braid, or braid to mono tighten it up properly and finish the knot with a drop of crazy glue, so the knot literally can't get any tighter(or loosen).

Braid is also slick enough that it will loosen even on a properly tied albright knot(braid to mono) in time without crazy glue, ESPECIALLY if it isn't locked. Tie your albright, or reverse albright, lock it, and a drop of crazy glue, and you're problem free.

I often tie a uni to uni with braid to put a 75 yard topshot of yellow braid on top of my green braid for better visibility for night fishing, as I often can't find a lot of yellow. A uni to uni makes for a wonderfully small unnoticable knot when tied with 4 loops on each uni and pulled tight. But because it's braid to braid, you're asking for trouble if you play big fish often and don't finish the knot with a drop of glue.

Just my personal opinions and observation, having learned some things the hard way, LOL.

[RussH]

I've never used glue, but I change the knot after only one trip. Sometimes during the trip. I can imagine if I was fishing for bigger species, or maybe off shore it would be a good thing to do. But I've pulled up as big as a 6# fluke on 12# power pro connected to 25# flouro using the albright knot and didn't have any problems whatsoever.

This is a great discussion. Proper use of braid is essential to catching keepers these days, I feel. Particularly the folk who fish in NY state waters.

[AJFISH13]

I never really have a problem with it Winkman. But you might have a problem going offshore for bluefins if you don't know the right knots. I use an uni to uni and really don't believe you need another mono to braid knot besides that.

[wink_man]

Originally Posted by AJFISH13

I never really have a problem with it Winkman. But you might have a problem going offshore for bluefins if you don't know the right knots. I use an uni to uni and really don't believe you need another mono to braid knot besides that.

Aj, just out of curiosity, what size mono leader are you tying that uni to uni with? I generally use a 60lb mono leader for stripers, and it's more like rope than line, but certain rocky places I fish I need it. I don't think I could manage a uni to uni with 60lb mono and 20lb braid. Rather, a locked Albright with this size leader makes for a very slim knot that can be fed through the guides on the rod no problem and even the linewiner on a conventional level wind reel if need be.

[Sea Bear]

The uni to uni is a great spectra to mono connection when you need a "quick and dirty connection" out on the water in the midst of the action but there is no better knot for spectra to mono than the PR knot. It is a 100% strength connection whereas the uni to uni is 70% at best. When you're after big fish (tuna and so on) it is really the only option you should even consider if your fishing solid spectra.

[AJFISH13]

Winkman I use 50 lb to 65 lb. braid with 40 to 60 lb. leader. You are nuts for using 20 lb. braid. In rocky areas I use at least 50 lb. braid. and for blackfish I bump it up to 65 lb. braid.

[Capt. Lou]

Since this thread has gone south somewhat here's a couple of ld to braid knots that are fast & easy.
PR , Mid knot etc are good knots for big game applications, to complete at home or at the dock,they work well,however offshore and you lose a line re tieing fast is now the issue. Unless other outfits are standing by for immediste use the fastest way to get back in the action for solid spectra is to bimini the braid ( 100% ) then reverse albright or huffnagel ,now commonly called the slim beautry work well & can be tied in seconds. Shot of glue and your in good shape. Bear in mind that your probably only working with 20 / 25 lb on drag with jig / pop outfiyts so even if you have 65lb braid w/under 100% knot strength still plenty between you and you drag setting. 100% knots are great for lines under 50lb and many were designed for this use twhen the angler at times can be on a fish for hours. 65lb and up you can put the boots to em' eliminates the longer fight and less prone to knot failures.
80lb braid and up I like HC, this can be repaired at seas quickly if a brak occurs,simply re splice ,throw in a couple of half hitches, glue go fish!
Tip apply glue when sliding & tighting knot not only lubricates especially Fluoro ld, but now works into entire knot instead of only surface. Couple of minutes your back at it.
Finally the revers albright is the knot for all quick set ups inshore & off ,I've broken this connection many times on snags etc and the knot always seems to come back intact while the sometimes heavier ld has broken.
The simple key to the use of thes knots a I described is too "ALWAYS" double the braid via the bimini ,that's it!