I have loved my braid since I switched to it. I haven't really had too many knot problems like some people. I keep my line untwisted which I think is the real culprit.

I usually don't fish beaches with surf too often. I managed a trip to Nauset last weekend and fished braid on the beach for the first time. Man was it a problem. I would reel in my rig to find my leader and fish finder tangled around the braid way too often. I think the suppleness of braid lets it get tumbled around in the surf too easily. (which is why knots in braid are much worse than knots in mono) This is one area where the natural springiness of mono would be an advantage.

Anyone else experience this and have an opinion?

this is what i do.. i fish with 11'+ rods when throwing bait.. some places i need the height to get over obstacles others i just want the attention... neways... 12' section of 60# hybrid to 65# PP tied with a mahin knot... pretty famous knot the english use for attaching braid to heavy mono when fishing for large carp.. ...

so... i'm like this...

reel has braid using mahin knot to 60# mono i insert a fish finder then add a 100# swivel then my 3' section of leader with hook.

once i get the digital working i'll post a pic it's much easier seen then read...

That's a good idea... having a section of mono leader before the sinker. I might give it a shot next time but I don't intend to fish Nauset too much :)

To be quite honest, I think for bait fishing the BEACH mono is still the best.

I have found that in many cases the sensitivity of braid is a double-edged sword - you can feel bites but the fish can also feel YOU! I believe a few fish were spooked when I used braid with a fish finder rig. Either that or I just suck. :D

25 lb. test mono, with a section of 50 lb. mono shock leader are more than adequate to subdue large fish ... provided you have a decent drag and the proper technique to fight.

Originally posted by fishweewee
To be quite honest, I think for bait fishing the BEACH mono is still the best.

I have found that in many cases the sensitivity of braid is a double-edged sword - you can feel bites but the fish can also feel YOU! I believe a few fish were spooked when I used braid with a fish finder rig.

I felt the same thing was happening w/ me this year. I was baitfishing w/ braid and the fish kept picking it up and dropping it. I swore it was that they could feel the tug of the braid. I switched to mono and I don't seem to have that problem now.

Either that or you can't feel every little pickup anymore.....

aLAN, i HAVE THIS PROBLEM. tHE BRAID DIAMETER IS SMALLER. sO WHENY OU CAST, TH E WEIGHT IN THE CURRENT CAN TWIST AROUND. iT PLAIN SUCKS.

i like mono for chunking. i tried fishing off rockport with mono while livelining a pollack. no luck.


But now, I want a better mono for my spinning setup (not 704z penn), big game is okay, but i want to cast well with better mono, any suggestion?

i use yo zuri hydbrid its very good line imho =D work well :) havent lost a fish to it yet i use 25 or 30# test with wire leader bout 18 inches long in case i hook into a blue ;P

i hate yo-zuri hybrid. they don't cast well. i use them for leader for fluke and flounders.

=P never had a problem casting it but i mainly baitfish not sure if u are using plugs or wutnot i use a 7' slammer with a 3 once egg sinker and i can cast that pretty well

well, i use baits and plugs. i like to cast far. with the hybrid for leader, blue can cut it off. ande can seem to hold up blue's teeth. u use a wire leader. stripers are leader shy. have you tried switching to a 60 lbs premium clear ande mono line for leaders?
but what do i know anyway because bluefish will cut any mono leader!:eek:

yea stripes are leader shy ive had a few drop bait cuz of a leader but i get into a lot of blues where i fish and they generally bite through any mono leader i put on there and after awhile i get sick of changin hooks :-p so i just went with wire could be why im not catching many stripes this year =[

probably. tryusing a cleanr mono or fluro leader. i don't lose a blue with that. but change your leader...it may be a pain in the ass, but if you can get it done fast, u will have no problem.

When fishing chunks or any type of bait on the bottom braid works best without doubt. First off, do not go light on a conventional outfit, 65lb, or 80lb Spiderwire stealth or PowerPro, long shock leader of 60lb Mono, I like Jin Kai...Fishfinder, Barrel swivel, 18" to 28" floro leader, (Depending on distance), and then a 5/0-7/0 Gamakatsu Octopus Hook. Off a boat, I absolutly fell in love with the Calstar 7ft Composite blanks, I use both Calcuta 700 or Trinidad 30. I have fished side by side with friends whom brought mono and not once did they ever get come close to catching more fish than me. I never put the rod down, keep it in free spool with my thumb on. You can feel every hit no matter how finicky the fish can be and when I set I drive the hook home. The mono has to much stretch for me, You are beeter off leaving the rod dead sticked with a locked drag if fishing it. Off the surf I use a 10-11ft GSB Lami M Conventional with the Calcutta 700 and never, ever had a problem. I have caught thousands of bass this way of the surf and boat....

Never really used egg sinkers until I got tired of having the same tangle problem while bottom bouncing sand eels on the CC-Canal.

I swear by braid, (mono leader), but when casting, the fishfinder rig would often wrap around the line during the cast and defeat the purpose of the slider setup. Also, those fishfinders tend to grab onto every hunk of seaweed and submerged snag it hits.

Well recently, on one particular canal outing, I seemed to be getting snagged and breaking off on almost every other cast. I was fast running out of tackle. Scrounging around the area, I managed to find several barrel swivels, a hook, and one egg sinker. Well, I tied on that egg sinker and immediately found that casting was easier, so I got more accuracy and more distance. And thereafter, I didn't snag up even once for the rest of the outing. The quality fishing time spent "in the water" increased, without wasting all that "retying time". And I then began catching fish after fish...

So later on, I stopped by M&D's and bought a bagful of 2-3 oz eggers.

One item, you should put on a plastic bead between the egg sinker and the barrel swivel/leader to keep from having the sinker wear on the knot and from crushing the swivel. :smash:

Good Luck.

-John-