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This may sound strange to some, but I am very resistant to change. I am thinking of trying braid again. I tried it once a few of years ago and did not like it. What I tried was Spider line and have since read that that was probably not a good choice for a first try. I recently purchased a spool of Sufix performance braid. Here are my questions: 1) What is the big deal about not tying directly to the lure with braid? Why does it seem almost a sin not to use fluorocarbon leader? (I don't particularly like fluorocarbon or leaders in general) 2) What knots seem to be best? 3) Do braids perform better on spinning or casting reels?
Any and all information and advise is welcome.

I use Sufix Performance braid with a 20# fluoro leader without any issues. There might be a better reason but the leader does aloow you to have some give whereas braid has no stretch. I've tied directly to the lure a few times and wind up with it wrapped around the hooks or getting fouled so I went back to the leader.
A well tied uni-uni knot seems to work best for me btu with so many good knots out there, you'll get 100 different answers.
If I'm not bad wrong Sufix was developed for spinning reels. One thig you'll encounter is line twist when using spinning reels. That's just the nature of the reels.

I hope this helps.

Flouro is more abrasion resistant than the braid when retrieving across Oyster Bars. Its also less visual when fishing clear water. I've caught fish with or without the flouro. But I almost always tie a 20 lb flouro to my 15lb Power Pro (8lb diameter) and I use an Albright knot to tie the two together. I use Power Pro, and I have taken mono and braid out to see what cast further and its definetely the Braid by about 50%. This Saturday with an 8' foot medium Rod, and Stradic 3000, I was making regular cast out 50 yards and further with a Skitterwalk and Super Spook. I can't even cast that with mono, ever.

Always close the bail by hand that will reduce twist a lot, never reel when the fish is taking drag it is a for sure way to put twist in line. I have braid on almost every reel I own. Don't use the extra lite ones they twist worse.

A leader is used to make the lure appear to be natural - braid is solid and fish can see the line - therefore a leader helps or makes the angler feel better about it. If you fish in muddy or stained water it doesn't much matter.

What knot is best - the one you can tie is the safest bet....I can't think of any knot that won't work with braid.

I use braid on both spinning and bait caster reels - most issues come from not putting it on the reel correctly. You will also see issues with reel spool diameter and eyes on the rod - this is prevalent in spinning reels mostly. Not using the correct diameter of line can cause issues as well - spinning reels mostly. Putting too much line on a reel can cause issues - mostly on spinning reels. Bait casters will see small backlashes that come from the spool overrunning the output...these generally are easily picked out.

The most benefit that I see is the sensitivity that you gain with feeling the fish take the lure - you simply can't feel it with mono like you can with braid.

I use mono for topwater, unweighted soft plastics and hard jerk baits - everything else will see braid. To me - the mono adds action to those lures and allows the fish to take the lure before I set the hook.

Just get out there and try it out - nobody's advice will replaces personal time on the water

Like has been said, you can cast a light lure much further with braid. I either tie direct to the lure. or sometimes if I am changing out a lot, I will use a small clip off of a leader so I can change out lures quick. The clip has never seemed to bother the fish.

Out in deeper water, I use braid for grouper trolling on my Penn senators. But I also use a steel leader about 2 feet long on the end with a swivel. If a king (or a big lizardfish) hits a lure tied directly to braid, you can kiss that 10 dollar stretch lure goodbye. At first, I was losing a few lures on strike, but soon learned to loosen up the drag good. Since then, I only loose a lure if I snag on something on the bottom.

To me, I like the quick, solid feel of the braid when a strike hits. After using braid, I find mono just too "springy". You do have to use a certain amount of restraint with the braid since it does not give at all. (You want the whole trout, not just his lip)

I still have mono on the rods that I use a Cajun Thunder popper with. Works fine with those.

Dubble

1 other thing I'll point out from recent experiences is use the smallest guides you can when fishing braid. Most spinning rods start with a size 30 (for cone of flight set-ups) but I've been using as small as size 10 fly guides and 12 high frames. These sizes seem to eliminate alot of wind knots.

Chalk wrote: What knot is best - the one you can tie is the safest bet....I can't think of any knot that won't work with braid.

The knots that don't work with braid are the ones that have the braid wrap one time around the flouro. An example would be tying a uni-knot to a uni-knot, and the braid will cut the mono or flouro in that situation. Thats why I use an albright knot, It wraps around 10 to 20 times around a flouro loop, and helps prevent braid from cutting through the flouro. Others use the Uni to Uni Splice which also wraps around the flouro.

Power Pro Knots

The Uni - Uni Splice



The Albright:


Animated Albright knot

I always have one reel with braid...
Like Chalk said- with topwater I use mono
But with jigs or even a Cajun thunder I use braid with a mono or fluoro leader.

You cant beat it fishing a jig or worm fishing for bass!
I use Power Pro

A uni to uni splice will still cut the mono - if the diameter of braid is alot smaller than the leader. Like I said most all knots will work - are they practical or the best - no. Tie what you can - most choose a knot they can tie. I use the Alberto or a blood or improved blood or uni to uni splice or j knot