line question for bottom fishing

[killswitch]

Looking to re-spool some Penn 4/0 and was thinking about changing over to braided line. Probably just top shot them to keep the cost down a little. Any recommendations on size and brands.......................or would I just be better off with mono. Currently spooled w/ 50lb ande mono and really never had any issues. Thanks

[slayer]

I like 80lb power pro with an 80lb floro leader...every year I pull off the power pro and reverse it......

[Tidedancer]

80 lb braid for my bottom rigs too. I have never had a fish break my main line (I have cut off a few nurse sharks). The leader will range depending on what I am fishing for and what kind of bottom I am fishing.
Power Pro and Sufix are the two lines I am using now. There may be better ones and maybe someone will add to this tread.
Good luck.

[Rhettley]

I agree with Tidedancer. You will be amazed at how much better you can feel all the nibbles going on with your bait. Just remember braid will cut through rubber rub rails and fingers. Check the area from your knot at the swivel to about a foot up for abrasion occasionally and retie if needed.

[killswitch]

Thanks for the info...........think I'll try braid on one and see how it works out.

[EddieJoe]

Thanks for the info...........think I'll try braid on one and see how it works out.

IMO, that's a good way to start. A few years ago, I went totally to braid on all my reels, then got rid of all of it, now I am using it again. 80 lb Power Pro is incredibly strong and there is no stretch at all.
However, since I have gone to much lighter and smaller reels (4/0 size used to be standard for me, now I never use a reel/rod combo that heavy) than before, as well as much lighter rods, I use 50 lb braid, or 30 lb mono. I can't remember the last time that a fish actually broke off my main line, even with the 30 lb, except for goliath grouper now and then. I use 60 and 80 lb flourocarbon leaders for grouper, and those do get cut sometimes, usually by rocks or toothy fish like sharks and/or kings.

Braid is great for sensitivity and pure strength/size, but is a royal pain when fouling lines or getting a backlash. Many is the time we have hooked a king on the boat when fishing for grouper, and then had to literally cut most of the other lines after the bugger ran around everyone and with braid you just could not untangle the lines. Anyhow, you will see. It's great, and it is awful, just depends.

EJ

[Ranaman]

I agree with EJ and others...Thank God I have one of the best Braid knot get "her" outers in the world if it was not for Celeste's patience i think I'd only have mono on, but braid rules for sensitivity and strength! I am following in the foot steps of the other forum guys and use 80 braid with 60-80 fluoro leaders unless troilling I'l use mono leader on my strectches. I also hve many dropper rigs pre-made in 30- 40 flouro for snapper or when bite slacks up.

On some of my vertical jigging rods with Spinning tackle I take it down to 65 lb power pro or suffix. I just dont like the 80 on my spinning tackle.

Only thing I have to tell people who don't fish a lot of braid with circle hooks cranking a reel handle 3-4 times real fast at a strike on some of my high speed reels in in affect like setting the hook with mono or worse!! You've just captured 48-60 inches of NO stretch line back on to that reel "quiclkly" if you set the hook from 8 oclock to 11 oclock on a hook set with mono I bet you didn't move that hook/lure 6-12 inches in 60-80 feet of water. food for though for those who have problems with sensitivity of braid and missing fish! I also tend to now use a lighter tip rod like a kingfish rod which has a fast soft tip but plenty of back bone to land a 20 lb grouper.

[Tidedancer]

Fishing Braid and Mono on the same boat can cause BIG problems if you don't put the braid up current of the mono. the mono has more resistance and will go further back in the current. So if the mono is in front of the braid the mono will come back and tangle the braid all most every time. If I have someone fishing mono and I do a lot on the Tide-Dancer I make sure they are in the right position for bottom fishing and not getting tangled. Or make sure you have mono on one side of the boat and braid on the other.
As for sharks and kingfish making a mess of things. Been there and done that. Most of the time just cut the mess loose and retie, you make need to do that anyway every now and then. It's sad but we don't have a HOT MAMA with patience to help us like Ran. As for spinning tackle and braid I too reduce the size to 50 and 60 lb. for jigging and throwing live or cut bait.

[EddieJoe]

Fishing Braid and Mono on the same boat can cause BIG problems if you don't put the braid up current of the mono. the mono has more resistance and will go further back in the current. So if the mono is in front of the braid the mono will come back and tangle the braid all most every time. If I have someone fishing mono and I do a lot on the Tide-Dancer I make sure they are in the right position for bottom fishing and not getting tangled. Or make sure you have mono on one side of the boat and braid on the other.
As for sharks and kingfish making a mess of things. Been there and done that. Most of the time just cut the mess loose and retie, you make need to do that anyway every now and then. It's sad but we don't have a HOT MAMA with patience to help us like Ran. As for spinning tackle and braid I too reduce the size to 50 and 60 lb. for jigging and throwing live or cut bait.

Hey, T.D.! Weren't you supposed to be south of S Tower about now?

Weather this a.m. keep you all on the hill?
EJ

[Tidedancer]

Fishing Braid and Mono on the same boat can cause BIG problems if you don't put the braid up current of the mono. the mono has more resistance and will go further back in the current. So if the mono is in front of the braid the mono will come back and tangle the braid all most every time. If I have someone fishing mono and I do a lot on the Tide-Dancer I make sure they are in the right position for bottom fishing and not getting tangled. Or make sure you have mono on one side of the boat and braid on the other.
As for sharks and kingfish making a mess of things. Been there and done that. Most of the time just cut the mess loose and retie, you make need to do that anyway every now and then. It's sad but we don't have a HOT MAMA with patience to help us like Ran. As for spinning tackle and braid I too reduce the size to 50 and 60 lb. for jigging and throwing live or cut bait.

Hey, T.D.! Weren't you supposed to be south of S Tower about now?

Weather this a.m. keep you all on the hill?
EJ

You bet. I'm not ready to get french fried out on the water. It cleared up some in the later morning but to late for our planned Tuna trip.

[Sea Fox]

I use 65 and 80 powrepro with 80lb fluoro leaders. Although the last trip the rod with 50lb mono was the lucky rod. The only problem with powerpro Ive had was with a roller tip rod. The braid would get off the side of roller and get bound. Otherwise I love being able to feel the live bait get nervous.

[Ranaman]

It's sad but we don't have a HOT MAMA with patience to help us like Ran. As for spinning tackle and braid I too reduce the size to 50 and 60 lb. for jigging and throwing live or cut bait.

Were are both waiting on the invite Chuck then you'l have your own little braid untangler

[Ranaman]

It sure looked pretty yesterday did you ever get offshore?? sorry to derail