Trav And Fishing Line.

[Al Agnew]

When you get right down to it, spinning reels have inherent design flaws that make line twist simply a part of the game. It's like taking a garden hose off a hose reel. Pull it off like line comes off a spinning reel, and the hose is badly twisted. Pull it off with the hose reel rotating, like line comes off a baitcaster, and the hose stays untwisted. And if you are trying to reel while fighting a fish and the drag is slipping, that also imparts a great amount of twist. And of course there are some lures that cause twist, but that is no different from using baitcasting. What has always irked me is that you are forced to either put up with the twist, or to take what I consider extraordinary measures to deal with it. It is line twist that causes those loops when you close the bail that result in a horrific tangle on the next cast. Closing the bail by hand doesn't always preclude the loop, the only way to preclude it completely is to lift up on the rod or pull the line tight by hand after closing the bail and before beginning to reel. To me, if you have to do such things, it's one more bit of unwanted complexity.

I believe in keeping things simple. I use braid because, although it twists the same as mono, the braid is limp enough and soft enough that the twist that's there doesn't affect the line enough to cause those loops. So I can close the bail however I want to without worrying about it.

And in keeping with my simplicity theme, I have never used a leader with braid. I mostly use 2/10 Power Pro, meaning it's the same diameter as 2 pound mono. I am pretty well convinced that anything up to 6/20 Power Pro does not bother the fish. I'm pretty sure bass don't care, no matter how clear the water is--I also never use anything in co-poly less than 8 pound test, even on the clearest streams in the Ozarks, and I certainly don't have a lot of trouble catching fish.

I'm not even as convinced as most that trout are put off by thicker line diameters. I have fished a lot of trout water where most anglers insisted you needed to use 7X tippet to do any good...and I caught plenty of fish with 4X fluorocarbon when nymphing, and 3X when fishing streamers. I think trout are put off not by the line itself, but by how it affects the float and drift of the fly. If you're using size 18 and smaller dry flies, you have to use a very light line or the fly will not float "naturally". So I basically match my tippet to the size flies I'm using, not the clarity of the water or the supposed sophistication of the fish.

[ozark trout fisher]

I'm honestly just surprised that this amount of thought goes into line... I've never had enough trouble with mono to try anything else, generally 6 or 8 pound when I'm going for bass, and 4 pound when I'm after trout. And that's the sum total of it for me.

[Chief Grey Bear]

I'm honestly just surprised that this amount of thought goes into line... I've never had enough trouble with mono to try anything else, generally 6 or 8 pound when I'm going for bass, and 4 pound when I'm after trout. And that's the sum total of it for me.

And that is all that matters in my book OTF. If it works for you, then by all means, keep with it. I don't buy into a lot of the hype myself.

Like Al posted just above, I, myself, don't buy into alot of that about tippet and trout. I do just fine with a spinning rod and crank with a snap. Now I am inclined to think if trout were that dang picky, they wouldn't even look my way. That is just my thought. And I am not going to say anyone is wrong and I don't know if anybody can really say what is going through the mind of a fish. We just know what seems to work for us. All I can do is share what has worked for me and let someone try it if they want.

[Tritonbass]

17 lb mono on my spinnerbait rod. EVERYTHING else is braid of various strengths, many with floro leaders. You couldn't pay me to put mono on a spinning reel these days. I only use the mono on my spinnerbaits because I think the stretch helps let the fish EAT the spinnerbait. I have a pretty quick hookset and found myself jerking the bait out of the fishes mouth when fishing spinnerbaits on braid.

I fish a LOT of tournaments... and I fish against one certain guy a lot. At nearly every tournament it seems he "set the hook, fought him to the boat and he broke me off." Trilene XT is so stuck in this guys head from the 80's that he refuses to change. Fine with me... he more often than not finishes well behind me. I can only remember losing two fish in the last several years due to breakoffs. Both of these were due to zebra muscles... which will cut thru 50 lb braid like butter so you just don't stand a chance no matter what line you are fishing.