Couple Of Things...

[sholder02]

First time posting here but wanted to share my experience in hopes that it saves someone some $. Some of you may already be way ahead of me here, but since I don't fish with braid often, I've had a steeper learning curve.

First, I was fishing the A-Rig this weekend around Shell Knob. I was swimming it back, felt a bump, and drove one of the hooks right into a tree. The braid did its job and I was able to straighten the hook out and save the rig. However, on my next cast, I sent the A-Rig about 60 yards down the lake without any braid attached to it. You see, when I set the hook on the tree, the braid dug into the spool. On my next cast, the reel spooled off about 15 yards and came to an abrupt stop where the line was dug in. Lesson: If you hang up the A-Rig...or there's any chance it may have dug into the spool, take a minute before your next cast to manually spool off some line and check it.

Second, have any of you tried fishing your swimbaits on weighted hooks instead of jig heads behind the A-Rig?

[dtrs5kprs]

Second, have any of you tried fishing your swimbaits on weighted hooks instead of jig heads behind the A-Rig?

Good post and good question. Welcome. Looked at some weighted hooks this morning at Rogers in Liberty with that thought in mind. Seems like it would keep the baits running true.

Threw one this afternoon on the way back from the tackle shop, looks ridiculous and awesome at the same time. Little shad free lake so no takers, not really enough depth to do more than throw it and look at it. Fish we caught were on super finesse baits in a nasty windy rain. Good to break the seal though.

[Jason Essary]

First time posting here but wanted to share my experience in hopes that it saves someone some $. Some of you may already be way ahead of me here, but since I don't fish with braid often, I've had a steeper learning curve.

First, I was fishing the A-Rig this weekend around Shell Knob. I was swimming it back, felt a bump, and drove one of the hooks right into a tree. The braid did its job and I was able to straighten the hook out and save the rig. However, on my next cast, I sent the A-Rig about 60 yards down the lake without any braid attached to it. You see, when I set the hook on the tree, the braid dug into the spool. On my next cast, the reel spooled off about 15 yards and came to an abrupt stop where the line was dug in. Lesson: If you hang up the A-Rig...or there's any chance it may have dug into the spool, take a minute before your next cast to manually spool off some line and check it.

Second, have any of you tried fishing your swimbaits on weighted hooks instead of jig heads behind the A-Rig?

Braid does have its learning curve. I have used it many times while fishing in Canada for Northerns. Anytime you set the hook hard, you do need to pull the line out of the spool to avoid that. Harder you set it, worse it will be. Different reels are different, some are worse than others depending on the amount of wraps they put on the spool before they go back the other way. Have lost many a northern bait by "popping" the line when its dug in.

Good way to help the situation is to turn the drag way down. No stretch in the line means you dont have to "dot" their eyes as bad as with mono but when your use to snapping it hard, its hard for your brain to keep you from doing it. By turning down the drag, it will give alittle on the set and save some of the pinching.

[WeekendWarrior]

What is the advantage of braid vs. fluorocarbon using the A-rig, besides the obvious of not being able to break the crap. I hate braided line and plan on using 15 lb. Seaguar which I think will be plenty strong enough. Am I missing something?

[Jason Essary]

No, lot of people are going with floro. Most are running 30lb I believe. But yes the main reason is because of the price no one wants to loose the freaking expensive things.

[Stump bumper]

When you need to straighten a hook or break a line it is better to wrap the line around a wooden dowel or the rod handle or a boat cleat to spare your rod and your reel.I have even used the post on the front seat, put the trolling motor on high and still recovered the lure. I have seen a lot of busted tips on rods from 3lb fish and people blame the rod but they forget how many times those rods were stressed on logs and rocks the size of their boat.

As far as using flouro over braid there is no difference as far as that goes you could use mono, there is no action to worry about. It is just $10-$25 out there with another $5-$25 in lures and I have lost two on 65lb braid. It is just as easy to throw 15lb flouro as 65lb braid but takes one heck of a reel to throw 65lb flouro so I will stick with braid, but then I am used to braid already and I love the lifespan of briad, but so far the lifespan of an A-rig is about the same as a $2 jig.

[abkeenan]

Great stuff here guys. I have NEVER used braid in my life and I will be getting some 65# power pro this week at BPS spring sale specifically for throwing the A-Rig on my 7'6" H rod with an Abu 6500 that I use for catfish, carp and live bait type stuff. So this braid info is very helpful for me and much appreciated and might save some people in the dam area from having to hear some choice obscenities when I launch one of my A-Rigs 200 yards into the middle of the lake.

[dtrs5kprs]

Better get it sooner than later. 65# PowerPro is getting hard to find around Kansas City except in yellow. Seems to still be plenty of Sufix.

Does anyone know how the 65# deal got started on the A-rig? Or, more to the point, why not just go 80#?

[magicwormman]

65 lb Power Pro is perfect for the A-rig. I started using it years ago for Muskie and pike fishing. I also used it for Peacock bass fishing in South America a few years back. Pricey, but great stuff.............lasts forever. I use it on Table Rock on many lures, however, if you're on the bottom it's prone to getting nicked on the rocks and will break. I tie the double uni knot (easy to tie with a little practice) with braid to flouracarbon leader with good results. It also allows you to break off if you get snagged up.

[rangerman50]

I have been using 50# Bass Pro Excel braid with good results. Even threw a couple of backlashes (my fault) and they picked out rather easy. I also picked it for partly for the economy of it but, also have had good results with other Excel lines. So far so good.