12-31-20. Big Cedar area report

1 hour ago, Lvn2Fish said:

Can’t stand braid on my treble hook baits . I want something with some stretch usually helps with hook up ratio and fish not pulling loose . A lot of the fish I catch on the wart and crawler are barely hooked , too much of a pull and they are gone . Plus braided line and freezing temps are no fun . Soaks my hands and freezes in the reel . 

Yep I've heard that but the extra distance is really nice.  And the baits run deeper.  I treat them like fishing a wacky rig where I just keep reeling when I get a bite.  Not a hard hookset.  

I do not mean to argue with proven artists, but think on this.

A good braid, new Power Pro, Suffix, or Finatic, in green and 10# will run deeper than mono or flouro and not be visible to the fish on a reaction retrieve. You also have better feel. So why do you advocate stretch? Because you want to feel and then set the hook with a strong rod pump.

Throw. Keep reeling. Feel the bottom and keep reeling. Something odd or feels different ? Keep reeling. If you sharpened the hooks, the bite will set the hook for you.

Just a thought.

5 hours ago, rps said:

I do not mean to argue with proven artists, but think on this.

A good braid, new Power Pro, Suffix, or Finatic, in green and 10# will run deeper than mono or flouro and not be visible to the fish on a reaction retrieve. You also have better feel. So why do you advocate stretch? Because you want to feel and then set the hook with a strong rod pump.

Throw. Keep reeling. Feel the bottom and keep reeling. Something odd or feels different ? Keep reeling. If you sharpened the hooks, the bite will set the hook for you.

Just a thought.

Agreed

Al Lindner once said the perfect set up for Walleye was a mono main line with a mono leader. Obviously he wants stretch for Walleye. When I get a bite on a crank bait fish, I try my best not to do a traditional hook set...I just keep cranking and most of the time the fish will hook itself. Some folks just flat out use too strong of a hook set with trebles, and this compounds the effect with braid. A lighter setup would help them in that respect.

I totally disagree that you can throw the braid further in cold weather. As far as i'm concerned it is more than a total pain. 

10 to 12 pound Sunline or Seagar in 30 to 35 degree weather will cast way further than any braid. 

I totally hate the stuff. Messing with a leader having it knot or pull down in the spool. Having it wrap around the guides, getting stiff in cool weather and the worst having one of the hooks penetrate the line. If I'm using it I go like Bo and tie it direct no leader. Only thing now I'm using it for is top water. Took it off the A-rig baits as i can throw the carbon further with zero problems

Life's to short for braid as far as I'm concerned, but I know it has a following, and to each his own. 

14 minutes ago, Bill Babler said:

I totally disagree that you can throw the braid further in cold weather. As far as i'm concerned it is more than a total pain. 

10 to 12 pound Sunline or Seagar in 30 to 35 degree weather will cast way further than any braid. 

I totally hate the stuff. Messing with a leader having it knot or pull down in the spool. Having it wrap around the guides, getting stiff in cool weather and the worst having one of the hooks penetrate the line. If I'm using it I go like Bo and tie it direct no leader. Only thing now I'm using it for is top water. Took it off the A-rig baits as i can throw the carbon further with zero problems

Life's to short for braid as far as I'm concerned, but I know it has a following, and to each his own. 

I agree on a lot of this, especially wrapping around the guides. I hardly ever fish in 30-35 weather though. The one thing it will improve was The line coiling issues that Champ mentioned.

When I say I like the stretch it’s for a couple reasons . The main one is I feel like I take the lure away from fish with braid . In cold weather and lethargic fish I like a delay in my set with the crankbaits . Same with the spinner bait. The stretch in the line is almost like a built in delay.  With the braid and the wart and any moving bait I miss more bites . I like it on top water and frog fishing that’s about it . It’s more for a delay on the initial bite . And I set the wart hook just like you mentioned slow pull into the fish . 

More thoughts on braid.

I learned to NEVER set the drag near the break point of the line. I actually set it lighter than most people. That provides a cushion on sudden surges and attack bites. In addition, the rods I make are slower than most people would use. This too protects you from having the fish jerk off on no give braid.

I was forced to learn these things some years ago when I went through a streak of fish coming off when I trolled with braid. A tip from a Walleye Central post clued me.

As for the issue of braid wrapping guides, I minimize that by spiral wrapping with micro guides. That does not eliminate guide fouls, but it drastically reduces the occurrence. BTW, if you are vertical jigging with braid, after you pull up and you give slack, learn to do a circular flip with the rod tip to throw the line away from the tip.

Lastly, if you intend to use braid, I strongly suggest you try Finatic line. It is not cheap, but it does not bleed or bleach, and it is a hair stiffer which reduces the wrapping guides and wind knots. Their 10# is the size of 2# mono.

 

2 hours ago, Bill Babler said:

I totally disagree that you can throw the braid further in cold weather. As far as i'm concerned it is more than a total pain. 

10 to 12 pound Sunline or Seagar in 30 to 35 degree weather will cast way further than any braid. 

I totally hate the stuff. Messing with a leader having it knot or pull down in the spool. Having it wrap around the guides, getting stiff in cool weather and the worst having one of the hooks penetrate the line. If I'm using it I go like Bo and tie it direct no leader. Only thing now I'm using it for is top water. Took it off the A-rig baits as i can throw the carbon further with zero problems

Life's to short for braid as far as I'm concerned, but I know it has a following, and to each his own. 

Honestly, Bill I grew up fly fishing and came to bait casters a lot later.  I had more issues with “professional over runs” than I care to remember.  So way back when I switched them to braid and get rid of that problem.  Might have been poor reel choice as much as anything but I never had the problem again.  
Today I’m respooling all my rods and the last one is that cara cranker you sold me.  Thx!!!   I love it.  I might try the 10 pound carbon on it.  
Spinning rods I just carry two different reels.  One with braid and be without.  
 

 

5 hours ago, snagged in outlet 3 said:

.  I had more issues with “professional over runs” than I care to remember.  So way back when I switched them to braid and get rid of that problem. /////// I might try the 10 pound carbon on it.  
Spinning rods I just carry two different reels.  One with braid and be without.  
 

Braid is very light and the spool has less momentum to keep spilling line out.

fluro has more weight and backlashes worse than mono. 
it doesn’t have to be a Big Deal. Set your spool tension and your brakes correctly and keep an active thumb. 
you can make a long cast and then pull off 30 more feet of line and then put a piece of electrical tape on the spool. It will not backlash past the tape. 

For simplicity’s sake I’ve settled on 8# & 12# InvisX (I buy 1,000 yd spools on sale Christmas) plus use braid for topwater.