Braided Line for More Trout

Braided line is not a new thing, but a lot of fisherman may not realize the importance it plays in detecting bites you may never feel with a monofilament line. So if you are not on the "braid" train, you may want to consider it. Today while trout fishing, was a great example of braid out-fishing monofilament. It was a windy day, so the bite was hard to detect. With braid even the most subtle bite was detected. This meant more hookups and more fish landed. There are good things about braid and some bad things. The good thing is that the diameter is much smaller than monofilament, so you can actually use a heavier pound test and put more line on the reel than you can with monofilament. There is virtually no stretch which translates into feeling lighter bites. Since the diameter is smaller, the drag in the water is less. On windy days, this can be beneficial to keeping your bait in the strike zone. My favorite reason for using braid is that, I can use the lightest rod/reel and still catch really big fish. A 1000 or 1500 series spinning reel with a 7 foot medium light action rod with a fast tip is my favorite. A 12 to 14 pound braid is ideal for reels this size. The soft tip of the rod offsets the lack of stretch in the line. Trout in particular, have soft mouths and can tear off easily, so that soft tip on the rod is important. I also recommend a monofilament leader in the 15-20 pound class. Trout have really sharp teeth that may cut right through the braid. The monofilament leader is a matter of preference. These are the good things about braided line. So, what are the bad? For one, the price. It is typically more expensive. Wind knots can occur at any part of the cast and if one happens deep into your cast, it may mean cutting off a lot of line, which may leave you without enough line and if you have paid 20 dollars for a spool of braid, it can be costly. There are many brands to choose from. Many claim to be better for spinning, some for bait casting but I haven't found much difference in the different types. My recommendation is to find the ones on sale and start there. You may discover the one that works best for you and gives you the least amount of knots or fray. Good luck fishing. Hope to see ya on the water.

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