I’m a freshwater fisherman because I live in TN. 95% of the time I use Flourocarbon and don’t really have too many issues with it. Almost everybody I see fishing for reds or inshore uses braid. I’m curious as to why? Is it because there are too many things that will cut through flouro? Personal preference? I’m not opposed to using braid, just curious if I bring a couple of my own reels down if I need to change line first or will 12lb flouro get the job done?
I use 20# or #30 Braid mainline, 25# flouro leader 18" long for reds.
Couple of pros to using braid. Its lasts longer than mono, abrasion resistant when fishing around oysters or structure, no stretch, no memory like mono.
The biggest drawback to using flouro line is that it sinks. If your using carolina rigs it’s no big deal. If your using a float, it sucks. The line will sink and the current will drag the line faster than the cork and then all sorts of issues will arise when fishing around structure. Braid is a whole lot cheaper than strait flouro also.
'06 Mckee Craft
184 Marathon
DF140 Suzuki
Agree with all the above except the abrasion resistance against oysters. I found that flouro leader material (good stuff like Seaguar or P-line) is better probably because is does not catch as easily on shells.
Bite detection when fishing for trout and reds in the cooler months is also a big plus.
Iain Pelto
Sea Hunt Triton 160 w/ 90 ETEC “JB3”
Native Manta Ray 14
quote:
Originally posted by hairballBite detection when fishing for trout and reds in the cooler months is also a big plus.
To me, this is the biggest plus to using braid. For fishing artificials, you really need to be able to feel a bite, or discern between structure and a bite. If you use an expensive sensitive graphite rod with fast action and also mono or fluoro you are halfway there. It’s like fishing with a rubber band. You could also fish with a cheap rod and braid and be halfway there. Put together a good rod and braid and I can feel it when a fish looks at my lure 
2000 SeaPro 180CC w/ Yammy 115 2 stroke
1966 13’ Boston Whaler w/ Merc 25 4 stroke “Flatty”
www.ralphphillipsinshore.com | www.summervillesaltwateranglers.com
My take: I throw all my topwaters on Shimano Curados with 50# PowerPro braid for the distance. The only time I’ve had braid on a spinning reel was in Key West for bonefish, again for the distance. I basically target trout. If I fished school redfish, sight fishing, I would throw braid with a fluro leader, but I don’t do that. I do fish structure reds, with 20# pure fluro, on the baitcaster. I also love sight fishing tailing reds, 50# braid on a flipping stick with plastics or a single Colorado blade spinnerbait. As they say in Arkansas, “I love to feel of it”.
Braid is the least abrasion resistant. Pure flurocarbon is the most abrasion resistant. I love 8# Seagar Invisex Flurocarbon on the spinning rod. But I never fish with a float with plastics. I feel smaller fish are caught on the float, as a rule. I want to fish the entire water column. The great majority of my bigger trout are caught deeper. All this after guiding, targeting trout, for 14 years, but what the heck do I know. Bob
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“Trick a Trout Today”
Bob Sanders
www.trouttrick.com
www.fishingwithbob.com
www.southcarolinalandonline.com
bob@fishingwithbob.com
803-300-2780
I hope Raddaddy will weigh in on this. He’s as good a fisherman as I have ever fished with. I was just thinking about this. I’ve fished with Rick Clunn, Greg Hackney, Stephen Browning, Timmy Horton, Gerald Swindle, Tommy Biffle, Kelly Jordan, Optiker and a host of other greats. Ron’s right there. You could do no better for your fishing than to charter him, by yourself or at the most with one buddy, or client (write off). Bob
Raddaddy in his element:
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[/URL]
“Trick a Trout Today”
Bob Sanders
www.trouttrick.com
www.fishingwithbob.com
www.southcarolinalandonline.com
bob@fishingwithbob.com
803-300-2780
Whoa Bob, I know you don’t drink so ill have to assume you are sleep deprived or an autocorrect fail to include me in that group!
2000 SeaPro 180CC w/ Yammy 115 2 stroke
1966 13’ Boston Whaler w/ Merc 25 4 stroke “Flatty”
www.ralphphillipsinshore.com | www.summervillesaltwateranglers.com
If your flourocarbon is in good shape, don’t change it out unless you plan on doing some hefty amount of fishing down here.
I prefer the very sensitive (low stretch) nature of braided lines, but my favorite is the way it casts and how it slices through the water when flinging artificials.
“Sire, it belongs in truth to the Church of God, in whose name I speak, to endure blows and not to inflict them. But it will also please your Majesty to remember that she is an anvil that has worn out many hammers.”…Theodore Beza
I will definitely agree with Bob about raddaddy, he’s the man. I know he had 10lb braid on his rod when I went with him. It was definitely worth every penny we spent as it was a huge learning experience!!
'06 Mckee Craft
184 Marathon
DF140 Suzuki