Been looking to get some input for a while. I use a Jigging World Yellowfin Tuna rod and reel combo. 500yards 65lb braid and up to 45lbs of drag. I have zero problem hooking up to fish. I jigged a wahoo last week on it. What does keep happening is my braid will part. Only solution I’ve found is to tie about a 6ft 80+lb mono leader for some stretch and back off the drag. Unfortunately ends in a lot of the tax man getting the better half of a fish after a prolonged fight. Anyone have recommendations? I see these west coast guys doing it no problem on the same outfits.
What brand of braid are you using and what knot? Certain braids cut into thereselfs a lot more than others. To the point you can’t tie the same knots. The only name brand broad I have had problems with is the spider wire blue and white ocean camogflauge or what ever it is. It was 65or 80lbs and no visible defects in any of it and I popped it several times bare handed while pulling knots tight, not at he knot. 65 power pro would probably cut my hand off before I could pull and pop it bare handed. There is the rule of 3 which is good to follow and I’ve never popped using it. Which means keep your drag a third your breaking strength to keep from being popped on a surging run. Also brand of braid is a huge deal and where you get it. There are a lot of fakes of name brand lines out there so get it from a reputable place. Get your self some max Quattro or j braid 80 or 100lb or higher which will both break well over 100 both are stronger and thinner than most brands.
I have been using the Daiwa Saltiga Boat Braid 65lb. With about a 4ft bimini twist. I’m going to go up to 80+ and change brands. I really want to get a nice wahoo over 60lbs on a jig off Charleston this year. Then 2018 will be the swordfish quest. I Checked out all the eyes today closely and no problems there.
Improperly tied Bimini will pop regularly with braid. It’s harder to get a good one with braid. Not saying you don’t know how to tie one just saying it is difficult to tie one that won’t pop at the top of the Bimini. Test with scale after tying. Repeat until desired strength is met. I have tied over a half dozen before getting one that didn’t pop above 20#. Keep at it. That boat braid is good stuff and not likely the problem
I use a 3 to 4 foot spider hitch, to an albright knot and never seem to have problems. Also I have been buying the cheap breed off of eBay for many years and have landed many large fish with no issues. I have had people tell me that it does not have enough strands blah blah blah blah, I promise you it works just fine.
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PROUD YANKEE
Oyster Baron
NMFS = No More Fishing Season
“Back home we got a taxidermy man. He gonna have a heart attack when he see what I brung him”
I use a 3 to 4 foot spider hitch, to an albright knot and never seem to have problems. Also I have been buying the cheap breed off of eBay for many years and have landed many large fish with no issues. I have had people tell me that it does not have enough strands blah blah blah blah, I promise you it works just fine.
I Run “Bravefisherman PE 100lb 1000yards Braid” for $22 off Amazon on my 80 wides with zero problems. I just would like something better for my jigging outfit. Going to try and change up my braid to J-Braid and go a little heavier than 65lb. Test some knots and give it hell again.
If you have a go to reliable cheap braid if like to know the brand. Literally everyone I know that tried cheap braid lost fish and bought better line. It usually scales out at about 55 percent what it is rated if its not total garbage. A big fish will test your line much more than any pull test you can do. I have to have confidence in my gear so I stick to power pro since I’ve had so many good experiences. That way if I get a funky break off I have nothing to question. When you lose a monster it sucks. Is rather fail my self than have equipment failure.
Where is your line parting? Is it at the knot, lure, or somewhere in the middle? If it’s at the knot or the lure, try adding a 10-15’ 80# fluoro or mono leader attached with the FG knot. If you’re going to be doing a lot of casting, you may want to add a touch of superglue to help protect the tag end of the knot.
Tied up 80lb J braid Depth pro 450yards. and a 100lb Fluoro leader using an fg knot. Ready to give it hell as long as the weather lays down. Possibly give it a try Tuesday before Thanksgiving.
I used to do the fg knot, yes I tied it correctly, it pops way under the lines actual breaking strength, especially on the higher lb lines. Try to mark your line close to the knot so if it pops at the knot you will know. The fg does hold up just knot 100 percent usually around 80, I tested it on several mono and braid combos light to xxh and though I didn’t scale out the higher lines 65 and up I could feel the difference on a pull and pop test of a straight connection breaking vs popping at the leader knot. I stress test all my stuff now. Testing connections is pretty cool. You can find out a lot about your gear. Sounds to me like your fine tuning your big fish game. You know your spots good when it makes You want to power up your gear.
