# Inshore fishing with braid



## bhdawgs (Mar 4, 2015)

any of yall fish with braid for inshore species?   What are the pros and cons ?


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## Browning Slayer (Mar 4, 2015)

bhdawgs said:


> any of yall fish with braid for inshore species?   What are the pros and cons ?



It's all I fish with! Top it off with a fluorocarbon leader and you a good to go.

Pros: Stronger line, smaller diameter, hook sets are better and it doesn't stretch like mono. Not to mention you feel EVERYTHING! 

Cons: I don't have any..


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## thedudeabides (Mar 4, 2015)

One con is that braid is less abrasion resistant than mono, so occasionally you can get cut off on oyster beds. I love braid though.


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## IIICrkRepr (Mar 4, 2015)

Browning Slayer said:


> It's all I fish with! Top it off with a fluorocarbon leader and you a good to go.
> 
> Pros: Stronger line, smaller diameter, hook sets are better and it doesn't stretch like mono. Not to mention you feel EVERYTHING!
> 
> Cons: I don't have any..



/\ This /\


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## bhdawgs (Mar 4, 2015)

What's the best way to tie flouro leader to the braid?


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## doomtrpr_z71 (Mar 4, 2015)

Braid is definitely the way to go, ohero has a promotion where you get 150yds of braid, 25 yds of fluorocarbon leader, and 2 packs of hooks for 19.99 and the shipping is only like 2 bucks.


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## Headsortails (Mar 4, 2015)

Though I use braid for everything but top water, I do believe that the stretch of mono is a positive when fishing for sea trout
.


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## flatsmaster (Mar 4, 2015)

Tie a double uniknot ... Good to go


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## fairweather (Mar 5, 2015)

I fished braid with an inshore guide several years ago and immediately switched over all of my reels. I would never go back.

I've also had great luck with a double uni. Just watch for wear in the braid where it joins your mono or floro. It flexes a lot at that junction and can lose strength. Just for good measure, I generally tie on a new leader every day.

This knot also looks interesting:

http://www.fishcrack.com/fishing-10...trongest-and-thinnest-knot-for-braid-to-mono/

I'm going to try it out this season.


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## swamp hunter (Mar 5, 2015)

Only downside to Braid that I've found is on a big strong fish at boatside it will not give if the fish makes a strong run.
Mono gives you a little stretch there. I've had several hooks straighten out on big Reds right before the net.
Other than that... I love it.
Great for Ripping Snook and Reds out from under the Mangroves where you've got like 5 seconts to get them out or you lose them.


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## Browning Slayer (Mar 5, 2015)

bhdawgs said:


> What's the best way to tie flouro leader to the braid?



I go with a Uni to Uni and cut the tags a little long and burn them down.. If you buy PowerPro (which is all I use) there are directions in there that show you multiple ways to tie it.

As far as topwater I would suggest using mono on that reel due to the stretch. I love throwing chug bugs and they don't like being worked with braid. 

The only type of fishing I do where I don't use braid is crappie fishing. Every rod I have has braid on it tipped with a leader.


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## Wild Turkey (Mar 5, 2015)

Con- wind knots.
Only one I got.


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## centerpin fan (Mar 5, 2015)

For you uni knot guys:

1)  Do you double the braid when tying the knot?  Some videos I've seen suggest this.  Others just use a single strand.

2)  Do you use the same number of turns for the braid portion of the knot as the mono/fluoro portion?  I have seen some suggestions to use fewer turns with the mono/fluoro part.

3)  Is there any rule of thumb as far as braid size to mono size (for example, 15# braid to 20# mono or 30# braid to 50# mono)?


Cross-posted here:

http://forum.gon.com/showthread.php?p=9352813&posted=1#post9352813


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## fairweather (Mar 5, 2015)

I don't double the braid. I use about 16 turns on the braid and 8 on the mono. I don't know about a rule of thumb. I routinely join 15# braid to 15# or 20# mono, but have not had the need to join other diameters.


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## pottydoc (Mar 10, 2015)

Pros: pretty much listed already. 
Cons: none, as far as I'm concerned. I use Zara Spooks and Wonder Lures quite a bit with braid, and don't have a problem. I could see how it might be with a chug bug or similar top water though. You'd probably have to twitch it real softly. Besides that, I love everything about it. I do always use about 6'-7' of floro leader. 20 when trout fishing, usually move up to 30 (I switch outfits) when I'm chasing reds. I have braid on all my tackle, inshore and offshore. The trolling stuff gets 100 yards or so top shot, the bottom stuff just a regular length leader.


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## redneck_billcollector (Mar 10, 2015)

For inshore I use braid and floro leader, uni to uni.  I put about 3 feet of leader so I can change lures a number of times before I have to tie on a new leader.  If trolling you will want at least a good long topshot of mono for the stretch.  Other than it being tough on your fingers and the chance of wind knots, there are no cons with using braid that I can think of.


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## watermedic (Mar 10, 2015)

thedudeabides said:


> One con is that braid is less abrasion resistant than mono, so occasionally you can get cut off on oyster beds. I love braid though.



Your joking right?


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## Permitchaser (Mar 10, 2015)

bhdawgs said:


> What's the best way to tie flouro leader to the braid?



Two uni knots. Works great


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## Permitchaser (Mar 10, 2015)

I love braid but don't grab it with a fish on it will cut your finger off


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## FishingAddict (Mar 12, 2015)

My favorite all time knot to join braid to flouro is the Alberto knot, which is named after a serious surf fisherman who invented a knot that could go through the guides at high speed:

http://www.netknots.com/fishing_knots/alberto-knot/

I would dab a small amount of super glue on it the first couple times you try it out (make sure it dries before it touches anything). It's never failed me once I got the hang of it, from 10 pound braid to 15 pound flouro to 80 pound braid and 80 pound leader, and I don't use superglue. But the first couple times I tied it I did it wrong. 

That being said, that knot that Fairweather posted is the first I have seen and I may have to give it a shot.


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## fairweather (Mar 12, 2015)

I fished that FG knot all day today, and it worked just fine. It held up for a nice 24" spec!


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## Poor Poor Fisherman (Mar 15, 2015)

*Alberto Knot*

I gotta agree 100% with FishingAddict!  I have used the Alberto Knot for two years now and it has never failed me.  But like with any knot, it has to be tied correctly to be secure.  

The other thing I especially appreciate about this knot is that it can be tied very easily with just a little practice.  I am able to tie it on a windy day while the boat is rocking!!


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## Cougar Spray (Mar 15, 2015)

I use an Albright knot. Great knot to know for mono to trace wire leader with no swivel as well.


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## Southernhoundhunter (Mar 15, 2015)

watermedic said:


> Your joking right?



Ditto


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## chainshaw (Mar 15, 2015)

fairweather said:


> I fished braid with an inshore guide several years ago and immediately switched over all of my reels. I would never go back.
> 
> I've also had great luck with a double uni. Just watch for wear in the braid where it joins your mono or floro. It flexes a lot at that junction and can lose strength. Just for good measure, I generally tie on a new leader every day.
> 
> ...



I will be trying that knot. Thanks for posting this.


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## fairweather (Mar 15, 2015)

Now I'm not so sure about that FG knot I posted. I was fishing it today and off went my terminal tackle rig into the air. I looked at the remains of the knot, and it just unwound from the mono. I'm sure I tied it right. I went back to the double uni for the day. I've always been a little concerned about the braid gripping the mono, rather than the mono gripping the braid. I think the mono tightens out much better.

At least I didn't have a fish on when it let go!


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## T-Boy (Mar 16, 2015)

fairweather said:


> I don't double the braid. I use about 16 turns on the braid and 8 on the mono. I don't know about a rule of thumb. I routinely join 15# braid to 15# or 20# mono, but have not had the need to join other diameters.



Wow, 16 and 8. I usually use 8 and 5. How large is the knot??

I was using 5 and 5 and lost a big king when it pulled off 150 yards of braid and got down to my 15# mono. Not sure if line snapped or it came loose at the knot.


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## fairweather (Mar 17, 2015)

The knot doesn't seem all that big. Maybe I'll try downsizing though if fewer wraps work for you. On the other hand, my uni knots have never cut loose!


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## Dustin Pate (Mar 17, 2015)

I use a uni as well. I don't have a set number of turns. Probably 7 on the mono and 8-9 on the braid. I have never had one slip. That is PowerPro to fluorocarbon.


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## FishingAddict (Mar 17, 2015)

fairweather said:


> Now I'm not so sure about that FG knot I posted. I was fishing it today and off went my terminal tackle rig into the air. I looked at the remains of the knot, and it just unwound from the mono. I'm sure I tied it right. I went back to the double uni for the day. I've always been a little concerned about the braid gripping the mono, rather than the mono gripping the braid. I think the mono tightens out much better.
> 
> At least I didn't have a fish on when it let go!




Well, thanks for the update...I was going to try that one! 

Try the Alberto knot. It does "knot" get any slimmer. I've hung bottom with 80# braid and an 80# leader and broke the leader with out the knot failing, and catch 20# striper on 10# braid and 15 pound flouro with it. 


It's never failed me when I tie it sober.


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## Darkhorse (Mar 17, 2015)

I've been using this knot for a few years now. I like it much better than uni to uni.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGZ3PUi9ZAM


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## FishingAddict (Mar 18, 2015)

Darkhorse said:


> I've been using this knot for a few years now. I like it much better than uni to uni.
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGZ3PUi9ZAM



Never seen that one before. Excellent. Not unlike the alberto knot, but perhaps easier to know when you've screwed it up.


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## Darkhorse (Mar 18, 2015)

FishingAddict said:


> Never seen that one before. Excellent. Not unlike the alberto knot, but perhaps easier to know when you've screwed it up.



Yeah. If you didn't tie it right it will slip when you try to pull it down. If you tie it right it leaves little doubt.
Watch the video where he tests the strength of this knot. Pretty interesting. That video is what convinced me to learn this knot.


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