Re: Is braid absolutely necessary for soft plastics?
Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2018 7:37 pm
No one going to mention gliss ?
Braid isn't necessary but it does transmit vibrations better than fluro/mono so you'll get more feel - and it's not just detecting bites - it's feel of the bottom structure, if you're going through weed/sea-grass etc as well as any bumps/takes. With zero stretch it's also better at punching a single hook through on a strike - especially if there's a bit of line out.
If I'm doing an sp only session I'll take a braid outfit, but I often fish softplastic on straight through fc on my hardbodies outfit if nothing is happening on the hards. I do definitely feel a disadvantage though, but I can't say it translates into less fish just more it doesn't feel right and I don't like not being able to feel as much going on.
I should add a lot of my soft plastics fishing is dragging the lure along the bottom and feeling the terrain I'm fishing so I can target specific features - much much harder doing that on fc.
One massive benefit to not using braid is no leader knot. There's nothing that f_&# with my karma more than having to tie an fg knot on the bank of a river.
Braid casts further too in my opinion it's also better if you're fishing with some slack in your line - you'll see movement in that line much clearer with coloured braid than with a clear fc/mono.
So I guess it depends on how you like to fish no right or wrong answer. Try both - see what you prefer.
Braid isn't necessary but it does transmit vibrations better than fluro/mono so you'll get more feel - and it's not just detecting bites - it's feel of the bottom structure, if you're going through weed/sea-grass etc as well as any bumps/takes. With zero stretch it's also better at punching a single hook through on a strike - especially if there's a bit of line out.
If I'm doing an sp only session I'll take a braid outfit, but I often fish softplastic on straight through fc on my hardbodies outfit if nothing is happening on the hards. I do definitely feel a disadvantage though, but I can't say it translates into less fish just more it doesn't feel right and I don't like not being able to feel as much going on.
I should add a lot of my soft plastics fishing is dragging the lure along the bottom and feeling the terrain I'm fishing so I can target specific features - much much harder doing that on fc.
One massive benefit to not using braid is no leader knot. There's nothing that f_&# with my karma more than having to tie an fg knot on the bank of a river.
Braid casts further too in my opinion it's also better if you're fishing with some slack in your line - you'll see movement in that line much clearer with coloured braid than with a clear fc/mono.
So I guess it depends on how you like to fish no right or wrong answer. Try both - see what you prefer.