Mooching reel, mono vs braid

[walleyes]

Old school mono fisher here.

More a comment about time to re-tie.

I do that on the dock. Tangles, etc are a part of fishing....a few extra rods ready go is way easier than fixing on the water...nasty water or not.

I’m with you, guys have been running braid for years out here and I tried it on a few reels but don’t like it. Another thing to keep an eye on is your rod eyes in particular the tip eye. Braid can have the tendency to wear a groove in the eye if your rod does not have stainless eyes. As Braid gets worn it has a tendency to fray some and it can become slightly abrasive. Just something to keep an eye on for those thinking of running it.

 

[RiverBoy]

I’m with you, guys have been running braid for years out here and I tried it on a few reels but don’t like it. Another thing to keep an eye on is your rod eyes in particular the tip eye. Braid can have the tendency to wear a groove in the eye if your rod does not have stainless eyes. As Braid gets worn it has a tendency to fray some and it can become slightly abrasive. Just something to keep an eye on for those thinking of running it.

not to mention it tears the hell out of your fingers if you are OCD like me and insist on helping the line wind up nice and level on the reel arbour. but i have girly hands

 

[Chuck]

What to use and lb of mono and hollow braid to be able to splice? Would 30# mono and 80# braid work or do the two lines need to be similar #?

 

[kthomas]

Good braid with 25-30 feet of fluorocarbon leader.

 

[big rock]

I prefer braid as well fishing at depths 200 plus you can see the little nibblers on your line. I don't use top shot mono I modified my clips to grip stronger on the braid. No problem fishing deep with just braid in the clip.

 

[Corey_lax]

I prefer braid as well fishing at depths 200 plus you can see the little nibblers on your line. I don't use top shot mono I modified my clips to grip stronger on the braid. No problem fishing deep with just braid in the clip.

How did you modify the clips to make them stronger?

I haven’t had many issues with hooking the clips onto braid. I put the clips in the strongest position and bury the line in the clip. Doesn’t usually pop off but occasionally it will.

 

[big rock]

How did you modify the clips to make them stronger?

I haven’t had many issues with hooking the clips onto braid. I put the clips in the strongest position and bury the line in the clip. Doesn’t usually pop off but occasionally it will.

I pull the power clip off and drill out the holes that the thick mono line goes through. Install a 10-24 screw adding washers where the power clip use to be basically spreading out that gap greater than what the power clip was originally. Then a nylock nut so everything stays together. Sorry don't have picture. Basically making the gap greater than what the power clip offers which applies more clamp power at clip where the braid sits in.

 

[Jencourt]

For me it is backing to 60lb suffix 832 to about 75 feet of 30lb mono. I fish plugs with the pins pulled almost all the time. Having the longer top shot allows me to vary my distance from the clip more, as well as cut and re-tie many time before having to change mono. Another benefit to having mono top shot (IMHO) is that you get a little stretch wen fish is close to boat. I have had the same braid on now for at least 4 years and still in great shape. Also with the orange backing to the high vis green suffix 832 and then mono, it looks really cool on my reel. Ha Ha Ha, because that makes the fish bite more.

 

[Chuck]

For me it is backing to 60lb suffix 832 to about 75 feet of 30lb mono. I fish plugs with the pins pulled almost all the time. Having the longer top shot allows me to vary my distance from the clip more, as well as cut and re-tie many time before having to change mono. Another benefit to having mono top shot (IMHO) is that you get a little stretch wen fish is close to boat. I have had the same braid on now for at least 4 years and still in great shape. Also with the orange backing to the high vis green suffix 832 and then mono, it looks really cool on my reel. Ha Ha Ha, because that makes the fish bite more.

Works way better when it looks good!!

 

[Mike_W]

What are the advantages of braid?
I can see fishing deep it will give you less blow back, more sensitivity and less stretch but 95% of my salmon fishing is done no deeper than 60 FOW?

 

[Chuck]

What are the advantages of braid?
I can see fishing deep it will give you less blow back, more sensitivity and less stretch but 95% of my salmon fishing is done no deeper than 60 FOW?

Agreed!

 

[ericl]

What are the advantages of braid?

It lasts at least 15 years

When down rigging, you will have much less slack in the line meaning you don't have to reel-in 10-20 feet or more of slack to get a GOOD HOOK SET. I like eating fish, so this works well for me. Trolling at 60ft would put you in the EXTREME minority of fishers.

For warm water species, it allows you to put the 500+ yards of line on the reel required for BIG fish that swim REALLY FAST. I caught a 465# Marlin years back & when it had taken out 1,000 yards of line they started backing the boat up at full speed.

As to matching mono size to hollow core braid, you need to feed a special hollow needle into the braid with the mono inside the needle. The larger the mono, the larger the needle. The larger the needle, the more difficult it is to get the needle started in the braid. The more strands the hollow core braid has, the easier it is to do this. You need to do 4-5 splices before it starts to get easier. For my 40# & 20# jobs I used a 3x magnifying lamp coupled with 3x magnifying glasses. I put the needle in the clamp % then was able to use both hands to get the needle started, then put the line in the clamp as shown in the video I posted. For around here I would make braid/mono tests equal.

 

[kmcghee]

I use 30# power pro braid on my mooching reels for downrigger fishing, with a ball bearing swivel and clip directly attached to the flasher/lure. I don't use mono on there anywhere. I do this because the braid lasts longer, I can easily get 3-4 years out of the braid with no problems, less blow back on the downrigger and less stretch, as I like to feel my fish.

I know many who use mono tippets because the scotty downrigger clips don't hold the braid well. I have modified my release clips so I can dial in a massive amount of pinching pressure so that the braid will stay put, as well as allowing me to tension my rods nice and tight with a great curve, little to no bag in the lines and when a fish strikes, even little jacks and rockfish the release pops and with little bag the rod pops up and the fish stay on/hook up perfect.

 

[Fishalot]

I use 30# power pro braid on my mooching reels for downrigger fishing, with a ball bearing swivel and clip directly attached to the flasher/lure. I don't use mono on there anywhere. I do this because the braid lasts longer, I can easily get 3-4 years out of the braid with no problems, less blow back on the downrigger and less stretch, as I like to feel my fish.

I know many who use mono tippets because the scotty downrigger clips don't hold the braid well. I have modified my release clips so I can dial in a massive amount of pinching pressure so that the braid will stay put, as well as allowing me to tension my rods nice and tight with a great curve, little to no bag in the lines and when a fish strikes, even little jacks and rockfish the release pops and with little bag the rod pops up and the fish stay on/hook up perfect.

What modifications do you make to the release clip.

 

[Corey_lax]

I use 30# power pro braid on my mooching reels for downrigger fishing, with a ball bearing swivel and clip directly attached to the flasher/lure. I don't use mono on there anywhere. I do this because the braid lasts longer, I can easily get 3-4 years out of the braid with no problems, less blow back on the downrigger and less stretch, as I like to feel my fish.

I know many who use mono tippets because the scotty downrigger clips don't hold the braid well. I have modified my release clips so I can dial in a massive amount of pinching pressure so that the braid will stay put, as well as allowing me to tension my rods nice and tight with a great curve, little to no bag in the lines and when a fish strikes, even little jacks and rockfish the release pops and with little bag the rod pops up and the fish stay on/hook up perfect.

I think it would be a great time for Scotty to produce a clip with a heavier grip for people that run just braid. Change the colour of the clip from green to orange to match the downrigger cable stopper bead colour.

Although my buddy runs straight braid and we don’t really have many accidental pop-offs if the clip is set to the higher grip setting

 

[Ian wagner]

I’m with you, guys have been running braid for years out here and I tried it on a few reels but don’t like it. Another thing to keep an eye on is your rod eyes in particular the tip eye. Braid can have the tendency to wear a groove in the eye if your rod does not have stainless eyes. As Braid gets worn it has a tendency to fray some and it can become slightly abrasive. Just something to keep an eye on for those thinking of running it.

Braid doesn't Grove guides unless they are **** guides my trophy Fraser rod has 20 years on it with hundreds of hours with sand and silt in the line the rod is falling apart but guides are fine as far as I am concerned it's just a myth

 

[Saxe Point]

It lasts at least 15 years

When down rigging, you will have much less slack in the line meaning you don't have to reel-in 10-20 feet or more of slack to get a GOOD HOOK SET. I like eating fish, so this works well for me. Trolling at 60ft would put you in the EXTREME minority of fishers.

For warm water species, it allows you to put the 500+ yards of line on the reel required for BIG fish that swim REALLY FAST. I caught a 465# Marlin years back & when it had taken out 1,000 yards of line they started backing the boat up at full speed.

As to matching mono size to hollow core braid, you need to feed a special hollow needle into the braid with the mono inside the needle. The larger the mono, the larger the needle. The larger the needle, the more difficult it is to get the needle started in the braid. The more strands the hollow core braid has, the easier it is to do this. You need to do 4-5 splices before it starts to get easier. For my 40# & 20# jobs I used a 3x magnifying lamp coupled with 3x magnifying glasses. I put the needle in the clamp % then was able to use both hands to get the needle started, then put the line in the clamp as shown in the video I posted. For around here I would make braid/mono tests equal.

Are you saying most are fishing deeper than 60 or shallower?

 

[walleyes]

Braid doesn't Grove guides unless they are **** guides my trophy Fraser rod has 20 years on it with hundreds of hours with sand and silt in the line the rod is falling apart but guides are fine as far as I am concerned it's just a myth

Well there you go then, that settles that I guess lol.

 

[kmcghee]

What modifications do you make to the release clip.

Made a post about it here but someone else mentioned the same thing, guess I didn't invent it lol

https://www.sportfishingbc.com/foru...-modification-for-braid-stronger-grasp.76175/

 

[ericl]

Are you saying most are fishing deeper than 60 or shallower?

Most are fishing WAY deeper than 60, although I love to fish at 60. I also love eating Chinook so I tend to fish at the depth I believe that they are at. A great sounder/transducer combo helps, and having an idea of what they are feeding on based on fishing location & time of year also helps.