Fishing Frenzy

Some hate it and others love it but spooling reels with braided line is an emerging trend filtering into the hub of the saltwater fishing scene.

Braided line is very hardy and has greater strength packed into its small diameter contrary to its stretchy competitor, monofilament. Braided line holds up especially well when fishing in bay systems that are riddled with shell obstructions and submerged rock. The same areas where monofilament line often reels in rather short.

Greg Bagby, an experienced plugger in the Matagorda Bay system, switched to braided line for saltwater fishing several years ago. "I used to use braided line exclusively for fishing in freshwater for bass," says Bagby. "It's really hard to beat braid when your fishing for bass and have to horse them through thick weeds." "It's a lot easier to work a topwater, which is the main reason I use it, especially in high winds and at the end of casts".

Greg Bagby is just one angler among many that have taken a liking to the 8 diameter-30 pound test. "I always rig my line with no leader and use a small clip or a connector. This works really well when you need to change out lures quickly." Loop knots are another great connection choice.

First time users will quickly find out just how easy it is to lose a fish when they don't have the drag set properly. "Remember to keep the drag lighter than you would with monofilament." Bagby states that the lips of a speckled trout are very soft and a tight drag and a line with no stretch will account for many lost fish.

Bagby also says that the line offers great strength and durability, but he has found that the line will bury and knot on the spool occasionally. While the backlashes happen less often, the ones that do happen are significant. "Even so, the pros of braided line far outweighs the cons", says Bagby.

Captain Bubba Simons, an offshore and middle coast bay guide says, "I don't have to change the line nearly as often while saltwater fishing, the sensitivity is better, and the line slack has drastically decreased since I gave up the monofilament and started spooling braid. He also says he is starting to favor braided line while fishing for redfish and trout. "I'll soon be spooling braid on my offshore reels as well."

If you've already checked the fishing reports and are ready to go, remember that braid works very well when using live bait and spinning reels. While it's critical to keep the slack from the line, Simons says that braided line will be less likely to create slack.

When rigging his 10 diameter-40 pound test braid, he likes a fluorocarbon leader at the end of his line. "I can attest to seeing the fluorocarbon bring more strikes," proclaims Simons. "When the surf got very clear during the past summer, I fished alongside an angler that was using the same lure but did not have a fluorocarbon leader. The fish were drastically biting my lure more often than his.