I started messing with braided line on a couple of my setups last year. It's totally new to me, I basically quit fishing in the late 90s/early 00s and only started back a few years ago. I only ever fished mono back then.
Besides having to learn a new knot that's a PITA to tie, the big problem I have been having is losing fish. I've managed to land maybe 1-2 fish using braid. They tend to throw the hook when I get them close, I guess because it doesn't stretch like mono and so it's harder to keep tension on the line when they shake their head/etc. I mostly surf fish, but have had the same issue with catfish at my local city lake as well.
Wondering how people avoid this/what I'm doing wrong.
Yes, usually fluoro. From the surf I typically use a short leader, otherwise the rig helicopters, so maybe not enough to make much of a difference. One of the fish that I have managed to land on braid was a puffer fish that hit a Mirrolure, of all things. I had a longer leader on that than I would put on a bait rig that my son wants to blast out past the bar.
Maybe your drags are to tight. I use FC leaders of different sizes from 10# to 80# to match what I'm fishing for.
Uni to Uni knot is easier to learn than the FG knot, use then both for different applications.......ICM
Your drag is either too tight or the action of your rod does not fit the target species and/or technique. I fish braid on 99.9 percent of my setups and rarely lose a hooked fish.
Thanks, I'll try setting the drag looser. I don't think it's the rod because I'm using setups that I've been successful with before, using mono. The line is the only thing that's changed.
I switched from a fluoro leader to a mono leader and made it slightly longer, as well as setting my drag more loose than I normally do, and that has increased my success dramatically, at least with the catfish at the lake.
I haven't been to the beach because of COVID but will probably still mostly use mono for that. I don't really mind missing a catfish or whatever at the lake, but with saltwater fish I mind more. But I am the kind of person that likes having something to mess with, so not planning to completely give up on it.
Maybe it's your hook setting action.
Here's what I mean; action up towards your face, you're pulling bait / lure out of fish's mouth.
Try a parallel / sideways to the stick the hook in it's mouth.
If using circle hooks just reel.....
Hope this helps .........ICM
I definitely don't set the hook when using circles. Anyway, the drag was the culprit. I wasn't failing to hook fish, I was losing them after they were hooked. I loosened up the drag and haven't lost one since, although it's all been freshwater so far.
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