Braided line has made a powerful move in the fishing industry by providing us with a very strong fish line with a very small diameter. This means that we are getting a much stronger line, and also getting to put more of it on our reels.
On normal fishing line, the higher pound test you used, the bigger the diameter it is, and the heavier it is, so when fishing with heavier line, you will miss out on smaller bites, and also not carry as much on your reel as you might want.
The one question everyone has always wondered is if fish can see the line in the water, and as we all know, braid is not clear like mono or fluoro lines.
Would you really want to trade lighter line that can land heavier fish, or risk the fish seeing the braided line, and skipping your bait for something? In this article, we are going to find out together.
Can bass see braided line? Bass can see lots of things in the water, and if you are using a braided line, they can see it.
They can also see any shadows that the line might cast as well which might leave them less likely to bite your bait. Since braided line is made up of several strands, it is not going to be translucent and will definitely be visible in the water to fish.
Line Visibility
Almost all fishing line will be visible in the water, yes, even fluoro and mono lines will have some visibility because while they are translucent, they are not clear, and they are an object in the water.
Braided line is made up of woven fibers to make the fishing line as strong as it can be, so it will be more visible in the water than any other fishing line there is, especially for freshwater fishing.
Shadows can also be cast in the water because of light reflecting off of the braid, which can sometimes scare the fish swimming by it because it could think that the line might be a snake or some other sort of predator. Fish can be skittish and are known to quickly leave the area if they hear loud sounds, or see something that is not normal to them.
Do I Have To Use Braid
While braided line is great because of its strength and diameter, you do not have to use braided line, and there are some setups that you might use, where braided line is not going to be the best way to go.
If you just use braided line with a lure, you will have to tie the braided line right to the lure, and if you want to go to a different setup, you will have to cut the braided line each time.
Doing this a lot will end up taking the line away from your spool which can lessen your cast distance, and also cost you a lot more money because braided line is more expensive. This is one reason why we run a leader line attached to the braided line.
Is There Clear Braid
As of right now, there is no clear braided line that I could find. Because braided line is made up of woven fibers, there is no fiber I could find that is translucent in color.
They do make different color braided lines, which can come in blue, green, and other colors that almost blend into different water clarities and colors, so they can try and get as close as they can to clear. As new technologies come out, different densities and colors to braided line will be out for sale.
How Strong Is Braid
Braided line is almost double or triple the strength of normal mono line, which is why we love it so much. The diameter of 10-12lb test braided line is roughly the same size as 6lb test mono line, and that is why we love it so much. We now can have a much stronger line
Does Braided Line Still Get Knots
Braided line can get some of the worst knots that i have ever seen, and it usually happens because of line going through the guides. There is a lot more friction with the line going down the guides.
You will most likely see less knotting on the bail because the braid is heavier and will not bound up as much as Mono or Fluoro, which is good for new anglers, or anyone trying to do a flipping technique in closed spaces, but you will see more knotting in the actual line if you are not careful. Once you get a knot in your braid,
Does Braided Line Cast Farther?
Since braided line is heavier than your typical line, you can normally cast it further out than a mono or fluoro line. This will give any angler the upper hand when you want to get out further in a lake or pond where deep water is without using more weight.
When you do this, you can feel the fish bite better and you will lose less fish, and bait. If you are using a leader, you will still have the upper hand in casting further out, but be careful for wind, or you run the risk of getting tangles in your line. Further casting is one of the major benefits to using braided line when fishing.
Can I Use Braided Line With a Baitcaster?
Can I use braided line with a Baitcaster rod? Yes, you can, and it is very common and popular to do. Using braided line on your baitcast rod will give you more line on the spool, and also help you cast further. You can also “flip” your line out into hard to reach areas with it being less likely that you will snag your line in the reel.
Should I Use Braided Line For Trout?
Braided line is not necessary when dealing with smaller fish like trout, so you can stick with a mono or fluoro line.
Unless you are fishing for much larger trout, I would stick with a nice lightweight mono line that will be more reactive to when a trout bites your bait. You may run the risk of snapping your line, but 4-6lb test should be just fine for normal trout fishing.
What Pound Test Should I Use For Bass?
When fishing for both Small and Large Mouth Bass, stick with a medium weight fishing like 8-12lb test line. A perfect setup would be to run 12lb braided line with an 8lb mono leader line attached to it.
This will give you some stretch when a bass picks up your bait and runs and gives you the added strength for the larger 6-10lb bass. Any lower pound test line will usually snap your mono or fluoro line unless you know how to play the fish and use your drag.
Does Braided Line Have Memory?
Unlike mono and fluoro line, braided line has no “memory” to it. Braided line will normally start fraying apart before it snaps or starts to stress. Braided lines are limper and typically float, so it will be better for topwater baits, or any place that has heavy weeds and vegetation.
Final Thoughts
Braided line is becoming more and more popular for people to use because of it strength vs diameter. You can get a lot more strength in your fishing line with it being a smaller diameter which means you are going to snap your line less often (if at all) and also land bigger fish that would normally have broken your line off.
You get a much longer casting distance with the same amount of weight that you would use on mono line, but still be sensitive enough to feel a fish pickup and bite your bait.
The two drawbacks are that you usually will want a leader line attached to it because you will have to cut the braid every time you want to change bait setups, and you run the risk of getting a knot in it which will slow down the line release when you cast.
I use braided line on all of my bass and bigger fish rods, but will almost always attach a leader to it, so it still looks clear in the water, and won’t scare fish.