Braided Lines
Braids have been around for a long time, but they're more popular now that the fibers used to make them are extremely strong and abrasion resistant. Braided line is made by weaving strands of tough materials like Spectra or Micro-Dyneema into a tight strand of line. This weaving process is expensive and braids are some of the most expensive lines on the market. No other lines are as strong as the braids in relation to their diameter.
The Qualities of Braided Lines
Braids float and are easy to see since they are woven. They have no stretch and have a very small diameter for their strength. In fact, they're so strong and hard to break it can be a problem if you get hung up. They will cut your hands if you pull on them too hard.
How can I break off a braid when hung?
Carry a short dowel or piece of broom handle a few inches long to wrap the line around before pulling. This will avoid cutting your hand with the line. In a boat, wrap the line around a cleat and use the motor to break it.
Extremely limp, they have no memory and hold up a long time. Even though they're very abrasion resistant, they're very abrasive themselves and require strong line guides and reel parts to handle them. They will cut into soft line guides, reel spindles, and level wind guides.
Special tools are needed to cut braids when changing lures and similar activities. A pair of very sharp scissors works best. Because they're so visible in the water, many people use a leader of monofilament or fluorocarbon line to distance the bait from the braid. Braids must also be spooled tightly on the reel to keep the line from burying under itself. For this reason you have to make sure you reel line in under tension at all times.
Applications for Braided Lines
When you need a line that's super strong and doesn't stretch, and when visibility isn't important, braids shine. They're excellent for flipping since you need a heavy strong line, and most bites are reaction bites where the fish don't examine the bait long. Their limpness also allows the bait to fall straight down. “Flipping” is a method of making short “casts” by swinging a lure with about fifteen feet of line. You swing the lure to the target with the rod tip. It is a very similar method to fishing with a cane pole.
Braids are good for pulling big fish away from cover quickly. And they're are great for fishing around brush and rocks, which calls for a line that won't abrade easily and doesn't stretch, allowing the fish to get back into the cover. The only problem is if they hang up they won't break easily.
Braids are so tough you don't need a steel leader when fishing for toothy fish like muskie, barracuda, and pike. You can tie your bait directly to the line, eliminating the extra knot and hardware necessary for fishing with a steel leader.
More and more fishermen are using braids for big-game saltwater fish. Low stretch and abrasion resistance make it a good choice, but its tendency to bury into itself on the spool can be a problem. If you need to make a long cast in open water and set the hook in the mouth of a tough fish, use a braid. Tie on a three-foot monofilament or fluorocarbon leader and use a sharp hook. The low stretch will help you drive the hook home and the leader will keep the braided line away from the bait.
Choose a braid when you need its special qualities of abrasion resistance, no stretch, and limpness. It's very expensive, so don't try to fill your reel with it — use backing and tie just enough braid on top of it to make the longest cast you will need.
Braided Dacron Line
Dacron braid has been around for many years and is still used for big-game saltwater fish like marlin and tuna. It's not as slick as the new braids and won't bury itself into the spool of line like the new ones will. But it's not as strong as the new braids, although some fishermen prefer it for its ability not to bury into itself on the spool.
