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Post by banksidebandit on Dec 14, 2013 14:26:23 GMT -5
Started targeting channels more last year and plan to do more this year as well. I'm debating between mono and braid. Braid I can run more poundage with less diameter and debating on switching to braid I currently use 14lb mono. I do use slip floats for channels a lot and will need mono for this because braid likes to float and not work well with bobbers. Also don't know which would be better for drifting. Plan on either switching to some braid or finding a smaller diameter mono and running 20# or so. Any suggestions?
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fishstick11
Member
Hunting for flattys with friends... Is their anything better
Posts: 177
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Post by fishstick11 on Dec 17, 2013 14:48:39 GMT -5
i would stay away from braid... don't get me wrong braid is great and that is all i used to use... to me the disadvantages out weigh the advantages with the line backing into itself, and the nicking easily... and the biggest advantage with braid is the strength vs size, but if your a good fisherman and don't horse fish, you really don,t need the extra strength... me personally i like the "Trilene big game" line in solar green it is very visible and strong for its size and i havent had any problems with nicking... I dont think for channels you need more than 20 lbs test... because they say the world record flathead that weighed 123 lbs was caught on a zebco 33 with 12 pound test (what ive always heard)... so i believe if you have some experience you dont need gaint 100lbs test line
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Post by mexicanthreat on Dec 17, 2013 15:53:03 GMT -5
Fishstick is absolutely right you dont need a big line to reel in a big fish. Having said that I Use #50 Braid spiderwire. And love it. I Catch a lot of big channels from drifting. And doing so can cause a lot of snags. the big line with no stretch makes it easier to rip the hook out or break anything it is snagged on. During the summer months and into the Fall bite i drift through shallow waters in the three foot range. I use 4in to 5in chunks of cut shad with a 5/0 or 6/0 circle hook. and thats it. no weight no bobber. just a gentle breeze or no breeze. the summer nights can can be quite still but it helps. On my poles I use medium action rods. light action and heavy action don't seem to work as well for me. Windy nights aren't so productive and mi don't have a trolling motor to slow my boat down. The bite goes on and off throughout the whole night. its always better when their is a lot of noise and movement on the boat. Also holding the pole so you can feel the line helps quite often as well. Channels are not super aggressive when feeding this way. Even the slightest twitch is usually a bite. The smaller bites are usually bigger fish.
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Post by banksidebandit on Dec 17, 2013 23:31:49 GMT -5
Yea I'm more concerned with tournament fishing so that's why I'm looking for heavier poundage on my channel rigs. I want to get those fish in fast and not give them chances of getting off, especially if it's a good fish. When I'm fishing for the freezer or just to have a good time I like using small tackle for channels for the fun and losing a fish here and there isn't a big deal. I use Trilene a lot now and 20# Trilene just seems really thick.
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Post by captainbrad on Dec 18, 2013 22:41:19 GMT -5
Million dollar question and the answer is use the one you like. I personally do not like braid others I know don't like mono. Use what works for you.
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Post by banksidebandit on Dec 19, 2013 0:34:44 GMT -5
Million dollar question and the answer is use the one you like. I personally do not like braid others I know don't like mono. Use what works for you. I've used both before and trying to grab some other opinions. Also never drifted with braid and wondered how that would work out. I'll experiement with both and give a write up of my results later into the season. |
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Post by captainbrad on Dec 19, 2013 11:14:59 GMT -5
The only time I use braid is when I troll for walleyes and the reason I use it is because it has less drag in the water and sinks better.
The reasons I use mono for catfishing is cost, I can break it when I need to get out of a snag, it has some stretch for clients who are beginners, and I find it holds up in rocks better.
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Post by mexicanthreat on Dec 21, 2013 14:19:57 GMT -5
yes sinking to bottom quickly makes a big diff. It also helps it stay down easier. I have also found after extensive hours of testing, that red hooks make a tremendous amount of difference. It doesn't sound like much but in my hours running identical setups side by side but with different hooks I found this out by accident and then kept testing. Night after night, especially on nights when the bite was super slow, often my bites were only on red hooks. 2 out of every 3 fish consistently came from red hooks. I'm sure not everybody has the same results but for me the evidence has supported itself on every lake i tried it on. I do alot of tourney fishing. My numbers and size are always there, I had second biggest fish at 5 of the tournaments i was in last year. But i don't use electronics. and it was at all new lakes i haven't fished before. So considering that i feel i did spectacular.
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Post by captainbrad on Dec 22, 2013 11:31:47 GMT -5
yes sinking to bottom quickly makes a big diff. It also helps it stay down easier. I have also found after extensive hours of testing, that red hooks make a tremendous amount of difference. It doesn't sound like much but in my hours running identical setups side by side but with different hooks I found this out by accident and then kept testing. Night after night, especially on nights when the bite was super slow, often my bites were only on red hooks. 2 out of every 3 fish consistently came from red hooks. I'm sure not everybody has the same results but for me the evidence has supported itself on every lake i tried it on. I do alot of tourney fishing. My numbers and size are always there, I had second biggest fish at 5 of the tournaments i was in last year. But i don't use electronics. and it was at all new lakes i haven't fished before. So considering that i feel i did spectacular. I'm not going to start an argument but I have used about every hook you can imagine and I have found color to be of no difference. I am of the conclusion that catfish are not worried about color of hook and they are not afraid of sinkers so you can put sinkers close to the hook if needed and they just don't care. |
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Post by cloverfire23 on Mar 14, 2014 4:20:50 GMT -5
I use mono on the river, and braid in lakes. The reason? The lakes tend to get more vegetation built up. I like the braid for it's ability to "cut" through the vegetation when I am pulling in a fish. Now, this is my personal preference. All of my "river" reels have 30lb+ mono, and the "lake" reels have 20lb braid.
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Post by abudoc on Mar 18, 2014 8:47:46 GMT -5
I use 30 lb braid for channels, on the bottom, drifting, under a float. A wrap of electrical tape on the spool to give the braid something to hold on to. Wind the line tight enough that you can not push your thumb nail into it and it won't dig in to itself. Best advise is try a spool and see if you like it, if not you can go back to mono.
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