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I always use a leader with think PE and ester. My most frequently visited reservoir has murky water so I get away with Trout Magnet SOS 2 lb line. I have used 2 lb fluoro but on several occasions the fish have broken the line while hauling them up to the dock. For stream trout I use 4 lb fluoro with 0.6 PE.Quote:
Originally Posted by fiveeyes
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What knot do you use?Quote:
Originally Posted by shong
I have some rods with absolutely tiny guides and can easily pass a three turn surgeons knot through the guides. It does click going through, but has never gotten stuck and doesn’t seem to affect cast speed. Make your leader long enough to be between reel and stripper guide on the cast so it gets some velocity before getting to the tiny guides.
I much prefer mono for a leader. Currently using a 4x or 5x tippet and really liking it.
Crazy Alberto. Truth be told, I last used leader when I was using braid that I hated that had terrible tip wrap, and that easily could have been the issue. Never went back to a leader just because I haven't felt like I've had any issue getting bites and it gives me the ultimate in sensitivityQuote:
Originally Posted by Yodie
The braid I hated is the Unitika Night Game PEII in fluorescent yellow 0.3. Far and away the worst fishing line I have ever purchased. Very bad tip wrap within an hour of using it. Weird paper feeling on the finger and significantly worse sensitivity than Varivas. I respooled my UL with it and fished with it today because both ends of my Varivas spool were dead. Had an awesome day of fishing despite the line, but I was fighting against it the entire time. The 0.4 Almight will be here tomorrow and I can't wait to throw the Unitika right in the trash. I recommend everyone stay far, far away from the Unitika. Hopeful for the Almight as I've been enjoying the 1.0 on my Ned setup with 7lb leader.
Had a couple days to play with the Almight 0.4 (rated at 7.2lbs max). Maybe it'll improve a bit as it breaks in but the 0.4 is surprisingly a bit stiff compared to the very supple 0.8 I have on my bass setup. I did go with the olive camo on the UL vs pink for the bass reel, maybe that makes a different. I do feel the stiffness detracts from the line's sensitivity a bit. Without wind, the sensitivity is very good, with wind, the line has average sensitivity. The extra (I assume polyester) strand seems quite effective in getting the bait down to my desired depth quickly while fishing vertical. Looking forward to giving it some time with a drifting presentation. I have just been fishing vertical, but in the few casts I made to test, castability is excellent. Overall of the 4 braided lines I've put time in with on UL in the past few years, here's how I'd rate them:
Power Pro (5lb): 1/10. Trip wrap, poor castability and line lay on the spool, significantly thicker diameter than competing PE lines, sincerely just a step above unfishable
Unitika Night Game PEII 0.3 (3lb): 1.5/10. Bad tip wrap, below average sensitivity, weird papery feeling, loses its color fairly quickly
Sunline Almight 0.4 (7.2lb max): 7.5+/10. Review above. I think it may break in and feel better and I think purchasing camo instead of pink may have been a mistake. Very cost effective compared to other options.
Varivas Area Super Trout Master Limited 0.2 (6.5lb max): 9/10. Exceptionally supple and sensitive. Performance wise, this line is really just about perfect. Very pricey, but the spool I had lasted either 2 or 3 seasons of regular use including some saltwater.
2 weeks in now with the 0.4 Almight. It broke in and feels great, very similar to the Varivas. Sinks a little better than Varivas which helps when you're using a 1 gram or lighter jighead or with any wind. About half the price and readily available at Tackle Warehouse. I couldn't say for sure which is more sensitive between this and Varivas. Call me crazy but I prefer the 0.4 over 0.2 for roughly the same breaking strength just because it's a little easier for me to see the line to tie knots. Time will tell how durable it is and if it holds up to use in saltwater, but I've quickly become an Almight fan. Would definitely recommend it for anyone looking to make the switch to braid to leader or just try a new braid.
It seems that we fish with similar gear and method. My first pe braid was Unitika night game and I went head over heels for it. I couldn’t find any to buy and that first spool was given to me by another member. Begrudgingly, I went to Varivas for my next purchased line and found that it was not only as good to my inexperienced skills at the time but sensitive beyond my experience. I’ve always used a 4lb mono, usually clear blue Stren til lately, and probably won’t change unless I go heavier for a given setup. All of what I’ve been given and bought since had been Varivas with a couple of different heavier lines for a different setup. No disappointment in any of the lines and I see wind knots and tip wrap as the nature of the beast. I’ve adjusted my casts to almost be engaged when the lure hits the water which helps a lot. Last trip out I had a harder time with the nylon than the PE. I use a double uni to join them and keep the length a litttle shorter and keep it out of the guides. I’ve heard of guides being pulled out by knots by guys with heavier lines and bigger knots. I now wrap my last three or four guides differently to help prevent this rod happening. The majority of my PE is .15 or .175 with some being .2 on my UL stuff. I’m thrilled with its strength and castability. I also use a shooting presentation frequently to get under tree branches and hanging moss. I’m always willing to try or learn something new but I’m pretty stuck on my current gear.