How to choose braid? I commonly see advice like “throw 20lb braid on your reel”, but doesn’t that depend on your rod? For example - my Ugly Stik Elite says 6-14lb on it, so wouldn’t...

FS Digest

I commonly see advice like “throw 20lb braid on your reel”, but doesn’t that depend on your rod? For example - my Ugly Stik Elite says 6-14lb on it, so wouldn’t using 20lb braid mean my rod would break before the line? By that logic it seems I should keep it to 12lb or less

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by NewCobbler2512

Catfish hunter Loc: Riggins idaho (Paradise)

10 pound braid will hold just about any fish you can catch under 30 pounds. I use 15 pound braid on my long casters and have landed 100 pound sturgeon with it on a rod that’s rated for 20 pound max. Kinda depends on the stiffness of your rod and how you have the drag adjusted as well as how you handle the fish. Those numbers are designed for a solid hook up with a tight drag for the top number so you can go heavier that indicated if you adjust other things to match. Skill plays a huge part in it. I’ve landed 8 pound rainbows, through the ice on a two foot flimsy ice rod and 4 pound mono without any problems.

flyguy Loc: Lake Onalaska, Sunfish Capitol of the World!

FS Digest wrote:

I commonly see advice like “throw 20lb braid on your reel”, but doesn’t that depend on your rod? For example - my Ugly Stik Elite says 6-14lb on it, so wouldn’t using 20lb braid mean my rod would break before the line? By that logic it seems I should keep it to 12lb or less

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by NewCobbler2512

You can use 20# braid if you use a 10# FC leader, which you should anyway. No problem.

BCKliche Loc: Suffolk, VA

Be sure you are looking at braid capacity as often the reel will list mono at one weight and braid at a higher weight since it is thinner. However, I am sure you already know that.
For example, I have a 3000 series Penn reel and it lists mono 6-10# and braid 10-20#

Seegundo Loc: Lake s minole Georgia

Many rods have a braid rating . Put monofilament backing on then the braid especially for bait casters as it will get looser as you cast if you don't. A few manufacturers recommend this . As the guy stated for leader put fluorocarbon on when worm fishing as it's invisible.

Seegundo Loc: Lake s minole Georgia

Many rods have a braid rating . Put monofilament backing on then the braid especially for bait casters as it will get looser as you cast if you don't. A few manufacturers recommend this . As the guy stated for leader put fluorocarbon on when worm fishing as it's invisible.

captjim Loc: Antioch Ca

FS Digest wrote:

I commonly see advice like “throw 20lb braid on your reel”, but doesn’t that depend on your rod? For example - my Ugly Stik Elite says 6-14lb on it, so wouldn’t using 20lb braid mean my rod would break before the line? By that logic it seems I should keep it to 12lb or less

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by NewCobbler2512

I would be more concerned about the size of the reel than the rod. Stress on the rod is determined by one thing, drag load. I myself fish with very little drag, so the rating on the rod makes little difference. The reason I say the reel size is important is that the same test braid will be thinner than mono. At one point I switched from mono to braid on my charter reels. I had run 30 lb. mono for years, with about a 300 yd. capacity. When I switched to braid, 30lb did not work at all. The line was too small of a diameter to work with the size reels. The upper wrap, when under load would pull down into the lower wraps and act like a small backlash and not let line run out. I talked to my reel repair guy who told me the only solution was larger diameter braid or smaller reels. Considering I had some place around 20 reels I was not going the reel route. So turned out that 70 lb braid was the same diameter as the 30 lb mono I had been using. Switched to 70 lb. braid and solved that problem. Most of my rods are not rated for that high of a test line, but never and I mean never for 10 years did I have a rod problem from that braid. When it comes to rod ratings I ignore that for the most part. I can handle a rod w/o a reel on it and get a good idea of how much it will take. We fish shark and sturgeon a lot, that need a strong hook set. My only concern with the rod is that it is stiff enough to transfer that hook set power.

Harris T. Fudpucker Loc: Lafayette, Louisiana

FS Digest wrote:

I commonly see advice like “throw 20lb braid on your reel”, but doesn’t that depend on your rod? For example - my Ugly Stik Elite says 6-14lb on it, so wouldn’t using 20lb braid mean my rod would break before the line? By that logic it seems I should keep it to 12lb or less

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by NewCobbler2512

I use 50# braid on my baitcaster, doesn't break the rod!

Ben Bragg Loc: Dayton Ohio

Chances are your reel only has about 12 pound of drag force. No problem.
If your ugly stick is like all the others I’ve seen. You ain’t gonna break it with 100 pound

4DaFryer Loc: Romeoville, IL

The drag setting of the reel should be set at about 1/3 to 1/2 of the line rating. Say your rod is rated for up to 14 lb.
The drag setting should be around 4 to 7 lbs. The rod should not break if the drag is adjusted to keep it under its maximum rating. Yes you could easily use up to 50 lb. line (mono or braid) if the drag of the reel is properly adjusted.