Wire vs. Braid

[TyeeTanic]

Hey guys (and gals),

I am currently using 40 lb power pro braid - and love it. But, I only started this season.

I have heard a few people say that when the fleas come out, braid is useless - what the heck is everyone talking about - why does it become useless????

Also, when people say I should use wire - are you literally talking about steel wire??? I saw some spools of steel wire at LeBaron yesterday - it was a light gauge - but can you actually fish with something that stiff?????

Finally - what are the real advantages of wire over braid, and vice-versa???

Thanks,

Mark

[Landshark]

Wire gets deeper. Braid gets loaded with fleas. Yes steel wire. The first time you deal with fleas you will understand

[ Post made via Android ]

[slimyfish]

i KNOW ITS EASIER TO POP A DIPSEY ON WIRE

sorry cap lock was on....

[TyeeTanic]

Doesn't the wire ruin the reel??? Any plastic parts will be gone in no time - right?

[carpedium]

My diawa 47LCs love wire

The stuff I use is 7-strand braided and is pretty supple within reason.

You just have to put a twilli tip on your rod and you are good to go!

[skipper19]

http://www.malinco.com/fishing-stainless-cable.html

This is your wire... Malin 7... non coated....30 lb test.

Twilly tip is a coil of spring shaped like a funnel...goes on the end of your rod tip in place of the tip eye.

Fleas are the microscopic critters that cling on your line and when enough of them get on your line they will lock up in the guides and you will be a mad indian.

Wire and Twilly work to cut them off as you reel...do not try to use braid when they bloom out...if you do you will be very sorry. They are coming soon. Bad bad invasive crap.

Mark

[ Post made via Android ]

[TyeeTanic]

Fleas ... why doesn't anybody in the shops tell me this stuff before I spend $80 on braided line?????

How long do I have before I need to change out my NEW braided line??

[TyeeTanic]

Oh - is the wire diameter about the same as the braid or thinner? I'm trying to figure out how much will fit on my new reels.

[ray koziatek]

ya ant gona hurt yer braid if ya rewind it back on a spool .1 ----1/4 in bolt 2 in long 2 washers and a nut sandwitch the spool onthe bolt between the washers hand tighten the nut and put bolt in a drill and wind away (drill),40 lb p.p. is a tad smaller than the wire(CABLE NOT SOLID))...........WHAT SIZE REEL (ARBOR CAPISITY) ya have will determin amount of wire ..sooo whatca got for a reel..???

[jekyll]

Braid and wire both load up with fleas but, (and this is a big BIG difference) fleas are very easy to remove from wire. Grab a handfull and slide them down the wire and it acts like a saw and cuts them off. Small amounts will be cut off by the twilly tip on your rod (if you install one). YOU CAN'T DO THAT WITH BRAID. They can be a bear to remove from braid.

Tripping dipsies is equally easy with Braid and wire. Braid is much more forgiving of errors than wire and is therefore a great choice for beginners.

Fleas come out for about 4-6 weeks and we should be seeing them soon. You can use braid during the flea season but, you need to tend your rod more often to avoid heavy build ups - nip it in the bud.

[TyeeTanic]

Okay - I went out and go wire yesterday, and then found out none of my loops were good for wire on my rod, so had to buy 2 new rods!!! I got 8 1/2 foot rods, heavy action, with stainless rollers. Nice rods, but ended up spending much more than I wanted to. The braid is on my existing rods, will use for jigging or an extra set of rods when another fisherman is onboard.

I took them out today for a try - it's a nice setup - I really enjoyed using them. Got 2 Coho's with 4 hits.

[skipper19]

Good job your on yer way, just be sure to keep the wire tight on the spool and slack out so ya don't kink it up. And watch the rollers on your rods to be sure they don't get side play and allow the wire to pinch in the guide.

[ Post made via Android ]

[TyeeTanic]

Ya skipper, it happened once to me today and that is why I lost one fish I hit. The line pinched in the side of the roller and mount on the top guide (smallest one). Was a little pissed about that.

Question about feeding the line through the rollers. My first guide, the one closest to the reel, has two rollers one against the rod and the other on the top point of the guide. How do I fish the line through? Do I just go loosely between the two rollers, or do I go over under (kind of like feed through two pulleys) so the line is straightened out before it goes back to the reel???

I have mine just going between the two guides, but it is kind of loose in there and the rollers don't seem to be doing much, unless it's for when a fish is on???!?!

Thanks,

Mark

[TyeeTanic]

By the way, if it helps I got the Eagle Claw Starfire Downrigger Rod with Roller Guides - I think the model is the SF404, made by Wrigth and McGill Co.

[skipper19]

I have to tell you I'm not a big fan of rollerguides for the reason they get really expensive to get one with close tolerances for the wire. There is the wear problem in the side plates too and they are tough to replace compared to hardened guides. It's a cruel fact that over time wire will saw through stuff especially with a screaming king on. If you get around to having a couple more rods for dipsy work, try a 10 foot Daiwa heartland dipsy rod and get the Twilly tip. You can run four of those dipsy when ya get good at it, and you can compare the two styles of rods.

For the double roller just run straight through, the upper roller I believe is just for guiding the wire onto the reel when under tension because it tries to stand off the bottom roller when reeling in.

[ Post made via Android ]