breaking rods with braid?? 2025
Largemouth21 reply :
so I have a cheap-ish baitcaster hoping to learn how to use it. COMPLETE DISASTER!! Backlash after Backlash. I am better at it now but I am switching to braid on my baitcaster. I'm getting a 7 foot Medium action rod. I wanted to use 40 lb braid because I'm fishing in weeds but won't that break the rod because it's only a Medium action??
RoLo reply :
Every day we wet the boat, we're fishing in weeds from hell.
Try 30-lb braid and I'm confident that you'll find that it's adequate.
(It goes without saying, your drag must be properly set)
Roger
PatrickKnight reply :
Also make sure your drag is set properly.
bigturtle reply :
As a general rule, set your drag to half of the max line rating of your rod. If your rod is rated up to 14lb, set the drag at 7lb. This way, no matter how heavy your braid is, you won't risk snapping your rod.
Largemouth21 reply :
On 1/30/2017 at 6:54 AM, RoLo said:Every day we wet the boat, we're fishing in weeds from hell.
Try 30-lb braid and I'm confident that you'll find that it's adequate.
(It goes without saying, your drag must be properly set)
Roger
ok thanks, I wasn't sure if 30lb would be too thin but if it works for you I'm sure I can make it work. Thanks
On 1/30/2017 at 7:12 AM, bigturtle said:As a general rule, set your drag to half of the max line rating of your rod. If your rod is rated up to 14lb, set the drag at 7lb. This way, no matter how heavy your braid is, you won't risk snapping your rod.
Alright that makes sense, will do. Hopefully I can figure out this baitcaster in time for the spring spawn
WRB reply :
Don't use braid strength to set a fresh water bass reel drag with, a medium or 3 power jig & worm rod maxes out at 3-4 lbs dead weight, MH or 4 power at 4-5 lbs, H or 5 power at 5-6 lbs. If you need more drag pressure use your thumb for momentary add force.
Tom
Largemouth21 reply :
On 1/30/2017 at 7:20 AM, WRB said:Don't use braid strength to set a fresh water bass reel drag with, a medium or 3 power jig & worm rod maxes out at 3-4 lbs dead weight, MH or 4 power at 4-5 lbs, H or 5 power at 5-6 lbs. If you need more drag pressure use your thumb for momentary add force.
Tom
thanks
CTBassin860 reply :
Also if you fishing weeds and heavy cover id go with 50# not 30
bigturtle reply :
He's using a M power rod, 30lb or 50lb makes no difference, he won't be able to take advantage of the heavier line.
CTBassin860 reply :
On 1/30/2017 at 7:53 AM, bigturtle said:He's using a M power rod, 30lb or 50lb makes no difference, he won't be able to take advantage of the heavier line.
Needs a different rod.If your throwing stuff into the slop with a M power rod and 30# braid and he hooks into a 5# fish with 10# of weeds on top of it,either the rod or the braid is going to give.Probably the rod.
Largemouth21 reply :
On 1/30/2017 at 8:06 AM, MassBassin508 said:Needs a different rod.If your throwing stuff into the slop with a M power rod and 30# braid and he hooks into a 5# fish with 10# of weeds on top of it,either the rod or the braid is going to give.Probably the rod.
On 1/30/2017 at 7:53 AM, bigturtle said:He's using a M power rod, 30lb or 50lb makes no difference, he won't be able to take advantage of the heavier line.
On 1/30/2017 at 7:46 AM, MassBassin508 said:Also if you fishing weeds and heavy cover id go with 50# not 30
I'm not exactly fishing heavy cover, I'm ripping spoons along the edge of hydrilla beds for northern pike. I'm not punching or frogging or anything. maybe sometimes trolling the (weedless)spoons through the hydrilla in my new 'yak, but not anything much more extreme. thanks everyone for the reply
Delaware Valley Tackle reply :
Braid use in and of itself is safe. Just use common sense in your rod handling. Avoid actions or movements that end the tip beyond 90* to the rod regardless of line type and you'll be fine.
WRB reply :
Rods break because they bottom out by applying more force than the rod blank can handle.
Agree with DVT common sense statement but bass anglers tend to high stick thier rods creating bends that approach 180 degrees, let alone stopping at 90 degrees and are surprised when the rod breaks.
Watching MLF when rods break catching 2 lb bass when trying to lift and catch the bass before it hits any part of the boat. 2 lbs of dead weight flopping around will break bass rods If the rod bends to far....be careful over bending your rods.
Tom
Delaware Valley Tackle reply :
If held parallel to the water the deadlift capability of a bass rod will surprise you but of course there is a limit.
Angry John reply :
The chances of breaking a rod in a yak biased on drag is very low. I dont think you could have a problem unless your anchored and even a slim chance on that. Where you will get into trouble is high sticking wile landing the fish, or if the fish runs under your yak and you dont keep the rod level. The other time would be lifting a fish into the boat but that is not normally a yak problem as we sit mostly. If you get into a decent size pike or musky be prepared to take a ride because even a 3lb bass will tow me around. Yaks are a great way to fish and they provide some inherent advantages, but controlling a large fish is not one of them.
I think you would do well with 30 or 40 lb braid. The choice is going to vary as casting large one ounce spoons and get a backlash and the spoon will test your line and knots to the limits. I love 40 because it does not dig in as much but i also cast a lot further with 30. Are you going to run a steel leader or like 80lb flouro leader???
Outdoor Zack reply :
On 1/30/2017 at 10:23 AM, Delaware Valley Tackle said:Braid use in and of itself is safe. Just use common sense in your rod handling. Avoid actions or movements that end the tip beyond 90* to the rod regardless of line type and you'll be fine.
This.
Learned the hard way with my fly rod
Yeajray231 reply :
To help with the backlash... Use braid ... And cast smooth. A nice fluent motion. The baitcast reel is supposed to allow you to cast a good distance with ease. Also make sure you don't have too much line spooled...
The most important thing is use your thumb... Feather that spool and you'll be casting with the brakes off in no time.
Bluebasser86 reply :
I use braid on a medium action rod all the time and haven't broken it yet, and it's not an expensive rod.
Largemouth21 reply :
On 1/30/2017 at 12:22 PM, Angry John said:The chances of breaking a rod in a yak biased on drag is very low. I dont think you could have a problem unless your anchored and even a slim chance on that. Where you will get into trouble is high sticking wile landing the fish, or if the fish runs under your yak and you dont keep the rod level. The other time would be lifting a fish into the boat but that is not normally a yak problem as we sit mostly. If you get into a decent size pike or musky be prepared to take a ride because even a 3lb bass will tow me around. Yaks are a great way to fish and they provide some inherent advantages, but controlling a large fish is not one of them.
I think you would do well with 30 or 40 lb braid. The choice is going to vary as casting large one ounce spoons and get a backlash and the spoon will test your line and knots to the limits. I love 40 because it does not dig in as much but i also cast a lot further with 30. Are you going to run a steel leader or like 80lb flouro leader???
60 lb flouro leader. The pike arent huge where I'm fishing. Also I've casted tsome big spoons 1/2 3/4 and 1 oz on line as light as 10 lb mono. (While it worked ok, probably not my brightest move!
)
Fisher-O-men reply :
What bass gear is capable of:
Jaderose reply :
YEah...but it looks like he's using a Shishamo reel. We don't have the high falutin 30 bearing gear here in the States.
portiabrat reply :
On 1/31/2017 at 2:51 AM, Jaderose said:YEah...but it looks like he's using a Shishamo reel. We don't have the high falutin 30 bearing gear here in the States.
I'm pretty sure it's a Revo Toro NACL.
Jaderose reply :
On 1/31/2017 at 4:23 AM, portiabrat said:
I'm pretty sure it's a Revo Toro NACL.
It was a joke
MickD reply :
http://www.rodbuilding.org/library/rodusage.pdf
the reel ess reply :
On 1/30/2017 at 12:22 PM, Angry John said:The chances of breaking a rod in a yak biased on drag is very low. I dont think you could have a problem unless your anchored and even a slim chance on that. Where you will get into trouble is high sticking wile landing the fish, or if the fish runs under your yak and you dont keep the rod level. The other time would be lifting a fish into the boat but that is not normally a yak problem as we sit mostly. If you get into a decent size pike or musky be prepared to take a ride because even a 3lb bass will tow me around. Yaks are a great way to fish and they provide some inherent advantages, but controlling a large fish is not one of them.
I think you would do well with 30 or 40 lb braid. The choice is going to vary as casting large one ounce spoons and get a backlash and the spoon will test your line and knots to the limits. I love 40 because it does not dig in as much but i also cast a lot further with 30. Are you going to run a steel leader or like 80lb flouro leader???
That! You won't get tempted to swing a 5+ lb bass over the gunwale if you're already at water level. And if you get hung, you'll just drag yourself over to the snag and get it off. I have braid on one baitcaster and two spinning combos. The spinning are not great quality rods and I've had no problems with them. The BC rod is a Falcon MH that used to be my frog rod and I had the drag as tight as it would go sometimes.
J Francho reply :
On 2/1/2017 at 2:41 AM, the reel ess said:Yaks are a great way to fish and they provide some inherent advantages, but controlling a large fish is not one of them.
I disagree. If they run down, let them. If they run away from the boat, lock down. They'll never gain any ground on you. The boat becomes the drag, but the fish is still on a short leash. It's for this reason, I use a quick release loop and a float on my anchor line. Catch a large gamefish, just release and run with it.
the reel ess reply :
On 2/1/2017 at 2:47 AM, J Francho said:
I disagree. If they run down, let them. If they run away from the boat, lock down. They'll never gain any ground on you. The boat becomes the drag, but the fish is still on a short leash. It's for this reason, I use a quick release loop and a float on my anchor line. Catch a large gamefish, just release and run with it.
For the record, that's not my quote. I've caught more and bigger bass ever since I started kayak fishing. When I hook a big one in the big boat it almost always makes a run under the boat. When I hook a big one on the kayak and it goes under it just turns the boat. I do so love kayak fishing.
J Francho reply :
On 2/1/2017 at 3:05 AM, the reel ess said:When I hook a big one in the big boat it almost always makes a run under the boat. When I hook a big one on the kayak and it goes under it just turns the boat.
Exactly. For the record, bass are the smallest species I catch in the kayak. I also target much, much larger species available in my diverse waters - salmon, steelhead, brown trout, northern pike, musky, and carp to name a few. I like my bigger power boats, but I prefer the kayak in most instances.
Angry John reply :
So to refresh you are not controlling the fish they are taking you for a ride. If you get a big one near a tree your going to have a fun time getting all rapped up and pulled into the tree. Open water fish are fine but close quarters in heavy vegetation sucks.
MickD reply :
On 2/1/2017 at 2:41 AM, the reel ess said:That! You won't get tempted to swing a 5+ lb bass over the gunwale if you're already at water level. And if you get hung, you'll just drag yourself over to the snag and get it off. I have braid on one baitcaster and two spinning combos. The spinning are not great quality rods and I've had no problems with them. The BC rod is a Falcon MH that used to be my frog rod and I had the drag as tight as it would go sometimes.
"not great quality rods" The fact is that the most fragile rods are the "highest quality" rods, the high modulus/most sensitive, rods.
the reel ess reply :
On 2/1/2017 at 8:48 PM, MickD said:
"not great quality rods" The fact is that the most fragile rods are the "highest quality" rods, the high modulus/most sensitive, rods.
True. But I haven't broken any of my higher or lower quality rods since I was a kid except for shutting the tailgate on a 9' crappie rod. I turned it into an 8' crappie rod and gave it to my buddy who trolls for crappie so i could use it in his boat. $40-and-up rods should last a while. Granted I don't have any $200 rods and I probably never will.
Fisher-O-men reply :
On 1/31/2017 at 8:53 AM, Jaderose said:It was a joke
Got the joke, but for real he is usually fishing an Okuma Komodo. From the way the rod jerks that drag is not that smooth. Probably less that 30 bearings.
MickD reply :
On 2/1/2017 at 9:12 PM, the reel ess said:True. But I haven't broken any of my higher or lower quality rods since I was a kid except for shutting the tailgate on a 9' crappie rod. I turned it into an 8' crappie rod and gave it to my buddy who trolls for crappie so i could use it in his boat. $40-and-up rods should last a while. Granted I don't have any $200 rods and I probably never will.
I agree. The only rods I've ever broken have been stupid things I did. Never with a fish on.
DogBone_384 reply :
I'm with MickD. The only rods I've had break on me were (a) a freak occurance, and (b) a victim of my stupidity and my truck's tailgate.
Regarding your using braid on your baitcaster while still on a learning curve, I'll suggest getting some 12 pound mono ($$$), start reading here: http://www.bassresource.com/beginner/how-to-use-baitcaster.html, and get out and practice, practice, practice. I started with a BPS PQ. It took me almost a full season to get comfortable with it.
Keep with it, and best of luck.
related Fishing Rods Reels Line Knots topic
previous topic
most viewed Fishing Rods Reels Line Knots topic
© 2025 - fishing.qciss.net. All Rights Reserved.