Braid - Brand & Price?

[Kat]

Is this a good brand and price?  https://www.anglerswarehouse.com.au/product_detail.asp?productnospaces=unitika_univenture_jigging_x4_300m_braid_pe_25_-_30lb_12779

Cheers Katrina

[Old Scaley]

Are you planning to go jigging @Kat? If so, that might be a good brand and price. If not, you could get a good braid much cheaper that would be fine for other fishing.

[Kat]

Cheaper would be better.  Also not sure how much I need for the reel.  It is the Daiwa Bull 4500.  It is written on the side but I couldn't understand it last time I looked .  I will look again.  Will 20lb line be strong enough for bigger fish like mackerel, sharks?  Which brand do you recommend?

Cheers Kat

[Old Scaley]

You will get lots of opinions on this question, Kat. I have been using Daiwa J Braid X8 lately and I quite like it, but I also had no problem with Power Pro and other brands. Avoid the really cheap stuff. Get a nice bright colour. I have been using blue Daiwa and it looks nice on the reel but so hard to see against the water. 

I would recommend going to your local tackle shop and talking with them. Take your reel and they will spool it up properly for you. Most do this for free if you buy the braid there.  If it is not done it might slip on the spool or give you wind knots.

20lb is fine for macs or sharks if you use the right leader. The other thing you should think about is only buying 150 metres of braid and the shop will use mono for backing and to fill the spool. They don’t usually charge for the backing either, so bonus metres there. Half the price and not too many fish you will catch in an estuary will run 100 metres. 

These are just my opinions and I am sure you will get more advice from others with more expertise than me. Good luck.

[The Mad Hughesy]

@Kat that will be fine for small sharks and mackerel. As @Old Scaley said the more important part is the leader. 20lbs is a good all rounder size for many species on that sized reel

[Kat]

Thanks @Old Scaley the reason I was looking online was to find something cheaper.  I asked two local tackle shops and was told it would be a minimum of $70 to $100 to spool that reel with 20lb.  I have a very limited budget and really need to re-spool my smaller Nasci 2500 as well. This line keeps failing on me, all the colour has faded.  I have used it since I started fishing - five months ago.  I go fishing quite often.  I was hoping putting braid on the big reel would make it easier to cast with and generally fish with - I am having difficulty casting with the bigger outfit whether I pair it with a 7ft rod or a 12 foot surf rod.  It is currently spooled with mono (which I really don't favour). I also find braid it better and easier for tying knots especially ones that join braid to leader - they seem not to get caught in the guides or the spool.  Sorry to ask all the questions but I don't think anyone takes me seriously in the shops (or they don't like their jobs).

Or maybe I stick with Mono and get a new rod to put with the Daiwa.

Anyway, I love using the smaller outfit but am really getting sick of being busted off on larger fish.  I am really frustrated I can't figure this out for myself.

I really just feel like giving up.

Cheers Kat

 

 

 

[Kat]

Oh and why do you need different braid for jigging?  By which I think you guys mean using lures and flicking the rod up and down while retrieving.  I was doing that the other day and hooked something big - flathead or stingray.  Think either my braid to leader knot failed or my braid failed.  Then again yesterday and I hadn't even hooked anything - cast out and lost my leader and lure - still couldn't tell if my knot failed or the braid broke.  I am tying the knot as I always have and haven't had this problem often until recently.  Not trying to blame the equipment

[Old Scaley]

30 minutes ago, Kat said:

Thanks @Old Scaley the reason I was looking online was to find something cheaper.  I asked two local tackle shops and was told it would be a minimum of $70 to $100 to spool that reel with 20lb.  I have a very limited budget and really need to re-spool my smaller Nasci 2500 as well. This line keeps failing on me, all the colour has faded.  I have used it since I started fishing - five months ago.  I go fishing quite often.  I was hoping putting braid on the big reel would make it easier to cast with and generally fish with - I am having difficulty casting with the bigger outfit whether I pair it with a 7ft rod or a 12 foot surf rod.  It is currently spooled with mono (which I really don't favour). I also find braid it better and easier for tying knots especially ones that join braid to leader - they seem not to get caught in the guides or the spool.  Sorry to ask all the questions but I don't think anyone takes me seriously in the shops (or they don't like their jobs).

Or maybe I stick with Mono and get a new rod to put with the Daiwa.

Anyway, I love using the smaller outfit but am really getting sick of being busted off on larger fish.  I am really frustrated I can't figure this out for myself.

I really just feel like giving up.

Cheers Kat

 

 

 

May be that much if you spool the whole thing with braid. Ask about a top spooling of 150 metres of braid on top of mono backing. I have never paid that much. 
 

The jigging thing is a bit of an unknown to me. Pretty sure you could use that braid for other fishing but thought you might save some cash with another choice. 

[Kat]

Thanks will ask

[The Mad Hughesy]

Jigging braid is multi colour (changes colour every 10m) so you know how far down your jig is

[ggg]

Jigging braid costs so much more because it's for the rich, niche market of the 'jigger's'. Those are the blokes who spend more than $1000 for a specialised combo and can justify the expensive braid. To be fair, jigging braid is usually smoother and and thinner than other braids. I still cannot justify the price though and normal braid does the trick.

[ellicat]

You can't do 'jigging' from shore/beach. Maybe from a pontoon, but you don't need specialised braid for that.

Never give up. Ask questions - people love to help out. All the answering so far is spot on.

[Brodie_S]

The braid in the link is a excellent braid unitika make some of the best lines out there especially their leaders monos and fluorocarbons I’ve used a few different types of braid and come to a conclusion the best braid for money is daiwa J braid X8 it’s perfect it’s very strong smooth and knot And fray and abrasion resistant and the colour doesn’t bleed out it’s $35 for a spool of 150m you can also buy muiti coloured spools to . Second to this is daiwa J braid X 4 it’s super cheap $20-25 a spool for 135m it’s the same as X8 but isn’t as smooth and the colour fades quite quickly to but other then that it’s the same and I’m currently trying out WFT Gliss which is $10 for 150m I haven’t had it for that long but so far it’s super smooth the thinnest braid I’ve used even though it isn’t braid it’s close enough it’s also very strong and the best casting line I’ve ever used the the only thing with Gliss is I recommend to tie FG knots as it’s possible for other knots to slip or untie under pressure but when you tie a good knot it’s very strong stuff I will also add it’s very sensitive like braid and has no stretch but over all I would recommend daiwa J braid X8 for general purpose fishing as it’s the best all rounder and is very nice to use

[Junky]

Don't pay anyone to spool your reel. 

Just wind it on yourself. It ain't rocket science. 

If you got a spare spool with the reel then simply wind the braid onto it, tie on the backing and fill. 

Remove that spool and fit new empty spool. Tie the line on and wind it off the old spool onto a new spool. Backing is at the bottom, braid is at the top and it is nice and full. No guessing required.  

Pinching between your fingers is enough pressure to have on the line as it lays on the spool. 

You don't have to use every guide on the rod either. Just run the line through the closest guide to the reel. Keeps it easy to manage. 

 

Take note of how the line lays down too. 

As the bail arm spins around the spool the oscillation of the spool is what lays the line down evenly. 

Sometimes the reels are not tested properly and the adjustment can be out. I've paid a fair whack for some spin reels and they are not tunned properly. 

The line bunches at one end of the spool causing the line to underwrap, also giving a tapered look to the way it is laying on the spool. 

The line must reach the front lip and the rear collar as it lays through the entire oscillation of the spool. If it doesn't then the spool needs to be removed and either add a washer, or remove one from the shaft. 

Add a washer if the line is bunching towards the front of the spool, or drag knob end of the spool.  

Remove a washer if the line is bunching towards the rear of the spool.

 

This is also why the machine spooling tools are a bad idea. You don't notice uneven lay untill you're out fishing. Better to rectify this before you head out. What better time to do it then spooling up. 

 

Attach line to spool.

2 wraps of spool and a uni knot. 

 

To attach braid to backing. 

FG knot. 

 

Attach braid to braid.

Cats paw.

 

I'm one of those wankers with colored jigging line. 

I use gosen 42lb. Just over $100 at Tackle warehouse for 300m. 

It helps offshore with plastics. Its very thin and is equivalent to most 30lb diameters. You can really add the pressure on those fish that turn and head for the reef. It doesn't catch the current like cheaper braids do. It doesn't hold water as much as others do. It lasts more than 1 season before random breakages. It doesn't get hairy when aged. 

I think I've got a 5yr old spool still going strong and looking neat. 

 

I also use power pro braid. 

300m of 20lb for about $55 at T.W.

It's strong and lasts. It is noisey through the guides but sounds cool when big fish take big runs. Not bad on abrasion either. Doesn't seem to go hairy. Life span holds up. 

 

 

I hope this is easy to understand even though I made spooling sound like rocket science.  

[Kat]

Hey at @Junky,. Lol I was thinking that you made it sound like rocket science.  Great explanation - I think?  I think there was a spare spool but I left it at my Brother's house - didn't know what it was for and he is away working.  Will have to go back and hope his Mrs hasn't thrown it out.  Cheers for the advice.