chuckie
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Braid & Top shots
I have been fishing Baja since 1957 and I am still learning. In my research on Avet reels I ran into the title term. I see some people are suggesting
using as much as 100 yards of mono on top of the braided line? I run 65 lb Braid on all my reels and often dont use any leader at all.Sometimes 6-8
feet of Fleuro...The logic of the "top shot" seems to be to provide some stretch...I thought we went to braid to eliminate that? Again suggestions and
thoughts on this please..thanks
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Skipjack Joe
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Braid is a way to increase the amount of line that you can store on a reel. The Avet we have can hold maybe 200 ft of 40 but with a braid backing it's
probably about 200 yds +100ft of 40lb top-shot.
In my experience braid creates bird nests much easier than mono and when it happens it can be difficult to untangle. One time it was so bad we had to
go ashore and devote an hour to untangling the mess. But with a top shot you're only casting the mono so this doesn't happen.
In my experience braid is far less resistance to abrasion than mono. I've had fish saw me off on the rocks much quicker with braid than mono. I
wouldn't yoyo a jig for yellowtail with braid.
That's my 2 cents.
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MMc
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The 100 yd top shot of mono does add stretch. Some guys that fished mono have had trouble adjusting to less stretch, and condensate with a mono top
shot.
"Never teach a pig to sing it frustrates you and annoys the pig" - W.C.Fields
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Pescador
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During the summer when I get stuck trolling ( I hate trolling) I will put on much longer lengths of mono. During the winter, 100 feet is about the
norm, but I mostly fish with bait and either I use a sliding lead when I am fishing deep or flylining with no lead.
Because we fish close to the reef, we use stronger drags and heavier lines. I do not waste the money on Flourocarbon because it is lousy at knot
strength and does not have the stretch that mono has. We have people who fish our area come in here and they tell me how they catch 40 pound
yellowtail on the other side of the peninsula with 40 lb line. After breaking off a dozen or so, you can see them going around camp trying to come up
with some 60. (minimum 50).
For many years I fished with a friend of mine who is a local commercial fisherman and we managed to fish 5-6 days a week and caught a lot of
yellowtail so this experience comes at great cost to my body. We found two things. First, the spectra did not wear out and we only had to replace a
100 feet of top shot, which we did every week. Secondly, I have tried all the knots and even have a file folder full of different tests and knots for
connecting spectra to mono. The most effective and strongest connection is to put 5 feet of mono down the center of the spectra (must be hollow to do
this) and serve the connection with 12 lb spectra and super glue. In thousands of yellowtail, I have never had a connection failure with this system.
Finally, I have tried all the knots for connecting the hook to the line and the only one that has stood up is a Double San Diego Jam Knot that has
to be tied very carefully with no twists or crossovers. I also do not use any terminal tackle like swivels or the like and instead use a sliding egg
sinker that I keep from sliding with a toothpick inserted. That way I can control the length of distance between the egg sinker and the hook. Any
terminal connections tied in to this create, in my humble opinion, a weakness to the system.
If you are tying directly to the lure or hook, you are not having any stretch and hopefully then you are using a parabolic rod to take up some of
the shock. When yellowtail start jerking their head to remove the hook, they can exert strong forces on the equipment which may put it over the top
in terms of breakage.
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chuckie
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I almost never lose a Yellow after it is hooked...My fishing partner, however, as soon he has a hook up, screams "I cant stop em!" and screws the drag
down tight..most of them break off..it's fun towatch..Back to the subject, I am going to rerig a couple of reels as suggested and give it a whirl...I
also dont like fleuro....Thanks all.....
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DaliDali
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For me, the added expense of a few hundred yards of Spectra just isn't worth it for the style of fishing I do.
I can understand the extra capacity argument if I was fishing for monsters like BIG tuna or a BIG blue marlin down in the Cape off a 40' Cabo Express
...which can take off a couple of hundred yards in a heart beat.
For me and my 26 year old, 22' Arca panga.....I will leave the big dogs to the big dogs.
I have yet to have a big yellowtail peel off much line. Sure, a couple of runs that might take out several yards of line, but not much more. At least
the ones I have caught. Maybe yours are tougher.
Even a big model gulf grouper does not run much, again the ones I have caught (which by the way are damn few)....it's more like pulling up an old
refrigerator when he/she turns.
I am with the Pescador on the line test.....I normally use 40# but those big dog yellows sometimes leave me cussing. Put me down for 50#
In fact, I have an Avet HX coming from Chark right now that is spooled with straight 50#
But for fishing a reef down 150'_ 200' for a typical yellowtail or a big cabrilla, I don't feel that extra capacity is worth it. And probably the
overriding reason I don't use Spectra is I don't know how to tie it to mono, nor do I want to learn. Hell I can't even screw in a light bulb without
my thumbs getting in the way!!
However, Charkbait will load up a new reel with Spectra "usually" for free on an Avet or Accurate purchase. And anyway you want it loaded.....on top
or as a "backing" with a mono over.
Don't let Skeet see this....old school braided dacron line, color coded for depth is (or was) his forte back in the days.
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chuckie
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I kinda go along with that...I went to braid cuz everybody was going to braid....I can only remember one instance of almost getting spooled..That was
this year by an unidentified big dude....I doubt I would buy more braid..but since I have it, I might as well use it correctly...
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mulegemichael
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stick with the braid over time chuckie...it will not disappoint you...in the long run, you, as the fisherman, has a lot more control over your
opponent with braid....usually that would be fishing over 200' and at that depth i don't think flourocarbon is necessary but a good grade of mono as a
topshot is paramount...and i use 100# leaders for live bait as i think they give me just a little more advantage in the bajo.....and circle hooks
only...sorry...had to take the op.
dyslexia is never having to say you\'re yrros.
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chuckie
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I dont disagree, and the braid will likley outlast me....I have, I, imagine caught several hundred yellowtail on all kinds of string over the past
years...It always fun...and always learning....I quit using fleuro a goo d while ago
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Pescador
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Dali, you are right that fishing yellowtail does not require one to have line capacity. To me it was simple economics. With mono, if I changed 400
yds of line every two weeks I was going through 800 yds every month X 4 or 5 reels and I was buying 5 lb spools of Berkley Big Game by the wholesale.
Now I get 3 or 4 years out of a 3 lb spool.
I do fish Baqueta frequently and if you are going to fish at 500-600 feet, it is very important to have spectra with a small top shot to get to the
depths without needing to use 5 lbs of weight.
Also, spectra, if it gets abraded or worn in a spot can be cut out, splice a new section in, add back to capacity and you are good to go again.
We have a good fisherman here in our area who is changing from a JX Avet to a Raptor so that he quits burning his thumb. A LX or JX has maximum
drag of 23 pounds, which means a 30 lb yellowtail can pull that off of the reel and go from the surface to 150 ft to the rocks in a short time. So,
by increasing his drag to 50 lb capability, he won't have to use his thumb as much.
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aguachico
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I am a big fan of spectra and Avet reels. i have used Avets for about 10 years now. I have been using metered spectra this year and really like it.
Knowing how much line is out there has it's benefits, though not necessary.
Cool thing about spectra is feeling every tail beat and head shake.
I use straight spectra a swivel and a fluoro leader.
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mulegemichael
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try skipping the swivel and pegging yer weight...or not!...i personally like my weight on live bait right on their nose...with 100# leader.
dyslexia is never having to say you\'re yrros.
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