Two days raining non stop, Sitting in home playing and organizing tackle and I came across my 16 DC Antares. The line was white and no sign of moss green anymore and it was the other side of line, So I change the line with 30lb mxquatro not 40/50/etc..

Coz I was thinking that my braid to leader combos have 20/30lb test catching more fish compare to 40/50lb tests.

I just wanted to share that with you guys, It comes from my exprience and I believe in it.

Two same set up one with 20lb braid and 16lb FC leader Trig and other one 40lb test braid 16lb FC Trig(both the same) Fish the sam, The one with 20lb test catches two small mouth in two hours, The other one catches nothing in four hours. So despite the same leader diameter and length, Still effect my catches when I use smaller diameter braid. 

Even assuming you were fishing the exact same lures, not enough data points to make that conclusion.

I wouldn't let 2 fish completely sway your way of thinking. It's possible that the fall rate was making a difference that day, but 2 fish isn't exactly a solid bite/pattern. 

Just now, Deleted account said:

Even assuming you were fishing the exact same lures, not enough data points to make that conclusion.

Yeah I used everything the same except the Braid line test, You are right it is not 100% but I can give it 70%

Somehow as person that did that and made those casts I Believe on that.

I even shift using them every another hour to be fair.

1 minute ago, Bluebasser86 said:

I wouldn't let 2 fish completely sway your way of thinking. It's possible that the fall rate was making a difference that day, but 2 fish isn't exactly a solid bite/pattern. 

Totally agree with you.

2021 saw me go to straight 30 and 40 pound 832 for the vast majority of my LM fishing, including open water structure fishing. I had my best year ever. LM just don't seem to care. Same for smallies in current.  

 Open water lake smallies, I seem to do better with 4#-8# mono, but it could just be a confidence thing with me. I'm still on the fence there. I for sure lose less of those acrobats with straight mono though. That stretch helps keep 'em pinned. No flouro for me. I'm done with phantom break offs.

 

Edit to add: The increased catch rate with 4#-8# mono may well be due to the baits I'm throwing on it. Mostly TRD Bug, grubs and finesse worms and swimmers. I prefer straight mono for all these. I think they have a more natural movement on mono and stretch is a good thing here with the small hooks involved.

I use 15 pound test FC leaders on clear water smallies and have seen no signs of their being line shy.  One good day last year the water was gin clear.  I think 6-8 is too fragile when the chances of getting into smallies over 5 pounds is very good.  Just my opinion.

34 minutes ago, T-Billy said:

 I'm done with phantom break offs.

"You will be visited tonight by 3 spirits Ebenezer, the ghost of kinked backlash, the ghost of stress deformation, and the ghost of not (sic) strength. It's not too late for you, send Tiny Tim in all haste to purchase the 1 lb spool of BG in the window"....

7 hours ago, Deleted account said:

"You will be visited tonight by 3 spirits Ebenezer, the ghost of kinked backlash, the ghost of stress deformation, and the ghost of not (sic) strength. It's not too late for you, send Tiny Tim in all haste to purchase the 1 lb spool of BG in the window"....

Not to fear, I have a dream catcher made of Sufix 832 and Trilene XT.

I’ll bet, if you lower the line diameter to 8-15lb braid, 8-10lb leader or no leader at all. You will even catch more fish or at least you know and feel more what your lures are doing under water.

2 minutes ago, Bass_Fishing_Socal said:

I’ll bet, if you lower the line diameter to 8-15lb braid, 8-10lb leader or no leader at all. You will even catch more fish or at least you know and feel more what your lures are doing under water.

My main BFS setup is 9lb test varivas line and it is very small diameter and I use that without leader and you are right, I catch a lot with that line.

As a old person retired for 20 years. Fishing the same 1/2 mile square bay all summer every year. Doing C & R.  When I leave the dock every cormorant pops up & flies away. They know my motor sound could cause injury.  Every other boat does not cause them to leave. 

 

I really believe that is why I do so much better fishing from the dock after sun down.  Animals learn a certain sound means pain is to follow.  

 

 

Even if 20lb braided main line actually did catch more fish, I wouldn't use it (on a baitcaster)... That light pound braid digs into itself WAY too much and ends up being more trouble than it's worth most of the time.

If you have a shallow braid spool, line dig is not a problem with the finest braid and biggest fish. 

What's backlash? 

This is PE #1 X-braid braid, and I caught a snook last month on PE#0.8 on another reel - -casting in the dark. 

20-lb 832 is twice the diameter of 22-lb X-braid, and easy to load on a deep spool with a good backing set-up.  For backing, I use up to 25-yds of 20-lb UG mono.  Nothing like backlash or line dig - the fish on the right, one of sixteen I released on this reel one morning last winter. 

Good goobly gooks @bulldog1935, where'd ya get that beast of a handle on the SD?

@T-Billy

Studio Composite RC-SC ExPlus - you can't imagine how light it is - the spindles are titanium and the knob sleeves are carbon.  Best price is fishingshop.kiwi

That and Avail STi2 with Avail-A knobs are my favorite handles. 

I have have another SC on my Steez

I found out that line DIGGING IN  is always way to loose of winding tension. OR  A rewinding system not SPACING the turns far enough apart.  I always wear a leather glove and squeeze the line to make a tight build up.  The Mitchell 300s really spread the turns apart. About 1/16 " each revolution. Why it is so good into the wind?