Swimbaiting is a thrilling, if not too widely accepted, way to fish for a larger game, but to be successful, you need a strong fishing line. You’ll never set the hook in large fish without the right line and get it to stay. There goes your whole fishing trip. The question is, is braid a good fishing line for swim baiting?
Braid fishing line is a good line for swim baiting for its strength, ability to get through underwater vegetation and ease an angler feels for bites. However, it can also knot up very quickly and doesn’t stretch to allow a lot of pulling against a fish.
Swimbaiting with braid is a good idea in many instances, but to know what these instances are and are not, read further.
What Is Braid Fishing Line Used For?
It pays to know the strengths and weaknesses of using braid so that you better understand the areas where braid excels and when you shouldn’t use it. As the name suggests, braided lines are made with multiple thin interwoven strands, usually between 2 and 10, and this fishing line has several benefits. It’s known for,
- Having high knot strength
- High line sensitivity
- Great power in relation to its diameter
- Being coated to make the line smooth and waterproof
- Casting far
- Lasting for years
- Penetrating vegetation
- Fitting all reel types
- Withstanding leading heavy material
Many of these attributes are incredibly useful for swim baiting. However, there are a few cons to using braid, including:
- Being highly visible in the water
- Wind knots can easily form in the line
- Braid lines can easily cut your skin under tension
- It is more expensive.
Some of these cons, and more, rightly keep many swimbait anglers away from constantly using braid. However, even though the braided line does have these problems, there are ways to get around some of them, and understanding the limitations of your equipment will help you maximize its potential.
For instance, the braided line has zero stretches which doesn’t allow much give when battling with a fish, but that’s what makes the line so responsive to let you know when a fish is biting.
This is especially useful when swim baiting in conditions that make distinguishing pressure on your line difficult so that you know you have a fish (or another fish!) on the other end.
When Do You Use Braid For Swimbaiting?
Between monofilament, fluorocarbon, and braid fishing lines, braid has the most strength while allowing you to use the thinnest diameters, which is an important factor when fishing for large game fish.
Thicker lines equate to more strength, regardless of which kind of line you use, but the thicker your fishing line is, the more affected it is by the currents and wind.
Braid is best for large swimbaits, especially when paired with a lead of monofilament. Braid works best when paired with a leader line to improve its presentation.
Besides, this way, you have the durability of the braided line while also having the low flexibility and invisibility of the mono.
Be aware that when you add a lead to your braid line, you must use the right knot. Otherwise, you risk snapping the main braid line or the guide’s lead. To avoid that, use either a double uni know or a blood knot to connect the braid to the leader line.
It’s also a good idea to use bait when fishing for large gamefish amidst serious cover vegetation. Braid can cut through water vegetation more easily than the other line types and is the perfect choice when swim-baiting in an area where other lines would probably end up snapping.
What Bait Line Size Do You Need for Swimbaits?
A braid fishing line can be used for swimbaits of many sizes, so long as you use the right diameter appropriately. Usually, braid isn’t the best line to use on its own; you can get much better results when you use a combination between the braid, fluoro, and mono, as we touched on earlier.
Now let’s get to the diameter of the bait line you need for each swimbait.
If your bait is small at only 4-6″ long, try using a 20lbs line of bait with a 20lbs leader line of mono.
If you intend to use a swimbait between 6-8″ long, try using a 25lb line of the braid with a 25lb mono line leader.
Lastly, if your swimbait is between 8-12″ long, you’ll need a 30-65lb line of braid combined with a 30-35lb mono leader.
This is something that is somewhat hotly debated in the swim-baiting community.
Many swimbait anglers will suggest using strictly mono because it has the most stretch that will give you some leeway against your line breaking, but this doesn’t have the benefit of the strength of the bait line.
Since the goal is to catch bigger and heavier fish, combining bait and mono is recommended.
What Type of Fishing Line is Best for Using Swimbaits?
When it comes to braid versus mono surf fishing
for using swimbaits, there are a few factors to consider. Braid offers superior strength and sensitivity, making it ideal for casting long distances and detecting subtle bites. However, mono provides better stretch, which can be beneficial when fighting larger fish in heavy cover. Each has its advantages, so the best choice ultimately depends on the specific fishing conditions and personal preferences.
Best Line To Use For Swim Baiting
Although you can use braid lines for swimbaits, they aren’t always the best lines to use. Each line is perfect depending on the swimbait scenario, and it’s important to know because, without the right line, you can easily say goodbye to that expensive bait you bought.
The perfect line for the time can mean the difference between wrangling a trophy into your boat and watching it swim away while breaking your fishing rod in half.
Best Braid Lines For Swimbaits
Use braid lines when you are fishing over thick, covered vegetation or when you are fishing for larger species, such as pike. You’ll need the strength and the line’s uncanny ability to cut through watergrass.
Today there are several braid line companies to choose from, but ultimately, there are two that are the top pick for swimbaits:
Best Fluorocarbon Lines For Swimbaits
You can also use fluorocarbon for deeper water (below 5ft.) because it was made dense to sink to those levels. It stretches less than mono but helps you feel the line at your desired depth.
Two of the best fluorocarbon lines include
Best Monofilament Lines For Swimbaits
Monofilament lines are perfect when you’re fishing in shallow water (5ft. or higher) because it floats better than fluoro, much like a braid, but it will give you the flexibility you need. You don’t need much help determining if a fish is biting in shallow water.
The floating lines will help keep your bait up. Examples of the best mono lines for swimbaits include:
Conclusion
Swim baiting is an extremely rewarding way to fish and just the thing to mix things up after going to the same fishing spots, using the same bait, and casting the same way that you have been for years. It’s just a good chance of a pass. Just be mindful about being an excellent swimbait angler, and not just by fishing well.
Braid lines require particular disposal because of the materials used to coat them. It can take 600 years for a braid to disintegrate, even if it’s just a clipping. You’ll be able to find disposal bins for braids at any fishing supply store.
