I have a question about using braided line with graphite blanks. I was told that it was not recommended. The graphite blank would eventually break with braided line .Would any know if it's true or not.

The other question would a graphite blank and braided line work well with a spiral wrap.

Thanks
George

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I use it all the time on freshwater blanks.

A strong fish on a short braided line can break a rod of any type if the reel drag is improperly set or the fish not played properly because there is no stretch in the braided line. Poor technique is sometimes masked with the monos that have stretch.

Dave

Graphite rods and braided line has been used together for years now.

David Wyatt Wrote:
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> A strong fish on a short braided line can break a
> rod of any type if the reel drag is improperly set
> or the fish not played properly because there is
> no stretch in the braided line. Poor technique
> is sometimes masked with the monos that have
> stretch.
>
> Dave

I agree. I had to learn to fish a little differently when I started using braid. A little less drag, not as heavy as a hookset needed as with mono, etc. Backlash with braid one time and you'll feel the difference in no stretch...

There is no reason not to fish braid on a graphite rod. Graphite rod+braid+micros= Whoa.... you'll love it...

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AD

It had to do with overlining the rods. The braid was so strong for its diameter that fishermen were using braid in strengths of 50 or even 80 pound on rods designed for not more than maybe 20 or so. THAT was what was breaking the rods, not the braid itself, but the high breaking strength of the line coupled with no stretch or give.

Whoever you were talking to was sort of correct but they don't understand exactly what they're talking about. You never want to use line that is stronger than the rod.

Mike;
I respectfully disagree, and use lines op to 50 lb braid all the time with rods not even closely rated for that line.
And so do many of my clients.

(A bit exaggerated but)
If you have a rod rated for 15 lb line, using 200 lb line on it, and the drag is set at 12 lbs. The rod will not break.
I agree with Alex, that drag is the key component that many do not understand the uses of. Its function is not only to protect the line from breakage, but the blank also, and its correct use is even more important when using lines with no stretch.

As builders we should ask our clients the intended use of the rod, and educate them on the proper use of the drag when overrating rods with heavy lines.

If the line don’t give,
And the fish (or stump) don’t give,
And they lock down the drag so the reel don’t give,
Then the only thing left is for the blank to give.
And it will if the drags not set to compensate for it.

For the record when using braid; I set my drags light so that they slip on the hook set to protect the blank.
Then if I need a little extra drag when working a fish out of cover I use my thumb to apply added pressure until it is no longer needed.

I have over the years broken 2 rods on the hook set, but never a rod with braid on it.

George,

You misinterpreted what your friend said, or he didn't really understand his own statement. Braid, in and of itself, does not break rods.

However, when you push far enough, something has to give. In a properly set up outfit, the line will be the weak link and it will fail, thus preserving the more expensive parts of the system - the rod and the reel.

With the advent of braid, you had a situation where as Mike said, fishermen began greatly over-lining their rods above and beyond the rod's own breaking strength. At that point, the rod became the weak link in the chain. When pushed past a certain point, the rod would fail.

The key is to always make sure that your line is the weak link in the chain. And if it is not, use proper drag settings and sufficient care so that you do not ruin the more expensive parts of your fishing outfit.

...............

I use all graphite rods and most of the time use braid. I have had no trouble with rod breakage. Most of the time on my casting rods I am about 2-3 times the rated line strength, but, as others have stated, I have the drag set so that the rod sees about what it would with its line rating strength. Doing this keeps the braid from digging in and getting stuck, also.

I also, because of the braid, use slower actions than I would with mono. And I use about 8-12 feet of flouro leader on most of my braid setups, and this softens it a little more. The bottom line is that the setup is still much more responsive feeling on the retrieve than when using pure mono, and with the softer actions, casting is easier on the arm (with the very short line involved when casting the stretch difference between mono and braid/flouro is very slight, but the softer action rod is significant). For casting you want to have the rod matched well with the weight of the lure whether using braid or mono.

The one application I've found that doesn't work well with braid is casting for King Salmon with a spinning rod. For these fish on relatively short lines you need give in the line and rod or the strike happens so fast and hard that your tackle can really be shocked. Even while learning this fact, I didn't break a high quality fast action medium power 7' spinning rod. I expect the salt water experts have many applications that fit in this category.

Cobia is one of them. I use moderate action rod on my braid cobia rod with braid and an extra fast on mono cobia rods. The reason, the big cobes are akin to a saltwater bus.

I've actually had more problems, especially inshore burning up reels (less expensive :) ) than rod breakage (I haven't) when using braid. As many have commented drag setting is crucial. I would add that if the reel's drag quality is suspect it will show itself as the weak link, especially on powerful fish in open water. So I would add that a reel with a high-quality drag design and build and set correctly is critically important if the angler is going to enjoy the advantages of braid where they are applicable. A big Red or Snook on a big flat can smoke a reel that doesn't have a drag up to the task.

The only thing I'd add is I'd suggest you avoid anything with a very fast action on braid rods.

If we're talking Bass rods here, I agree with almost everything Steve G said in his post, the one thing I dont agree with is a loose drag or a drag that purposely slips on the hookset. Unless you purposely LOCK DOWN TIGHT the drag on a reel you're not going to break a rod. Braids having NO stretch will slip a tight drag on any bass reel on the market today. I use braid exclusively and have for YEARS. I use my MH power Bass rods 1/2 the year to fish for landlocked Striped Bass. The hits are bone jarring, the runs are orgasmic and their sheer will to fight to the death is nothing less than outstanding. I've seen my own rods bending into the split grip! and I have yet to break one because of braided line (50lb). I lock down my drags almost totally down tight, key word ALMOST. My drags only slip on HARD hits when the fish is going away from you on the take, and on hard runs, OR when I point the rod tip AT the fish. My reels are setup with 12lb drags and I dont think? there is a stronger drag on a bass reel.

Braids dont break rods, people do with misuse.

Saltwater, I suspect most of the same above applies as well: mostly user error in the many choices the angler has with his equiptment.

DR

DR,
Some of the Revos come with a 24 lb drag. I wouldn't encourage anyone to "lock" the drag on one of these.

Robert I had a couple of those, forgot about them as I never cared for the way they were so inconsistant during casting. I didn't keep them long at all.

DR