Braid and skimmers advice

[TF_NickC]

Need some advice,
I own 2 feeder rods for skimmer fishing, Daiwa Tournament 10/11ft and preston sentient 11ft 6, can’t afford to add to the rod collection but would like to try braid for the winter league skimmers (stillwater – shallow), any advice if these rods will be ok and what braid type and strain to go for.
thanks

[TF_Man of Kent]

Nick
I don’t know the rods but I would suggest a 4-6lb sinking braid depending on weed growth/snags. These are very fine compared to mono and will enable you to cast further if needed. Personally I use a 6lb shock leader with sufficient length to extend twice the length of the rod plus a couple of additional wraps on the spool.

The drawback with this is that you will need eyes on the tip with a decent diameter to allow the connecting knot through without catching.

Quite a few recommend the J-knot for attaching mono to braid, but the configuration of the knot is the wrong way round when attaching a leader and you end up with the tag end of the mono passing through the eyes first, which impedes the distance and can cause tangles or crack-offs. My recommendation here is to try a few and find one that you feel confortable and confident with.

[TF_AnglerPaul_MParticipant]

Is the J knot the same as a Yucatan? I’ve used this before and it been fine, but you do need big enough eyes.

http://www.netknots.com/fishing_knots/yucatan-knot

[TF_redarmy]

if your not fishing too far out you shouldnt need braid, a low stretch mono will be fine for any distance up to about 45yds .50-70yds would be the ideal range for braid

[TF_orexina]

As there is no give in braid you will need to adjust your strike. You can easily break the fine hook length if you strike like normal mono. I put something in the way so I only have a short back space.

[TF_baitchefParticipant]

The advantage of braid is the lack of stretch. This is what you use for your advantage by the fish bolting against the tip, so don’t worry about the rods, providing you reel them in nice and gently with a very lightly set clutch. Its all about the person holding them, not the rods themselves. If its out and out winter skimmers, depending on how hard it is, i would try hair rigged soft pellet, worm head or dead reds. But chances are you might need the odd better fish so corn would definitely feature.

[TF_nick2b]

Lots of people say to fish a shock leader for stretch purposes – but don’t immediately do this without trying without first. Shock leader knots are a pain, so fishing without is always better.
I honestly have noticed no difference in lost fish and fish braid a lots – and how much stretch can a skimmer really pull out of 2 rod lengths of 8lb mono anyway. I would suggest this is one of the many angling myths.
Your Preston rod is perfect for this, with a nice soft action.
I have found the biggest disadvantage of not using a shock leader is the braid wears our fairly quickly (over the course of a session) if you are casting and reeling in regularly.

[TF_david07]

Hi Nick, I have used braid extensively over the last 20 years and has already been stated by others on this site it is not the “be-all-and-end-all” of skimmer fishing and there are indeed one or two “myths” where braid is concerned.

I too am also of the opinion that a shockleader doesn’t do much to provide any “stretch”. However, I always use one but for different reasons. Firstly if you look to generate any power in the cast and you mis-time it, braid can slice into your finger like a knife. Secondly, as has already been mentioned the first few metres of braid can easily “rough up” through repeated casting and retrieving especially over rough underwater surfaces; mussel beds certainly spring to mind. Better to lose a couple of metres of mono than continually shorten your braid. Lastly, it easier to tie knots and rig paternosters with mono and once again when you have had to shorten the mono by cutting bits off, you simply tie on some more. Simples! About twice the length of the rod is usually enough mono fo me.

I’m not of the opinion that larger than normal eyes are needed on quiver tips or that a softer rod action is needed.. I use rods ranging from an old Drennan IM8 Bomb Rod, A Matchpro Superfeeder and a 14ft 2″ Dutch Master. Its all about how softly you play the fish. Think “Larry Grayson” and a limp wrist!

Although braid has improved vastly over the years, even the best sinking braids don’t always sink as well as we might like. A useful tip is to carry a tub of tungsten putty and periodically wrap it around the braid just above the reel before you reel in after a cast and then reel in holding the putty firmly around the braid. This really does help the braid to sink.

As for shock leaders being hard to tie and leaving you with a large knot, I have never found this to be the case. I will try and explain the knot I use; Tie a simple over hand knot in the mono, leave it “open”, then pass the braid through it and pull the mono tight. Then while the two lines are laying parallel, take the braid and tie the slider knot that is used for float fishing around the mono. Then take the mono in one hand and the braid in the other, wet the knot and pull tight. Trim the ends and away you go! As you will see when you tie it, this knot is very small, I have NEVER had one fail and it easily passed through the smallest ot quiver tip eyes.

Finally, when fishing in shallower water in rough windy conditions, braid can have a tendency to get caught up in the wave action and “billow up”. in these conditions I usually revert to using mono.

Sorry if I’ve droned on a bit and I hope some of this helps. Regards, David

[TF_nick2b]

david07

All of that is great advice.

[TF_paul a w]

Have a read of this and make your own mind up

http://www.matchangler.com/freeview/declic/55-mono-vs-braid.html

[TF_NickC]

Thanks guys some great advice, all a little different! very interesting.

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