The Ultimate Guide to BRAIDED FISHING LINE - From Beginner to Expert! 

I love you're video isn't half filled with sponsor shout outs and it's straight to information

No guessing! Spool the braid on first, then add the mono, then transfer back onto a spare spool, this is the correct way without any guess work. Tight lines from the UK.

Ran across your video by chance while researching braided line, and after watching it for a few minutes, I had to subscribe to your channel. I'm 58, been fishing seriously since I was about 12. Always used mono until I switched to braid about 6 months ago. I switched mainly so that I may be able to cast relatively light lures further while surf fishing for striped bass off the central CA coast. I had tried Spider Wire way back when it was first introduced, but decided that it wasn't for me. Didn't like the rough feeling it exhibited sliding through the rod guides, and no advantage in casting distances. Also, being very proficient with all the knots I use with monofilament line, I didn't want to learn new ones. But after watching lots of videos, and seeing a few other fellow fishermen using it, I gave braid another chance. The first thing I noticed is that the new 8x braids are night and day from the old 4x I tried way back when. Second thing was the sensitivity this line provides. Can feel everything that's going on at the end of that fluoro leader. Only had to learn the FG knot; all other knots I've been using for decades still apply. Thank you for your tip regarding removing the wax coating before tying knots; hadn't thought of that. And thank you for this great video, as well as all the other ones on your channel.

When I was a kid I used a pencil or ink pen put it through the spool and held it with my toes to put my line on. Yours is a lot better😂.

For those who are newer to fishing appreciate his detailed knowledge. He knows what he's talking about. You can't make this stuff up.

I have never had an issue with my braid spinning on my spool. Even when catching very large fish in the ocean and I never use a mono backer. Maybe its the type of knot being used. For anyone saying I havent caught a large enough fish. I was fishing this afternoon and caught a sea turtle (not intentionally, i wasnt turtle fishing FFS, would have been much happier with a Tuna). Anyway it was massive and had to weigh over 100lbs. Sadly I had to cut the line after trying to get it back to the beach and fighting with it for about 30mins. But no slips. I suggest for those with slipping issues, use a 3 loop cinch knot and loop the line over at least twice over the spool. Then pull that sucker down tight. Then on top of that make sure when you pull line onto your spool, keep some tension on the line while doing so. If your still having issues, some reel companies designed rubber friction pads onto their reels spools. Like the Pflueger model 6940 for example I own. If thats still an issue, they do make rubber rings to put onto your spools directly before adding line. Hope this helps.

Another great video. I just put braid on three rods this weekend and I wish I had watched this first. Great idea about the backer line.

The breakdowns of Caleb are fantastic Keep going Bud you zero in much appreciated

Excellent comprehensive presentation ! Thank you!

your making awesome vids man really appreciate them! best fish cleaning vids online!

Excellent comprehensive presentation and zero BS - thx!

Wonderful knot tutorials.Thank you.

Thanks. Very informative. Just bought a spool oof braided to try. 👍

Thank you a brilliant presentation

Very informative! Thank you for sharing your knowledge!

Great tips, thanks for putting this together

This is an absolute excellent video ! Very good job bud

Great info. Thanks so much for sharing.

Wow man! I never knew what “backer line” meant before. You explained it so well. Back in the old days in Wisconsin, mono was all there really was. Then years of trolling for pelagic species in Hawaii, it’s 150 pound mono mainline, 180 pound leader. Big stuff. Now here in Washington back in lakes and streams, I’ve learned about braid and I love it. Learned about the invisibility of fluorocarbon as well. My favorite joining knot is the FG because it’s the slimmest and easily slips through the guides on a cast. Super pain in the ass to tie, but I’ve learned the “No-tension” method and can do it with my eyes closed now. No problem, got heavily into fishing smaller fish again and braid is great to cast. Zero memory and I’ve never been spooled enough to worry about a backer line. (Unfortunately yet) But thanks again for the great freshwater tips and I’ll keep on trying.

Excellent video! Thank you!

This was really helpful - thanks and great job!

Great information for us beginners - thank you!

Thank you for this video. I’m new to braid line and this helped. I only recently realized that braid on spinning reels work amazingly with them.

You are the best teacher. I am a Canadian and fish in the Kawartha Lakes

Nicely done, thank you!

I like using the mono backing before my braid, that’s how my friends taught me back in the day. Thanks

This channel provides excellent information on many aspects of fishing. Caleb offers a comprehensive approach to all the topics in his videos. He is a very knowledgeable fisherman with vast experience and a fine demeanor for tutorials. These videos are also entertaining with outstanding camera work and editing. Please keep up the great work.

Amazing video review. Good explanation.

Excellent vid, really like your diy spooler.

Great video. I'm going to build one of your spool brakes to keep line tensioned. good thinking.

Excellent advice, great knot and the flipping! I also soak my braid before use to help with wind knots, tangles. I even put the bra8d spool in a bucket of water when spooling up

thank you so much for the lesson Sir

I appreciate the information here. I have the power pro on 2 of my walleye rigs and after 2 years the line is looking rough. I went to j braid and the quality is a little better. I'm going to give power pro another try with the V2. Thank you!

I have used Maxcuatro for years,love it. I am usually up to my touch hole in weeds.

2nd or 3rd time watching this video, helpful information and clear commentary. Thank you

I learn a lot from you, sir. Thank you.

I love to use spinning reel, great video

Very goo product and fast delivery 🚚👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

Great advice(from Manchester UK)

Excellent advice

Hi again Caleb, I used your video to tie my fluoro leaders to my braid with the FG knot. It worked great! I landed a number of bass including 17 and 18 inchers this morning! The knot slid through my guides silently and easily. Certainly they passed through the guides easier than a double-uni, which is what I had been using. Thanks again, Dave

Awesome video. So much good advice

Good teaching, thanks!

Thanks for all the valuable information. I wish I would have watched your video before I pulled off all my mono to go to braided line. Oh well. Live and learn.

I agree, Power Pro V2 is definitely the best for the smoothness and less digging. I use SLP baitcasters mainly for Bass. I typically use the 40Lb but have used 50 also. I've never had a major problem from the line since I began using V2. For larger fish, such as the big Cat's, I use the Old ABU Ambassadeur 5000, 5500's and Daiwa Millionaire Reels in 3H and 4H. I typically spool 65 or 80 Lb braid on those. The smoothness is not as critical on these, so I use the 4 strand Power Pro on these reels. BTW, I don't use open-face reels at all. Never have cared for them. For Crappie and other pan fish I still use my old Spinners. ABU-Matic 170's, Johnson Century's and Zebco 33's. 12-15 lb mono for those. Thanks for the great video!

Great video thanks for posting. Talking about Power Pro and most others with higher breaking strengths than whats on the box, this is simply because they under rate the diameter of the line, on a recent Power Pro test it was 165% thicker than what it said on the box, thicker braid higher breaking strength. I usually take the breaking strength on the box as the knot breaking test, so 10lb Power Pro may break at the knot at around 10lb where the line itself may hold up to 15lb.

Awesome BRACKDOWN 👍 on braided lines 🎣😃. You can also use electrical tape on the spool first, seat knots in on . Especially if you want to fill all of the spool with braided line. Another great knot too join Braided lines to mono or fluorocarbon, is a triple surgan knot.

Great video!

A true 101 video! I'm in the market for heavy / extra heavy, fast / moderate fast rod to target some big pike and catfish (no muskies in Europe) and I want to spool the reel up with braid to have better control over glide baits and swimbaits than with mono. Been using mono my whole life mainly because I like to fish around really heavy cover (downed trees and rock piles that can saw through braid easily) and because braid can be tricky to come by in Europe and then it can be quite expensive for quality stuff. Luckily lakes where I'll be fishing pike tournaments and target catfish don't have that thick of cover so I'll be able to use braid and this video is a true, complete guide that will probably give me a massive edge over other guys. Thank you! Earned yourself a subscriber.

First time watching this channel, I like this dude! How much I like it? I'm an Arab living in the middle of the desert in Saudi Arabia, and I watched the entire video and subscribed! Thank you sir, excellent work 👌

Nice video thank you. One tip or negative thing about braid is that it can wind knot more easily being so thin and light. To remedy this is to always be contious about keeping the line under load with the lure when casting.

I've been using braid since spider wire first started and the line was white. But, for years, I have been buying power pro. It is smoother and casts better than some of the other braids. I still use other braids to see how they work in comparison to power pro. But, be careful when you snag and pull. You can bend the spool shaft ! You can break the other parts as well. Safest way is a straight on pull with you hand holding the spool tightly.

Best braid video I've seen on youtube. Thank you to our host. We should all be grateful guys. A lot went in to making this video. Question: how do we know if the braid we use is a 4 or 8 carrier? Does it say on the package?

Cool your video just poped up great job

Sheeh..thanks man..i learn a lot today

Thanks for share the experience🇧🇩🇧🇩🇧🇩

Very informative video... u deserve more views

I have the same Daiwa spinner reel. She’s a beauty.

Stumbled across this and found it full of great info and techniques, you’ve got a new subscriber for sure!

Thank You!

Awesome 😎👍

Thanks!

thx so much man

Great video! Wish I would have watched this days ago when I bought the wrong braid. lol

Great video. If you are hooked and you see the barb, it the barb off using strong wire cutters. Shield your eyes when doing this or just look away. The hook pulls out very easy. Wash wound with soap and water or alcohol (not beer).

Power Pro has never failed me. A buddy of mine who is retired also uses it. He’s fishing 4-5 days a week for 6-8 hours at times and has his line all frayed up. It still hasn’t broken on him and has held its color well.

Removing the hook like that. It is explained in the Boy Scout handbook, and I have shown a few scouts how to do the steps, but thankfully never needed to use!

Wow thanks , I’m a total green horn ! Lot of stuff I was wondering about lol , appreciate your expertise! Do have video on your spooling rig ? Thanks I’m subscribed 👍🏻✌🏻🇺🇸👊🏻

excellent video! answered my questions on braid. one ask: what knot would you use for tying braid to a swivel? would a palomar knot be sufficient?

Thank you for making this video. I am going to retire next year and I plan to do alot of fishing.😅

Super cool

I went on the endless search to find the "best braid" and let me tell ya I tried my best lol. Ygk upgrade x8 is really good for finesse techniques....it's the smoothest strongest for its diameter and casts super far but it doesn't last as long as other braids and frays up a bit I use it on my spinning and bfs setups. Vicious fishing no-fade braid is it for me when it comes to conventional baitcasting gear. There is a break in period because at first its stiff and has some memory but after broken in its super slick super smooth cast far...and it last forever. By the way did I mention it does not fade and holds its color maybe forever idk

Great video. Only difference I really do is that I use the uni knot for literally the entire rig lol. Uni backer to the reel, double uni backer to braid, double uni braid to leader. I just dont see the advantage of the FG for the extra trouble.

Fantastic American who realizes that not one man can ever catch everybody fish in any lake in usa! Great info fisherman! Thankyou! A++❤😂🎉

Can you explain your spool holder and tensioner set up in more detail? How is the bolt anchored to the wood backing. Pretty novel idea and would like to build one.

Experimenting with the difference between white nanofil and black braid currently. So far the 12 pound nanofil has been a trooper handling salmon and stealhead like 20 pound test over a very successful season and a couple hundred fish. Decided to run black fireline supercarrier on my other identical rod and it snapped on a fish yesterday that was had no businesses popping off like that. Fireline and spiderwire are kinda tied for my second place of braids with power pro being #1. Local ranch and home didnt have any power pro in the poundage i needed

White Bass are running rn where I’m at. I’m running 15lb braid to 6lb flouro. It will hold up to the odd hybrid that’s with them but where it’s more likely I’ll do either 8lb or 10lb whatever I have on me that day.

i put a few rubber bands around my spool. im sure ill have to change them eventually. i used like 6

Thanks, I'm new to all of this and your Video's really help me out. By the way how much LEADER do you recommend?

Outstanding video! This answered so many questions I've been trying to figure out for quite a while now. Thanks! I do ha e 2 questions, though....1) If the F2 knot is superior, then why dont you use it for connecting the mono to the braid when spooling the reel also? 2) If you tie a monofilament leader to your braided line, doesn't that negate the reasons for using braided line in the first place? Other than having less stretch of course.

Definitely the best fishing channel on RU-vid. Thank you for all your information! I’ve gotten reacquainted with fishing after a long layoff from outdoor activities and the evolution of electronics, strings, lures, gear, etc blew me away. Thank god for RU-vid, I’ve watched hours of videos to learn to use my trolling motor, graph, and modern day fishing gear and techniques. It’s been fun!! Your channel is much more than watching a couple guys fishing without explanation of what they’re exactly doing. THANKS AGAIN!

Great video, very informative.There's an easier way to tie the FG knot without using your mouth. Wrap.the main line around your pinky that way you have both hands to tie the knot.

I like that with braid there's no doubt in my mind I'm losing a good hook set pulling through moss pads and other junk in the water love original power pro 20lb

For me best breid line is berkley fused fireline smoke color i been using this line for years and years never let me down i live in turkey i do slow jigging tai rubber for red snaper dantex in deeper water i use 20ib braid and daiwa 25ib to 30ib tournement leader line this combo is perfeck for me...

Great video! How long of a leader is needed so the fish won’t notice high-vis braid?

Thanks for the video, Caleb. I have a question: Why don't you use the FG knot to tie the backer to the braid instead of the Double-Uni?

Thanks Caleb, excellent lessons! When you describe using two overhand knots to tie the backer to the spool, is that the same as a square knot? I've been using a uni-to-uni to attach my leader to the braid, but there is definitely a tick as it passes through the guides. After your video I'm going to try the fg knot, which looks great. I like your tips...I'm also going to flip the braid on one of my reels per your suggestion. I don't fish with slip bobbers often. My one rod has the original power pro on it; this line seems perfect for using the bobber stop knot, as it doesn't accidentally slide up or down the braid. Does a bobber stop work equally well on 8-stranded smooth braid, like Suffix 832? Thanks again...really good video. Dave

Very informative! I was wondering if you can use a moss green braid leader on your bright green main line? (Swap out the fluorocarbon for stealth braid?)

Braid main lines, always best for freshwater fishing unless you’re fishing for large alligator gar, or lake sturgeon. Answered that question.

For reference there are 3 different units of measurement for textiles/fishing line; European, USA, and Japanese. So when comparing brands is important to understand the unit of measurement per brand.

Question about Braid and Abrasion. What would be your recommendation on Surf Fishing from the beach and having to deal with a Sandbar? I have to cast out and over a Sandbar and the line would be rubbing on the Sandbar. The Sandbar is comprised of sand and small shells. Wave action will make the braid rub back and forth. Would you use braid in this scenario or would you go with a tough Mono? Thanks for a very informative video. I enjoyed watching and learning some things that I did not know.

Best nuts and bolts video on braided fishing line. Applying what I learned has increased the cost of the fish I catch from $300.00 per lb to $400.00. I challenge anyone to give me a scenario where I need 150 yards of fishing line.

I run 40 lb braid on all my baitcasters and spinning reels for bass fishing

I even like the cheap braid off Amazon. Bought some as cheap as $7 for 600 meters. After it srarted selling good the price went up. The only time I dont use braid is on our big water trolling.

Great job very informative thanks why does braid get knots in it after you fish with it a while on a open face or spinning reel even if I flip bale and let lure spin to untwist the line any answers or tricks to help with this thanks

Power Pro Maxcuatro Line is 25% thinner and double sided tape on the spool!

This was by far the best video for the purpose that I ever saw , I got to say thank you and I learn a lot ! Therefore, the least I could do like subscribe and follow from now ,thanks again, bro

Hey, great video and advice. Could you show me or send me a good 4 carrier braid?

Caleb, I have a challenge for you. Take your Seaguar and Power Pro in 15 lb. test. They state their diameters at .22-24 mm. for their 8 carrier line Compare them to OHERO braid at the same diameter. In OHERO that is their 30 lb rating. That is probably why the strength tests were in the mid 20s. for the Seguar and Power Pro.

I have used braid since Fireline came on the market. I use it on everyone of my rods,from panfish to shark with mono leaders. I have never had a problem with it in all those years. This year I have been having problems on 3 of my reels and a buddy also has the same problem on one. The problem is when spooling new line,reeling in a lure/jig on our panfish/crappie setups it twists the line. The line isn't slipping on the reel nor is the drag to lose. I have tied my line to something and walked off all the line. I then went back to the rod and started untwisting it by hand via pinched finger and walking the length of line to the end that is no longer tied to car,tree,fence,etc. When it's good and straight I go back and start spooling it back on while pinching it up near the 1st guide. Within a few turn of the handle it has twisted up again up to where my fingers are pinching it. This twisting is so bad it cause wind knots on a pretty regular basis. The reels are only maybe 6 yrs old and I take care of them and also never lay them in the dirt,sand,etc. I can't figure it out,I have taken the bail roller completely apart,cleaned it thoroughly and re-lubed it with Quantum hot sauce oil (not the grease) and made sure it's spinning freely. I have spooled on new line from a different spool,I have tried letting the water current take the line off and then respool..... but it's still twisting it. I thought it may been the age of the line as I get about 7 yrs out of braid,but I respooled with new as did my buddy and there it is,twisted again. Any idea WTH is going on,it's 3 different reels out of maybe 40-50 I own and use. The 3 that it's doing it on I have 6 of the same models 3 1000 and 3 2500's. It's doing it on 1 1000 and 1 2500 of the same model and a 2500 of another..