A knot that no one talks about to conect braid to FC is the Tony Pena knot. Its so easy to made and so small and strong. I can highly recomend that knot. Use nailclipper on it so you dont get even the smallest tag end. They say 15 raps up and 15 down but 15 and 8 is enough.
Thanks Matt. I started braid to fluorocarbon last year. I am still tinkering with line sizes and knots. I'm not sold on any one knot just yet, although the double uni-knot is one of the easier knots to tie. For me, the FG is horrible knot to try to tie if I'm on the boat in a tournament and I have to retie due to chaffing or breaking off. That being said, an added benefit of braid to fluoro is that it ends up being a little less money. There are seasons where one bait is catching the majority of my fish and as I retie due to chaffing I'm only adding the length of the new leader and I'm not changing my entire spool.
Good stuff as always Matt. I've tried all flouro on my spinning set up and it would always like to loop or twist around the reel. I've since used the braid to flouro and love it. Plus I can bomb lures and cover more water. I now have been using a cheap braid as a backing on my bait casters to save on using so much flouro and when I do backlash, it's so much easier to get undone. Thanks for all your input.
I agree with a lot of your points. Never thought about the noise braid makes versus flouro! However, I still am on the fence about whether to use a 15' leader and deal with the knot coming through my guides (which I am not a fan of even with a great, small, tight knot); or just put backing on and have 50-75 yds of flouro and not deal with the knot. I also think that when fishing largemouth with a wacky worm, using light braid in high vis and taking a sharpie marker to blacken the first foot and a half of line will hide it enough. Either way, I guess fish what you are confident in - great video as always!
Great comment! You are 100% right about fishing what you are confident in! I'm not hear to tell people what's right and wrong. Just trying to relay my experiences on to others to hopefully help everyone become better anglers together. It took me a long time of experimenting with leaders vs all fluoro and feel like there are applications for both that are better than the other. But ultimately its what each angler feels most confident in and works best for them. Thanks for sharing!
Good info Matt. I have been going to more braid setups recently. Today I will tie on longer leaders and give that a try. Thanks for all of your great info.
Couple years ago I made the switch to braid/FC on all my spinning rods and the biggest benefit to me is way less line twist. I have rods with 4mm tips/running guides and the double uni knot has no problem passing through them.
Me too Matt and the reason why I stopped using it is because I was getting so frustrated and the reason is I was using to Short of a leader and I felt I was getting less bits because I didn't have a long enough leader and I also understand why you guys are using a high visibility line. And the way you explained it useing a long enough leader I'll be getting the bites I want. They have sinking braid because I don't like the way braid arc's in the water but with a long leader you don't have to worry about that. But I would like to try the sinking braid. If any of you u tubers have any advice for me please feel free to give me your thoughts. Thanks Matt for this video because it made me understand better why I should go back to braid. God bless you and your family
Thanks man. I'm so glad you said hi-vis line. Heading to Sturgeon Bay for smallies. One spinning setup is straight fluorocarbon. Only because I want to see the difference this weekend. However, on my braid/flouro my leader is only 8'. I should have gone to at least 12'. But my FG looks good so I won't re-tie. Thanks again.
really got serious with the braid/fc last year. Now I am 95% pitching neds and wacky rigs to cover for river smallies. Started with the long leader. As the year went by my leader got shorter and shorter. To the point I don't want it in the reel because I can cast more accurately if the knot doesn't contact the spool. Open water techniques could be totally different case. Used the uni-uni for years no issues. Started using the fg just to see what the hype was about. I did end up preferring the fg. Couple tips. Loop the braid around the reel handle and most importantly after the second wrap 'LOCK' the fc into the knot on each wrap. You give a little tug in the opposite direction you came from. Very few videos speak to this but if you watch closely they are doing it. Thanks for the tips Matt. Been thinking of trying a different braid. I will give that Berkley a try.
Great points and tips! Thanks for sharing your FG knot tips! Also I think leader length is less important in river fishing since the water usually has more color to it and the current makes the fish have to commit to the bait quicker without getting to analyze it. I love river smallies!
I have learned to tie the FG knot and have found that I don't have to fight the line memory, and I can use higher quality line to tie to my braid which saves $$. The sensitivity also improves as you noted. It took a while and I did try several knots before learning the FG. I try not to get the knot on the spool of my spinning rods but that is just my preference. I need to experiment with lighter line on lighter rods to see how my comfort level goes. Thanks for the insight.
I only have one spinning rod, but it's a good one and paired with a Shimano Sustain 3000. I have only ever used 65# Jerry Brown yellow braid until recently I switched to their white. I only use fluorocarbon and the the long leader approach and I have never felt like I was missing anything. I use an FG knot to join the two and have never had the two come apart. Since using a loop in the braid to put over my reel handle for tension I can re-tie on the boat quickly and with confidence. I will re-tie when the leader becomes too short. Thank you for your great video. I will have to share it with my friend who is a serious bass fisherman and guide on Okeechobee...try to convert him lol!
I am up north and we have a lot of windy days. The braid puts a much bigger bow in the line. Under this circumstance I would say straight fluorocarbon is best.
Thanks for sharing your line setups and reasoning. I'm in a bit of a pickle as I fish from a canoe, standing up most often when I throw musky plugs and or other lures that require a rhythmic rod action. I'm newer to suspending jerkbaits for bass, having chosen to fish mostly ultralight presentations in the past. I'm therefore still feeling out what works for my situation. Standing in my large canoe, my feet are at water level and I'm 6' tall, so I don't have a lot of room to work if I'm using a slight downward rod motion working a lure all day. I don't want to slap the water all the time. I've started with 2 setups: A 6' med action baitcaster with 8# fluoro. A 6' med/lite action spinning rod with 10# YGK SS 112 sinking braid to 6# fluoro leader. There's no way I can spool a 6' spinning rod with straight fluoro and get any distance casting, so I've chosen the ($$$) YGK SS 112 to allow both casting distance and sinking properties for the jerkbaits I'll toss with it. The rod I've chosen has give to compensate for the no stretch braid. The action also helps casting. Right now the 6' spinning rod is outperforming the casting rod for jerkbaits. I'm probably going to switch the 6' casting rod to mono and use it for my walk the dog / surface rod as it works great for cadence lures but poor on casting distance. Do you have any experience with sinking braid like the YGK SS 112? Thoughts on my situation?
Thanks Matt, I totally agree with the combo on the spinning rods, but on my bait cast jig and worm rods I throw straight flouro because building rods and braid was just way too sensitive. Btw FG all the way for me. It just casts travel more smooth through the guides.
Let me tell you why not; 1. No stretch. Fish are quick to release. 2. No stretch. Line snap irregaredless of size, esp. the bail closes on you. Need a bailless reel or one that is manual bail trip. 3. Connecting braid to anything is same as using the anything by itself. 4. Braid fades. 5. Braids fray or unravels. 6. Braids are not cheap. 7. Braids are hard to un-birdnest or untangle from backlashes. 8. Half the spool is useless, therefore, needs backing. Braid to mono is the only way I use it, but only under one condition. The only time I would use braid and only with this system is for big fish. With that said, heavy braid to extremely heavy mono leader. The mono for the stretch and decreased visibility. This also means mainly for lure use, not bottom fishing. I only do mono. Done extremely well. Tried others, and not fond of the many flaws. I see mono having the overall best results or versatility. Why downgrade? For examples, if I do topwater, I can't use fluoro or braid. If I go to drifting in currents, I need float in my line. If I need stretch in bail closing or to feel the fish bite or delay it, I need mono. If I need give in my rod stress, I need mono. If I mess up or forget to drag, I have the give time alotted in the mono. If I don't want that clattering, short cast in spin cast with flouro, I have to go mono. If I don't wanna join a leader, I have to go mono.
I made a similar switch a couple years back. I never paid attention much attention to line guide size until I did. I use an Alberto knot and it occasionally ticks my guides. I think I'll swap out some of my rod tips this year as that seems to be the biggest culprit.
If you only fish weekly, braid to floro is a more cost effective option. After my line gets old, just replace the floro leader. The braid main line lasts multiple seasons.
I've gone back and forth several times because both lines have advantages. I fish Lake Fork exclusively so I have to use heavier line. I too have mostly gone to braid main line with fluorocarbon leader for everything except froggin and a few other techniques. I found that fluorocarbon would be fine except it's prone to nicks up the line especially when you backlash. Now I can check my leader often where with all fluorocarbon it wasn't feasible.
Braid to Floro is the way to go if not strickly from a cost perspective. I can't afford to change line out every few weeks with all floro but I can afford to replace 20-30ft every few weeks.
The way I was told, if I’m using top water lures, to use braid. Any underwater lure or jig, to use fluorocarbon. Also, the only time to use a snap swivel is when I’m jigging a spoon.
Ive had WAY too many shock issues with Braid to Fluorocarbon so I switched to Braid to Copolymer. Gives me a little stretch to absorb the shock and a bit more of the abrasion resistance over Mono. I have really toyed with using a Fluorocarbon system leader as Tactical Bassin suggested to get some of the shock resistance back but haven't tried it.
Nope, I definitely do not think you are nuts for throwing jerkbaits on spinning gear with light line. All the way back to the early 90's I was throwing jerkbaits on spinning gear with 6 - 8 lb test (mono back in those days). I find braid to fluro works extremely well! Great tips Matt!
I’ve been braid to Floro on spinning gear since Gary Yamamoto recommended it over 20 years ago. I was surprised Randy is still straight floro. Whatever knot you decide to use. Practice tying it on all your different line and leader sizes you will use and break out some leather gloves and test it ten or more times. I’m now braid to copoly on most of my baitcasting setups too. The extra sensitivity, longer casting, and easier handling is worth it in some techniques.
Randy and I have discussed this in the past and compared notes pretty extensively. Ultimately it comes down to what you are most comfortable and confident with.
Great vid Matt I agree on the things you mentioned I run braid to floro on all my spinning setups I use Berkeley Nanofil in bright yellow/green. I’ve found I get less wind knots with the Nanofil bad thing is I kind find it in bulk spools. Sometimes on leaders I’ll T Shot which is a leader from your braid about 30-40’ I’ll use that a lot when I’m spybaiting.
awesome videos...I found your channel from randy blauket's video when he mentioned you having a great channel. Its interesting how he is one that prefers straight fluorocarbon...personally I use braid to a leader and its worked out for me, but I set my wife's up the same as mine and she doesnt like it claiming the lure doesnt sink well when throwing a ned rig for example...does the line size play a bigger role...what do u think?
Yea that's pretty much my Finesse line connection ,,one problem always have a problem with uni-knot pulling the tag ends to snug up the connection , can you possibly do a tutorial step by step with that knot ?It would be appreciated. I tried watching others tie it but I always come around messing it up time to time leading to a week connection.
Its on my list of things to do videos on. I'm going to do a bunch of how to videos on the knots I tie and the uni to uni is one of them. Thanks for the feedback!
Hi Matt, I normally use a braid with a fluocarbon leader, a couple of weeks ago I was left without a leader and decided to continue fishing only with a braid, the lake was fairly clear (5-8 feet) and to my complete surprise I had many catches, (chatterbaits, swim jgs , flukes, and even jerkbaits) couldn't believe it. On the way back, I started to wonder if then the leader is really necessary because although it sounds controversial, I did not observe any difference and it may have been a coincidence of a day or just people do whatever others say. Really surprise me.
Great video. I’m looking at switching my 30 lb mono to 30 lb braid for surf fishing. I have seen other videos and read articles about connecting a longer “shock” leader as you explain to your mainline even to mono. My question is, for surf fishing and using a 30 lb braid mainline - then what size shock leader do you recommend?
The problem for me is that another pro fisherman says there's no reason to use braid to fluorocarbon, and he's gone back to straight fluorocarbon, even claiming that fluorocarbon is more sensitive since braid is only sensitive when it's tight... So who's right? Personally I use braid to fluorocarbon but wonder if all that knot tying is worth it. Especially when trying to re-tie on the water...
I felt the same way for a long time but think its more in the anglers head than anything. The ceramic inserts in rod guides are built to prevent damage to line/knots and i think the sound of a knot running through guides is worse on the angler than the actual knot.
@@MattStefanFishing I was also going to mention that, it completely messes with my head game and concentration when I hear and feel that lol! Thank you for the great content and feedback, I'll reconsider and give it a try!
If you use a uni to uni or an alberto knot it is small enough to go thru the guides. Another problem may be if your rod has micro guides, regular guides make it easier when you tie on a leader.
Matt, I must admit that the double uni knot coming through my small guides makes me nervous about the knots integrity. What are your thoughts on the knot repeatedly getting beat up going through the guides? How often do u change the whole leader because of this?
I honestly have very little issue with my uni to uni knot failing. If I'm fishing a tournament and I used my rod with the uni to uni for a substantial amount of my day I will retie leaders at the end of that day...But otherwise I only retie when my leader gets to short. I'm usually using 6 or 8 lb fluoro with a 10 lb braid mainline. I dont feel like the uni to uni comes thru the guides any better or worse than other connecting knots.
Big fan of braid to fluoro on my spinning rods. One issue I am trying to overcome is the floating characteristic of braid. I feel like it has a negative affect (makes them rise in the water column) on smaller swimbaits and spy baits specifically and on all presentations when it's windy. I have resorted for now to straight fluoro for small swimbaits and spybaits. Longer leaders seem to definitely help. Do you have any additional tips to help combat this and have you experimented with any of the "newer" sinking braided lines?
Great question! Unfortunately i have not tried any sinking braids yet. Generally i just got to longer leaders or switch to fluorocarbon completely. A spy bait is a good example. I’ll use all fluorocarbon if i need to fish it deeper since it’s such a slow presentation and the braid will lift it to the surface. My concern with sinking braid is the opposite. I wonder if it will keep it on the bottom when i want it suspended.
Matt. As far as castability under the correct conditions of the right knot to tie the two lines, is the castability the same as with mono or fluro? I tried finesse fishing (pitching a drop shot in ponds off the shore) and the castibility is poor (caca)? I used an amazon brand braid with berkley fluro. Thanks
@@MattStefanFishing Matt. I figured it out. I used a 15 lb braid with 10 lb fluro leader. It turns out that my double uni knot is on my reel and it shouldnt. It should be in between the the bale and first guide. The knot was slowing down my cast whilst moving thru the smaller guides. Thank you for your help and I will soon pay for the Matt Stefan subscription
It's not for me. I'm pretty much a mono guy, mixed with straight braid on a couple of rods. I do agree with the high visibility line, especially as our eyes get older. For me, I just don't like floro at all. No matter the knot, it's weaker than straight line.
@@MattStefanFishing I’ve been mulling over switching to straight fluoro/mono/braid on my baitcasters. Often, when I cast the braid flies off to quickly and snags on itself. I originally started with braid to leader bc I thought it would save me money and prevent line memory issues. Thanks for the info mate, I really appreciate it.
Love your content and follow you but I disagree you "have" to go braid to flouro or mono. After 3 or 4 years of trying this out (because EVERY Bass Pro I watched stated you HAD to do it this way) I found no real benefit to this setup. Matter of fact once I stopped i think my catch ratio actually went up. It's been 2 or 3 seasons now and I wouldn't go back. Again love your videos and love your advice and just wanted to state my observations is all. Keep up the good work!
Your partner in crime, Blaukat, says that one of the biggest mistakes you can do is fish with a fluorocarbon leader (recent post). He could not be more wrong.
Could never tell. I think its more dependent on the fish. I've done a year worth of testing and have caught just as much bass with depth indicator braided line (the rainbow color one) with no leader and have caught just as many bass in 30'+ visibility.... odd but, that's what I found. not scientific at all.
But how do you know you wouldn’t have caught more on those days with fluorocarbon instead of the braid haha! That’s the problem with fishing. If the fish could talk we’d have a lot more answers to our thoughts haha
Buck Perry, Al Lindner, Roland Martin, Bill Dance, Rick Clun, Denny Brower, and all of the other BASS and Fresh water Fishing HOF members didn't seem to have any problem catching countless thousands of fish using nothing but mono for decades. Personally, I think todays professional bass anglers are so dependent on gimmicks and electronics to catch fish they have forgotten how to do it the old fashioned way.
Explain to me why none of those anglers that are still living don’t use mono any longer except for maybe topwaters. They all moved away from mono because it was inferior to todays lines