Topwater and Braid

[Hollada]

For those of you who like braid, do you use it for topwater or carry a separate outfit (rod/reel or just an extra reel?) with mono for topwater?

Trying to decide whether or not to buy a separate reel and/or rod for topwater or just use braid with a mono leader.

Let's here some recommendations!

Thanks

Dan

[thedude]

i just use straight braid for topwater and i have a rod/reel rigged for it.

[YpsiBass]

Same thing as thedude.  Braid tied direct to topwater.  So much easier to walk the dog in this setup for me too.

[Hoekset]

Braid with a short mono leader. Mono leader seems to avoid grabbing the front hook on walking baits as much as straight braid does. 

[Cy]

Straight 20lb braid setup for poppers and sammies.  I like 50 or 65 braid setup for frogs and toads.  I prefer 20 lb mono for buzz baits.

Cy

[djkimmel]

Having the right tools can make fishing more productive and fun. Depends on your budget of course. I don't generally worry about the smoothest, high end reels for frogging though considering I use 50 to 80 lbs. test P-Line Spectrex IV braid.

I'm more like Cy, using 17 to 30 lbs. test mono for some topwater, and braid of varying diameter for others.

There's something to be said about getting too complicated too. You can find plenty about that on the Internet. Way, way back I can remember Rick Clunn talking about using the same rod and reel for everything sort of.

Some of it is based on your personality. I get bored easy, so having more choices is something I like. Plus, it seems to drive some people crazy, and that can be fun for me depending on who it is.

I did fish more variety of topwaters a few times the past 2 seasons using 80 lbs. test braid. I sure didn't break anything off. Pulled down a few small trees. Found out how it affects the action of various lures. Noticed that sometimes it seemed to affect the bite, or 'quality' of the bite.

I've decided I won't use it for everything but sometimes it simplifies tangles, snags, surface float, getting fish out of the gnarly.

[Hollada]

Thanks for all the feedback!  I've got a new CI4 that I might just be spooling with 20 lb superslick.  I have the 65 lb on my frogging outfit, but was debating between mono and braid on the new outfit for Sammies and Poppers. 

Dan

[Slipkey]

I picked up a box of the Super Slick this year, to try it out.  I suspect it will lose its "super slickness" after about 50 casts like the superlines do and will return to being regular PowerPro.    

[Waterfoul]

I picked up a box of the Super Slick this year, to try it out.  I suspect it will lose its "super slickness" after about 50 casts like the superlines do and will return to being regular PowerPro.    

Ran some of it last year.  Lasts longer than you might think.

[Slipkey]

Ran some of it last year.  Lasts longer than you might think.

Sweet! Good to know!