mono or braid?

[rjonly]

Hey guys I'm just getting into the swimbait deal and I have already lost 2 9" punkers on the 20lbs maxima should I be making the switch over to braid? if so what do you guys recomend. I have a luna 300 with a okuma XH swimstick. Your help is greatly appreciated

[vanillagurilla]

braid is not your friend with swimbaits and will still snap off if you get a birdsnest. try 25lb p-line. or maybe a different knot? lol

[Stormcrow]

Go with braid bro. 50 lb power pro. All you need.

[bsp]

If you're throwing 9in Punkers and want to use braid then give 80lb a try to minimize the backlash break off problem (avoid Power Pro if you can), but you don't need it. 25lb mono (Big Game, Triple Fish Camoescent, Izorline XXX, P-Line CXX) is fine and a bit more versatile since you don't have to tie on topshots when you switch to other baits. Plus it's cheap so you can change it often, and that's a necessity if you're swimbait fishing.

[calico killer kevin]

I use braid a lot and have no prolem with 65lb and 20-25lb fluoro leader on my Curado 300 for Punkers.
How are you breaking off. May not be the line.

[marc626]

I think you just gotta step it up to 25lb. maxima is ok...but yeah big game or p line. Don't see why braid would be a problem if the line and reel are in good condition.

[DarkShadow]

How are you breaking off. May not be the line.

Good observation.

If you are breaking off due to operator error, you will be in a world of hurt if you switch over to braid. You'll be losing more than a Punker.

[rjonly]

I use braid a lot and have no prolem with 65lb and 20-25lb fluoro leader on my Curado 300 for Punkers.
How are you breaking off. May not be the line.

I have recovered my punker more than once with about 1-2 feet of line on it. So I know its not my knot. I might have just got a bad batch of line? I hear this stuff is suppose to be the shiznit.

[DarkShadow]

Prolly a bad batch of line.

I would also run a q-tip inside all the guides of the rod to make sure there isn't a chip or crack in your guides.

[Fire Ball]

I use 20 lb P-Line Fluoroclear for all the swimbaits I throw, which are mainly Hudds. You could go up to 25, but it doesn't cast as nicely. What knot are you tying? If you are using the palomar knot, then make sure you don't cross the lines when you put it thought the eye. If you do, it will cut into itself and break off very easily. Test your knots by pulling really hard on the line and swimbait. How did you lose the punkers? On the cast or to a fish? You should be able to retrieve them from the water if they come off on the cast since they float...

[calico killer kevin]

If you aren't very good with a baitcaster, I'd recommend 25lb. I do prefer 20lb however I rarely birdsnest on lures over 1/4oz. Then again, right equipment for the job makes life much easier.

Im the post earlier, I mentioned flouro which on my part was a mistake. I meant to say mono. No sense in using fluoro for TW.