# Braid bad for winter steelhead?



## hailtothethief

So i drift fished this morn for about an hour and a half. I left my braid on from walleye season. Braid froze to the reel and i couldnt turn the reel. With enough pressure i broke the ice from the reel and the spool of line was still froze together so it just spun around the reel.

Back to mono for winter steelhead, or just a freak occurence? I’ve never had that happen with mono


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## devildave

Braid is technically rope...and holds the water...always happens...just think about dipping a boat rope in water and leaving it outside....stiff as a board


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## hailtothethief

Figures. I only got 1 rod spun up with mono. I like braid for casting. We still suppose to get more warm weather this month. Next month i’ll make the switch.


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## johnboy111711

I have used spiderwire effectively in cold weather. It does not retain water like thicker braids. Mono isn't awesome for winter fishing because it can absorb water and also floats. Flourocarbon does not retain water, but has a lot of memory in cold weather. seagar siglon works very well, but it's more of a leader material. Too many options and none of them are ideal in all situations. good luck. I usually use spider wire on my long rods for float fishing. pure flouro for casting spoons, and regular pin line when I am pinning.


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## KTkiff

hailtothethief said:


> So i drift fished this morn for about an hour and a half. I left my braid on from walleye season. Braid froze to the reel and i couldnt turn the reel. With enough pressure i broke the ice from the reel and the spool of line was still froze together so it just spun around the reel.
> 
> Back to mono for winter steelhead, or just a freak occurence? I’ve never had that happen with mono


Where did you go this morning and how was the water clarity?


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## hailtothethief

I fished the ashtabula river. It was muddy.


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## smath

hailtothethief said:


> With enough pressure i broke the ice from the reel and the spool of line was still froze together so it just spun around the reel.


You may already know this, but if you're fishing braid you need to put a bed of mono on the reel before adding the braid. Braid is very slick and will spin around the hub of the reel. This can happen in any weather condition, not just when it's frozen, and can happen even if the braid is spooled on uniformly and tightly.


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## hailtothethief

I didnt put on any mono. I did not like how the mono knot tied to the braid . So i just put it directly braid to reel. It did spin on the reel occasionally but under tension with a fish on the drag worked good.


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## drsteelhead

Typically you only need like 20 yards of the mono to give you a good bite on the spool. And if you tie a neat enough double uni or nail knot you won't even know it's there after you bury it under 100 yards of braid.


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## creekcrawler

I won't use braid for steelhead. I like the cushion/stretch that you get with mono.


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## Osmerus

Yup mono is really the only way to go for steelie fishin in temps under 32. Line of your choice with a fluorocarbon leader. I gen run 8 or 10 lb mainline. I switch main line brands off and on some float better than others. When your drift fishing you want your line to float if possible...you dont want it to sink. Makes it hard to mend your drift when your lines under the surface.


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## bustedrod

tried braid for steel but at freezin or below the braid just floated and drug alot of water on the spool and rod eyes froze up fast. i love braid but for steelie didnt work out so well.. now i use berkley x l in 8 lb no more issues. just my fingers freezin up hahaha


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## HappySnag

creekcrawler said:


> I won't use braid for steelhead. I like the cushion/stretch that you get with mono.


i use only braid,cushion/stretch is how you set your drag.
buy only reel with 2 spooles in emergency you have one spool with mono.
or you have to buy 2 same reels,one with mono one with braid.
when you cast up stream the mono has no tention on and it jump off spool all time,i do not like mono and use only in emergency.

put 10 turns with crank reel on mono,use any knot,overhand knot and then put few turns with your hand to cover that knot,when you fish you will neve come to that knot.


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## hailtothethief

I was reading people use mineral oil with braid in the winter and it keeps it from freezing.


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## connertrost

HappySnag said:


> i use only braid,cushion/stretch is how you set your drag.
> buy only reel with 2 spooles in emergency you have one spool with mono.
> or you have to buy 2 same reels,one with mono one with braid.
> when you cast up stream the mono has no tention on and it jump off spool all time,i do not like mono and use only in emergency.
> 
> put 10 turns with crank reel on mono,use any knot,overhand knot and then put few turns with your hand to cover that knot,when you fish you will neve come to that knot.


Sounds like you have your spool filled up too much to have mono jumping off of the spool


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## HappySnag

connertrost said:


> Sounds like you have your spool filled up too much to have mono jumping off of the spool
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


i never overfill my spool,mono with out load work like spring.


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## TRIPLE-J

HappySnag said:


> when you cast up stream the mono has no tention on and it jump off spool all time


ive been using mono for 50 years and ive never had an issue with it jumping off my spool unless i did one of two things, put too much on my spool as stated above or bought low quality line..
i use only ANDE mono and have for 50 years with no issues...
altho i do use braid for perchin and casting for eyes... but for steelhead its 6 pound ande mono sometimes jump it up to 8 pound but not usually...
i even troll for steel with 6 pound ande and have never had an issue


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## TRIPLE-J

HappySnag said:


> i never overfill my spool,mono with out load work like spring.


no it does not snag, you are doing SOMETHING wrong, not exactly sure what but you are definately doing something wrong there.


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## TRIPLE-J

hailtothethief said:


> I was reading people use mineral oil with braid in the winter and it keeps it from freezing.


actually snag posted that a while ago in another thread, i tried it and it works great for me so far


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## hailtothethief

Im glad i dont have to change the braid line on my pole. Mineral oil is cheap too 2 bucks a bottle and only need a few dabs on a rag to rub the line down with.

I bought some siglon ff 13 pound line anyway for the winter. I found a zebco 5’6’’ medium action rod in my closet. Figure that will be a lot easier walking through the woods with and i can high stick to make up for the lack of length. I got another pfleuger president reel so i’ll have a few different pole sizes to work with.


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## HappySnag

TRIPLE-J said:


> no it does not snag, you are doing SOMETHING wrong, not exactly sure what but you are definately doing something wrong there.


i am not doing that wrong,when you walk in mittel river and cast 60' in to curent with bober and fly it will drift tords you,there is no load on line and the line will coil after 20 turns and jump like spring off spool,that was my main reason why i swiched to braid.
if you do not beleve that make test.
vine 40' mono on your hand,on 4 fingers,take that off and put that on table,it will jump like coil spring.
do that with 20# power pro slick braid,it will lay on table will not jump like mono.


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## kapposgd

You're getting line twist from that which is why the line is jumping off

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## TRIPLE-J

HappySnag said:


> i am not doing that wrong,when you walk in mittel river and cast 60' in to curent with bober and fly it will drift tords you,there is no load on line and the line will coil after 20 turns and jump like spring off spool,that was my main reason why i swiched to braid.
> if you do not beleve that make test.
> vine 40' mono on your hand,on 4 fingers,take that off and put that on table,it will jump like coil spring.
> do that with 20# power pro slick braid,it will lay on table will not jump like mono.


thats why you lift your rod up and reel as the line is coming towards you to keep a slight pressure on the line as its coming towards you, you should always have pressure on your line as you reel it in no matter what type of line you are using..sorry snag ive been steelhead fishing for over 40 years and ive never had that issue. and for steelhead i only use mono... and no the line i buy doesnt spring when you put 40 feet in a coil on the table it will just lay there in a roll...are you using a micro swivel in line between your bobber and your bait/fly ??????
sounds more like you are getting line twist and from your set-up...this will happen especially with a jig on your line as the jig is tied to your line on basically one side of the lure which makes it want to twist as you reel it in...you will get a lot of line twist too if you keep reeling as your drag is going out...


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## HappySnag

TRIPLE-J said:


> thats why you lift your rod up and reel as the line is coming towards you to keep a slight pressure on the line as its coming towards you, you should always have pressure on your line as you reel it in no matter what type of line you are using..sorry snag ive been steelhead fishing for over 40 years and ive never had that issue. and for steelhead i only use mono... and no the line i buy doesnt spring when you put 40 feet in a coil on the table it will just lay there in a roll...are you using a micro swivel in line between your bobber and your bait/fly ??????
> sounds more like you are getting line twist and from your set-up...this will happen especially with a jig on your line as the jig is tied to your line on basically one side of the lure which makes it want to twist as you reel it in...you will get a lot of line twist too if you keep reeling as your drag is going out...


i never fish with out swivel last 50 years.
swivel and leader from 24" to 6' all time
i fished shagrin river below the dam,up to waist in water and casting 180 degree,the flow was heave,during the day i had to watch my reel and fix that coil all time,when i fished at night when it hapen i had to pack and go home,when i swich to braid i never had to cut fishing short.

how many time you fish in mitell river and cast 180 degree with heavy curent ?
if you fish from side off river and you cast steepest angle 30 degree you can manage the line.
that is my experience and i like to make fishing simple.
every time i fish people are kniting there mono line insted off fishing.
when i cast i tug on my line every time,this way the line is on spool not on top to create loop,this way i do not have to watch my line.


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## TRIPLE-J

HappySnag said:


> how many time you fish in mitell river and cast 180 degree with heavy curent ?


all the time when the conditions are right for it
you ever fish the Maumee run??? heaviest current you are gonna have around here..
and I bottom bounce the majority of the time when im steelheading the rivers so im not using a float...
deeper pools I might float but never the faster water
hey if you like braid that's cool
just sayin you shouldn't be having any issues with mono either if its done right, I know I haven't in over 40 years on the rivers steelhead and salmon fishing


HappySnag said:


> when i cast i tug on my line every time,this way the line is on spool not on top to create loop,this way i do not have to watch my line.


that's a givin no matter what type of line you are using, you have to keep pressure on your line I don't care what you are using or you will have issues..same with braid..try reeling it in after a cast without first putting pressure on it and see how fast it will tangle on you in your reel...


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## 1MoreKast

braid vs mono - classic debate. In my experiences I've never fished a good braid in weather cooler than 32 degrees. Once ice starts to form is game over on braid.


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## TRIPLE-J

1MoreKast said:


> braid vs mono - classic debate. In my experiences I've never fished a good braid in weather cooler than 32 degrees. Once ice starts to form is game over on braid.


not really a debate over the two, happy said he didnt like mono because it springs off his reel when he uses it. i think he is doing something wrong with it cause ive never had that issue with mono.... i like braid too, actually i have been using it casting for eyes off the rocks and love it for that...I used the mineral oil on it like Happy suggested in another post and that works great in cold weather... i just dont like it for steelhead fishing, but alot of people do....


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## 1MoreKast

TRIPLE-J said:


> not really a debate over the two, happy said he didnt like mono because it springs off his reel when he uses it. i think he is doing something wrong with it cause ive never had that issue with mono.... i like braid too, actually i have been using it casting for eyes off the rocks and love it for that...I used the mineral oil on it like Happy suggested in another post and that works great in cold weather... i just dont like it for steelhead fishing, but alot of people do....


May I ask what brand of braid? I enjoy braid for walleye jig fishing and wouldn’t mind it in the winter (not for steelhead though) if this mineral oil trick works as good as you mention. It intrigues me.


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## steelhead sniper 860

I use and love both. I fish braid for perch and walleye, and mono for steelhead. Only been steelhead fishing 14 years though, Not 50.


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## kingfisher72

1MoreKast said:


> if this mineral oil trick works as good as you mention. It intrigues me.


It's like magic...


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## kingfisher72

Braid is becoming popular in the float-fishing crowd. It tends to float and the rope-y braids will soak up line treatments well making them float even better. I prefer mono, but it will crack with normal wear (in and out the guides in silty water beats it up) and begin to soak up water which contributes to ice buildup. You have to discard it as it wears. Cut back the length you fish daily if you’re fishing silty water.


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## dperry2011

The mono type might also contribute. Some mono may be less apt to spring off. A larger diameter and stiffer mono will spring off the spool when it is cold more readily than a more supple mono. I recall having this issue with Berkeley XT. I probably had too much on the spool which didn't help matters. I compared the XT to the XL and the XL did not spring off the spool like the XT did.


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## TRIPLE-J

1MoreKast said:


> May I ask what brand of braid?


i use power pro 


dperry2011 said:


> The mono type might also contribute. Some mono may be less apt to spring off. A larger diameter and stiffer mono will spring off the spool when it is cold more readily than a more supple mono. I recall having this issue with Berkeley XT. I probably had too much on the spool which didn't help matters. I compared the XT to the XL and the XL did not spring off the spool like the XT did.


yea the xt is much stiffer than the xl, the ande mono i use is more like the xl but with the abrasion resistance of the xt...and its relatively inexpensive so hard to beat


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