What line should I use? Braid, mono, or fluorocarbon?

    

Working in a tackle shop exposes you to a plethora of different opinions every day. One of the most polarizing is line preference for offshore fishing. Over the last couple of months there has been a surge in people wanting to go with a combination of braid, mono and fluorocarbon. While this definitely has its merits, there are a few other factors that come into play when choosing your line and leader combinations.

            

Let’s start out by discussing the different line and leader combinations. The first one that comes to mind is the classic, all monofilament. This is definitely the most cost effective option when it comes to spooling. It’s also great for beginners as mono tends to be much more forgiving when it comes to casting and line management. The drawback is that mono needs to be replaced fairly often as it loses strength every time it is fished. Sunlight and repeated exposure to water can also weaken it by breaking down the physical makeup of the line.  It also has a tremendous amount of stretch that can, in some instances, lead to missed hook-sets and lost fish.

   The next, and most popular, would be braided line(Power Pro, Jerry Brown, etc) to a short(3 feet to 25 yard) top shot of fluorocarbon or monofilament. This would be the most expensive option but in the long run, it's more cost effective due to the fact that the braid can last well beyond 5 years. This means you only have to replace the short top shot between fishing trips, which can cost next to nothing if you’re using mono. Also, the braid has virtually no stretch which can lead to excellent hook-sets and amazing sensitivity when bottom fishing.  When you get a bite at 200 feet down, you feel it incredibly well.  The same cannot be said if you were fishing straight monofilament.  

The less top shot you have to braid, the better your fly lined bait will swim.  This is also true if you are using egg sinkers, rubber core sinkers, or any inline weight to your bait.  If you have a very short top shot and are using brightly colored line, a fabric marker can darken the line so it's less visible, especially in low light.  We get the largest fabric pen available and use a razor blade to make a cut down the middle of the tip of the marker.  Then simply run your line inside the cut and color as much of the line you want.  We tend to color around 10 feet of it and find that a fabric marker keeps it's color longer than a sharpie.  If you are interested, we have fabric markers on our website.  

There are downsides to using braided line like it's abrasion on your fingers and lower quality rod guides.  Unless you are using an 8 carrier braided line that is relatively soft, regular 4 carrier braided line can be abrasive and cause cuts in the crevices of your fingers.  This can easily mitigated by using Flexx Wrap finger tape.  8 carrier braided lines are more expensive and may be made of Dyneema which won't last as long as Spectra.  Casting can also be a bit different with braided line as it comes off the spool different than monofilament.  If the braided line wasn't put back on with tension it can dig into the rest of the line causing a backlash.  With practice, lots of practice, most people can cast braided line better than mono because it has no memory and goes through the rod guides better.

Steven on a 20lb Yellowtail.  Shimano Terez 9' MH with braid to short top shot.

The third and final option would be the combination of all three lines. Anywhere from half to two thirds of the reel filled with braided line, topped with however much mono is needed to fill the remainder of the spool, and finished off with a short (3 feet to 10 feet) fluorocarbon leader. This would be middle of the road when it comes to cost. The theory behind this setup would be that it offers you much needed stretch while reducing pulled hooks or breaking off. This can be an issue with the no stretch properties of braided line. The rubber band effect of mono is like an insurance policy if the fish makes sudden changes in direction.  The downside is there are now three knots that can fail.  In the shop, we use a knot connecting the braid to top shot called the RP knot, which is very small and strong.  However, the knot from monofilament to fluorocarbon is much larger, not as strong, and bulky going through the guides.  The final knot to the lure or hook depends on which one you tie but we like the San Diego Jam or Palomar.  The best knot however is the knot you tie best and if that's a improved cinch knot, that's the one you should tie.  Now that we’ve covered line configurations, it is time to take into account another major factor that people often don't consider when choosing their line…rod selection.
Top - Uni to Uni Knot 25# Monofilament     Bottom - RP Knot 50# Braid 25# Monofilament

           Rod selection is a critical piece of the puzzle and should be used with the correct line. Two types of rods come time mind. The first would be the old school graphite rod or composite of graphite and glass. That would include rods like the Calstar Grafighter and the Seeker Super Seeker series. Under load these rod tends to “shut off” very fast. This means that the tip of the rod is softer than the rest of the rod but that softer area turns to a heavy action fairly quickly.  A "fast" rod generally has more of heavier tip section and an "extra fast" rod has a softer tip. These types of rods are excellent for fishing monofilament. The stiffer action of the rod helps to pull the stretch out of the monofilament much faster, thus leading to a better hook-set. Conversely, if one decided to fish braided line with a short mono or fluoro top shot, the stiffness of these more traditional rods can actually work against you. Since the braid has virtually no stretch, when fished on a stiffer rod it becomes much easier to pull hooks and break line. It is a much less forgiving setup. With that being said, it is still possible to fish a braid setup on these rods by simply backing your drag down a little more than usual. The lighter drag will somewhat compensate for the lack of stretch in the setup.  In the end though, having the correct rod with the correct line is crucial.

 

The second type of rod is a more modern, parabolic rod such as the Shimano Terez or the Phenix Axis. A parabolic rod tends to have much more “bend” to it than a traditional graphite rod. It can, at times, bend all the way through the handle. Despite having this bend, these rods have a tremendous amount of backbone and lifting power. These rods were designed specifically for fishing braided line since they take into account the lack of stretch. That is where the parabolic nature of the rod becomes important.  When a fish runs, the rod bends deeper into the blank, making up for the lack of stretch in the line. The second benefit to these rods is that, due to the bend of the rod, a lot of the strain is taken out of the anglers back and arms and makes it more difficult for the fish.  Instead of fighting part of the rod, the fish has to fight the entire rod because it's bending further down toward the handle. 

With all of that taken into consideration, there really is no wrong way. Each person has a preference and the important thing is having confidence in your rig.  Confidence is key in fishing and you'll fish different if you're not sure about your gear. If you have no confidence in what you are fishing then you’re fighting a losing battle from the get-go. My preference is braided line with a short (3 feet to 10 yards) fluorocarbon top shot using a Shimano Terez rod 8 feet to 9 feet long. I have friends that swear by straight mono and I’ve been out fished by them as many times as they've been out fished by me. If you are new to offshore fishing and you don't know what you like, try different setups and see what works best for you.     

What did I get myself into?

For years, 20 to be exact, I was in the landscape industry.  I started out gardening with a friend I met at college in San Luis Obispo, CA whenever he needed help.  We cut lawns, trimmed bushes, pulled weeds, all the normal gardening stuff.  At some point, he decided he wanted to sell his business which had around 40 houses plus some side jobs here and there.  I borrowed $3000 from my grandparents, bought the business, and worked my butt off to grow it to around 80 houses.

For some reason I got the bright idea to sell it and move from the awesome California Central Coast and move back home to Southern California where there is 20 times as many people, hotter than hell in the summertime, and 45 miles from the beach.  In SLO, I surfed almost everyday at places like Morro Bay, Hazard Canyon, and Shell Beach.  I loved the life I had and I still question why I moved, but it seemed like a good idea at the time.  I started another landscape business in Santa Clarita, CA, where I grew up.  Again, I worked 15 hour days and managed up to 14 employees from Castaic to Beverly Hills.  It was fun, but after 20 years in the landscape business, I was burnt out.

I was an avid fresh and saltwater fisherman and got the idea to start a tackle shop and Santa Clarita didn't have one.  We have famous Castaic Lake where some monster fish are known to hang out along with some lesser known lakes like Piru and Pyramid.  The ocean wasn't far and San Diego, the offshore capital of the west coast, was only 2 hours away.  The Sierra Nevada mountains are 5 hours away and has some of the best high mountain trout fishing you could ask for.  It was a no brainer that with over 200,000 people in Santa Clarita that a tackle shop should do well.

Starting a business is always risky and a tackle shop had never lasted in this valley for more than a few years.  I was confident that it would work, but you just never know.  What did I know about the tackle business?  I knew how to fish but that doesn't mean I can run a successful tackle shop.  I figured no risk, no reward and I hit the ground running.

I spent hours learning knots that I had never done before, learned how to use the line machine, researched how to run a retail store, read up on the newest techniques, picked the brains of every person in the industry that was willing to help me.  Some were very helpful and others could care less.  Few thought it would work and fewer were even willing to help me.  I'm still very grateful for the ones who did even though the chips were stacked against me.

One of many hurdles was opening up new accounts with vendors.  You see, I had been going to a shop not too far from Santa Clarita for years.  I had discussed opening a shop in Santa Clarita with the owner several times and he seemed to be positive in thinking it would work.  He seemed genuinely interested in my success which relieved some of my angst about opening the shop.  When I started getting serious about it and began opening accounts with vendors, the gloves came off.

I understand now why he was upset, there was a chance I could take business away from him.  He was so established and had a significant inventory, I'm not sure how much influence I would have over his business considering the distance between us.  That didn't matter much though, he was not happy about it.

The shop that I had loved so much started calling multiple vendors telling them not to sell to me.  A big big vendor, one that I absolutely needed, met with me and told me "We can't sell to you."  When I asked why, he said I have to be 45 miles from the nearest shop.  45 miles!!!!  I couldn't believe what he was telling me. There are shops closer than that all over Southern California.  I was at a loss and didn't know what to do.  I wasn't sleeping at night, I no longer had the landscape business to fall back on, and I had already invested a significant amount of money into my dream of owning a shop.  I started calling people higher up in the company and again I was told "we can't sell to you."  Not having this vendor would be like a tire shop not being able to sell tires, I needed it and I needed it bad.

How could one guy have so much power over an international company and what the heck did he say to them that would make them not sell to me, an extremely small, independent, new tackle shop?  I'm small time, why was he so concerned about my shop opening up that he would go to such measures to stop me?  He even went as far as to fire a salesmen that was helping me through the battle.  I kept wondering, "what did I get myself into?"

Finally I got in touch with the right person and told them what was going on.  What had happened was the rep for the big company was telling everyone I was internet only.  This wasn't the case and was never my intention to only sell on the internet.  Most vendors won't sell to someone who is just selling on the internet because they want to support brick-and-mortar businesses.  When I finally spoke to the head honcho, he said "so you have a shop and you are open?"  My response was "yes, I have a retail store front and I carry most of your competitors already."  He seemed stunned and just said, "ok, I'll call you back soon."

The head guy at this company knew something was wrong and I could tell in his voice that I was going to get the account, and I did.  Woohoo!!!   I got a call from my rep soon after and he said "your account has been opened, I just need to come take pictures and give you a catalog."  It was short but oh soooooo sweet to hear him say that.  After all the back and forth about how I had to open miles away, and there is no way I can sell to you, and blah blah blah.  I finally got the account and I was on my way to having the shop I dreamed of.

This was such sweet victory for me on so many levels.  The other shop owner had to have heard fairly quickly that his sabotage didn't work and I got the account.  I'm not sure why the other shop owner was so angry and out to get me.  If it were me, I would simply make my business the best I could instead of being vindictive.  That's what we do now and we will continue to do.

Over time, I slowly was able to open all the other accounts that had blackballed me.  They have all forgotten about his strange demands not to sell to me.  I have become friends with many of the vendors and we talk about bites that are going on and pass knowledge back and forth.

Now, things are going well with the shop and we are on our 5th year. Our product line is growing with over 10,000 SKU's and  we continue to earn new customers all the time.  The website is up and running and sales are increasing every month.  We do our best to make the experience here the best it can be.  We aren't as big as some other shops, but we guarantee you we will give you the best customer service at a fair price.

I don't have any hard feelings for the guy.  I'd gladly shake his hand if I ever see him again.  In no way am trying to make anyone look bad, that's why I've left out names.  I'm just telling my story, hopefully it's somewhat interesting.   Looking back, I'm glad it was difficult, it makes me appreciate Tackle Express even more.

Swimbait Fishing Tactics with the Roman Made Negotiator

Hand carved, hand tuned and ready to target big bass, the Roman Made Negotiator is the staple in the line-up.  This wooden swimbait is ideal when bigger fish are targeting larger bait fish or trout.  The subtle "S" pattern entices fish from deeper water and gets them to strike violently.   

At 7 inches and 3 ounces, it's perfect for throwing on lighter swimbait rods or flipping/punching rods.  Here at Tackle Express, we use 15 pound Seaguar Abrazx fluorocarbon because it's strong and very abrasion resistant.  15 pound line allows the bait to move freely and has the perfect sink rate to enhance the lures big bass capability.

As with any swimbait technique, there are several approaches one can take to fish this lure correctly. Try out each technique at different times of day and rotate through them until you find out what makes them strike.  Here are some basic techniques we recommend.  

When you get a fish on, wind wind wind!!  You don't want to let the fish shake it's head or break the water's surface.  Most of the time that's when the fish will throw the bait.  The heavier the bait, the easier it is for them to throw the hook.  Get it to the boat now and I strongly recommend you have a net ready.  If it's a smaller fish, you can boat flip it but it's best not to take a chance on loosing the fish and the bait.  

Swimbait Basics: We do better on a steady retrieve.  You can work the bait with the handle a little bit or the rod tip, but in general a steady retrieve works best. If you have a bass following the bait and you are running out of room, stop the bait and twitch the handle to make it turn 180 degrees.  Often times this will evoke a strike, after all, you are almost out of water to work the lure and as soon as the fish sees the boat, it's gone!

It's best with all the techniques not to let is sink out for a long time.  As soon as it hits the water, start turning the handle.  Keep your rod tip down close to the water and pay attention.  Visualize in your mind what you're going to do when you get bit.  When you do get bit, start winding fast and set the hook with force, but not so much that you break off.

Parallel:  While in a boat or from shore, make as long a cast as you can while maintaining proper distance from the shore.  Proper distance from the shore is within 5 to 7 feet.  On a beach or sandy flat area, you may need to throw further out, just pay attention to the bottom topography.  Here in California, we have steep walls and at times throw the lure within a foot or two of the bank.  It may be 30 feet deep or several feet deep, just try to keep it shallow and run it slowly along the bank.

Pulling into Deeper Water:  One of our favorite techniques is pulling the fish off structure and out into deeper water.  We have pulled fish 25-30 feet of the bank and still had them hit it.  Sometimes they will bump it a few times on the way but that's when the 180 degree turn of the bait comes into play.  They usually will chase a bait into deeper water when they are really fired up and ready to go! Usually the fish are on rocky deep water access areas and especially like to ambush on points.  

For points, throw to the left or right of the point as far down the line past the point as you can.  Pull that bait as close to the shore as possible and keep it in line with the point as you enter deeper water.  Steady retrieve is a must, you want the lure to look unthreatened and just chill.  If a bass ready to pounce is there, it will attack it.  Try one side and then the other side of the point with only one cast per side.  Multiple casts will not help the situation, if they are gonna hit it, they will the first time.

Crossing a Point or Submerged Hump:  This technique works for both crossing a point and working the bait over a submerged hump.  I work it in two or three different angles and bring it over the hight spot but not in very deep water.  The depth you want the bait to be in is 3-10 feet and cast across the point or hump keeping the splash from the bait as far away from the strike area as possible.  By keeping the splash at a distance and working the lure into the strike area, you can make multiple casts without spooking the fish.  Often times we let it sink out before we retrieve and put the rod tip in the water to keep it a little deeper.  On deeper areas around 10 feet, I'll put half the rod in the water to keep it in the strike zone.  When you get bit with your rod in the water, wind fast and keep winding while you bring your rod tip up.

Roman Made is one of the best swimbaits on the market and I strongly suggest you put some time in with it.  I guarantee you the numbers of fish won't be high, but the fish you catch will be bigger and the thrill of catching a fish on a swimbait is unmatched.