braid for barra

[barrafever]

hey guys, have recently got myself a new rod n reel outfit for goin after the monduran barra. with my old outfit i was using pioneer muscu-line 25lb braid but am looking to beef it up a bit after much misery. as i have no idea on quality brands for braid i was hoping someone could give me a clue. it is to go on a PENN Jack Erskine Signature baitcaster with a TeamDaiwa Advantage stick 5-10kg rating. not sure how far i should go with the braid, was thinking round 35-40lb. have been catching them around the 80cm mark but looking to get onto some bigger fellas when i head up there late september. any help is appreciated

cheers

[wheezer]

don't muck around and go 50lb. you need it for abrasion resistance, especially at monduran! I would go a true 8-ply braid like bionic or anything coming out of japan (TDsensor, bass hard) in my own abrasion tests the 8-ply fares much better than fused braids like fireline, finns etc. don't worry if it is a little thicker in diameter, you can't substitute diameter when it comes to abrasion resistance. besides, if you don't stop a fish up there within 10meters or so its all over anyway.

[A_DIFF_PERSPECTIVE]

Agree with wheezers thoughts.
50lb braid is a great choice. I have used Jigman X braid in 50 and 80lb for many years now and I have not found one fault with this line in its extended use from commercial spanish mackerel fishing to baitcasting lures in rough country with heavy drags. It is flawless in my books, and heavy handed fishing does a good job for finding weak spots in products. No body can afford to use a line that ever lets them down. It is a multi-coloured line designed for deepwater jig fishing with a colour change every 10 metres. The colour of the line makes no difference for barra fishing. It is the one and only proven line for me, secondly, being a guinea pig with new products can be a costly way to learn.
All the best,
johnny

[bigdan123]

i am with wheezer
bionic is the way to go ;)

Dan

[barrafever]

thanks for the info fellas, greatly appreciated

[TinarooTriumph]

While these guys say Bionic, I say FINS. Its magic stuff to use, got all the right attributes to get the job done, again, again, and again.

If you arnt able to get FINS, Platil Millenium Hotfiber 2 is nice stuff aswell. I use that on my gear, and works really well. Its a limp type of braid, with a fine diameter and is tough as nails.

As the guys above have said, you need to think of abrasion and knot strength before anything else, especially at a place like Monduran where there is timber left right and centre!. Which is why you need something like FINS.

www.finsfishing.com
www.bassermillyard.com.au/showSearch.asp?Category=24 (Platil).

TT 8-)

[Awoonga]

Fins for me too! ;D ;D

[aussiebasser]

50lb Bionic! Look after aussie jobs I reckon.

[salmo_man]

struth im goin to buy one of each ::)

[Obi___Wan]

G'Day All,
Although i have been watching Ausfish as a guest for some time now, this was the trigger to encourage me to register as a member, so this is my first post. I have been travelling from Brisbane to Peter Faust for some five years now, twice a year for two weeks at a time, usually in March and again in October each year. I caught my fist big barra on my first trip onto the lake a 110cm model weighing some forty odd pounds. This fish was caught on 20 lb fireline but i must add it was out in the open water whewre there are no snags or other structures to come into play. This got me hooked, i then moved into the sticks and started tossing lures at all the likely looking spots, as an old bass fisherman i would say that casting for barra is much like hunting down bass and is very satisfying. Now i can not fish in the open water as many would agree the action in the sticks is electrifying and very addictive, it also means you have to pack an extra bag just for underpants. Any way enough of that, fist trip into the sticks with the 20lb fire line was a shocker plentyof hookups but no fish landed, a quick trip into town and a chat with Lindsay saw me with some 50lb Platyil Hotfibre braid, worked a treat, quite a number of fish landed no bust offs only pulled hooks, bent hooks (6x VMC) busted split rings and 80lb leaders cut with gill plates. Back in Brisbane i could not find any of the Platyil for my back up reels so i moved to Finns, another winner. While i was up there in Oct 2005, i fished only in the sticks, over two weeks, around 70 hook ups, 24 fish landed and we are talking horses, lost $150 worth of lures due to being cut off on gill plates, again in March 2006, foul weather but the finns never lost a fish, only 4 fish landed then to 117cms.
On that note i would say that Tinaroo Triumph agrees with exactly what i would use.
Cheers,
John.

[TinarooTriumph]

G'Day All,
Although i have been watching Ausfish as a guest for some time now, this was the trigger to encourage me to register as a member, so this is my first post. I have been travelling from Brisbane to Peter Faust for some five years now, twice a year for two weeks at a time, usually in March and again in October each year. I caught my fist big barra on my first trip onto the lake a 110cm model weighing some forty odd pounds. This fish was caught on 20 lb fireline but i must add it was out in the open water whewre there are no snags or other structures to come into play. This got me hooked, i then moved into the sticks and started tossing lures at all the likely looking spots, as an old bass fisherman i would say that casting for barra is much like hunting down bass and is very satisfying. Now i can not fish in the open water as many would agree the action in the sticks is electrifying and very addictive, it also means you have to pack an extra bag just for underpants. Any way enough of that, fist trip into the sticks with the 20lb fire line was a shocker plentyof hookups but no fish landed, a quick trip into town and a chat with Lindsay saw me with some 50lb Platyil Hotfibre braid, worked a treat, quite a number of fish landed no bust offs only pulled hooks, bent hooks (6x VMC) busted split rings and 80lb leaders cut with gill plates. Back in Brisbane i could not find any of the Platyil for my back up reels so i moved to Finns, another winner. While i was up there in Oct 2005, i fished only in the sticks, over two weeks, around 70 hook ups, 24 fish landed and we are talking horses, lost $150 worth of lures due to being cut off on gill plates, again in March 2006, foul weather but the finns never lost a fish, only 4 fish landed then to 117cms.

On that note i would say that Tinaroo Triumph agrees with exactly what i would use.

Cheers,
John.

[smiley=thumbsup.gif]

Welcome to the site John. Good to have you onboard.

TT 8-)

[Obi___Wan]

Thanks for the welcome TT 8-)

Preparing for the next pilgrimage to Peter Faust, first two weeks of October can't come quick enough. I am a little concerned about the water level, although there is enough water to be able to fish in the sticks, it's the launching and retrieving of the boat. Sunwater is saying that there is 16% at the present time, when i was there in March it was 15% you could manage OK, only just. The Prossie Council is suspossed to be building a new ramp opposite the quarry, i have been informed it was not complete on 13th Aug, so i hope it finished by the time i get there.
Would love to have a go at Awoonga, i drive past it to get to Faust, drove in one day, hell tents pitched on the side of the road (camping ground overflowing) on the boat ramp, hell at least 60 trailers :o, watched for half an hour, what a mess, some iof them could not back themselves onto the toilet ;D. I think i will wait until the fish get educated and the mob stop catching them, then it may be worth a go ;).
Have to compare notes one day TT,

MAY THE FISH BE WITH YOU,

John.

[phatty]

i use fins and it has never ever let me down.. but i have known a couple of people that have had bad batches.. breaks on the line in heaps of weakspots.. mine doesnt but this has crossed my mind a fair bit..

jigman X 50.. its great! but on the PENN Jack Erskine Signature, it will work, but your gunna loose a fair few yards on your spool.

up to you really.

matt.

[McCod]

i use fins and it has never ever let me down.. but i have known a couple of people that have had bad batches.. breaks on the line in heaps of weakspots.. mine doesnt but this has crossed my mind a fair bit..

jigman X 50.. its great! but on the PENN Jack Erskine Signature, it will work, but your gunna loose a fair few yards on your spool.

up to you really.

matt.

Yep i'm 1 of those who would not give 2 bob for a spool of Fins braid as i lost 2 lures and 2 meter plus barra in about the time it took to make up a 70 turn Bimini and attach a new leader and lure . Stuff was breaking at around 3 to 4 KG in a straight line pull "line was new & rated 50 lb" . I guess ounce bitten twice shy .... Gone back to Power Pro with out a problem. The Bionic braid is strong as but brings a lot of water back on the reel... bit like a sponge really! The Tuff Line Braid is good stuff in the 30 and 50 lb. The strongest af all the 50 lb braids is Platyil but it's also the thickest so if casting distance or trolling depth is not an issue it would be the go!

Cheers Les

[BobbyJ123]

20 lb Platypus Super Braid......The runs are on the board.

[killitfillit]

i use spider wire 20lb and have caught dozens of jacks and murray cod etc. and the line is 12 years old i have reversed it once on the reel and it is still going strong. different types and brands of braid respond totally different to knot strength 'BE WARNED' bimini twists over 12 turns in fused gsp weakens the line,but plaited line is different.uni to uni knots are stronger than bimini twists and doubles in most situations. try it for yourself and be satisfied

[scottym]

I have had good success with tuf line xp in both 30lb and 50lb

[Obi___Wan]

G'Day Matt & Les,

Being one of the people that recommended the use Of Fins braid and seeing your reports on failures with the Fins braid i decided to do a little research on the topic as i have had no dramas as far as knot strength, abrasion and user friendlyness. :o

I have been informed that in the past that one particular person had a few concerns so the tackle store sent the braid for tests, the results proved the braid to be OK. However it is understood that there was indeed a bad batch of Fins out there at one time. If you are one of the people who unfortunately received some of this i suggest you take it back to where you purchased it. >:(

I have also been informed that they have had problems with mono line at times breaking well below that which it should, so the problem is not just with braid and it seems that it is possible the get a lemon some times. :'(

When people ask for advice you can only recommend that which you have had outstanding sucess with and of course you do this in good faith. :)

I guess this proves that Q.A. does not work all the time. >:(

At the end of the day you should use what you are comfortable with, not that which others use if you are not happy with their suggestions. 8-)

May The Fish Be With You.
John.

[phatty]

Hey john,

yea i gues thats what it must have come down to. i trust mine. i my Fins is rated to 20lb and i have put it under alot more than that. It really just comes down to testing out the line before you use it for just the bit of reasurance when buy new braid/mono, and if it doesnt take it back. i sure it hasnt only jsut happened with Fins, but also other brands at some time.

You should jsut go for what your comformable with as you said.

matt.

[Obi___Wan]

G'Day Matt,

Yeah mate thats it, as i said i have had no trouble with the Fins and for me its been very good, i use 50lb with 80lb leaders for the barra and believe me its copped a bloody hiding. As you say it must happen with others brands, i believe it has, for an example i had a bad bit of fire line (8lb), i don't think it had been fused properly, it frayed up very badly and at times just snapped under a very light load. That has now been replaced with a different lot of fireline and to date no worries.
With braid my choice is Fireline up to 20lb and Fins 20lb and up.

John.