Switching to Braid

[Mark_FC]

Hello

I am thinking of trying braid on one of my outfits, and was told that I need to upgrade my runners to cope with the finer diametre of the braid. The outfit is a 3-4kg baitcaster, and I was looking at the lightest Penn Power Braid of 5kg. The rod is a Team Diawa, and 7 years old.

Can anyone tell me if I need to upgrade the runners, as this will then become an expensive excercise.

Thanks

Mark FC

[BOMBER]

I don't know this rod at all but provided it has an SCI guide fitted which I think it should have you will have no problems, but why Penn Power Pro , Bionic is an excellent Braid in my opinion the best on the market I use it for everything from Bass to Barra a great Braid, hope this helps.

regards,

THE BOMBER.
PS If in doubt about the guides talk to a reputible tackle store.

[Steve_Ooi]

I would not worry about braided lines cutting into the guides on your rod. For one braided lines are extremely slippery (low co-efficient of friction) and the materials the guides are made out of these days is extremely hard.
Where as most guides on rods these days are made from Aluminium Oxide or Silicon Carbide.
These two materials are extremely hard and are used as cutting compounds and in the use of saw blades.both have a hardness of about 9 on the Mohs hardness scale, while diamond has a hardness of 10.

It would be more important to check the guides out for fractures or cracks in them, as they will damage your braid, just replace the damaged guides

I find the Penn power pro and Bionic Braid to be both excellent products.

Poony

[jezza]

"Mohs hardness scale",extremely high tech.Fantastic to hear.I didn't really know it had a place in fishin' jargon,but,obviously,it does!Not trying to be a smartarse,but have'nt heard of it in years!I have used braid of one kind or another since it's inception years ago,and have'nt even seen a "rub mark"on my runners since.Believe me,it is worth spending the extra money to get the results you require!Obviously,(depending on circumstance) a full spool isn't required,so a topshot of 150m or so,will help to keep the expense down a bit.
Until next time...