bright colored braid

[jimmys]

Larry,
I noticed on your trip to Tabletop in Surinam on one of the reels it looked like you had orange line on it. My questions are, Do you use colored braid often and does the color of line make a very significant difference in strikes if used without a leader? I am a Texas gulf coast trout and red fish fisherman and fish either from my boat or wade.
I would like to use the orange or red braid due to my vision problems and most of my fishing is in early am or late pm.

[Henry Schmidt]

Im not the Man but I fish similar to you.... Ive used orange sufix braid but only with at least a near 6ft leader. Ive used green braids without a leader and I dont care what anybody says, I experience less bites. I wont use braid 99% of the time because of that and I dont like to use a leader. That being said Ive started using spinning gear recently and find braid is a neccessary evil. Dont you use a leader for reds and trout over in Texas? If so I think any color braid will due but all colors quickly fade to whitish anyway.

[jimmys]

Henry,
No, I don't use a leader. Right now I'm using power pro and sufix green. I have used the green braid in water with about 18 inches visibility, which is pretty good for our bay system, and fished next to guys using fluro and mono and caught just as many fish. A few times I've out fished others with me but that may have been for several reasons.

[Anglermanagment]

Lets not forget that lines that are highly visible for humans are not always highly visible for fish. And that different fish react differently to colors than us. The maxima tippet material is a beautiful example, black to the human eye yet fisherman use them for some of the most finicky fish.

Regular mono is highly reflective, more so than water. (And do I dare say) that fish, ecspecially fish on the flats in highsunlight conditions (like you are doing), shy away from mono more than braid.

[dahlberg]

Lots depends on what you've got tied to your line and how you fish it, plus of course water clarity, and the attitude of the creature you are trying to catch!
In suriname I may have had a reel with power pro yellow, but with meat on the hook and a wolf fish on the receiving end line color wouldn't matter.
If you're using a fast moving, aggressive bait I don't think it matters much. I like a mono or fluoro leader mostly for abrasion and to keep the braid from tangling in hooks, split rings or props if the lure takes a tumble.
Angler management is totally right about visibility. Mono is round and becomes a lens when back lit and can at times be more visible than braid. If you want line to be more invisible it would be best to vary its color so the silhouette is broken up.
Personally, I'd try the bright braid both with and without a leader and see if it makes a difference in the specific situation in which you are fishing. As always, let the fish decide.
best,
L

[Henry Schmidt]

Certainly fish do see things differently than we do. I found the tests done by Sport Fishing magazine and tackletour interesting. Using various lines and colors, with different backgrounds and water clarity, it seemed to me mono still came out on top. Floro being just as visible as mono lost all appeal considering its difficulty coping with less than perfect knots and weakening when wet.