Braid vs Steel

[Last Chance]

Braided for the longest time. Nope, I can't tune my voltage, and I don't get the singing, but I guided hard for over 14 years offshore and stopped dropping balls with it. In one particular fishery, where you only get a 2 hour bite at a certain offshore bouy on a certain current, a gear malfunction can take up to half an hour which would make a big difference in fish to the boat, so the sheer ruggedness of the braid kept me fishing. The Power PRo 200 didn't cut it, but the big Scotty stuff did. I use the Scotty 250LB, and while there is a bit more blowback, you just put a bigger ball on.. Double up the stoppers they don't move. Tie the balls on with a knot and go. Grab it with your bare hands, no cuts, no surprise "PING SPLASH", and one less thing to fix and mess with every day. I don't work out there anymore, but I have lost exactly one ball this spring (Bottom bouncing hard Oak Bay and Connie), and well, when it hung up so hard it spun the boat and I had to put my thumb on the spool and hold the boom with my hand (they will bend or the swivel mount will break), well, that ball was a gonner.

My $0.02 . Plus with braid, if you have a voltage problem, it won't go down to the ball.

 

[Sr SQ]

While I miss the hum of SS, I changed to braid over 10 years ago and will never go back.

 

[SpringFever552]

What I miss the most when I changed from wire to braid was that awesome noise the wire made when letting it out or bringing it up from the depths and onto the deepline reel...at least I knew the deepline was working..now I gotta look over at it to see if its working as i cant even hear it....and can't forget getting the broken wire strands poking me in the fingers/hands on occasions
I miss those days

 

[Rockfish]

This is like the Ford vs. Chevy debates and there must be a dozen or so previous threads on it. Both braid and steel have their advantages and disadvantages which have been discussed to death previously.

We run both on our boat. The steel goes on the deep line for the added weight as 500 feet of steel weighs a lot and with the 20lb ball helps with blow back. In addition, the Sooke area is know for its monster currents at times and certain locations and with my propensity for tight turns on occasion has been problematic with that side of the boat having the cable get up and over the Opti main prop and hung up, probably exasperated by the rigger location farther forward than most ( which also has advantages and disadvantages). We are on the kicker so the main prop is not running. With the steel cable we just lift the cable off the leg and back over the prop with the boat hook. If we had braid on that side and it got close to the main prop. it just cuts off and you lose everything. On the other side the braid is never a problem because in an overly tight turn and current it just hits the kicker prop guard and is fine. Braid may often last longer than steel and be stronger especially if you cut a little off and redo the knot periodically, but unlike steel, braid has little cut resistance.

 

[Whole in the Water]

I agree both have pros and cons, comes done to personal experience and choice.

Just make sure that you regularly check that there are no nicks or abrasions in braided line. As soon as you do, the line loses strength and will quickly break. With cable you can see or feel the nick and usually have a bit more time to fix it before failure occurs.

 

[Rockfish]

Good point on the warning nature of steel. Steel cable that has been damaged or has reached end of life will usually break a steel strand which will stick out and be highly visible, either while bringing it up or by seeing it stick out sideways on the rigger drum. I have seen steel cable hold with two even three strands broken but at that point you are about to lose the ball. Usually there is no warning when braid is damaged or at end of life, it just breaks although sometimes a very close inspection may find something. I find with braid you almost need to go on time. You can use the kicker motors hours meter if you have one to keep track of how many hours you have on the braid and when you last did the knot. Different braid brands and strengths will wear out less or more and abuse like a lot of hang ups or not using the clutch correctly will affect life so you will have to work out how often you change out the braid or at least cut some off and redo the knot.

 

[Fisherman Rob]

Just make sure that you regularly check that there are no nicks or abrasions in braided line. As soon as you do, the line loses strength and will quickly break. With cable you can see or feel the nick and usually have a bit more time to fix it before failure occurs.

I've been considering the switch to braid as well as both my DR cables are in need of replacement. If braid lets go with little visible warning, that's a big factor for me. Losing a ball, snubber, snap hook and swivel is at least $70 .

Also, interesting comments regarding blow back with braid as I thought braid has less blow back than wire?

 

[Rockfish]

I

Also, interesting comments regarding blow back with braid as I thought braid has less blow back than wire?

It depends on the braid and the steel for that matter. I have a backup manual rigger that seldom gets used and it has original early Scotty Braid and it is very thick and long lasting but with a lot of blow back. But it is only a backup if a power rigger quits and is usually fished shallow.

Some thin diameter braid, I understand has considerably less blow back than typical steel cable. But steel also comes in different diameters and breaking strength . The larger the diameter of the braid or cable the more surface area the water has to push it back. You may also be trading off some braking strength for smaller diameter of either braid or steel cable and quality comes into play also with very high quality braid and steel being able to have a thinner diameter with less reduction of breaking strength.

If the braid and the steel were to have the exact same diameter and similar surface friction, it is logical to me that the steel should have less blow back because it also has much more mass (weight) which increases with the number of feet down. To me it is like adding weight to the ball.

 

[Seafever]

I fish braid. But I know a guy who fishes wire because he fishes plugs a lot and claims there's less blowback on wire for his plug trolling speeds.

I used to fish wire (and went through the black-box -phase as well).

Fish-catch wise for me I'd say braid was better. But I don't fish plugs all that much.

 

[Last Chance]

I have had the same knot on my port side for two years and rub my kicker ring on a regular basis. Still good for me

 

[scott craven]

X3 and while your at it tie the downrigger clip at the same knot and never lose a clip again.

Great idea, no trolling snap to deal with
I'm going to do that right away.

 

[Seafever]

I'm not sure that you get all that much added weight with wire. Pick up a 300ft roll of wire in the store....how heavy is that ? Not very.

 

[Rockfish]

I'm not sure that you get all that much added weight with wire. Pick up a 300ft roll of wire in the store....how heavy is that ? Not very.

It is not all that much but it still helps. A 400 foot spool of smaller diameter steel weights a little over two lbs depending on diameter/breaking strength, - I just weighed it. A major factor for blow back is depth, because the more braid/steel out the more surface area for the water to push against. At 200 feet down you are adding a little over one pound. of weight with smaller diameter steel. You could go to larger diameter/higher breaking strength heavier steel but you would also be adding surface area so you would be increasing water resistance drag along with weight. I am not saying that overall steel has less drag, it does not. The best quality small diameter braid has significantly less surface area and less blow back than the best quality lower diameter/ lower breaking strength steel, even with steel adding weight.
That said it is not an absolute that braid always has less blow back than steel, the best steel can have less drag than some braid although it is fair to say that much of the braid now used on riggers is small diameter than steel.

Blow back/ drag reduction is an interest of mine. There are lots of other factors effecting blow back, ball shape for example and how gear and terminal rigger set ups adds to blow back to less or greater degrees. Stacking rods adds a lot of drag and blow back, huge really, most noticeable at depth. Perhaps another thread would be more appropriate for a discussion of those factors.

 

[Bret]

Using wire vs braid is like Petz vs Islanders

They both work

Bret