improvements in monofilament lines; modern anglers are fortunate to have several options to choose from. Brauer stated, “line isn’t a concern anymore. You just don’t lose fish like you used to. Part of it has to do with the technology of these lines, but the other part is the consistency from manufacturers; the quality is there with every spool.”
HOW DOES DENNY CHOOSE?
“Years and years ago, the only logical choice was monofilament,” stated Brauer. “out of all the changes over the years, fluorocarbon was the best thing to ever hit the fishing world. if you were to ask every single elite Series angler about their line choices, nearly 100% would say fluorocarbon is what they rely on most. That’s how innovative it has been. i use it for almost everything now.” Braided line is another popular option for him as well as for anglers around the world. “Braided line has come a long way,” said Brauer. “When it first came out, i really didn’t like it. The quality was poor and it just slowly went away. over the past ten or fifteen years it has become much better due to the advancements in the manufacturing process, the addition of Kevlar, micro weaves and other technology have made it much more consistent and perform better. Now there is less friction and better knot strength and it casts much better. i have been using Seaguar Kanzen braid for years now; even before it came out i was testing it and making sure it was good enough for my fishing style. it does everything i need a braid to do.” Brauer and others believe monofilament, once a staple for all anglers has recently fallen out of favor as the standby choice it once was. He did say, “Mono still has its time and place, and for topwater fishing it is still something that all anglers should use.”
Braided line is a mainstay for him and he uses it anytime he is fishing muddy water or anywhere around vegetation. “You need that added strength anytime you’re around big fish in heavy cover,” he stated. “For the most part, the size doesn’t matter as you are using it in places where the fish can’t see it as well.” With braided line, he will never go lower than 40-lb test, but is careful to select a size that is not too heavy as it affects his casting distance. For topwater frogs, he prefers 40-lb or 50-lb as he is often attempting to cast longer distances, for punching and flipping heavy cover he will use 60-lb or heavier. Flurocarbon has become Brauer’s preferred line choice for most applications and he will vary the size of line based on the conditions - how deep he wants the bait to dive, how fast he wants it to fall as well as the size of the bait he is using. For crankbait fishing, he will use 12-lb Seaguar tatsu. “The tatsu line is amazing, casts well and more importantly it is very abrasion resistant and that’s something that is very important when you are
APPLICATIONS & LINE SIZES
For Brauer monofilament is now relegated to a few select topwater techniques. “When fishing buzzbaits, i prefer to use a 20-lb monofilament, for a walking bait or popper like a Strike King Spit N King, i prefer to use 15-lb line,” he explained. “Mono still has its time and because it floats better and it is a must for topwater fishing. When using it, i’ll never go lighter than 15-lbs.”
Issue 2
April 2012
23
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