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By Kevin VanDam

I Love Braid, But Not for Drop-ShottingI Love Braid, But Not for Drop-Shotting

Drop-shotting has become a staple for most Michiana anglers as well as in major tournaments around the country.

A huge trend among Bassmasters is to spool their spinning reels with a small diameter superline (braid) and add a long fluorocarbon leader.

Despite that trend, several touring pros still prefer straight fluorocarbon over the braid/fluorocarbon combination.

I like to do both, but I am among those who prefer to fish with straight fluorocarbon when possible while drop shotting.

I’ll explain why later.

I agree that the braid/fluorocarbon provides several advantages for many other techniques with added strength in small diameter line being a big one.

You also gain casting distance when using braid on smaller spool reels because the diameter is so small. However, my Quantum spinning reels with larger spools on a 7-4 medium action rod give me far more casting distance.

The braid also makes the tiny line easier to see, especially now that companies are making high-vis colors of the superline. I use Mustad’s 15-pound yellow Wish Braid (diameter equivalent to 4-pound fluorocarbon) that makes it easier to see than darker braid colors or straight fluorocarbon line.

A good example of how important high-vis braid can be occurred last summer when I won the St. Lawrence River Tournament.

Although I wasn’t drop-shotting at the time, I was fishing a weightless, wacky-rigged Ocho stick worm, and because it was weightless, the bait fell slow enough I could watch the line for strikes. Funny as it sounds, it was the same way a livebait fisherman watches his bobber go under. I couldn’t have seen all of those bites with transparent fluorocarbon.

Here’s an important tip when adding a leader: tie a 20- to 30-footter to the braid for added distance between the bait and the more visible braid. I know some anglers think a 6-or-so foot leader is enough, but not me.

Another huge advantage to using braid is it doesn’t twist or get snarly like fluorocarbon can when drop-shotting.

So why bother with straight fluorocarbon instead of the braid/flouro combination for drop shotting?

The advantage is huge. With straight fluorocarbon, the line and bait sinks faster; braid has a tendency to resist and wants to float. So you can work it a little faster.

Also, you can offset the line twist issues by adding a No. 10 or 12 black barrel swivel two feet above the lure. In most instances, I use 8-pound Bass Pro Shops’ XPS Fluorocarbon as the main line and the leader. The tiny swivel nearly eliminates the line twisting issue.

When fishing a drop shot for smallmouth, I bomb the bait out there with a heavier sinker and fish it faster, trying to get a bass to see the bait and eat it.

I use ¼-ounce Strike King Tungsten in water 10 feet or less, 3/8 when fishing 10 to 20 feet deep and a ½-ounce in deeper water or in heavy current.

Given the attributes of fluorocarbon and the way smallmouth roam, like they do at St. Clair, I can cover water faster with that technique. Fluorocarbon allows a more a direct and instant connection to the bait without the “bow” in the line caused by the slower sinking braid. I think that makes a big difference.

You could probably accomplish the same thing by using a longer fluorocarbon leader with the braid, but that negates some of the advantages of braid.

Of course, it’s a matter of preference. However, it’s good to keep an open mind and don’t discount the straight fluorocarbon tactic entirely. You may find that you will get more bites in some situations.