Braided cord for spinning: tips for choosing

Line and cords in micro jig fishing

Date: March 3, 2015 | 798

Looking at the current variety of different fishing lines and cords on the market, it becomes difficult to choose. What should you wind on a spinning reel for microjig fishing? Cord or fishing line? Sunline, or maybe Berkley? Or even YGK? Or maybe Power Pro? Let's try to figure out what is better for microjigging than equipping your spinning rod. Not forgetting, of course, about the financial side of the issue.

So the conceptual question is: cord or line? The unequivocal answer, if you engage in microjigging seriously and closely, is the cord. The only justification for using a fishing line: “there is no money for a cord, there is no money yet...”. Fishing line is relatively, and sometimes significantly, cheaper than cord, and it is also used for microjigging. But this is only a necessary measure. Why is the cord so good? The first and main reason is high sensitivity due to the inextensibility of the cord and its special structure. The non-stretchable cord allows the angler to feel well everything that happens to the bait at the bottom: the slightest touch of algae, branches, bottom, the most subtle bites. Sometimes, you can even catch the fish moving its fins before attacking the bait (and this is not a joke). The ability to receive so much information about the condition of the bait is invaluable for microjigging, for conscious fishing, for progress and experimentation with wiring. This reason alone is enough to justify the total superiority of lines in microjig fishing. But, there are other positive aspects.

The cord obviously has greater strength than fishing line, with the same actual diameter. Of course, fishing lines are also developing and improving - many modern fishing lines are approaching the strength characteristics of cords, but the difference still remains. In addition, the lack of stretchability of the cord, coupled with strength, often makes it possible to save a caught bait.

The cord is softer than the fishing line - this increases the casting distance, especially if the surface of the cord is slippery and the cross-section is perfectly round.

Some of the advantages of cords also come with their disadvantages. So, inextensibility, in addition to sensitivity, also takes away such a factor as springing properties - and the cord does not help in any way to dampen the strong jerks of hooked fish. While the line stretches, taking on part of the jerk force. So, in the case of lines, the entire responsibility for successful fishing lies on the flexibility of the spinning rod, competent work with the reel brake, and, well, on the skill of the fisherman.

The cord is not as durable as fishing line. Its surface is softer, which means it is more easily damaged when in contact with driftwood and shell rock. There are cords that are positioned as wear-resistant. But, all the same, compared to fishing line, and even more so, with 100% fluorocarbon, their wear resistance leaves much to be desired. So, in places where the gear often comes into contact with shell rock at the bottom, with stones, you should use a fluorocarbon insert leash. A piece of fluor is extended onto the cord using special knots and protects the tackle in the most critical segment, the outermost 1-2 meters from the bait.

Also, the disadvantages of cords include the fact that they are usually more visible in the water than transparent fishing line. If this is critical, the water is clear, and the fish is cautious, then they also rely on a fluorocarbon insert between the bait and the line, because the flurry is almost invisible in the water.

Now let's talk about the different types of cords, and which ones are best suited for microjig fishing.

Cords, conditionally, of the first generation visually resemble thread, fibers, etc. are clearly visible there. Good examples: Power Pro, Salmo Elite Braid, Sunline PE. As a rule, these cords do not have a perfectly round cross-section and are not very slippery. Their actual diameter is always higher than stated; they tend to gradually increase in diameter during fishing. Such cords are good for medium and heavy jigs, for fishing with spoons and wobblers. But it is the thin versions 0.06mm, 0.08mm, 0.1mm that are not very suitable for microjig fishing. They give an extremely lousy casting range, they are too thick, in fact, even though the stated diameters seem to be just right. For fishing with silicone baits, edible baits, using small weights, we need a thin cord, soft, with a slippery coating. It is he who will give us a good casting range and proper sensitivity. There are such cords - for example, Sunline Small Game PE, Varivas Light Game Mebaru, YGK G-Soul PE, Climax miG. You can also look for products of a similar level on the market; new brands and cords are constantly popping up (Japanese brands are gradually coming to our open spaces :)).

These cords have all the necessary properties: round cross-section, slippery surface, small diameters, tight weaving, they wind perfectly, and with a high-quality reel they do not create any problems with dropping loops. These, of course, are not ropes that can be used to uproot snags to save bait - thin cords are not designed for this. These products have only one most striking drawback - their prices are simply indecent (maybe only with the exception of miG). If finances allow, you can take Small Game, Light Game or something similar.

There are also cords that, it seems, are not cords at all, but some kind of thread made of sintered nanofibers with a special coating - Berkley Nanofil and the like. Considering the options for equipping my microjigging gear, Nanofil caught my attention and I tested it. The cord is perfectly round and has a very slippery coating. It seems like a fishing line, but Nanofil is much softer. It is non-stretchable, which gives the desired sensitivity. Nanofil is presented in a wide range of diameters, down to ultra-small ones - 0.02, 0.04, 0.06, etc. ascending. The cord is very strong for its diameter. I even unbent, from time to time, small Overner hooks.

Advantages of nanofil: fantastic reach, sensitivity, durability and a reasonable price. Cons: capriciousness on the nodes and poor wear resistance. It was necessary to settle down with the knots. You seem to be knitting as usual. One knot comes out wonderful, it holds - super. The other one breaks like a cobweb... I settled down, began to knit knots more intently, paying attention to the uniformity of the turns, their non-intersection - and the problem went away. As for damage to the surface of Nanofil upon contact with driftwood and algae, this exists. The surface of the cord gradually frays, and what appears to be fluff appears - fragments of the coating. If you let it get too frayed, the cord weakens and breaks more easily. First, I regularly inspect the end section of the cord and cut off what is damaged. Secondly, using a leader made of 100% fluorocarbon, 1-1.5 m long, significantly reduces this problem, because It’s already rubbing against everything on the bottom, not the cord – but the fluorocarbon, which is very good as an anti-abrasive leash.

So, if your budget doesn’t stretch to cool ultralight Japanese cords, then it makes sense to pay attention to Nanofil and other second-generation cords with a small diameter.

Line for microjig fishing , as mentioned at the beginning, is not the best choice. It does not provide the same sensitivity and control over the bait. The fishing line is stiffer than the cord, and this significantly reduces the casting distance of the bait using it. But, the fishing line stretches and absorbs the jerks of the fish being caught, and is also inexpensive. If money is really tight and you don’t have enough money for a cord, then you need to take a high-quality thin fishing line. Good examples are Owner Broad, Gamakatsu Super G-Line, Balsax Iguana. The optimal monofilament diameter for microjigging is 0.08-0.14mm, sometimes up to 0.16mm.

The question may arise: why not just use solid fluorocarbon as the main line in microjigging, since it is so wonderful, wear-resistant and inconspicuous? In addition, it has little stretch... The problem is that the fly is even stiffer than the fishing line - and you can’t cast far with it. If you fish in very small bodies of water, please try it.

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Categories: Tackle · Tags: Line, Microjig, Tackle, Spinning, Fluorocarbon, Cord