titanium braid- more fish or fail?

[Mark_VTfisherman]

Been reading about Titanium Braid (rapala) and saw it on a video about walleye fishing- claims that it will run cranks deeper. I know that braid is thinner than mono of the same pound test, but has anyone used this product and had failures?

Rapala claims that it will not knot and whip around the rod tip (I lost a big crankbait last year when I went to cast and the Stren braid grabbed the tip guide which caused the 6# flouro leader to break a few inches from the swivel) but I would love to hear some reviews by actual users.

 

[noworries79]

Re: titanium braid failure

Re: titanium braid failure

I have not used that brand. I have used spiderwire. It took some getting used to at first but now I love it. I have 10lb. on my pflueger and 20lb. on my Okumas.

Sounds like your Stren didn't fail. Maybe you could move up to 12-15lb. flouro for your leader. What's wrong with the Stren?

 

[Mark_VTfisherman]

Re: titanium braid failure

Re: titanium braid failure

.....What's wrong with the Stren?

getting fuzzy with two seasons of wear, and it is not coated. I stayed with the Stren because I like everything to be the same. Used it on several different reels. saved a lot of tackle using braid down to my bottom bouncers and dipsies.

supposedly Rapala Titanium runs deeper (less resistance because it is coated)

 

[dingbat]

Re: titanium braid failure

Re: titanium braid failure

supposedly Rapala Titanium runs deeper (less resistance because it is coated)

"Runs Deeper" compared to what? Less resistant than what? Marketing hype at it's best.

The thing that jumped out as me is it's huge diameter to strength ratio. The Rapala #20 line (0.011") is 22% larger in diameter than the Sufix Performance braid (0.009") that I use on my light tackle stuff. The Sufix is coated as well as if it means anything

 

[Mark_VTfisherman]

Re: titanium braid failure

Re: titanium braid failure

"Runs Deeper" compared to what? Less resistant than what? Marketing hype at it's best.

Since the video I saw mentioned that feature and mentioned the product by name I was suspecting "marketing hype" - they may have been sponsored by Rapala. Don't know. But that's why I asked the question- I don't know.

The thing that jumped out as me is it's huge diameter to strength ratio. The Rapala #20 line (0.011") is 22% larger in diameter than the Sufix Performance braid (0.009") that I use on my light tackle stuff. The Sufix is coated as well as if it means anything

So if the sufix is coated, then it won't get fuzzy. The Stren has done well for me, but now that it has gotten fuzzy, it feels like it isn't running as deep AND it picks up a lot more junk from the water than it did when new/fresh.

I had not compared line diameters yet. It makes sense that the Rapala stuff is bigger since they claim that their formula has titanium in it for wear resistance, and the vid's I saw suggested it sinks readily (which of course it would if it contained a metal).

So that is why I was hoping for input from people who have used it. I have a few months still before we have liquid water up here, and I am looking forward to putting the boat in already. So plenty of time to decide what line to buy.

 

[JB]

Re: titanium braid failure

Re: titanium braid failure

I tried several spectra braided lines and found all superior to mono in castability and lack of drag in the water.

The uncoated braids all got fuzzy pretty quickly.

I settled on Power Pro coated braid about 5 years ago and haven't felt a need to experiment further.

I do, however, trust what Rapala says about their products.

 

[Mark_VTfisherman]

Re: titanium braid failure

Re: titanium braid failure

So it is pretty safe to say that basically no on has ever used Rapala Titanium Braid fishing line... I was hoping that someone had used the stuff and could provide input. Thanks for those who have responded - gave me good info to consider.

 

[Mark_VTfisherman]

Re: titanium braid failure

Re: titanium braid failure

My friend with the tackle shop recently went to a buying show- they had one spool of Rapala titanium "stretch braid" in a bargain bin which he picked up for me, knowing I wanted to try it. Going to put it on a new Quantum 11-1/2-foot m/h IM8 rod with a little tiny Daiwa line counter reel. I will probably look up this thread in June and post my results.

Initially, I like the feel. While not as thin as other braids, the 20-pound test is 8-pound diameter, and its promise of stretch comes through. Granted, very little stretch, but the three feet I pulled off did have some give, but not anywhere like mono.

How will it be used? Spring landlocked salmon on Champlian and maybe Seymore. Will run a ten-foot mono leader.

Later I will use it for Big Jon Diver Disks and bottom bouncers for walleye- this is my primary purpose for it. Probably will try it for flatlines, too, before the water gets up to temp and stuff goes deeper. This rod, plus my current 10'3" spinning rod, and my boat's beam will give me about 24'-25' of spread without planer boards or dipseys.

Still, only eight responders today, and not a one has used the product. Maybe I shouldn't either? We'll see.

 

[dingbat]

Re: titanium braid- more fish or fail?

I have to ask, what's up with the telephone pole length rods in a boat? Seems like you would exert more energy fighting the rod than the fish.

 

[Mark_VTfisherman]

Re: titanium braid- more fish or fail?

I have to ask, what's up with the telephone pole length rods in a boat? It's got to be more work fighting the rod than the fish.

Actually they are not so bad in action, but are a little tough to transport or store on my 14' Niagara

What's up with them is several things.

The most oft mentioned reason is that they give you line spread to cover a lot of water without running 'boards or diver disks. Gives you nice stagger options on walleye, trout, and salmon without having something between you and what could be a barely discernible hit.

Another nice feature, and what got me started on rigging up long rods out of the boat, is that a long rod sometimes seems to connect on more fish than shorter rods.

I caught on to this as I was with a friend trolling in his boat in Success Pond (New Hampshire) in about 1993. He was trolling a 'special' streamer fly, running a lot of backer underneath a color-and-a-half of leadcore. He terminated that with about 50' of thin clear mono, then the tandem streamer. He explained that a fly needed to be presented on a fly rod.

Now I knew I had a lot to learn at that point, but that comment didn't make 100% sense to me. So I was watching him, the other guys, and those in another boat. I observed that the fly rods were getting the fish. The other rods- casters and spinning both- were getting hits, but the fish were getting off more times than not. I concluded that the 4' arch the fly rod kept the hook from both pulling out or being let go of, and allowed enough tension that the hook stayed embedded.

I also noticed the "lazy" action of the fly rods pulling the flies; they would "pulse" softly, almost in a pumping action with just the small waves. The shorter rods had to be "run" by hand to get that action.

The only problem is that sometimes on bigger fish, the hookset is pretty soft due to all that damping. I have a 10'3" 'glass fly rod with a hard alloy spinning reel tip, and the base is epoxied right into a big trolling rod handle. 20# braided Stren is loaded on a cheap but dependable Ryobi :redface: spinning reel.

The new IM8 Quantum rod will probably be a whole lot more stiff and offer a better hookset. Can't wait for ice-out to try it!

So now you know one of my top secrets.

 

[KeyWestSkipper]

Re: titanium braid- more fish or fail?

I havent tried it either but I appreciate your take on the long rods. Certain salt water shore fishermen out here use really long rods to fish off rocks and hard to access spots on jetties and such, and they just kill em. They chum with peas and use peas or seaweed as bait and get big chunky opaleyes.

I'm a power pro user myself, but would switch if reports support that claim about not wrapping around the tip. That is a major pain in the neck and has cost me a few nice pieces too.

 

[basstracker219]

Re: titanium braid- more fish or fail?

i havent heard of it, would it be worth checking out?