Jig and drop shotting for perch

[wawaw1867]

I'm going to try my hand at this type of fishing - as it will be ideal for me living near a canal and river to just pop down for an hour after work, now the nights are shortening. I'm ok with what I need and how to tie/set up rigs and lures etc but I want to know what mainline to use? I have various strengths of mono up to 14lb in my locker but looking at some videos, some are using braid, which is very dear for just an hour or two - here and there. I know there's a chance of hooking a pike so was thinking use maybe 6,8 or 10lb. I have a few steel traces also in my locker. Would this be fine and what's the difference with braid? cheers

 

[greenie62]

.... I know there's a chance of hooking a pike so was thinking use maybe 6,8 or 10lb. I have a few steel traces also in my locker. Would this be fine and what's the difference with braid?

If you are using braid - use a steel trace as well! - Mr Pike can bite through braid under tension quicker than braid scissors!

If you've not used braid before - you might need to get used to it - it hasn't got any appreciable stretch - so every little rattle from the hook gets through to the rod-tip and you find the rod gets more of a workout with no shock-absorber effect from mono stretch. This might make a difference to choice of rod too!

Tight lines!