top shot

[kmaty]

Can someone explain to me the sense of this....2oft of top shot to a swivel or assorted knot to a say bucktail rig thats prob another 36inches long. After all said and don 23ft of mono and then fish 3oft of water...how useless did braid just become.

[Capt. Lou]

Top shots can be as long as u want them common BF top shot length of rod or under 10'!
It is designed to tie ur knots & become brak point for braid which should test more than TS. Its also a lot more abrasion resisitent than ur braid and can save ur bacon on the wrecks & rough bottom. Allows u to re tie rigs much easier or install new ones wo hassle.
I fish rigs via Tog, cod etc with cork screw swivel, so u just loop rig on if u loose old one on wreck or rough bottom! Very fast to grt back in game!!
If u choose to cast a lure or float a bait it makes this process a lot easier than trying to present with braid.
Lots of reasons to top shot not many to not ur choice!

[PeteyHD]

I think we all understand the benefits of Top Shots, but I agree with the point Kmaty is making. I use a Top Shot on all my braided set ups but only go up and down the length of the rod and a few cranks around the reel. This is super beneficial to casting, jigging, re-rigging, and tying rigs straight on such as blackfishing. There are some guys who just use too much top shot and end up fishing entirely mono topshot in shallow water (which is pointless as Kmaty mentioned).

The only other us of top shots which I wouldn't really call a top shot is for pelagic fishing. I would prefer to call this braid backing instead of mono topshot. This method (which I don't use) allows reels to hold more line while fishing primarily mono. If the tuna, sword, etc. goes for a big run then the braid will be exposed. The only benefit to this is extra capacity, but you have to remember that there is an extra knot in the equation and these big tunas will take advantage of any weak points. Obviously top shot for tuna jigging is another story.

[Capt. Lou]

Top shot were actually in use for a long time before braid made the scene, thirty years ago if u were an offshore or gt fisherman we always used them ! Never used knots to join always spliced so loss of line strength was not an issue!
True top shots were made as long as u need them to be for species or style of angling preferred!
Wind on leaders r another story they were generally shorter to allow gaffing,
Wiring rtc , a swivel is generally employed with this system sans rigging Wickedd tuna style. I