Hey My Way,

My suggestion is you use braid with a mono backing. The backing keeps the braid from slipping on the reel spool and allows you to fill the spool so the line counters are more accurate. I use 17 lb Trilene Big Game or similar for backing and 30 lb Power Pro braid (8 lb diameter). I think Power Pro is the best and most economical braid for trolling. It does slip in some releases but you can wrap the line around the release to minimize that problem or use releases that don't slip like the OR-18, etc. If you use big boards and rubber bands, roll the line around your fingers before looping the rubber band to keep it from slipping. Easy.

To fill, check the line capacity on your reels to determine how much backing to put on before spooling on 150 yds of braid. Use the line counter (backwards) to monitor the amount. For instance, if the reel says it will hold 500 yards of 15 lb test, then guesstimate how much the 150 yards of 8 lb test will be, subtract that from the total capacity and spool that much mono backing on before the braid. There's probably a more accurate way but I catch plenty of fish with this set up.

I do not use floro leaders on my braid since I'm normally fishing with jets. If you were fishing cranks or harnesses directly, then maybe 10 ft or less of a floro leader would be in order.

Hope this helps,
Bordy