braid questions

[beertech]

with all the new braids on the market what are the new and greatest. Also say im running 4=5 of fluorcarbon in say 8 pound test. does it then matter if I say run 8 or 20 pound test braid,

[archie_james_c]

I've ran Power Pro, Ugly Braid, Fireline Tracer, and Power Pro and Suffix ICE line. All 10 and 15lb test.

 

Power Pro worked great, the line stayed "firm" for quite a few uses, and was pretty hard to fray.

 

Ugly Braid went limp after only a couple uses and lost all its graphite lube (or whatever the hell braided's are coated with), BUT was exceptionally resistant to abrasion.

 

Fireline Tracer looked cool, but went limp soon and frayed easily. I had alot of knot problems with this line.

 

Power Pro ICE worked great, really the same exact way the sot water stuff ran.

 

Suffix works great and looks good but is the ONLY spool of braid I have had spin on my spool. I unspooled it and taped my spool with a piece of electrical tape, voila!

 

**These are NOT scientific test's so I don't need someone saying "WHAT MAN?? Power Pro worked like crap for me!!!" or something to that tune**

 

[Radnine]

with all the new braids on the market what are the new and greatest. Also say im running 4=5 of fluorcarbon in say 8 pound test. does it then matter if I say run 8 or 20 pound test braid,

 

 

Eh?

Jim

[MuskyGreenHorn]

Do you want to run it on spinning or casting gear?

 

Braid is way more limp than mono or flouro. For that reason i always up the lb test I use. It makes it way more managable and less prone to tangles and/or bird nests. The really light stuff is much more prone to getting caught up in the wind as well. I run power pro and I am happy with it. I run several different lb tests in several different applications. The fact that it has little to no memory means you can get several seasons of use out of it if you are just a weekend type of angler. Tapingthe spool before spooling as archie james suggested is a very good idea or using a short piece of mono as backing also works good.

[Greencoachdog]

I've ran Power Pro, Ugly Braid, Fireline Tracer, and Power Pro and Suffix ICE line. All 10 and 15lb test.

 

Power Pro worked great, the line stayed "firm" for quite a few uses, and was pretty hard to fray.

 

Ugly Braid went limp after only a couple uses and lost all its graphite lube (or whatever the hell braided's are coated with), BUT was exceptionally resistant to abrasion.

 

Fireline Tracer looked cool, but went limp soon and frayed easily. I had alot of knot problems with this line.

 

Power Pro ICE worked great, really the same exact way the sot water stuff ran.

 

Suffix works great and looks good but is the ONLY spool of braid I have had spin on my spool. I unspooled it and taped my spool with a piece of electrical tape, voila!

 

**These are NOT scientific test's so I don't need someone saying "WHAT MAN?? Power Pro worked like crap for me!!!" or something to that tune**

 

 

 

You don't know your arse from a hole in the ground!... Spider Wire is what all the really Kewl Kidz are using!

[eyefish]

Try spider thread not spider wire they are different...new out last year made by redwing tackle. used it all year and didn't have to respool it at all..I was on the water pretty much every weekend.

[Garry2Rs]

As far as brands are concerned, I like the new Fireline.

I have had good luck with Powerpro and Tuf Line XP

They are all wound under tention and have a slick finish.

All braids are super limp after the finish wears off.

The finish used to generally just be wax, but now some brands advertise teflon coatings etc.

I didn't like Spiderwire Ultracast Invisi-braid. It has a very loose weave and hooks snagged in it easily.

I did use Spiderwire Stealth, and liked it fine.

I also like the old Fireline Fused, it starts looks crappy after the finish washes off, but it's still strong and still works fine even when it starts to de-laminate.

Your question about leaders is unclear.

IMO 10 to 20 pound braid works best on bass size spinning reels and 30 to 50 on casting reels

I spool my musky reels with 80 pound braid.

In theory, you could tie any weight leader to any weight braid if you can tie a Uni to Uni knot.

Edited January 30, 2010 by garry2rs

[Lunatic]

I started my first braid with 20lb power pro,and liked it so much i moved up to 30lb power pro, and havent had a reason to try anything else.

[fish_fishburn]

I tend to prefer stren power braid. I tried it about 5 yrs ago and havent used any other type of braid since. I usually use mono for backing just to fill some of the spool up. At 25 bucks a spool it goes alot further this way. At the end of the fishing season I just take the braid off and tie the mono to the opposite end and voila new line for next season.

[canadadude]

I use power pro from 10lb- 30lb depending on the application. You'll get alot further cast with lighter lb test, I only use the lighter lb test for drifting steelhead. I also spray my line with Reel magic it restores the original coating more or less on the braid, I also use boot or leather spray protectant because I have a hard time getting Reel magic. The spray protectant works great in the winter, it reduces the ice build up when the temps are around 0 to -5c any colder braid is pretty hard to use.

[beertech]

OK I will try to explain my leader question

20 pound test braid with 5 feet of 8 pound test fluorcarbon as leader

8 pound test braid with 5 feet of 8 pound test fluorocarbon as leader.

 

would these two setups be basicly the same since the fish will never really see the braid just the leader material

 

 

As far as brands are concerned, I like the new Fireline.

I have had good luck with Powerpro and Tuf Line XP

They are all wound under tention and have a slick finish.

All braids are super limp after the finish wears off.

The finish used to generally just be wax, but now some brands advertise teflon coatings etc.

I didn't like Spiderwire Ultracast Invisi-braid. It has a very loose weave and hooks snagged in it easily.

I did use Spiderwire Stealth, and liked it fine.

I also like the old Fireline Fused, it starts looks crappy after the finish washes off, but it's still strong and still works fine even when it starts to de-laminate.

Your question about leaders is unclear.

IMO 10 to 20 pound braid works best on bass size spinning reels and 30 to 50 on casting reels

I spool my musky reels with 80 pound braid.

In theory, you could tie any weight leader to any weight braid if you can tie a Uni to Uni knot.

[backbay]

Beertech, the knots you use might warrant some experimentation. I've never used anything as light as 8 lbs; I have 15 lb Fireline in my light spinner rig, and I find it great for the bass/pike/walleye fishing that I do. It's fine enough diameter, but strong enough that if it gets nicked, which happens, I can re-tie before I lose the lure. For my purposes, it's ideal, and I normally use either titanium or flouro leaders, subject to conditions, and what I'm fishing for. I love braid and don't use anything else anymore, but you have to pay a little attention, as others have said, to the condition of the line. When frayed, the stuff can lose pretty much all of its strength.

[MuskyGreenHorn]

The 20lb braid would be a better option than 8 lb in most situations, and you can also definately go heavier than 8lb on the flouro leader as well. It all depends on what your situation is. i run 30lb power pro on a lot of bass casting gear with a 5-6" section of 25lb seagar flouro leader. On spinning gear i would down size to 12-15 lb braid for clear water situations or when i am not worried abbout gettng hung up or damage to the line, but run 20 around cover or in stained water. i generally match the lb test of the leader to my line, or run sleight;y less. why run a 20ln main line only to have an 8lb leader? It makes sense for you rleader to be sligtly weaker than teh main line so you can break of impossible snags. Flouro is next to invisible in the water, which is the main reason I use it as a leading material. I run 80lb on my muskie gear ahead of 80lb braid. I find the Uni to Uni knot works great, but there others that work as well. Some knots won't work well when the line diameter is different, so you have to watch out for that.

[Eazy]

Technically speaking, fireline isn't a braid at all.....

[Arty]

It's hard to find but I really like ANDE braided fishing line. 30lb has worked tremendously.

Almost any kind of situation can apply. Bass in heavy slop. Trolling for Walleye. Even catching 25lb Salmon.

This fishing line just keeps going that extra mile.

[Garnet]

Spider Thread Braid is the latest technology in braid with a tighter weave and no wax will maintain it's structure for life.

[singingdog]

The main reason to use 20 lb braid as your main line, with the leader you describe, would be knot strength. 8lb braid is very fine and will have a tendency to weaken the connector knot by cutting into your leader material. 8 lb braid has very little abrasion resistance, primarily because it is about the same diameter as 2 lb test mono/flouro line. Given the generally poor knot-strength of flouro line, the combo of 8lb braid and flouro leader would probably lead to lots of break offs.

 

The only advantages to going with 8lb braid would be increased casting distance and increased line capacity on your reel.

[mbac31]

I think everyone is missing the question. Not which braid to use but which size to match. . The rule usually is that you need to stick to the size comparasions. If you are using a 30lb braid that is equilivent to 8lb mono than use 8lb mono or 8lb floro. I never use a bigger size. I always use the matching size line for each use.

 

As for braid. I have used them all and most are really the same. Stay away from the colored ones as it tends to bleed very much. Others will have to be maintained after every few trips. I usually cut off at least 1-2 ft depending on the breakdown of the product. I would not give merrit to just one as they all are good with some outperforming others in different techniques. I have been using Toray line now for some time and love it. I use their Floro, Braid,Mono,others. I also use Daiwa's braid and their new lines from 09.

 

Alot of people dont do this but to effectively get the most out of braid. I buy rods and reels for just that use. Braid has no stretch so therefore you need to use a rod that will allow that stretch to happen or braid will dig into its self very quickly. once you have the right combo braid can be amazing. Remember also that braid is not for every technique. It will hinder alot of baits actions where todays high tech Mono or Floro lines should be used.

 

Each person will give you their rendetion on what to use. Each answer will be right since its coming from the horses mouth so to speak. Choose the best one you can afford and go from there.

 

Here are some reviews on lines:

 

http://www.tackletour.com/reviewpowerpro.html

http://www.anglersnet.co.uk/miscellaneous-...superlines.html

[Garnet]

Spider Thread maintains it structure and almost eliminates spool bind. I also only use yellow for these tired old eyes. The lighter the line the more careful you need to be with knots and general handling of the line.

[canadadude]

The main reason to use 20 lb braid as your main line, with the leader you describe, would be knot strength. 8lb braid is very fine and will have a tendency to weaken the connector knot by cutting into your leader material. 8 lb braid has very little abrasion resistance, primarily because it is about the same diameter as 2 lb test mono/flouro line. Given the generally poor knot-strength of flouro line, the combo of 8lb braid and flouro leader would probably lead to lots of break offs.

 

The only advantages to going with 8lb braid would be increased casting distance and increased line capacity on your reel.

This is not an issue if you use a uni-knot to connect your leader, I use 10lb power pro with 6lb-8lb fluro leaders and the uni- knot is the strongest part of the setup.I never break off at the braid/leader connection. The other reason for a leader with braid is not only to be more stealth but the leader provides a shock absorber and a little bit of stretch when fighting fish.

 

To answer your original question, it really dosn't matter for most appliications. I only use the lighter braid bottom bouncing Browns and Bows, I get longer casts and a better sink rate and more delicate feel with the 8lb-10lb braid. 20lb is a good choice for most every thing else.

Edited January 31, 2010 by canadadude

[Dabluz]

Braided lines differ mostly in how they are coated and how tightly they are braided.

 

Very tight braids will be stiffer. Some coatings are thicker than others. The coatings add stiffness and smoothness. They also add diameter to the line. Why the coatings....the simple reason is that a very limp braided line will get tangled around the end of the rod. This caused a lot of complaints by testers.

 

For casting distance, the smaller and the more limp a line is, will add distance to your cast whether it be a spinning reel or a baitcaster.

 

Fused lines like Fireline are thinner than braided lines. This is normal because the braiding process does add diameter....look closely and you will see that there are spaces in the braiding.

 

However, Fireline, which is only a bunch of parallel fibers is "fused" together. This makes it stiffer. It may take a good while for it to get a bit more limp. It's still my favourite line and I have not had any fraying except close to the lure and it's just a matter of cutting off a bit of line every now and then. Mono also gets damaged near the lure but since it is very hard to see the damage, nobody complains about this damage causing a weakness in the mono. The funny part is that frayed Fireline does not get weak unless it's very frayed. Yes....knots do slip more easily in Fireline than braid. This is normal because it is thinner and more slippery. I use a double Palomar knot. Do not go over 12 lb test....it's too stiff. I have 14 lb test Fireline and I had to put it on a reel for very deep water fishing (200 to 450 feet deep).

 

So, if you want to be able to cast long distances, you will have to stay with braid or that is limp and under 20 lb test or Fireline that is under 12 lb test. Luckily, Fireline is the strongest of all the dyneema/spectra lines. 20 lb test Fireline breaks at around 47 lbs and since it is made up of parallel fibers, it has less stretch than braid. However, less stretch also means less "shock" resistance.

 

The bad part about braids and fused lines is their knot strength. If you can get 70% knot strength....you are doing good.

 

There are some lines that offer a few surprises. Example; Mason Tiger Braid is actually a braided exterior with a bunch of parallel fibers running through the middle. This makes it thinner than other braids yet does not fray as easily as Fireline. I really like Mason Tiger Braid. It's very very limp. The 20 lb test is smaller than other braids. The parallel inner core reduces the stretch to about 3% instead of 4%.

 

However, Mason Tiger Braid has one huge problem.....knot strength. Imagine tieing a knot in a line that has 2 types of stretch. The outer braided core with more stretch and the inner core with less stretch. When tieing this line, it's real easy to damage the outer braid. I use a Palomar knot and after the knot is snugged up, I look closely at it to check to see if any of the inner layer is visible. 3 out of 4 knots fail this test. However, the more flexible outer layer does make this line much more resistant to fraying. In the abrasion tests, this line won hands down. You can find the "20 lb abrasion test" on the internet.

 

Yes, Mason Tiger Braid does get tangled on the end of the rod tip more frequently than other lines. I'm used to this because I fish a lot with 2 lb test mono which does the same. It's a question of keeping tension on the line. Another problem with Mason Tiger Braid is finding it. I have to admit that I have never used it on a spinning reel but I use it on a few baitcasters and it's my favourite line when I want to cast light lures and still get a bit more distance.

Edited February 2, 2010 by Dabluz

[singingdog]

The bad part about braids and fused lines is their knot strength. If you can get 70% knot strength....you are doing good.

 

If you are only getting 70% breaking strength at your knots, you need a different knot

Edited February 1, 2010 by singingdog

[CLofchik]

I don't like to go smaller than 15lb. with braid on my spinning reels, starts to give me the mother of all paper cuts on my trigger finger. I'm a fan of Tuf Line, one of the thinnest braids out there so lures run deeper/line straighter and you can really load up the capacity on reels. And it's cheap.

 

Line/leader connection I always go for the Albright's Knot, quick & easy to tie and it won't bind on itself or leader. Trim the tags close then put on a dollop of Super Glue, flows the guides easy and won't pick up weed.

[archie_james_c]

The bad part about braids and fused lines is their knot strength. If you can get 70% knot strength....you are doing good.

 

I only use double cinch knots on my braids and even though a palomar is recommended I have yet to snap a knot.

 

 

..........but I don't catch very big fish

[douG]

Archie, Archie, Archie. Don't compromise your line with a poor knot.

.........but I don't catch very big fish laugh.gif

. You can fix that if you like. This is a good place to start.