Braid, what's the best brand? 20 pound test, lake or river

[MarkFromSea]

Braid, what's the best brand?
20 pound test, lake or river, bass, salmon or steel.
Which stores have you found that carry that brand?
I've got a couple baitcasters to spool up, looking for suggestions.
Thank You!

[Amx]

This past 1/2 summer I've been trying Stren Sonic Braid on my frog, and buzzbait rods. Seems to be working great. Got it from Bass Pro Shops.

[Gringo Pescador]

Power Pro -
30# high vis yellow for float & jig (steelhead/salmon)
8# green for winging 1/4oz jigs a mile for pinks (spinning reel)
60# green for top water frogs in lilli pads.

Cabelas, 3-Rivers, Teds, Outdoor Emporium

To save on costs - I have a bulk spool of 20# mono and use it as backing, then a bloodknot to about 100-150 yards of braid. Figure after that far, fish is gone anyway.

This has worked well for me for a few years now.

[natetreat]

Gotta second the vote for power pro. The best flat out. For manageability, durability, knot holding. Although I'd go with the pound test that equals the diameter of the line you're used to using. Unless you're going for low profile with line shy fish, then go as low as you can. Walmart has great deals on powerpro, cheaper than sportco.

I've used spider wire, suffix the whole gamut. Power pro is the one I'd go with. Except for if you want clear, spiderwire makes the only transparent braid. Haven't tried it yet because nobody sells it.

[Amx]

I've got 50# Power Pro I plan on putting on my flippin stick come summer time. It seems a little stiffer than the Stren Sonic Braid, but not by much. And it's a little courser than the Sonic, the Sonic is a little smoother surface finish. They both measure the same at .012". Might put it on my spinnerbait rod also.

[Elijah.Loves.Fishin]

i've used a few brands and the best one that i have tried is power pro. i used the 15 lb high vis yellow a lot when fishing for brown trout. it's only 4 lb diamater and casts ultra far. for throwing jigs and top water waits, i use the 50 lb in green. the only time i have manage to snap my 50 lb was when i hooked a super strong underwater metal cable that was holding docks together and i had to cut my line. i've bent some of my jig hooks pulling them out of logs and stumps. keep in mind the 50 lb is only 12 lb diameter so you can still cast far with it.

[MarkFromSea]

Thank You one and ALL for such a rapid response!

[Bodofish]

If all of you like Power Pro, you really owe it to yourself to try the new Tuff Line DuraCast. As far a braid goes, yeah Power Pro has the marketing but it is the most miserable excuse for fish line I've ever used. I put it on a reel and it immediately started to shed this waxy crap all over my boat, goobed up the eyes and the reel. Been using Tuff Line ever since, in fact been using it before it was marketed for fishing. Western Filament is one of biggest producers of specialty fibers around. The DuraCast is great, it's an encapsulated line, none of the bad braid habits, only good to report.

PS really good reports out for the the Stren products too.

[Gringo Pescador]

If all of you like Power Pro, you really owe it to yourself to try the new Tuff Line DuraCast. As far a braid goes, yeah Power Pro has the marketing but it is the most miserable excuse for fish line I've ever used. I put it on a reel and it immediately started to shed this waxy crap all over my boat, goobed up the eyes and the reel. Been using Tuff Line ever since, in fact been using it before it was marketed for fishing. Western Filament is one of biggest producers of specialty fibers around. The DuraCast is great, it's an encapsulated line, none of the bad braid habits, only good to report.

PS really good reports out for the the Stren products too.

Never had any waxy issues with PowerPro myself. Tried Tuff Line about 5 years ago, didn't care for it, though I don't really remember why

[MarkFromSea]

Rapid response motivated rapid action! Ran to Freddies, Totem Lake, expecting to NOT find PowerPro but at least I could pick up worms.... Just the opposite occurred! They had PowerPro 15, 20, 30 lbs at $14.99 but NO worms.... After reading the above I grabbed a 15 and a 30,,, a jar of Pautzkes Balls of Fire Green Label($2.99). Looked for but didn't find bismuth weights. They did have on close out 24lbs DuraCast at under $9! I hadn't read the above post pertaining to Duracast prior to hittin the road. They didn't have any flouro. Thanks Again! Freddies only had green PP...... LOL

[Elijah.Loves.Fishin]

Rapid response motivated rapid action! Ran to Freddies, Totem Lake, expecting to NOT find PowerPro but at least I could pick up worms.... Just the opposite occurred! They had PowerPro 15, 20, 30 lbs at $14.99 but NO worms.... After reading the above I grabbed a 15 and a 30,,, a jar of Pautzkes Balls of Fire Green Label($2.99). Looked for but didn't find bismuth weights. They did have on close out 24lbs DuraCast at under $9! I hadn't read the above post pertaining to Duracast prior to hittin the road. They didn't have any flouro. Thanks Again! Freddies only had green PP...... LOL

very nice! one key thing that i should mention is that you need to tie non slip knots when using braided line. knot of choice = palomar knot.

[MarkFromSea]

Thanks for the reminder! I used the below links as a refresher.......
http://www.animatedknots.com/palomar/index.php
http://www.animatedknots.com/bloodknot/index.php

[Gringo Pescador]

Rapid response motivated rapid action! Ran to Freddies, Totem Lake, expecting to NOT find PowerPro but at least I could pick up worms.... Just the opposite occurred! They had PowerPro 15, 20, 30 lbs at $14.99 but NO worms.... After reading the above I grabbed a 15 and a 30,,, a jar of Pautzkes Balls of Fire Green Label($2.99). Looked for but didn't find bismuth weights. They did have on close out 24lbs DuraCast at under $9! I hadn't read the above post pertaining to Duracast prior to hittin the road. They didn't have any flouro. Thanks Again! Freddies only had green PP...... LOL

Never seen bismuth (or know what it is, will be googling it later today), but I have seen and purchased tungston in-line egg weights at Walmart before...

[BentRod]

I thought they only used bismuth for shotgun loads. I've seen tungsten for fishing weights though.
I haven't tried any other braids besides PowerPro 30#. I like it. Like Bodo, I did find the waxy stuff build up on the line guide of my bait caster shortly after I spooled on the new line. It was more like a dust, so I just blew it off periodically and after the first trip or two and now it doesn't show up. I never saw it on the rod eyes or anywhere else on the reel though. I also never noticed it on the spinning rod setup on which I also have PowerPro loaded. The only complaint I have of braid so far is getting the knots to stick the first time. Seems like I have to tie them two or three times before I get one that doesn't slip. The backlashes/birdsnests are also a real PIA, but I've found with a little patience and a pair of curved hemostats, the braid will slip, unlike mono, and I can always untangle the backlash/knot without having to cut the line.
I think, like a bait casting reel, using braid takes some practice and getting used to.

[Elijah.Loves.Fishin]

I thought they only used bismuth for shotgun loads. I've seen tungsten for fishing weights though.
I haven't tried any other braids besides PowerPro 30#. I like it. Like Bodo, I did find the waxy stuff build up on the line guide of my bait caster shortly after I spooled on the new line. It was more like a dust, so I just blew it off periodically and after the first trip or two and now it doesn't show up. I never saw it on the rod eyes or anywhere else on the reel though. I also never noticed it on the spinning rod setup on which I also have PowerPro loaded. The only complaint I have of braid so far is getting the knots to stick the first time. Seems like I have to tie them two or three times before I get one that doesn't slip. The backlashes/birdsnests are also a real PIA, but I've found with a little patience and a pair of curved hemostats, the braid will slip, unlike mono, and I can always untangle the backlash/knot without having to cut the line.
I think, like a bait casting reel, using braid takes some practice and getting used to.

the first time i ever used braid, i hooked into a ~3 lber in the pads and did not know that you couldn't use a clinch knot. i pulled pretty hard to get it out of the pads and as i was lifting it into the boat, the knot came undone and i lost the fish. there is a knot called the braid knot which is basically a clinch knot with the line doubled over and it works well but it is a pain to tie. if you tie a palomar knot properly, it will never slip.

on another note, do NOT buy spiderwire ez braid. it is wax coated, and actually has some memory to it. and once the wax starts to come off the line just becomes bulky, rough and chunky.

[Gringo Pescador]

Knots - The Palomar is the only one I use for braid, never had a failure. There is a good animation of how to tie it:
http://www.animatedknots.com/palomar/index.php?Categ=fishing&LogoImage=LogoGrog.jpg&Website=www.animatedknots.com

Backlash/birdsnests -
Two "tricks" I use to lessen the pain (both learned from members of this site):

#1) Once spooled, I stop at my local highschool football field (after hours) with newly spooled rod & reel. I secure the end of the line on the goal line, then open the spool and walk out to the 50 yard line. Once there I wrap one rotation of black tape around the spool, then reel the line back in over it. Now you are gauranteed your birdsnest only goes that far in. If you ever do get to the black tape, it doesn't take much to pull it right off without missing a beat (a fish pulling drag will pull it off just fine.

#2) Go to Michael's or JoAnnes Fabrics and pick up the smallest crochet needle you can find. I keep mine in my fishing vest. Makes untangling a nest on your reel a whole lot easier than using your fat fingers!

[BentRod]

I use the palomar to tie braid to eyelets (rarely fail), but braid to mono has been my biggest challenge. Seems like the same knot that will hold previously will not the next time around. I typically use a blood knot between the two, but have also used a double uni-knot.

[Amx]

I used a double grinnel knot. Seems to work fine.

[BentRod]

I used a double grinnel knot. Seems to work fine.

I can only find a "double grinner knot" on the web, which is the same as a double uni. How is a double grinnel knot tied, same?

[Amx]

I used a double grinnel knot. Seems to work fine.

I can only find a "double grinner knot" on the web, which is the same as a double uni. How is a double grinnel knot tied, same?

grinner, not grennel, my mistake, I've only tied it twice

vid

http://video.search.yahoo.com/video/pla ... ono+170509