Stren Original Vs. Spiderwire Braid

[Anantha Patel]

Hello!

 

Today I decided to go ultralight and bought myself a combo prespooled with Stren Original. However, I have some very bad experiences with mono (birds nests, abrasions, lost lures, bad hooksets, impossible ways to get inside my reel). I am wondering if I should spool it with some dark green spider wire EZ braid 20lb that I have lying around. I will be fishing in both clear water and non clear water, and with a leader, and a Johnson's Beetle Spin. Any ideas? Here is a picture of the braid I use.

[ABW]

I think 20 lb will be a bit too heavy for your ultralight. Is it a spinning combo you're talking about? 

[Anantha Patel]

Yep, But the line isn't thick at all.

[k3bass]

If you are already having that many problems with mono then braid is only going to make your problems worse. 20 pound braid is overkill for an ultralight spinning setup. I don't use anything above 15lb braid on my medium power spinning rods.

[Weld's Largemouth]

Both of them are garbage. Switch to sufix 832.

[Anantha Patel]

Thanks for the input. I used nanofil and other small diameter braid in the past, but they break easily and lose $4 Panther Martins very easily on the jagged rocks I fish. Why not the 20 Lb test Spiderwire? It seems to be the same diameter as the Stren, or less. Thanks. 

[OkobojiEagle]

6lb - 8lb fused Fireline...

 

 

 

oe

[faygo1979]

braid is the only thing i use on my spinning reels anymore.  what size reel is it you are using?  i use 10 and 20 on my size 15 reels.  20 will not cast as well with lighter lures

[Penguino]

Most people think spidewire is cheap junk. I would recommend using 4-8 pound Mccoy Coppoly

[Anantha Patel]

I am using a size 20 reel. 

[Bluebasser86]

Spiderwire EZ braid is one of the worse braids I've ever used. No line is going to handle being drug through jagged rocks very many times without abrasion or getting cut by the rocks. If you want an affordable braid for your spinning reel try some Sufix Performance braid in 10/4 size and I think you'll be much happier than you will be with the Spiderwire.

[d-camarena]

10lb braid is the way to go. I like pp8 slick

[Josh Smith]

I use 10lb to 20lb braid and FC leader on my ultralight. It works very well.

Spiderwire EZ Braid works well enough on baitcasting reels, but I'm not sure how it would act on spinning. Seems a bit stiff for that purpose.

Josh

[HeavyDluxe]

I'll just chime in as someone who still, in spite of the outcry, still fishes nothing but mono on all my setups (4lbUL, 8lbM, 12lbMH/H).

 

If you're having that many issues with mono, one of three things is at work:

1) You're using mono that was pre-strung on the reels (poorly) and has been on the spool a long time

2) Your mono was strung poorly resulting in a lot of line-twist

3) Your reel spool is either too full or not full enough

 

Mono is still serviceable for almost every fishing application, though I won't argue that there are potential benefits to braid/fluoro in specific situations.  If you'd like to give mono a fair shake, but a new pack of good line (Trilene XL is what I mainly use now) and freshly spool the reel correctly.

 

Having said all that, you definitely need lighter braid on that UL setup. Using that heavy diameter, braided line on such a light setup will lead to spool issue (again) and other potential problems.  Something like 10lb braid is more than enough for light tackle.

[new2BC4bass]

It seems a lot of people are going with braid on their spinning reels because 1) less line twist and 2) thinner diameter.  Which translates to less trouble with your casting.  I've got braid on a couple spinning and a few baitcast reels, but mono or co-polymer are on the majority.  One thing I can tell you is that braid (even heavy braid) doesn't do well in the shock department or with abrasion.  You can snap a lure off pretty easy with braid if the line stops quick. There was a youtube video posted showing how easy braid breaks when being drawn across a rock.

 

I have to agree with HeavyDluxe.  You are doing something wrong.  I started fishing at 5 years old using mono.  I still prefer mono 62 years later.  I've never had the problems you describe.

 

If you are going to use braid, I can highly recommend Sufix Performance as a relatively cheap line that is very good.  You really should tie on a leader using a fluorocarbon, Izorline Platinum or P-Line CXX.

 

I fished for several years using nothing but 4# Trilene XL.  I did have to tie on a 10# leader when using it on my 9 foot Fenwick Nightwalker rod as I could snap off small Beetlespins on the cast otherwise.

[Josh Smith]

I'll just chime in as someone who still, in spite of the outcry, still fishes nothing but mono on all my setups (4lbUL, 8lbM, 12lbMH/H).

 

If you're having that many issues with mono, one of three things is at work:

1) You're using mono that was pre-strung on the reels (poorly) and has been on the spool a long time

2) Your mono was strung poorly resulting in a lot of line-twist

3) Your reel spool is either too full or not full enough

 

Mono is still serviceable for almost every fishing application, though I won't argue that there are potential benefits to braid/fluoro in specific situations.  If you'd like to give mono a fair shake, but a new pack of good line (Trilene XL is what I mainly use now) and freshly spool the reel correctly.

 

Having said all that, you definitely need lighter braid on that UL setup. Using that heavy diameter, braided line on such a light setup will lead to spool issue (again) and other potential problems.  Something like 10lb braid is more than enough for light tackle.

 

I come from the mono crowd of old.

 

Braid is one of the most useful (to me!) inventions of the past 20 years.  I've done several hooksets at 30+ yards with it.  That's something I'd never have attempted with mono.  I love the stuff!

 

If I were going to replace braid on my ultralight with mono, I'd use Trilene XL.  That's the best mono for that use so far as I'm concerned.

 

Josh

[HeavyDluxe]

Just to be clear, I hope the original poster does not take my message to imply that "braid is bad and mono is king".  We've all had that repair job where it was a pain in the tookus until someone showed us the tool that some other poor sap thought up to make that job easy.  All of a sudden, the terrible job became a snap.

 

In the same way, every situation in fishing has a setup (rod/reel/line/lure) that is probably best for unlocking it... Braid is certainly 'best' in some of those situations.

 

My point is that "I'm getting all kinds of birds nests with mono" isn't that kind of problem.  That's all.  Good luck.