Best Braided Line?

[WPCfishing]

I've wasted quite a bit of money trying different braids. I'll stick with Power pro.. For me its the best. It may not be for you.. 

[fishindad]

1 hour ago, blckshirt98 said:

I use normal PowerPro and Sufix 832 and haven't noticed anything bad from either one that makes me want to try another braided line.  Plus PowerPro and Sufix 832 is easy to find either retail or online, and you can usually find it on sale.

Agree with this. Have 832 on my baitcasters and Power Pro on the spin gear. I've fished the other way around (832 on spinning, PP on casting) and not noticed any significant difference in performance. Slight edge to the 832 FWIW.

[Oklahoma Mike]

Been using Smackdown and am extremely happy with it in all aspects. Can't see making a change anytime soon. 

[jhc1]

This may sound like sacrilege, but I have lost more lures (at least five- a few spinners, a jig head, and several mushroom heads) with my new spool of 15lb smackdown in the two-three weeks I've had it than any other braided lines I've used combined. This includes 15lb Power Pro, 15lb Suffix 832, and 20 lb Super Slick. I'm not sure what the problem is, but I may consider taking this line off the reel. My experiences appear to be different than every one else's, so it could just be bad luck. FWIW, I tie a palomar knot 99.9% of the time with my braid. 

[roadwarrior]

Smackdown

 

[Master Bait'r]

5 hours ago, jhc1 said:

This may sound like sacrilege, but I have lost more lures (at least five- a few spinners, a jig head, and several mushroom heads) with my new spool of 15lb smackdown in the two-three weeks I've had it than any other braided lines I've used combined. This includes 15lb Power Pro, 15lb Suffix 832, and 20 lb Super Slick. I'm not sure what the problem is, but I may consider taking this line off the reel. My experiences appear to be different than every one else's, so it could just be bad luck. FWIW, I tie a palomar knot 99.9% of the time with my braid. 

 

Watch your hook eyes.  When I first started using Smackdown I was breaking off constantly- come to figure out the line is so darn thin it was actually getting caught in the tiny slit part of the hook eye where they mash/crimp the end closed and it was breaking it off.  I switched to epoxied-eye hooks and it hasn't happened again since.  

 

Also watch line burn on Palomar type knots.  The thinner the braid the easier it can burn pulling knots. 

[jhc1]

20 minutes ago, Master Bait'r said:

 

Watch your hook eyes.  When I first started using Smackdown I was breaking off constantly- come to figure out the line is so darn thin it was actually getting caught in the tiny slit part of the hook eye where they mash/crimp the end closed and it was breaking it off.  I switched to epoxied-eye hooks and it hasn't happened again since.  

 

Also watch line burn on Palomar type knots.  The thinner the braid the easier it can burn pulling knots. 

Thanks for the insights. Did you buy hooks that were pre-epoxied? If so, what brand? If you did it yourself, what did you use? 

[QUAKEnSHAKE]

6 hours ago, jhc1 said:

This may sound like sacrilege, but I have lost more lures (at least five- a few spinners, a jig head, and several mushroom heads) with my new spool of 15lb smackdown in the two-three weeks I've had it than any other braided lines I've used combined. This includes 15lb Power Pro, 15lb Suffix 832, and 20 lb Super Slick. I'm not sure what the problem is, but I may consider taking this line off the reel. My experiences appear to be different than every one else's, so it could just be bad luck. FWIW, I tie a palomar knot 99.9% of the time with my braid. 

15# smackdown wont be as strong as 15 # PP or 832 S8s cause the diameter is thinner with smackdown. If you want the same strength as say 20#S8S get 30# smackdown they will have the same dia. and be closer to each other in actual knot strength.

[Crankinit]

I have used PP and Spiderwire for years, in both salt and fresh, and have never had an issue with either.

[J Francho]

Unless you're working with really minute diameter braid, it's all mostly over engineered, and all of them are strong.  It basically comes down to personal preference, and since you typically leave braid on for a long time, you generally get used to what you have, if it works.  At least that is how it is for me.  I don't know that I've run into a braid I truly disliked.

[fishballer06]

12 minutes ago, J Francho said:

Unless you're working with really minute diameter braid, it's all mostly over engineered, and all of them are strong.  It basically comes down to personal preference, and since you typically leave braid on for a long time, you generally get used to what you have, if it works.  At least that is how it is for me.  I don't know that I've run into a braid I truly disliked.

A lot of truth in this post. 

The only braids I have had issues with is Spiderwire. For some reason, that line would break off during a cast fairly often. After two spools, I ditched it. 

[Master Bait'r]

2 hours ago, jhc1 said:

Thanks for the insights. Did you buy hooks that were pre-epoxied? If so, what brand? If you did it yourself, what did you use? 

 

I use the VMC epoxied eye hooks and yes they're done at the factory.  

Any other baits I've identified as having potential problems with the eyelet I just put a dab of clear nail polish on the crack.  Done deal.  

[Big Bait Fishing]

4 hours ago, J Francho said:

Unless you're working with really minute diameter braid, it's all mostly over engineered, and all of them are strong.  It basically comes down to personal preference, and since you typically leave braid on for a long time, you generally get used to what you have, if it works.  At least that is how it is for me.  I don't know that I've run into a braid I truly disliked.

the braids i dislike are braids that flatten out and are not round , one that comes to mind is Izorline , most new braids these days are pretty round and does come down to personal preference ,

[jhc1]

6 hours ago, QUAKEnSHAKE said:

15# smackdown wont be as strong as 15 # PP or 832 S8s cause the diameter is thinner with smackdown. If you want the same strength as say 20#S8S get 30# smackdown they will have the same dia. and be closer to each other in actual knot strength.

Forgive my ignorance, but if something is advertised as 15# test, shouldn't it break at (at least) 15 pounds of force? Or are you suggesting that 15# PP actually has a strength that's substantially higher than 15 pounds, whereas smackdown is basically exactly what it's advertised? 

[IndianaFinesse]

1 minute ago, jhc1 said:

Forgive my ignorance, but if something is advertised as 15# test, shouldn't it break at (at least) 15 pounds of force? Or are you suggesting that 15# PP actually has a strength that's substantially higher than 15 pounds, whereas smackdown is basically exactly what it's advertised? 

I haven't ever tried smackdown, but I have used powerpro for a long time and can tell you that it's actual braking strength is about double what is advertised.

[GORDO]

1st for P-Line TCB! I have been using it for a while after switching from Stren 832, which I never had a probelm with. Just wanted to try something different. I have never used braid under 30lb though, so there is that! I mean, it doesnt turn "white" very fast, Ive never had a problem with back lashing or fraying, and Ive never had a fish, besides a northern or musky, bite/break my line... 

[J Francho]

1 hour ago, jhc1 said:

Or are you suggesting that 15# PP actually has a strength that's substantially higher than 15 pounds, whereas smackdown is basically exactly what it's advertised? 

I believe this is what he is suggesting.  I know for Daiwa Samurai, it breaks at it's advertised strength.

[blckshirt98]

I use PP 15 on most of my spinning reels and that stuff does not break with 15 pounds of force.  I was able to rip a lipless crank from a tree 30 yards up by breaking off the branch it was stuck on, and I had the PowerPro looped several times around my fishing hat when I was pulling really freaking hard.  Disclaimer here is that it was like the 2nd cast on a newly spooled reel, so the line was brand new with zero fraying.