Is a fishing line better than another?

[zewski]

There are so many fishing lines out there, about braided lines , is there any evidence that one is better than another? Or is it only by personal preference that people swear by a certain brand?

 

Thank you!

[Tennessee Boy]

Is there evidence that one is better than the other?  No...but that doesn’t stop us from debating which one is best on this forum. ?

[new2BC4bass]

11 minutes ago, Tennessee Boy said:

Is there evidence that one is better than the other?  No...but that doesn’t stop us from debating which one is best on this forum. ?

I think you will also find it to be the same on other forums as well.  Human nature being what it is.   

[QUAKEnSHAKE]

I just judge by experience over many years using many different brands.

 

Noise how loud a braid is through the guides.

Most definitely there is a difference between brands. Do I have video/audio to back my claim NO but its easy to notice once used. Like PPS8S is much quieter than Sufix performance braid 20# vs 20#.

 

Knot strength

I have my own way of testing my line/knot strength. I have noticed certain brands dont reach their rated strength with knot tied while others exceed their rated strength with knot tied. Again NO evidence just experience.

 

Color fade

Some braids have left my thumb & reel green and lost their color quite quickly (daiwa j-braid) while other keep their color over a couple seasons of use (trilene pro)

 

Tightness of weave stiffer or limper line

PPS8S has a very loose weave compared to YGK G-soul. Loose weave will cause issue like a hook more apt to penetrate the line at times or be a cause for more wind knots. Gamma Torque and Daiwa Samurai both very limp lines and I get more wind knot, especially samurai, than other lines. 

[Happybeerbuzz]

It seems to me that modern braid is over engineered for bass fishing with regards to everything except color fade.  Stick popular or mainstream manufacturers and, for bass fishing at least, differences will be marginal. 

[Dens228]

Yes, there is a difference............

 

PowerPro is the best!  No wait, Suffix is the best!  No wait, Seagur....................

 

You get the idea...lol

[lmbfisherman]

I found that the major brand name braids are fine.  Really no difference in my opinion, I really think it's all in the head for everyone or if they are biased.  ? 

 

If we are talking about Floro, copoly and Mono, I do feel like there are differences.  Like I will never fish Vanish again.

[Jigfishn10]

"Last year I went fishing with Salvador Dali. He was using a dotted line. He caught every other fish."

 

Steven Wright

 

 

[Paul Roberts]

Yes, they are different. And yes, some are better than others. But for what purpose, and by how much? Is it worth the work/expense/confusion? That’s up to you where your thresholds lie…

 

Here’s the simple easy answer. And it’s true! Basically, ALL modern fishing lines are technological marvels. They are all SO good that... we're blessed. But I hear you, we're a little too blessed.

 

So, I’ll give some details —I feel I can say something about— that might give you some working info on braids. I haven't fished all the braids out there by any means, and new stuff comes along all the time. How “new” —that is, how “breakthrough” are they?— is always an open question —until we buy them, and give them a serious (beyond unboxing) workout. Such attempts as the “new” 5 and 9 carrier braids out there have me a little dubious, at least as far as me going out and replacing my existing lines goes. 

 

So, some examples that can make the point about what can be different across braids:

 

Spiderwire Stealth: First braid I used -I think was THE first braid out there (?). I seem to remember that the technology came from research into how spiderwebs —amazingly strong/diameter— were constructed. That research came out of my alma mater too. I still remember a picture of the grad student talking about how amazing spiderwebs are.

 

I still have some Stealth on my reels and still use it. It's a little thicker in diameter than newer braids, but, I have no idea if the break ratings are accurate across braids. Stealth is a soft line. And it has a habit of softening —the weaves "opening up”-- after much use. This is OK but it does catch the wind a bit more than more solid-bodied braids, and it can catch in dry brush and grass along shorelines. And being so soft it can tie knots in itself and on rod-tips a bit easier than braids that maintain some “body”. Well-used ("fluffed-up") Stealth has it's advantages though: It lands very softly on the water —a real plus for sight and finesse fishing. And it's “fluffed-up”/“flattened” diameter makes a good strike indicator for shallow soft-plastics.

 

Power-Pro: It came on the market offering more "body" and durability —not fluffing up so much. It's a tad stiffer until broken in, but fishes really well.

 

Fire-Line: A “Thermally-Fused" (melted) braid that I rarely kept on a reel long enough to find it's advantages. It's thicker than most braids, takes time to break-in and appeared to me to really need that breaking in, at least for finesse applications. Brand new, it's rather wiry. It's still on my musky reel though. Those big lures just didn't mind dragging plastic through the sky. Hopefully others will chime in and give a more redeeming, and experienced, opinion on FL.

 

Cabela's "Rip-Cord": Don't even remember where I got it. It operates like other braids. No complaints.

 

Daiwa J-Braid (8-carrier/strand): The braid I'm buying now. Very nice line. I believe it followed in the footsteps of Sufix 832, that introduced a new, and near-breakthrough, technology —an 8-strand tight weave. This makes for a thinner line, with "body" to it; That is, it stays intact (no fluffing). J-Braid is thinner than Stealth and Power-Pro (the old standards), per break rating, by quite a bit. I do not know -again- how accurate break ratings are with braids though. The point may be moot however,  bc braids are all stronger than our rods! Going thinner can even be a handicap rather than a plus, as with "monos". Which brings us to, the micro-braids...

 

Nanofil: Cool idea! I was psyched! I've been looking for thinner and thinner lines since... I discovered that fishing lines are “the most important part of the chain between us and the fish, in terms of getting them to bite”. I'd also always said that “If we could get rid of that pesky line, our main presentation woes would go ‘poof’”! But, there apparently are limits to such a lofty ideals. Nanofil was the first to flirt with that apparent utopia.

Bottom line, I found, was that it’s too fragile. It shreds. All braids lack abrasion resistance, as far as I know. If there is an abrasion resistant braid out there, do let me know please! Pretty please!

 

Gliss: A big step-up from Nanofil, IME. I have only used it for finesse applications and find it has good body, handles well, and is impossibly thin. Using something akin to sewing thread may not be the best direction, however, now that I’ve tried it. I’m still hoping to “get rid of that pesky line” -I think. Not sure the current micro-braids are there yet. Abrasion resistance is part of it. And “mass”, “rigidity”, and “density” are others. I have some “24lb” Gliss to try yet, for more regular bass applications, which will tell me more. I know @A-Jay has used it, in fact I followed in his foot-steps on Gliss. I suspect, I’ll be using J-Braid a while longer yet though.

 

All these “blessed” choices we have are a double-edged sword. They represent too much choice, but also fuel innovation. There are better lines to be made. I'm still waiting.

 

My bottom line advice? Don’t freak out! All modern lines are… amazing technological marvels. Pick one and fish, man!

[A-Jay]

2 minutes ago, Paul Roberts said:

Yes, they are different. And yes, some are better than others. But for what purpose, and by how much? Is it worth the work/expense/confusion? That’s up to you where your thresholds lie…

 

Here’s the simple easy answer. And it’s true! Basically, ALL modern fishing lines are technological marvels. They are all SO good that... we're blessed. But I hear you, we're a little too blessed.

 

So, I’ll give some details —I feel I can say something about— that might give you some working info on braids. I haven't fished all the braids out there by any means, and new stuff comes along all the time. How “new” —that is, how “breakthrough” are they?— is always an open question —until we buy them, and give them a serious (beyond unboxing) workout. Such attempts as the “new” 5 and 9 carrier braids out there have me a little dubious, at least as far as me going out and replacing my existing lines goes. 

 

So, some examples that can make the point about what can be different across braids:

 

Spiderwire Stealth: First braid I used -I think was THE first braid out there (?). I seem to remember that the technology came from research into how spiderwebs —amazingly strong/diameter— were constructed. That research came out of my alma mater too. I still remember a picture of the grad student talking about how amazing spiderwebs are.

 

I still have some Stealth on my reels and still use it. It's a little thicker in diameter than newer braids, but, I have no idea if the break ratings are accurate across braids. Stealth is a soft line. And it has a habit of softening —the weaves "opening up”-- after much use. This is OK but it does catch the wind a bit more than more solid-bodied braids, and it can catch in dry brush and grass along shorelines. And being so soft it can tie knots in itself and on rod-tips a bit easier than braids that maintain some “body”. Well-used ("fluffed-up") Stealth has it's advantages though: It lands very softly on the water —a real plus for sight and finesse fishing. And it's “fluffed-up”/“flattened” diameter makes a good strike indicator for shallow soft-plastics.

 

Power-Pro: It came on the market offering more "body" and durability —not fluffing up so much. It's a tad stiffer until broken in, but fishes really well.

 

Fire-Line: A “Thermally-Fused" (melted) braid that I rarely kept on a reel long enough to find it's advantages. It's thicker than most braids, takes time to break-in and appeared to me to really need that breaking in, at least for finesse applications. Brand new, it's rather wiry. It's still on my musky reel though. Those big lures just didn't mind dragging plastic through the sky. Hopefully others will chime in and give a more redeeming, and experienced, opinion in FL.

 

Cabela's "Rip-Cord": Don't even remember where I got it. It operates like other braids. No complaints.

 

Daiwa J-Braid (8-carrier/strand): The braid I'm buying now. Very nice line. I believe it followed in the footsteps of Sufix 832, that introduced a new, and near-breakthrough, technology —an 8-strand tight weave. This makes for a thinner line, with "body" to it; That is, it stays intact (no fluffing). J-Braid is thinner than Stealth and Power-Pro (the old standards), per break rating, by quite a bit. I do not know -again- how accurate break ratings are with braids though. The point may be moot however,  bc braids are all stronger than our rods! Going thinner can even be a handicap rather than a plus, as with "monos". Which brings us to, the micro-braids...

 

Nanofil: Cool idea! I was psyched! I've been looking for thinner and thinner lines since... I discovered that fishing lines are “the most important part of the chain between us and the fish, in terms of getting them to bite”. I'd also always said that “If we could get rid of that pesky line, our main presentation woes would go ‘poof’”! But, there apparently are limits to such a lofty ideals. Nanofil was the first to flirt with that apparent utopia.

Bottom line, I found, was that it’s too fragile. It shreds. All braids lack abrasion resistance, as far as I know. If there is an abrasion resistant braid out there, do let me know please! Pretty please!

 

Gliss: A big step-up from Nanofil, IME. I have only used it for finesse applications and find it has good body, handles well, and is impossibly thin. Using something akin to sewing thread may not be the best direction, however, now that I’ve tried it. I’m still hoping to “get rid of that pesky line” -I think. Not sure the current micro-braids are there yet. Abrasion resistance is part of it. And “mass”, “rigidity”, and “density” are others. I have some “24lb” Gliss to try yet, for more regular bass applications, which will tell me more. I know @A-Jay has used it, in fact I followed in his foot-steps on Gliss. I suspect, I’ll be using J-Braid a while longer yet though.

 

All these “blessed” choices we have are a double-edged sword. They represent too much choice, but also fuel innovation. There are better lines to be made. I'm still waiting.

 

My bottom line advice? Don’t freak out! All modern lines are… amazing technological marvels. Pick one and fish, man!

Nicely Done Sir.

A-Jay 

[greentrout]

Berkley Fire line is excellent on spinning reels ... solid hooksets ... easy to cast ... very little birds nest ... and sensitive ... 

 

good fishing ...

[Backroad Angler]

Not sure if someone has stated it yet, but I think its not so much that a particular brand is better than another, but there are differences between braid, fluro and mono and each one has its advantages and disadvantages.

[MassYak85]

Strength wise out of box I think most braids will be on pretty level footing. But over time some fade more, some fray more, and then obviously the differences between 4 and 8 carrier are immediate out of box. 

[zewski]

2 hours ago, Paul Roberts said:

Yes, they are different. And yes, some are better than others. But for what purpose, and by how much? Is it worth the work/expense/confusion? That’s up to you where your thresholds lie…

 

Here’s the simple easy answer. And it’s true! Basically, ALL modern fishing lines are technological marvels. They are all SO good that... we're blessed. But I hear you, we're a little too blessed.

 

So, I’ll give some details —I feel I can say something about— that might give you some working info on braids. I haven't fished all the braids out there by any means, and new stuff comes along all the time. How “new” —that is, how “breakthrough” are they?— is always an open question —until we buy them, and give them a serious (beyond unboxing) workout. Such attempts as the “new” 5 and 9 carrier braids out there have me a little dubious, at least as far as me going out and replacing my existing lines goes. 

 

So, some examples that can make the point about what can be different across braids:

 

Spiderwire Stealth: First braid I used -I think was THE first braid out there (?). I seem to remember that the technology came from research into how spiderwebs —amazingly strong/diameter— were constructed. That research came out of my alma mater too. I still remember a picture of the grad student talking about how amazing spiderwebs are.

 

I still have some Stealth on my reels and still use it. It's a little thicker in diameter than newer braids, but, I have no idea if the break ratings are accurate across braids. Stealth is a soft line. And it has a habit of softening —the weaves "opening up”-- after much use. This is OK but it does catch the wind a bit more than more solid-bodied braids, and it can catch in dry brush and grass along shorelines. And being so soft it can tie knots in itself and on rod-tips a bit easier than braids that maintain some “body”. Well-used ("fluffed-up") Stealth has it's advantages though: It lands very softly on the water —a real plus for sight and finesse fishing. And it's “fluffed-up”/“flattened” diameter makes a good strike indicator for shallow soft-plastics.

 

Power-Pro: It came on the market offering more "body" and durability —not fluffing up so much. It's a tad stiffer until broken in, but fishes really well.

 

Fire-Line: A “Thermally-Fused" (melted) braid that I rarely kept on a reel long enough to find it's advantages. It's thicker than most braids, takes time to break-in and appeared to me to really need that breaking in, at least for finesse applications. Brand new, it's rather wiry. It's still on my musky reel though. Those big lures just didn't mind dragging plastic through the sky. Hopefully others will chime in and give a more redeeming, and experienced, opinion in FL.

 

Cabela's "Rip-Cord": Don't even remember where I got it. It operates like other braids. No complaints.

 

Daiwa J-Braid (8-carrier/strand): The braid I'm buying now. Very nice line. I believe it followed in the footsteps of Sufix 832, that introduced a new, and near-breakthrough, technology —an 8-strand tight weave. This makes for a thinner line, with "body" to it; That is, it stays intact (no fluffing). J-Braid is thinner than Stealth and Power-Pro (the old standards), per break rating, by quite a bit. I do not know -again- how accurate break ratings are with braids though. The point may be moot however,  bc braids are all stronger than our rods! Going thinner can even be a handicap rather than a plus, as with "monos". Which brings us to, the micro-braids...

 

Nanofil: Cool idea! I was psyched! I've been looking for thinner and thinner lines since... I discovered that fishing lines are “the most important part of the chain between us and the fish, in terms of getting them to bite”. I'd also always said that “If we could get rid of that pesky line, our main presentation woes would go ‘poof’”! But, there apparently are limits to such a lofty ideals. Nanofil was the first to flirt with that apparent utopia.

Bottom line, I found, was that it’s too fragile. It shreds. All braids lack abrasion resistance, as far as I know. If there is an abrasion resistant braid out there, do let me know please! Pretty please!

 

Gliss: A big step-up from Nanofil, IME. I have only used it for finesse applications and find it has good body, handles well, and is impossibly thin. Using something akin to sewing thread may not be the best direction, however, now that I’ve tried it. I’m still hoping to “get rid of that pesky line” -I think. Not sure the current micro-braids are there yet. Abrasion resistance is part of it. And “mass”, “rigidity”, and “density” are others. I have some “24lb” Gliss to try yet, for more regular bass applications, which will tell me more. I know @A-Jay has used it, in fact I followed in his foot-steps on Gliss. I suspect, I’ll be using J-Braid a while longer yet though.

 

All these “blessed” choices we have are a double-edged sword. They represent too much choice, but also fuel innovation. There are better lines to be made. I'm still waiting.

 

My bottom line advice? Don’t freak out! All modern lines are… amazing technological marvels. Pick one and fish, man!

Thank you for these infos! Very useful!

[Boomstick]

Better is subjective. Braid is better for fishing frogs than flurocarbon or mono. Fluorcarbon is good for getting extra depth on shallow diving lures etc.

 

As far as lines, braid is generally the same cross brand more than other lines from my experience. Occasionally some are unique (PowerPro MaxCuatro for example which is thinner but supposedly stronger). I usually go with Daiwa J-Braid x8 because it's quiet through the guides and does not fray easily and I can find it in any Dick's Sporting Goods and it's not overly expensive. This year, I will try the J-Braid grand and see if it's worth the extra money or not. On the flipside, I've had some 8 strand Spiderwire line that frayed way too easily.

 

For monofilament, there is Berkley Big Game which is by far the most cost efficient option. Then there are thinner lines like Trilene XL and thicker and more abrasion resistant lines with better handling than Big Game like Trilene XT or Sufix Siege (which comes at a cost). Sufix Siege is generally my favorite for casting gear, but honestly Trilene XT is pretty close too. Most brands have their offering of each style of line.

 

For fluorocarbon, rule #1 is there is Berkley Vanish then there is everything else for the most part. Some lines are more abrasion resistant, and some lines have better knot strength than others. For example I've been using Berkley trilene flurocarbon for moving baits which is great in knot strength and sheer strength but my experience is it's not quite as abrasion resistant as AbrazX, making it a perfect choice for what I'm using it for. InvisX, AbrazX and Tatsu are all fine lines as well, and if you're on a budget (and mono is out of the question) Red Label is not a bad option either.

[WRB]

You get the same performance regardless what it cost with everything you buy!

[Tennessee Boy]

I had a professor in college that worked for the division of DuPont that developed Nylon.  He was a researcher and explained to us that his job was to develop materials with certain properties not materials that might be used in a specific product.  Other engineers would decide if the material had the right properties for a specific product like fishing line.  

 

I would love to know the history behind the many fishing lines on the market.  I think it's safe to say that no one in the fishing industry is doing materials research.  Very few if any fishing line companies are doing their own engineering that turns new materials into new fishing lines.  Most are probably just buying their lines from big companies like Honeywell that develop and sell wholesale line like Spectra HT Fiber fishing line  https://www.spectrafishing.com 

I wonder how many of the different brands of line we buy are selling the same line coming out of the same factory with different packaging?

[zewski]

17 hours ago, Tennessee Boy said:

I had a professor in college that worked for the division of DuPont that developed Nylon.  He was a researcher and explained to us that his job was to develop materials with certain properties not materials that might be used in a specific product.  Other engineers would decide if the material had the right properties for a specific product like fishing line.  

 

I would love to know the history behind the many fishing lines on the market.  I think it's safe to say that no one in the fishing industry is doing materials research.  Very few if any fishing line companies are doing their own engineering that turns new materials into new fishing lines.  Most are probably just buying their lines from big companies like Honeywell that develop and sell wholesale line like Spectra HT Fiber fishing line  https://www.spectrafishing.com 

I wonder how many of the different brands of line we buy are selling the same line coming out of the same factory with different packaging?

Well according to spectra fishing, both Tuf-Line and Power Pro are using spectra!! You are probably right... So where are the guys who say Tuf-Line is BS and they are only using PP?

[JLBBass]

I use a quality copolymer line for 90%+ of my fishing. It's either Izorline XXX Super Copolymer for spinning (6 & 8#), or Silver Thread Excailbur for baitcasters (8-12#). The only time I use braid is for the main line when using a drop shot in deep water on the Great Lakes for smallies.

Including the smallmouth I catch on Erie, which is alot, I catch an average of around 2,000+ bass a year, and have had NO issues using a copolymer line, and I can not remember the last time I broke off (maybe once in the last 10 years). That has ALOT to do with matching line & rod power/action to the line I use, along with constantly checking line for any frays or nicks (and a good drag!)

[WRB]

For all around performance including color fast and quite line it's hard to find a better braid at any price then FINS not mentioned by any of the above members.

Tom

[Tennessee Boy]

42 minutes ago, zewski@live.com said:

Well according to spectra fishing, both Tuf-Line and Power Pro are using spectra!! You are probably right... So where are the guys who say Tuf-Line is BS and they are only using PP?

If you look at the specs on the web sites for Tuf-Line and Power Pro,  it's a little confusing.  Power Pro uses the Spectra logo,  Tuf-Line does not.  Their specs do not match up but they may be selling the same line with different strength ratings.  I have no idea if they are identical or made to different specification.  Obviously,  they aren't going to market it is as "The Spectra line you love,  in a prettier box"

[Paul Roberts]

Bringing this back up, since someone called it to my attention. An update:

 

After using J-Braid8 in finer finesse diameters <20lb, I've found it to be nearly as soft as SW Stealth, causing it to knot itself easily, becoming esp troublesome in fine diameters. Any loop (spinning reels here) and... I've got trouble; Time out to pick apart a fine braid knot. Not what I want to be doing with my precious fishing time. I have to pay close attention to my spool every time I close the bail!

 

So, I've gone entirely to Gliss for my finesse fishing (spinning). I've used 8lb for UL and now 24# for ML. It's been trouble free. It's PE but not "braided". And it handles beautifully. Just beautifully. Despite its slick surface FG knots have held just fine with FC's down to 4lb (.007). Headache solved.

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

On 3/5/2019 at 9:50 AM, WRB said:

For all around performance including color fast and quite line it's hard to find a better braid at any price then FINS not mentioned by any of the above members.

Tom

I’ll be buying some next time I need. 

[livin2fish]

I have Fins on all my spinning and half of my baitcasters, and love it.  Thanks WRB

[txchaser]

FINS is great. I've mostly moved to the Sling Braid over the Windtamer.