Best Braid for bass and trout

[sculpinman]

What the best braid for bass and trout? Like no bleeding and very smooth?

Or just the best you have used.

 

[bulldog1935]

Sufix 832 is extremely well-behaved braid, on both baitcast and spinning tackle

and never had it bleed color - it does fade.  

[roadwarrior]

Smackdown

 

https://seaguar.com/freshwater/new-lines/smackdown-stealth-gray

[sculpinman]

53 minutes ago, roadwarrior said:

Smackdown

 

https://seaguar.com/freshwater/new-lines/smackdown-stealth-gray

There is only a grey color. Do you think that it's a bit too visible?

[MN Fisher]

6 minutes ago, sculpinman said:

There is only a grey color. Do you think that it's a bit too visible?

Gray is fairly innocuous...now the Green Smackdown...

[dodgeguy]

Sufix 832 in neon lime with last 10 feet colored black.

[T-Billy]

4 hours ago, bulldog1935 said:

Sufix 832 is extremely well-behaved braid, on both baitcast and spinning tackle

and never had it bleed color - it does fade.  

Agree 100%. Great abrasion resistance too. 

[Pasquale.angler]

Hi, I personally recommend the power pro v2. I use it mainly in bass, on casting reels, with a diameter of 0.28mm (the minimum you have to start from if you want to prevent the coils from sinking into the reel). The best I have tried so far in terms of quality / price ratio.

Best regards.

[redmeansdistortion]

I've been a big fan of the Berkley X9 but their measurements are way off unless you go by the Goh rating instead of the US and EU measurements.  I like the #0.8 for trout fishing and #1.5 for bass.  The color does a great job of staying put as well and that Jordan Lee bright yellow is very easy to see.

[bulldog1935]

 - also represented by the # sign.  The scale originated for sizing silk thread.  

Once you get used to it, PE# rating is by far the simplest way to think about braid.  

The Japanese apply the same thickness scale to their mono and fluoro. 

10 hours ago, redmeansdistortion said:

I've been a big fan of the Berkley X9 but their measurements are way off unless you go by the Goh rating instead of the US and EU measurements.  I like the #0.8 for trout fishing and #1.5 for bass.  The color does a great job of staying put as well and that Jordan Lee bright yellow is very easy to see.

Pound-test is all over the place, probably worse for mono/fluoro than it is for braid - 6-lb test actually breaks at 12 lbs, and so does 8-lb test, hmmm.  

USM rates spool capacity by pound test mono, while the rest of the world uses diameter.  

If you need to know spool capacity for a different line, and especially for stacking lines, you can only do it by diameters.  

Inches is the least accurate way to measure braid - 0.008"

mm makes a little more sense - 0.21 mm 

PE#1.5 is conversant, especially in JDM rod line rating and spool capacity.  

A 1520 spool is PE#1.5, 200 m

 

A warning, though.  Once you try Duel and YGK X-braids, you're going to become a junkie and stick shallow spools on all your reels.  

Maybe we should stick to Sufix 832, with its good manners in thicker diameters, and half the pound-test for the same diameter.  832 also stacks well on a deep spool with a base wrap of really big mono (20- or 25-lb test)

[MickD]

Best braid I've used is Hitena Pureline.  White.  Keep in mind that lines like this are so thin that color is less a visibility problem than you might at first think.  Pricey but lasts a long long time.

[sculpinman]

5 hours ago, bulldog1935 said:

 - also represented by the # sign.  The scale originated for sizing silk thread.  

Once you get used to it, PE# rating is by far the simplest way to think about braid.  

The Japanese apply the same thickness scale to their mono and fluoro. 

Pound-test is all over the place, probably worse for mono/fluoro than it is for braid - 6-lb test actually breaks at 12 lbs, and so does 8-lb test, hmmm.  

USM rates spool capacity by pound test mono, while the rest of the world uses diameter.  

If you need to know spool capacity for a different line, and especially for stacking lines, you can only do it by diameters.  

Inches is the least accurate way to measure braid - 0.008"

mm makes a little more sense - 0.21 mm 

PE#1.5 is conversant, especially in JDM rod line rating and spool capacity.  

A 1520 spool is PE#1.5, 200 m

 

A warning, though.  Once you try Duel and YGK X-braids, you're going to become a junkie and stick shallow spools on all your reels.  

Maybe we should stick to Sufix 832, with its good manners in thicker diameters, and half the pound-test for the same diameter.  832 also stacks well on a deep spool with a base wrap of really big mono (20- or 25-lb test)

Do know any shallow spools for ten pound braid under $100?

[WRB]

I tried Seaguar Smack Down based on glowing reports on this site. Smack down is color fast but....tends to stick together reducing casting distance.

I have used Fins Original braid for decades and decided to try their Sling Braid. 15 lb sling braid is .007D and color fast 8 carrier quite great casting braid, far superior to Smack Down imo.

Tom

[bulldog1935]

1 hour ago, sculpinman said:

Do know any shallow spools for ten pound braid under $100?

oops - OOS at FishingShopKiwi... 

only the 2500S and 2500  is in stock at Hedgehog.  

 

I think the 140 m of PE#1 on the 2500S spool is more than adequate, and kind of the whole purpose of buying a shallow braid spool.  

PE#1 = 20-lb X-braid.  

 

The 2500 spool might still be an improvement with thicker braid, such as 15- or 20-lb Sufix 832.  

 

You need to verify the fit, but pursue that through this Hedgehog listing

I get the sense it fits all the recent LT reels, and the size is correct for your spool body.  

You see, the problem is Fuego is called something else in Japan...

Contact Hedgehog and see if they can answer.  

@sculpinman

 

The hedgehog spool cans are also nice for storage.  

[sculpinman]

7 minutes ago, bulldog1935 said:

The one I showed is priced at $40 (plus express courier)

FishingShopKiwi has really great prices, especially on braid, a range lures, reels, tuning parts (handles) - it's just a tough site to navigate - I've placed 8 orders there, and always floored by their prices.  

 

You need to verify the fit, but pursue that through this Hedgehog listing

I get the sense it fits all the recent LT reels, and the size is correct for your spool body.  

Do you think it fits the daiwa fuego and do I need to get a new drag adjuster?

Can I just use the TICA Libra SX Series Spinning Reels with ten pound braid?

And from the other post do you think the 2500 or 3000 is better for cranks and spinnners, buzzbaits, and other lures?

(Last question)

[bulldog1935]

In the LibraSX, the only size I would recommend for you is the 1500, and I fish braid on mine - 10-lb braid is about perfect.  

I have 3000, and it's a Big reel - inshore and salmon size.  

 

And those of us who keep bringing up Stradic - the quality would blow you away as it does the rest of us.  

[sculpinman]

1 hour ago, bulldog1935 said:

In the LibraSX, the only size I would recommend for you is the 1500, and I fish braid on mine - 10-lb braid is about perfect.  

I have 3000, and it's a Big reel - inshore and salmon size.  

 

And those of us who keep bringing up Stradic - the quality would blow you away as it does the rest of us.  

I'm gonna buy the  TICA Libra SX 1500 or Stradic but I'm not sure what size works best.

[bulldog1935]

if that's an or, buy the Stradic 2500S and put braid on it.  

I recommend you grab it before someone else gets it.  

These reels sell out, and finding this inventory was a bit of effort on my part - where are my likes for it?  

 

look at this gorgeous long-stroke braid spool.  (you can add a C3000 spool later if you want a mono spool)

[sculpinman]

36 minutes ago, bulldog1935 said:

if that's an or, buy the Stradic 2500S and put braid on it.  

I recommend you grab it before someone else gets it.  

These reels sell out, and finding this inventory was a bit of effort on my part - where are my likes for it?  

 

look at this gorgeous long-stroke braid spool.  (you can add a C3000 spool later if you want a mono spool)

Thank you so much this is exactly what I needed! I will 100% buy. Thank you!

I'll slap some 10 or 15 pound braid on there.

[bulldog1935]

You won't be disappointed.  When the '19 Stradic was first introduced, it was reviewed as

"The Best $400 Reel You Can Buy is a $200 Reel"

 

Here's my 5000 for near-offshore, throwing 6" topwaters to mackerel

 

 

 

[sculpinman]

Wait, what does the S at the end of 2500s mean?

I just purchased it with a japanese crankbait and realized.

 

[bulldog1935]

The US market Stradic FL2500 reel is the 2500SHG in Japan - all reels imported to the US are high gear ratios.  

Here's the skinny on JDM models - https://www.jpfishingtacklenews.com/shimano-stradic-19/

 

The C2000S is 5.3 gears - personally, I'd rather have the lower gears for better feel and torque, and I've bought and fish a C1000S Stradic, and a C2000S Vanquish.  

I also have a C2000SHG Stradic, and had to put a longer handle on it to like it.  

 

[The Bassman]

S indicates a shallow spool. Makes for perfect line lay but you'll see bottom on a long cast.

[Tatsu Dave]

On 9/22/2021 at 12:59 PM, bulldog1935 said:

Sufix 832 is extremely well-behaved braid, on both baitcast and spinning tackle

and never had it bleed color - it does fade.  

Agree totally   Fins is another good one that won't fade in black.  Sufix will fade quick and to a lighter color. 

[txchaser]

Fins Sling Braid is great. Super smooth and colorfast. But the actual dark green is tough to find if it is even made anymore, so you are left with this light green color that I really don't like.

Vicious no-fade braid has been great so far; bought it to try, bought another spool because it was good, and considering a 1500-yard spool to just be done with it. 

Both of the braids above run thin for the LB test so pay attention to diameter - if I recall correctly 40lb fins and sling braid are smaller than 30lb 832. 

Don't be shocked when you see the price - not having to toss the line because it is nearly white from fading is worth it.