Fireline vs. Spiderwire

[Crankhead]

I tried Fireline Crystal on my Stradic spinning reel and loved the sensitivity.  A couple of questions about using superlines. I've been told that when I use Fireline to fish plastics (lizards, senkos, ikas) texas style, I need a 6" fluro leader tied onto the Fireline. So I tied the fluro to a ball bearing ring which was then tied to the Fireline. I fish mostly at night on a clear natural lake. Do I still need to use the fluro leader? Any other suggestions when using Fireline? Is Fireline Crystal considered the best superline to use with spinning reels? If there are other brands considered better, why?

[dodgeguy]

the line does not dissapear like they state.fishing at night you would not need a leader.i'm still not convinced u would need one in the day either.i think suffix and spiderwire invisibraid are both far superior to fireline.i'm using the spiderwire this year because it's white and i can see it. i color the last 5 feet with a black marker.

[Crankhead]

If you were to add a fluro leader, which do you suggest? Using a ball bearing ring or just tying the fluro to the superline? And if you think tying line to line is the way to go, what kind of knot do you use?

[roadwarrior]

First up, we had a Fireline thread running recently.

Several members, including myself, rank it among

the worst lines we have ever tried.

Regarding knots: Uni to Uni, Blood Knot or Albright knot

http://www.animatedknots.com/knotlist.php?LogoImage=LogoGrog.jpg&Website=www.animatedknots.com

8-)

[dodgeguy]

If you were to add a fluro leader, which do you suggest? Using a ball bearing ring or just tying the fluro to the superline? And if you think tying line to line is the way to go, what kind of knot do you use?

if i needed a leader i wouldn't use braid.i hate knots and swivels.i would use straight flouro.i'm still not convinced it matters.i've seen plenty of days where braid outfished flouro and others where flouro outfished braid.last year i used all flouro and had a good year production wise.i still wasn't totally convinced that was the reason so this year i switched back to braid and i'm doing just as well if not better.there are to many other varibles imho to be worrying about your line.find a line you like and use it.i wish i had all the money i wasted trying lines!!!location and presentation are far more important.i would even put lure color ahead of line.

[FishTank]

I've tried all kinds of braid, including Fireline, Sufix, Spiderwire, Stren, P-Line, PowerPro, and recently Daiwa Samura.  Out of all of them the PowerPro has worked the best with Sufix being a close second. Just in case, I usually only use braid on baitcasting gear.

I would have to say the worst of the bunch are the Fireline and Spiderwire.

One thing I try to keep in mind with braid is that if I don't have to use it, I don't.  I have better results with Fluorocarbons on baitcasters and regular (mono/copoly/hybrid) lines like YoZuri Ultrasoft on spinning gear.

[hawgchaser]

Make your life much easier....Go buy either Sufix or power Pro. I personally rank Fireline as the number 1 worst line I have ever used.

For spinning gear, I use 30lb Sufix braid...But only for redfish, hybrids, and stripers.

[Crankhead]

Well I've tried both fireline crystal and spiderwire invisi-braid and I can't feel any difference in either of these lines. I've used nothing but fluro on spinning reels and I'm just starting to use braided lines & the braid does feel more sensitive. So if you tried all four, when using Sufix and/or Power Pro, what in the performance makes these two better than fireline and spiderwire? The cost is almost all the same. I'm using these super lines rigged texas style fishing plastics on a clear natural lake. And I've also tried it both ways, with & without a 6" fluro leader. Like to hear what all of you think.  

[smallfry]

People seem to either love or hate fireline.  For spinning reels I love it.  I find its "stiffness" to be a great attribute, as it reduces the chance of tip wrap or other problems (especially if using baits that impart twist or twitching or "bouncing" baits aggressively).  I also find it to be stronger and, despite appearances, more durable than some of the other super lines (power pro and suffix).

 

[fretfishman]

if I were to think that fireline's the worst braid out there I'd have to say that spiderwire is a non-existent p.o.s. to me. it's absolutely horrible and you couldn't pay me to use it.

power pro's nice and I do plan to try the stren microfuse or whatever it's called. I've never been much of a stren fan, but you never know. all in all, I just like a visible braid to see my line jumps and prefer a finish that doesn't come off by softly running your fingers on it. (ie: smoke fireline)

I prefer western filament's braid. some of it is bias - my hometown is grand junction, which is where they're operating from - but if it were junk I wouldn't fish it. good stuff and they've been making braided lines for far longer than anyone I can think of.

I think dodgeguy said it best. it's line - find something you feel comfortable with for any number of reasons and give them your business. things like sensitivity and visibility are negligible between the brands, for the most part. find one that does away with your little pet peeves - the smoke color coming off in my fingers or mouth on fireline, for example. after that - as long as it brings in fish you're set.

[hawgchaser]

So if you tried all four, when using Sufix and/or Power Pro, what in the performance makes these two better than fireline and spiderwire?

Sufix and PP are much more manageable and will cast better. I used PP for years and have just switched to Sufix this year. To me, sufix is the best handling superline I have used....spiderwire is in the middle...and the fireline is at the bottom.

[Crankhead]

Just a follow up to what dodgeguy said earlier. I fished at night a few days ago  on a clear natural lake. I used the braided line without a fluro leader. At night I was doing fine. Then day comes and I figured what the heck might as well experiment. I stayed with the no fluro leader and continued catching bass. Now I'm thinking dodgeguy was on to something & maybe you don't need a leader for braid.

[fretfishman]

if you guys are wanting to see a decent video of a test running braid against a sharp rock search youtube for braid test or a similar phrase. it puts mono up against fireline, power pro, sufix and (I think spiderwire?) can't remember, but either way it's a decent test and will show some abrasion resistance qualities.

just keep in mind there are many more factors it won't show - castability, visibility, etc., so you can't put a whole lot of stock into it. anyway, found it pretty interesting to see similar results to what I've found and maybe it'll be useful to someone.

[OkobojiEagle]

Re-read Smallfry's post on the 1st page of this thread!

[Crankhead]

I went out last night and used suffix & powerpro. I liked it. Once I tried these two, it made the fireline feel like dental floss. And I liked the green better than the white on the other two. I just started fishing plastics about 2 yrs ago. I wish I had tried the braided lines then, it would have made learning when to set the hook much easier. Thanks for all of the info.

[fishfordollars]

I have an idea. throw the Fireline and the Spiderwire away and start over. I cannot fish with either. They both suck. IMO

[S I G M A]

I'm a fireline hater... I used fireline crystal and hated it