Reviews of different brands of braid

[Brandon Khoo]

I'd be interested to know what different brands of braid that people use. If you could post what brand and how you find the performance of the braid, I think that would be useful for everyone.

For me, I generally use Varivas GT but over the past 36 months, have also use FINS PRT, Tuf Line XP and Varivas GT SMP.

Varivas GT is my favourite line. It is a fine diameter, round, soft and casts beautifully. That said, I find it doesn't last as long as other braids and for me, it is good for two to four trips.

FINS PRT is a really tough braid. It is a bit flat though and doesn't have the roundness of Varivas. I also find the strands come apart quite easily although that doesn't seem to affect the line much. It doesn't cast anywhere near as smoothly as Varivas, especially in the heavier braids.

Tuf Line XP. A very good braid that is quite round in feel.Notwithstanding my other post on the diameter of braids, it feels thicker than Varivas. It also doesn't cast as well as Varivas and it has a waxy feel to it. It is also a stiffer braid. All of that said, a tough, tough braid. For lighter applications up to 50lb, this is my braid of choice. The lighter loundages just don't feel as stiff or waxy.

Varivas GT SMP - a beautiful casting line that feels smooth like silk. Unfortunately, based on my experience to date, it is rather prone to shock loads.

Does anyone here use Stren or Powerpro?

[Peter Morris]

Tuffline for me Brandon.

$$$ wise I reckon its great value.

I have two spools for my dogfight.
One with 30lb Tuffline for the longtails/mackeral etc from the rocks and 80lb Tuffline on another.
Its very nice in the 30lb.

Pete

[Les Maunder]

Hi Brandon

Have been using Frog exclusively for the GTs. It appears to be a bit course, but keeps its round shape well and it seems to last for more than 3 -4 trips. It is not as fine and smooth Varivas, but I am not sure that is such an issue when the line spends most of its time above the water.

I must admit, I call on it to undertake trolling and jigging as well -a bit of an ask i know.

Oh yes, it tangles just as much as the others as is just as impossible to untangle.


Cheers


Les.

 

[Chris Leong]

Not very experience, rather new to this type of fishing.

I use Tuf line XP 65lb for mi 10000 spool and 80lb power pro for my 16k spool. Seem to be casting well on this brand but that said, haven been popping long enough to give views on other brands.

[Colin P]

Popping and Stickbaiting (120g or heavier lures) - Jerry Brown Hollow 100 test. I splice the reel line into a metre of 200 test JBH ending in a loop which I join via catspaw to a 5 foot, 100 or 200 test, single strand or twisted, mono leader. JBH is very soft and castable but it does catch the wind and can produce "wind knots" if you are casting into the wind and your casting technique is off. I replace the last 10-20 metres of reel line after each trip by splicing in new line - though I have no empirical evidence whatsoever that this is necessary - it just feels right!

Jigging (200-400g jigs) - Tufline XP 80 test. I start fishing with a 100 or 130 test fluoro leader joined via PR knot to the reel line. If I get bitten off or broken, I tie a bimini loop in the reel line and join it, via a catspaw, to one of my pre-made wind-on leaders (simply a short length of 80 test XP, with a bimini loop at one end, PR knotted at the other end to a 100 or 130 test fluoro leader). If I run out of these, I tie on a fluoro leader using an improved albright. As the name suggests, XP is tough stuff and I have seen it "saw thru" a different brand of braid when two people hooked fish that crossed. I have recently filled a 20000FA spool with 100 test XP and I intend to try it for popping/stickbaiting on my 10000FA.

Casting (25-100g lures) - Power Pro 30, 50 or 65 test. I again start fishing with a 40, 60 or 80 test leader (sufix zippy or seaguar fluoro) and go straight to an improved albright connection if I have to change leaders. PP is nicely round but feels a little coarse straight out of the box. However, I find it limp enough for casting in the breaking strains I use and it does get softer with use without appearing to lose its strength (it does lose color).

[PeterD]

Hey Colin i'm a bit off topic here but i was just curious how much 100lb tuff line did u get on your 20k spool?

[Brandon Khoo]

Hi Colin

I'd be interested in your comments on how you fine the thickness of the Jerry Brown compared to Tuf Line.I also know that Jerry Brown produce a non-hollow spectra. have you used this before?

Popping and Stickbaiting (120g or heavier lures) - Jerry Brown Hollow 100 test. I splice the reel line into a metre of 200 test JBH ending in a loop which I join via catspaw to a 5 foot, 100 or 200 test, single strand or twisted, mono leader. JBH is very soft and castable but it does catch the wind and can produce "wind knots" if you are casting into the wind and your casting technique is off. I replace the last 10-20 metres of reel line after each trip by splicing in new line - though I have no empirical evidence whatsoever that this is necessary - it just feels right!

Jigging (200-400g jigs) - Tufline XP 80 test. I start fishing with a 100 or 130 test fluoro leader joined via PR knot to the reel line. If I get bitten off or broken, I tie a bimini loop in the reel line and join it, via a catspaw, to one of my pre-made wind-on leaders (simply a short length of 80 test XP, with a bimini loop at one end, PR knotted at the other end to a 100 or 130 test fluoro leader). If I run out of these, I tie on a fluoro leader using an improved albright. As the name suggests, XP is tough stuff and I have seen it "saw thru" a different brand of braid when two people hooked fish that crossed. I have recently filled a 20000FA spool with 100 test XP and I intend to try it for popping/stickbaiting on my 10000FA.

Casting (25-100g lures) - Power Pro 30, 50 or 65 test. I again start fishing with a 40, 60 or 80 test leader (sufix zippy or seaguar fluoro) and go straight to an improved albright connection if I have to change leaders. PP is nicely round but feels a little coarse straight out of the box. However, I find it limp enough for casting in the breaking strains I use and it does get softer with use without appearing to lose its strength (it does lose color).

[Colin P]

Hey Colin i'm a bit off topic here but i was just curious how much 100lb tuff line did u get on your 20k spool?

Can't give you an exact number Peter - but I started with a 600yd spool of 100 test XP and I got more than half of it on the 20000 spool (wound on very tight). I'm guessing in the region of 400 yds.

[Colin P]

Hi Colin

I'd be interested in your comments on how you fine the thickness of the Jerry Brown compared to Tuf Line.I also know that Jerry Brown produce a non-hollow spectra. have you used this before?

Hi Brandon,

Haven't used the JB solid & haven't seen it used.

Regarding the relative thicknesses of braid, I haven't found a measurement for JB Hollow - but my 100 test JBH feels similar in thickness to my 80 test XP i.e. marginally thinner than my 100 test XP (allowing for the fact that the JBH flattens as you run it thru your fingers and the XP doesn't).

If you compare stated diameters/tests of XP & Power Pro, you have to be aware of where you bought the Power Pro -



             XP                                 Power Pro      
Diameter (mm)   Test (lbs)   Diameter (mm)   Test (lbs) USA   Test (lbs) EUR
       .20              20                 .23                          20                     30
       .28              30                 .28                          30                     44
       .30              50                 .36                          50                     66
       .41              65                 .41                          65                     88
       .46              80                 .43                          80                   105
       .48            100                 .46                        100                   121

I wonder if the tests claimed for XP & Power Pro USA refer to knot strength and the tests for Power Pro EUR refer to unknotted strength?

I like Power Pro - but it does feel coarser and stiffer than XP "out of the packet", you do have to use it to soften it and, as I said before, this doesn't seem to affect its strength.

Reckon you've come up with a good topic here Brandon - I'd be interested if anybody has found diameters for JBH.

[Brandon Khoo]

Colin, you've overall been happy with the performance of the hollow braid? How does it stand up to shock loads?

I like the feel of the JB hollow braid myself. It feels very smooth and soft. I can't seem to find anyone who has used the JB solid spectra. I probably should get a spool of it to try to see how it goes.

[Ashley Cotter]

 For my saltiga blast i use Fireline pink 30lb, ive had it on for i think 5 years. I think that it is average.
 For my stella 10000 i used YGK Castman 62lb ive had it on their for 12mths and haven't used it yet.

cheers
Ash

[Andy Rowe]

Varivas GT is my favourite line. It is a fine diameter, round, soft and casts beautifully. That said, I find it doesn't last as long as other braids and for me, it is good for two to four trips.

Brandon, just for my own clarification, when you say good for 2 to 4 trips, have you turned the braid around on your spool, for example after your second trip out of 4 in this instance?

Thanks

[Brandon Khoo]

Hi Andy - yes I do. I reverse my line after every one or two trips.
It does depend on the location. If you've been fishing a really shallow and reefy/rock location, your line cops an absolute beating. Anyone who has fished for Gts on soem time would have experienced where you hook up to a fish and it's gone almost instantaneously. In such circumstances, I suspect that the braid had a nick in it and snapped at the weak point under load.

It's an expensive sport this way - and more so when you use Varivas GT! I'd love to find a cheaper alternative that has similar characteristics.

[Greg Burt]

If you do find one, Varivas won't be so expensive either

[Andy Rowe]

Yup,

After paying all that money for gear and getting there, the time spent on inspecting closely the top 20m to 30m of braid closely after a big fish in shallow water is worth it.