Help - I need braid reccomendations for spinning reels

[IowaBasser]

I'm getting ready to re-spool a couple of my reels and I was wondering what type of braid people reccomend for SPINNING REELS for 2 different conditions?

Condition 1:
Fairly light braid with no leader: about 10-12 pound. What braid would you reccomend? (I've used Fire-line and Spider Wire in the past and thought they were OK.)

Condition 2:
8 or 10 pound Invisx FC leader. What would be a good braid for the main line? (I was thinking 15-20 pound power-pro which I've never used, but it seems to be the brand I keep seeing on this forum.)

P.S.
I also plan to put a full spool of 'P-Line CX' (Flurocarbon-coated) on a spinning reel. I hope to try them all and see what I like and what I dislike. I'm guessing each will probably have a specific scenario where it works best.

[HarveysMinnow]

Good morning I.B. IMO, the Cortland master braid is as good as any braided line on the market. Cortland has a long-standing reputation for making fly lines, so the braiding technology is nothing new to them. I use the 30# variety on a couple of my spinners, and it casts well and (so far) has held knots well. On the down side, it ain't cheap, but then few quality products are these days.

.

[BigBassin144]

10lb Sufix PB or Sufix 832. I usually use it with a 6-8lb Seaguar InvisX leader.

BB

[pro reel]

that would also depend on what baits you will be fishing on the rig. I switched to the Suffix 832 this year for any braid rig on deep water presentations. I use it on my C rig rod and my jig/worm rods. The 832 doesn't float up like most braids. It's advertised as a sinking line. Whlie it may not actually sink like a rock, it won't float up and form an arc in the line. That helps with long hooksets and in getting baits deeper. The 832 seems to cast as good or better than any braid i have tried so far.

[keithdog]

I'd have to agree. If your planning to use the line for deeper applications, the 832 would be a good way to go. If your using it for shallow applications, It's not really needed. I have used both Power Pro and Suffix Performance braid, which are floating lines, and I really like them both.

[rrw4258]

The best braid I have used thus far is Stren Sonic Braid. I am not a big stren fan by any means, but this is the smoothest casting braid I have ever used. It holds up well too. For all my other lines I use P-Line. I plan on trying their Spectrex IV braid when i finish my Stren.

Ryan

[Bob Smith]

I've gone completely Power Pro . I find the 20 lb (6 lb. dia) works really well for me. You really don't need a leader, but I use one out of habit more than necessity. Like Bait casters, I use backing on my spools (mono) to cushion the drag system

[BigBurlyBass]

Originally Posted by BigBassin144

10lb Sufix PB or Sufix 832. I usually use it with a 6-8lb Seaguar InvisX leader.

BB

So you have used both suffixes braid? Can you tell me which one you like better. thanks.

[Lvitch]

Avoid the p-line cx , use the flouroclear instead. Much better handling line, I don't think there is much if any differences in strength or abrasion. Trust me you'll like it better. Power pro is king here in FL for braid. I'm not a big braid fan, but power pro seems to cast the best of all the braid I have tried, I have not used the suffix braid yet. Backing is manditory with all superlines otherwise the entire ammount of line will spin on the spool. Any old line will work fine for backing, read: the cheapest stuff you can get.

[IowaBasser]

Originally Posted by pro reel

...that would also depend on what baits you will be fishing on the rig...

This really made me think. I was sort of looking for an all-around fishing line, with the exception of heavy cover.

Plastic Worms; sorta my go-to bait:
I mainly throw them aruond docks, weeds (not the heavy weed-mats) and slow drag them on breaks in 8-10 feet of water. I really like braid for the sensativity and would consider a flurocarbon leader if I were fishing slow in clear water.

Spinner Baits: I haven't thrown spinner baits as much in the past 2 years as I used to. Ideally I'd like a little heavier braid, but think I could get by wiyth 15 pound. Flurocarbon leader if fishing slow in clear water.

Deep Diving Crank Baits: I like a thin braid that cuts through the water and gets the bait deeper. (Especially when I go out with my dad and he insists on trolling for walleyes) ...I would probably use the braid alone, or with a 6'-8' mono leader. (If I'm not trying to get as deep with a crank-bait, I would fish mono alone for the stretch.

Small tube jigs, flukes, senkos:
I like a thin braid again for the sensativity with a FC leader.

Frogs, Bass jigs, heavy cover:
20 pound braid for the strength

Feel free to give your opinions of what line to fish with the above techniques... I'm all about trying something new!

I have a dedicated heavy set-up for frogs and heavy cover. Otherwise I'm hoping to get by with 15 pound braid for an all-purpose line with a 8 or 10 pound FC leader when needed. I see Suffix 832 only comes in 10 or 20 pound test weight whereas power-pro has a 15 pound test. I really like what I have read about the Suffix 832: the way it "sinks" and it's roundness. I'm hoping it won't flatten out of fray the way the original fused fire-line does, at least that's my experience with fire-line. I really want a thin line that is super sensative.

[3dkicker]

Power pro is a very good choice. Good all around line and great sensitivity.

Fireline crystal is very tough braid but it does fray a little and takes a while to soften. Once it does it's held up very well for me. I've only busted the line once in the last two years throwing horney toads into and over heavy cover and grass.

[IowaBasser]

I think I've decided on 15# power-pro with an 8# Invix leader.

I was originally thinkin' I would like 3 set-ups: basically heavy, medium and light. The heavy I already have covered, so I was looking for a medium line and a light line.

The 15# power-pro by itself should be OK for medium work - spinner baits, some top-waters, and rubber worms. If I need something lighter for small jigs and finesse fishing, the 8# Invizx leader would be all I need to add. I am planning on using this line with medium/light rods; probably lighter than the majority of the people here would fish with, but it's just what I grew up with and am comfortable with.

I chose power-pro over Suffix 832 for 3 reasons:

1. Suffix 832 doesn't offer a 15# line. 10# seemed too light for some presentations and 20# seemed too heavy for others.
2. Power Pro is thinner than Suffix 832. In fact, the 15# Power Pro and the 10# Suffix 832 are equal diameter: .008 inches.
3. Cost; not a huge factor, but still the Suffix stuff is 50% more expensive than the Power Pro.

I'll see how I like this set-up and probably try something different next spring. (Spring is typically when I re-spool a couple set-ups each year.)

Thanks for everyone's help - and don't be afraid to chip in with your opinions!

[BigBassin144]

Originally Posted by BigBurlyBass

So you have used both suffixes braid? Can you tell me which one you like better. thanks.

I've used Sufix PB for a couple seasons, and have really liked it. I just got a spool of 832 last fall, and haven't gotten to use it too much. So I can't really say which I like better yet. You will definitely see a comparision of both from me later this year after I fish the 832 some more.

Originally Posted by IowaBasser

I think I've decided on 15# power-pro with an 8# Invix leader.

I was originally thinkin' I would like 3 set-ups: basically heavy, medium and light. The heavy I already have covered, so I was looking for a medium line and a light line.

The 15# power-pro by itself should be OK for medium work - spinner baits, some top-waters, and rubber worms. If I need something lighter for small jigs and finesse fishing, the 8# Invizx leader would be all I need to add. I am planning on using this line with medium/light rods; probably lighter than the majority of the people here would fish with, but it's just what I grew up with and am comfortable with.

I chose power-pro over Suffix 832 for 3 reasons:

1. Suffix 832 doesn't offer a 15# line. 10# seemed too light for some presentations and 20# seemed too heavy for others.
2. Power Pro is thinner than Suffix 832. In fact, the 15# Power Pro and the 10# Suffix 832 are equal diameter: .008 inches.
3. Cost; not a huge factor, but still the Suffix stuff is 50% more expensive than the Power Pro.

I'll see how I like this set-up and probably try something different next spring. (Spring is typically when I re-spool a couple set-ups each year.)

Thanks for everyone's help - and don't be afraid to chip in with your opinions!

Will you be fishing frogs and heavier lures on spinning gear as well? If so, I'd use your biggest reel with 30lb braid. 30lb souldn't be a problem on most bass sized spinning reels (2500-3000 sized).

I don't know how much you know about braided lines and carriers, so I'll briefly explain it. Generally, the more carriers (or strands) there are in a braided line, the smoother it's going to be. PowerPro only has 4 carriers. Sufix 832 has 8. Now Sufix PB is little tricky because it changes with the weight of the line. I believe under 20lb is only 4 carriers, 20-40lb has 6, and 50+ has 8.

I think for general finesse purposes, 10-20lb braid will work fine, as 20lb braid isn't considered heavy. It has the diameter of 6lb mono.

Let me say though, PowerPro is not a bad line, but I prefer both Sufix lines to it because they are smoother. And smoother means less noise, less friction, and better casting performance.

Another couple options you could look into are Spiderwire Ultracast (8 carriers in all tests) and I do believe it comes in 15lb. Actually, I think that's what I have on one of my spinning reels right now. Another, less expensive line is Spiderwire Stealth. It cheaper, but does feature 8 carriers. However, it is braided looser than some of the more expensive 8 carrier lines like Ultracast, PB or 832. I think it's a decent line and would probably be my choice for a budget braid, since it is pretty smooth despite its loose weave.

BB

[IowaBasser]

Thanks a lot... your post has made things more clear even though it might not have made my decision any easier! (I still haven't decided 100% on what line I'm gonna get yet.)

I've always fished much lighter equipment than the crowd. Growing up I fished small-mouth with an ultra-light and 6 pound mono - even now I cast musky lures (for northern) with 20 pound braid on a 2500 size spinning reel. 20# is the heaviest line I've ever used. Granted, I've never caught a real big fish... my personal bests are 5 pounds for a large mouth, 3-1/2 pounds for a small mouth, about 6 or 7 pounds for a walleye, and maybe 10-12 for northern. I've hooked a couple bigger northern (in the 15-20 pound range) but they got off - nothing to do with the light line I was using.

I have 20 pound braid on the rod/reel combo that I use for northern baits, frogs, and when I'm in heavy cover. (I'm not 100% sure what brand, but I think it's power-pro.) Generally I fish with either 12 pound mono (Trilene XT or XL) or 10 pound Spiderwire stealth, which I love for the sensitivity... but it's flimsy for many bigger lures and over time it frays, flattens, etc. After reading your post, I'm guessing it has to do with the looseness of the braid.

Having always used such light gear, I'm not real comfortable (in feel or confidence) with heavier line. I have pretty light rods and light spinning reels, so take that into consideration as well. This year I decided to step-up to either 15 or 20 pound braid as my standard line. Now I’m leaning towards 20 pound line considering the carries… for me that is “heavy line” and a bit daunting, but I’m gonna give it a try!

[unbiased14]

Originally Posted by rrw4258

The best braid I have used thus far is Stren Sonic Braid. I am not a big stren fan by any means, but this is the smoothest casting braid I have ever used. It holds up well too. For all my other lines I use P-Line. I plan on trying their Spectrex IV braid when i finish my Stren.

Ryan

Have you ever used spiderwire stealth? I used it for a while then and was quite happy with it's performance; extremely limp, smooth casting and very quiet in the rod guides. Then I switched to sonic braid and immediately noticed the noise it made, and it didn't cast quite as smoothly. Pretty good, just a notch below spiderwire stealth.

Edit:gotta keep it reel!

However, this is only what I noticed on baitcasters. with spinning reels, spiderwire stealth comes off in a very tight coil from the spool. it seems to rub a little too much on the spool and when casting weightless baits with it, i've noticed that I could only cast about 40-50 feet max with it. I switched back to 8lb flouro, and emmediately noticed smoother casting with it. Maybe the dissapointment in casting distance came from the reel I was using. It was one of the newer shimano reels with the propulsion spool lip. Maybe if I used a regular spool, it might not have those problems.

[BigBassin144]

Originally Posted by IowaBasser

Having always used such light gear, I'm not real comfortable (in feel or confidence) with heavier line. I have pretty light rods and light spinning reels, so take that into consideration as well. This year I decided to step-up to either 15 or 20 pound braid as my standard line. Now I’m leaning towards 20 pound line considering the carries… for me that is “heavy line” and a bit daunting, but I’m gonna give it a try!

When using braid, it helps to think about the diameter more than the test. In fact, some people say match the braid you use to the diameter mono you'd normally use. So if you'd use 12lb mono, that would equate to 50lb braid. In this case, 20lb braid is equivalent to 6lb mono. Personally, I use 30lb for most applications on baitcasters. 15-20lb for general spinning rod stuff, and I use 10lb for dropshot.

BB