Braided Line
 

Well, apparently I'm told I need to join the whippersnappers and start using braided line. Do mostly walleye/jack etc. Just curious on what I need to know in selection choices. Cheaped out and used Spiderwire, not so great, looks like I need to pry open the old wallet and step up to something better. Thoughts?

Some people like the stretch line (mono) but I started using superlines (fused and braid) exclusively about 10 years ago and have been very happy with the performance, durability and the sensitivity. Tried many over the years but I have sort of settled on Fireline, Power Pro and Suffix 832. For 3-4 reels this will be about the 6th year with Fireline cyrstal but almost all of them have at least 3 years on the line.

Just bite the bullet and get yourself some PowerPro. Fireline can be hard on rod guides, Spiderwire and Suffix are thicker diameter and less abrasion resistant.

You’re gonna get answers all over the map on this one! Suffix, PowerPro, Fireline and SpiderWire are all pretty decent IMO. For jigging and rigging I use 8lb braid. For chucking cranks, bottom bouncing I use 15-17lb braid. I’ve landed lots of 20+lb pike on those 2 mentioned. But... there’s gonna be guys chiming in to this and say you need to run 50+ lb braid for pike.

Power Pro is my favourite. Regular has a bit more durability whereas super slick is smooth so casts further(both cast far though) and doesn't make as much noise through guides.

For pike/walleye go with 15 or 20 lb. No need to go light since you don't run into the same problem as with mono(heavier lines being springy and not casting well), the lightest I go on any setup is 10 lbs and that is for casting the smallest spoons/spinners etc. Braid is also less abrasion resistant so using the bit higher lb line helps combat that. Not to mention if your reels are sized for mono and you try to put the same test braid on it you are going to need way too much line(can use mono as backing if your reel is too big to run all braid).

Daiwa J braid is one of the best for the dollar and you can get it at Walmart. It is an 8 strand braid that is limp and smooth for the same price or less than the run of the mill 4 stand braids like standard Power Pro, Spider wire or Suffix 832. 20lbs should be about right for what you are doing. I run 10lbs for ice fishing and sometimes light finess jigging but the 20 lbs is better all round.

i run 10lb power pro for my walleye fishing, 20lb power pro for pike.

for pike i also run a 3ft long 40lb flurocarbon leader

"You can do anything with 10lb Power Pro" -- Aaron Wiebe, Uncut Angling

^^^ Good enough for me. The best of the best of the best. The only thing that sucks is having to tie the Palomar knot. PITA.

I have never used a palomar just run your line through the eye twice (trilene knot).

I tie my spiderline onto a snap ring swivel.

Troll as is or for jigging I will attach a 2-3' flouro leader right to the snap ring to get the wily walleyes

Yes he said that(can't remember what video though) and it is correct in that you can land most fish with 10 lb line which I believe was the point.

There are advantages to stepping up to 15 or 20 though. Which is why I assume he uses 15 in say this video for a walleye tournament(check description). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4q-lAmyN92Q

The short of it is that unless you need to cast 1/8 oz and lighter lures or are using a 1000 series reel there there isn't much of an advantage with going 10 lb over 15 lb.

15 lb line is stronger which might not be necessary for most fish but sure does come in handy when you get snagged(I hate losing $20 crankbaits). It has noticeably better abrasion resistance(all braid is bad but lighter lines are real bad). Also most pike/walleye size reels also hold way more 10 lb braid then a guy needs. A 150 yard spool of 15 lb braid fills up a 2500 series Shimano reel, 20 lb fills up a 3000. If you have a 4000 or larger then you should put backing on it.

As for knots improved clinch is fine with braid, some guys recommend stepping up to 10 wraps but I usually stick with 7(kind of go by feel memory says I might go with a few more on light super slick) and I never have a problem. Been tying that knot since a kid, tried a few others but muscle memory is there and it works so I figure why change.

thanks for the notes on knots......that's interesting. I remember trying a normal fishing knot (5 or 7 wraps) before and it just slid right through. I find the Palomar a pain in the ass, so I'm definitely going to try some of the stuff recommended here. Thanks again!

Suffix 832 ghost 10lb

All my reels are Power Pro.

It's power pro for my reels.

Power Pro is my go-to line.

Super Slick for casting or jigging, Hi-Vis for trolling and all of my set ups are tipped with a fluorocarbon leader. Suffix 832 on a few of my set ups and it seems very good so far as well.

Spiderwire and Fireline is to fishing line what "Danielson Brand" is to terminal tackle. A cheap, under performing product that ends up costing you more in the long run.

The quality, consistency in thickness, and durability in these 2 brands I have found it to be poor compared to Power Pro.

And to tell you why (instead of just spouting a senseless opinion) .....

Spiderwire has cut my guides up, scored a lip on a spool. It also seems to slip knots much easier.

Fireline seems to quickly flake/fray off quickly. It also seems to be very inconsistent and have found thin sections which seem to be surprisingly weak.

Both brands are disappointments to me.

These lines are probably OK for the causal fisherman who doesn't put in the casts or time on the water but I have noticed a remarkable and obvious difference - but I have quite a few set ups and spend significantly more time on the water compared to the average guy maybe.

I haven't been back to try it in a few years but I gave it a couple tries before and am not compelled to try it again - maybe it's better now?

I don't want to be harsh - but want to give other people my sincere opinion on this so they can get the best picture from the widest set of opinions and make a decision they are happy with.

I have been using Fireline for years and although I probably had breakoffs I don't recall them. This was using Fireline from 8-20lb. I do use rods that are in the 150-250 range so line guides are far superior to those on rods under the 100 mark. Although almost all rods use some type of ceramic guide, higher end rods have much harder inserts which virtually eliminates the line grooving the insert. Like I mentioned before by reversing the line I am getting over 5 years of fishing with my Fireline if you are getting less, upgrading your rods might help.

Some anglers when done fishing hook their lure in the line guide, this can put small chips in your guide inserts (especially with barbed hooks) which can lead to grooves in the guide. If your rod is equipped with lure keepers always use them or hook to the leg of the eye never through the eye itself.

Fishing the three walleye trails for over 25 years and working in the fishing industry for about 15 I have spent thousands of hours on the water using every line that came out so my observations and comments from other anglers are based more on first hand experience than opinion. I do not doubt your experiences with Fireline but mine have been very positive.

Power Pro is a very good line as well, I have had zero problems with it either.

10lb powerpro all the way. 15-20 if im going for large pike or laketrout. The strike feel is amazing. I would never go back to mono

Another vote for Suffix 832 I use 20lb. Pike and walleye

I use power pro as well. 15#.
Have your reel spooled at TFH during May when bulk line is 50% off

I use power pro between #20-30 pound test on my pike setup and use fluorocarbon leaders. Uni knot works well with braid.

I’ve tried the #10 power pro but the diameter was so small I was consistently cutting my hands. Probably because I was handling it like #10 mono. Most likely I was just being a goof.

I only use Power Pro and Super slick.

I also use higher end rods and specifically look for Fuji (or fuji style hardened guides). I never hook my hooks or snaps onto a guide for the same reason you mentioned - that definitely can be a problem (I learned that the hard way).

My abrasion experience was with Spiderwire specifically not the Fire line. The spider wire was not only noisy through the guides but had it cut into a HMX rod causing grooves over the course of one summer and by the end of the second year it was clear there was significant abrasion on the first and 4th guide (on that rod the places where the line seemed to be in constant contact while retrieving. If I was to run a q-tip inside the guide it would definitely have been quite noticeable.

The Fireline(s) I've had were the ones that were flaky and hairy (one of them literally with a few trips) and the other spool was visibly inconsistent in diameter. It also broke off to what I thought was "way too easy" pulling up on a weed and then when I spooled some more out I grabed a section and it, too, broke pretty easily. I don't think I could do that with any other braid without cutting my fingers up ...... so I was turned right off of Fireline for good. Admittedly, that was like 5 years ago - haven't bought it since - so maybe it's not so bad anymore.

Especially for pike and walleye fishing once you change to braid you will never go back, you will for the most part love it. You can cast much further, better sensitivity with no stretch, and great for hooksets. Only disadvantage is visibility, and the high majority of the time unless you are jigging for walleye it doesnt really matter - because its much smaller diameter even helps with that too. Also way less issues with line twist and memory. Although, when you do get a tangle its a nightmare even though its much less frequent. If you get a knot in your line somewhere and cant get it out my experience with fireline specifically is to cut it off there and re-tie because it will break.

I used 10 pound fused fireline typically and still do for lighter pike rods and wakleye casting rods, and on my heavier pike rod i would put 14 pound. The last couple years i have tried suffix 832 and really liked it, its color washes out quite a bit but it is very resistant to wear and tear and doesnt fray as much as the fireline. Plus its quieter going through your guides which makes a slightly nicer fishing experience.

I have used the palomer knot forever with this and its super simple and fast, do not use typical fishermans knot etc. look up knots for braid or you are guarenteed to lose your hook first cast.

Make the change you will likely love it. (Ive never been a huge fan of spiderwire and dont believe that its a good braid to base your decision off of, i find it very course. Good luck man. Let us know how it goes

Just as an experiment when I purchased 2 new medium-heavey rigs in 2010 I spoiled one up with 10lb fire line (which I have been using since late 90's with no issue) and the other with powerpro. I just decided to keep both spoiled with the the original line and see which one wore out faster....lol...well it's been 8 years and both are still performing fine. Although I will say that the the Powerpro is not frayed as much and the line diameter seems slightly tighter. So after 8 years I would give a tip of the hat to Powerpro....but as I said even though Powerpro looks better and is better condition, the Fireline is still performing fine and hauling in lots of Lakers, pike, walleye, and what ever else grabs on in the Lakes and rivers.

I'll check back in another 8 years and let you know if one failed yet....oh ya....been using Palomar Knot for 20 years with braid.....no issues at all in that time....think I'll keep using it.

Another vote for power pro. For walleye/pike I would suggest 20-30lb, I’ve used 15 and found it was too light imo.


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Have you used both in the winter ice fishing as well? That's what I found beat up the fireline pretty quick, also river fishing seemed hard on my fireline. Power pro seems to hold up better.

Berkeley fire line fused 20lbs for everything.
Cuba, Mexico, DR, shore fishing....North America all species....just great line.

HMX is not exactly a high end rod

I did do some reel swapp8ng for the first few years...then bought specific purpose ice fishing reels...those are also spooled with Fireline...and personally I haven't had any issues....but everyone's usage and experience is different. As someone said earlier, they are both good l8nes...and for ever I swore by Fireline....now I just feel Powerpro is just a bit better.