# Braided line sucks! I'm going back to Stren.



## Razorback

I've never used braided line before. Picked up a box of 20lb Spiderwire the other day and went fishing this morning. I would have had the best day on the lake that I've had in a while, but the line snapped while I was reeling in 6 different bass. Four of them were pretty good sized ones too. It also broke twice when my worm was tangled up in some lily pads.

I know one of the first things some of you will probably say is that it was the knot. I thought it myself. So I tested that theory after the first two breaks by coloring the line with a black sharpie about 6" above the hook each time I had to tie on again. No black marks to be found when I retrieved my line.

I can fish all year with 12lb Stren and never break off unless I do it on purpose. I'll never stray again. I'm just glad I was using cheap plastic worms instead of a $6 crankbait.

Aside from it making for a bad day, I also hate that there's now 6 bass out there with hooks stuck in their mouths.

Rant Complete.
Out.


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## devilmutt

50 lbs Power Pro has never let me down.


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## BaitCaster

That's odd. I use PowerPro braid on almost all my rods and have never had a fish break off.


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## Captain Ahab

I do not use spiderwire but you must have had a bad batch - I am not sure about coloring the line, instead take your line and hook and stick the hook in a post - see if you can break it.

I use 10lb test suffix and there is no way I can break that line unless i pull straight back with no flex in the rod - and even then I often will just straighten the hook.


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## BOB350RX

IM A MONO GUY MYSELF, HAD A FEW RUN INS WITH FIRELINE, NOT IMPRESSED, I USE POWERPRO FOR STEELHEAD BUT I HAVE TO USE A FLOURO LEADER


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## Wallijig

I use mono when jigging & braid when using plugs.

I like stretch in mono with jigs. I think I rip to many lips when setting hook using braided with jigging.
With braided one can usually yank plugs right out of snags. I have had hooks straighten before line breaks.


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## Smells Fishy

You must have gotten some bad line. I love the power pro 10lb that i use.


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## atuck593

I agree... it sounds like you had a bad batch of line. I use Spiderwire braid 10lb test and the few times I have been hung up with it I actually pulled my boat over to where I was stuck before the line broke on me.


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## Razorback

I know there's lots of people out there that use it and swear by it, but it's just not for me.

I will say that I did like how much more sensitive it was. But I didn't like that I could feel it dragging through the guides on my rod. It also rubbed my fingers raw from holding tension on the line while I was working my worm. I guess the sensitivity of it was the only thing I liked. That and it not holding memory from the reel spool. Curly line can be annoying at times.


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## BOB350RX

atuck593 said:


> I agree... it sounds like you had a bad batch of line. I use Spiderwire braid 10lb test and the few times I have been hung up with it I actually pulled my boat over to where I was stuck before the line broke on me.



THIS IS ANOTHER REASON I DONT LIKE IT ID RATHER RETIE A JIG THAN PULL THE BOAT OFF COURSE, ESP WHEN YOU SET UP ON A PERFECT DRIFT, BUT PEOPLE FISH DIFF WAYS THIS JUST SUITS ME BETTER


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## flatboat

if its the line i would call em and send it back , maybe they would send ya new stuff . that braid is some tuff stuff. i'd tie to the fence post and yank the hell out of it . if it fails send it back.


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## silver99gt

I use a 8 lb P-Line. toughest shit ive ever seen. i swear the rod will break before the line will. have to cut it if you get snagged....no joke


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## BassAddict

Dont let your experience with Spiderwire sour you on braid, ive tried Spidewire and rank it towards the bottom of the list along with other cheaper braids such as Ugly Braid. Get yourself some quality braid like Power Pro or Suffix Performance Braid and then form an opinion.


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## FishinsMyLife

BassAddict said:


> Dont let your experience with Spiderwire sour you on braid, ive tried Spidewire and rank it towards the bottom of the list along with other cheaper braids such as Ugly Braid. Get yourself some quality braid like Power Pro or Suffix Performance Braid and then form an opinion.



Exactly what I was going to post :USA1:


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## gtn1994

just curious, but what knot do you use?
not trying to say it was the knot coming undone at all i was jw


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## Razorback

Clinch knot is what I've always used, but I also tried a palomar. Like I said, it was breaking at least several inches above the knot.


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## Captain Ahab

Have you attempted to make the line break out of the water? Take a sturdy hook, tie your knot and stick the hook in a tree, fence post etc. Pull until something fails. If you have a good knot and unless your hook is super strong I would bet that you are able to bend the hook before the line breaks.


Have you checked the guides on your rod? A small chip or crack in a ceramic (ie glass) guide) will tear the braided line and make it weak


Let us know please


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## Jim

Captain Ahab said:


> Have you attempted to make the line break out of the water? Take a sturdy hook, tie your knot and stick the hook in a tree, fence post etc. Pull until something fails. If you have a good knot and unless your hook is super strong I would bet that you are able to bend the hook before the line breaks.
> 
> 
> Have you checked the guides on your rod? A small chip or crack in a ceramic (ie glass) guide) will tear the braided line and make it weak
> 
> 
> Let us know please



Be careful not to break your rod if you do this. :lol:


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## fender66

I wish I'd have been using it a few times when I wasn't and my line snapped. It's great for topwater...which is where I use it almost exclusively....and powerpro is what I use too. We actually carry a piece of broom stick about 10 inches long in the boat to wrap around the line when we get hung up. It's been really hard for us to break.


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## Captain Ahab

Jim said:


> Captain Ahab said:
> 
> 
> 
> Have you attempted to make the line break out of the water? Take a sturdy hook, tie your knot and stick the hook in a tree, fence post etc. Pull until something fails. If you have a good knot and unless your hook is super strong I would bet that you are able to bend the hook before the line breaks.
> 
> 
> Have you checked the guides on your rod? A small chip or crack in a ceramic (ie glass) guide) will tear the braided line and make it weak
> 
> 
> Let us know please
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Be careful not to break your rod if you do this. :lol:
Click to expand...



Never pull with your rod - hold the spool and pull straight back or you can snap a rod


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## Razorback

No, I haven't tried that.

Rod guides are good. It's a fairly new rod that I've taken pretty good care of.


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## Captain Ahab

Razorback said:


> No, I haven't tried that.
> 
> Rod guides are good. It's a fairly new rod that I've taken pretty good care of.




Does not really matter how new or well cared for the rod is - one micro crack or chip in the top guide will sometime cut or weaken the braided line. I usually cannot even see the crack but if I take a Q-tip and run it around and through the guide it will catch and show me the problem


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## redphysher

i never had any problems with pro line. I do know it is slick as all get out and i have had a standard clinch knot pull out. i always tie a standard clinch knot now and add 2 overhand knots. I catch 20-28 inch redfish with the set up on 20 lb pro line and since have never been broken off. I know you said you colored the line black. You must have got an old batch like everyone is saying. heck I have one catfish rod with 65 lb test for hauling monster catfish out of the mississippi and never broke off. i swear by pro line. A reel spooled with BPS flourocarbon with is what I would call junk x3 line. It kinks and line twists about every fourth cast. do not use that mess


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## breachless

I have to throw in my opinion here as well: I promise if you grab the right spool of braid you will love it. It's not perfect for all applications, but for fishing texas rigs, topwater... pretty much any type of artificial bait, it's pretty tough to beat. 

I still keep a rod or two with mono or fluoro line on it because there are times where Braid just isn't ideal, but go grab a spool of Power Pro or Sufix and I doubt you will be disappointed. Up until recently, I would only recommend Power Pro, but I threw some Sufix Braid on a reel this year on the recommendation of a friend, and I ALMOST prefer it over the Power Pro. The 30 lb stuff is nice and smooth, tough as nails, and has no memory at all. I love it.

But to each his own: you may get some good line and STILL not like it, and that's ok. I would just encourage you to get a good spool of Braid before giving up on it because I think you are denying yourself a pretty significant advantage.


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## BaitCaster

Jim said:


> Captain Ahab said:
> 
> 
> 
> Have you attempted to make the line break out of the water? Take a sturdy hook, tie your knot and stick the hook in a tree, fence post etc. Pull until something fails. If you have a good knot and unless your hook is super strong I would bet that you are able to bend the hook before the line breaks.
> 
> 
> Have you checked the guides on your rod? A small chip or crack in a ceramic (ie glass) guide) will tear the braided line and make it weak
> 
> 
> Let us know please
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Be careful not to break your rod if you do this. :lol:
Click to expand...


...... and make sure you wear eye protection too!!


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## Razorback

Just tried it 3 times. Used the clinch knot mentioned above with the extra overhand knots.

First time it broke off at the eye of the hook. Knot still intact, it snapped where the line was through the eye of the hook.

Second time it broke off there was about a foot of line attached to the hook.

Third time there was about 4 or 5 feet of line still attached to the hook.

All of this was with a minimal amount of pulling. I have to pull twice as hard to break my 12lb stren.


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## Captain Ahab

Razorback said:


> Just tried it 3 times. Used the clinch knot mentioned above with the extra overhand knots.
> 
> First time it broke off at the eye of the hook. Knot still intact, it snapped where the line was through the eye of the hook.
> 
> Second time it broke off there was about a foot of line attached to the hook.
> 
> Third time there was about 4 or 5 feet of line still attached to the hook.
> 
> All of this was with a minimal amount of pulling. I have to pull twice as hard to break my 12lb stren.




You sir - probably have a bad batch of line 


I would return that line - braid is wayyyyyyyyyyyyy stronger then mono diameter for diameter


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## FishinsMyLife

You're cheating yourself if you ever tie anything other than a Palomar. Take that to the bank.


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## jkbirocz

> You're cheating yourself if you ever tie anything other than a Palomar. Take that to the bank.



Amen Brother :!:


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## richg99

As pretty much everyone has already said...Braid does NOT break unless you, somehow, got a very bad batch. If it isn't the line itself, then perhaps it was rubbing against something and being nicked. Send it back and get your money back or get a spool of good line.

Whether you like the roughness ( I don't); or other features....braid simply doesn't break as easily as you described unless something strange is going on. 

I don't like Spiderwire either. I use Powerpro. The only time I break it off is when I am power bait-casting a big muskie lure and I get a backlash. Doesn't happen often, I am happy to say. 

Rich


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## Andy

Another voter for power pro line and the palomar knot. I have used spiderwire braid and didn't like it at all. Tried the power pro and haven"t looked back.


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## dsdrifter

1 more vote for Power Pro!!!! i have fished for a living for over 20yrs & spend 200+ days a year on the water, power pro is definitely my choice


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## overboard

even though I don't like the braid I've used,because of getting wind knots while casting,it seems to be very strong line. never had problems with it breaking. sounds like a bad batch,or guide or spool related problem.


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## ReelLowBudget

Spiderwire is crap... Power Pro is pretty good and I've cought lots of big fish on it and never had it break, I have had many hooks straighten, and actually had a hook pull out of a lure, but never had Power Pro break off, unless it was intentional.

Recently, I got a spool of Ohero braid at the Frank Sergent show. So far it's pretty damn good, every bit as strong as Power Pro, it's thinner, more flexible, and doesn't have that damned waxy coating. An it's only a few dollars more than Power Pro.


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## HOUSE

Yea, Palomar knot is definitely the only way to go for braided line.

One thing that may have been already suggested is to check your rod tip for a small knick/cut. I had some braided line snap on me a few times because of a tiny cut in my ceramic rod tip guide that wasn't snapping the mono I had replaced. (I think the knick got there from reeling in lures all the way to my rod tip...tsk tsk!)

Here's a picture & video of a palomar knot: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiDDdW22X9k





Here's a picture of how I felt after losing $20 in lures:


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## richg99

One way to check your guides for nicks and cuts is to stuff a strand from a cotton ball through the eye. The tiny fibers of the cotton will catch and reveal nicks we cannot see with the naked eye. R


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## fender66

richg99 said:


> One way to check your guides for nicks and cuts is to stuff a strand from a cotton ball through the eye. The tiny fibers of the cotton will catch and reveal nicks we cannot see with the naked eye. R



That's a great idea! =D> =D> 

Man I love the folks on this forum!


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## BassAddict

fender66 said:


> Man I love the folks on this forum!



Even me?


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## richg99

In the old days...( Ah! in MY time)...the advice was to pull a piece of women's nylons through the eye. Woman's nylons are NOT as easy to find, these days, as cotton balls. Ha Ha!
regards, Rich


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## fender66

BassAddict said:


> fender66 said:
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> Man I love the folks on this forum!
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> Even me?
Click to expand...


Please don't make me go there. My momma said, "if you don't have something nice to say, say nothing at all." :mrgreen:


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## Captain Ahab

BassAddict said:


> fender66 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Man I love the folks on this forum!
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> 
> Even me?
Click to expand...



NO


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## BassAddict

fender66 said:


> Please don't make me go there. My momma said, "if you don't have something nice to say, say nothing at all." :mrgreen:



 That is the nicest thing somebody has ever said to me, I love you too man!!




Captain Ahab said:


> BassAddict said:
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> fender66 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Man I love the folks on this forum!
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> Even me?
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> Click to expand...
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> NO
Click to expand...


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## Tracker129

I am a mono guy myself, 12lb suffix. Thats all i fish on any and all of my rods... Me and my buddy go fishing about 2-3 times a week and all he fishes is power pro, not sure what lb test but he always gets broken off way more than i do. Not sure why... But i have to make fun of him everytime he gets broken off because hes so cocky about his power pro :LOL2: Everyone has their own preferences, but ill stick to mono


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## chattahoochee

I use Power Pro 30 on my spinning reels and 65 on my baitcasters with Seagar fluorocarbon leaders directly attached. I believe my pictures in the evidence thread speak volumes as to braids effectiveness.

I use the uni knot exclusively for tying on hooks and use a " slim beauty " knot for the direct attachment of the flouro.

I've also used Spyder Wire and while I prefer Power Pro I certainly don't think it's junk.

Either your knots are bad or one of your guides are, I highly doubt the Braid is bad.


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## Captain Ahab

I keep reading on here about how people are breaking off braided line while FW fishing - I have never broken off a fish on braided line and I use 10 lb test for most FW applications. (and yes, I catch pretty good sized fish) I can tie the braid to a fence post and there is no way I can break the line using any appropriate rod 

I suggest that you have either bad knots, a bad guide on the rod or you are not using the appropriate equipment. Proper rod and drag settings will solve any break off problem with braided line.


Even if I snag, I always break off at the leader - and I will use 15 - 20lb floro leaders


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## shamoo

Def had to be a bad batch, for a bass to snap 20 lb anything doesnt sound right.


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## dj722000

redphysher said:


> i never had any problems with pro line. I do know it is slick as all get out and i have had a standard clinch knot pull out. i always tie a standard clinch knot now and add 2 overhand knots.



Have you ever tried the Improved Clinch Knot? A whole lot easier and faster then trying to tie an extra knot or two on braided line. Im just asking. It is so simple to pass the tag end through the loop after the eye pass, put a little spit on it then pull tight. Never had one pull even with big 5 lbs l.m. bass pulling through lillies with it. I use 50 lbs braid, thats why im asking if you have tried that? Just bein curious.


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## PSG-1

I fish with braided line all the time (20# Power Pro) and people always give me crap...."I can't believe you fish with that junk" or at the reel repair shop "you want me to take that junk off there and put some line on it?"

Last fall, I'd had enough heckling and trash-talking, so, I swapped out to monofilament. But I guess after fishing with the braided for so long, I just don't like the mono. I couldn't feel my lure at the end of the line, not like I can with braided. Mono just has way too much stretch and give for my liking. With braided, I can put a minnow on a bottom rig, and I can feel the minnow twitching. With mono, I'm lucky if I can feel the weight of the rig on the end of the line. 

So, I ended up going back to braided line.

The drawback to braided is that because it has no stretch, you have to fish with a very loose drag, particularly when fishing for sea trout, which are notorious for having soft mouths. Also, you ain't just gonna tie a knot in the braided and pop it like you can with mono....if you want to cut this stuff, you better have your knife or scissors. Braided line will cut the hell out of you if you wrap it around any part of your hand with pressure applied, unlike mono, which is a lot more forgiving.


I hear people say "but that braided line will cut into your reel arbor...." Yeah, that's why you put some backing on it, by winding on some 20 pound mono, then doing a blood knot, and then putting on the 150 yards of power pro. 

"But it will cut your guides"

Well, my fishing rods (except for my fly rods) are all cheap models, so, if they last long enough for an eye to be cut by the braided line.....it's served its purpose.


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