What braid?

[Andy135]

I've been using Daiwa J-Braid pretty much for ever on my boat reels. Whilst I have no particular complaints about the J-Braid, it is expensive for what it is.

What other braids are people using?

 

@headlight, I'll save you the effort of posting to add that I already know about your chinese Spectra braid 😉

[Odyssey]

Spectra braid is cheap and does the job well....

 

[Saintly Fish]

Another vote for spectra and KastKing is good and cheap, if a tad thicker. 

[Maverick]

I use whiplash and whiplash crystal and have never had problems with either and no i'm not kinky 

[JDP]

My favorate by a mile 

 

 

[JonC]

1 hour ago, Andy135 said:

I've been using Daiwa J-Braid pretty much for ever on my boat reels. Whilst I have no particular complaints about the J-Braid, it is expensive for what it is.

What other braids are people using?

 

@headlight, I'll save you the effort of posting to add that I already know about your chinese Spectra braid 😉

 

[Saintly Fish]

[JonC]

16 minutes ago, Saintly Fish said:

Grow up. 

[Saintly Fish]

2 hours ago, JonC said:

Grow up. 

🤷🏻‍♂️

[Maverick]

2 hours ago, JonC said:

Grow up. 

He did once but didn't like it 

[jonnyswamp]

I always bought the cheep 4 strand stuff from China, used to be 5/6 quid for 500m of 30lb (I'm still using it now, but got none left)

Just paid £18 ish for the 8 strand spectra 30lb (literally just before coming on here) so will see how that goes

Did buy some 18lb J braid that's on a Fathom 12, which I'm yet to use in anger

[Saintly Fish]

1 hour ago, Maverick said:

He did once but didn't like it 

I never did. I tried, but didn’t quite make it. 😩

[SiDfish]

If you want to use as little lead as possible, go thin.  We use 8 carrier Whiplash Pro and Spiderwire Stealth smooth.  Apart from early stuff that snapped for no reason, they've developed into true superlines and seem almost indestructible (2 yrs use with no apparent wear), though they get more supple.  I use 60lb from the shore for rock and storm fishing and it smashes 75lb mono traces when snagged.  One small thing, I've not seen elsewhere, is that the braid gets wet and brings the saltwater back to the reel, where it runs over/into the reel.  I've had no probs with Penn Fathoms but my fishing buddy has seized up new Shimano and Okuma multipliers in a year of use.  I also use an interline rod sometimes and the water off the line clogs the tip section occasionally with salt crystals, needing a warm rinse out.  To get economy with these lines you have to commit to 2000+m spools, so try before you buy!

[JDP]

These braids some people like may well be ok on fish of 10lb on 30lb braid but turn that around to 30lb fish on 10lb line to see how they last. I like thinner light lines as they are so much more sensitive when I'm dropping plastics, jigs or baited rigs in depths of around 120m. If I can target a species using 10lb drag, then using line heavier is simply overkill. 20lb braid is still relatively thin but doesn't give me anything like 10lb in terms of sensitivity and up to 20lb of drag is some serious stopping power.

When I see people saying their 50lb Jbraid, powerpro or Chinese braid has never given them any problems and then look at their catch reports, I'm not surprised at all the line hasn't given them any problems. 

[Andy135]

3 minutes ago, JDP said:

When I see people saying their 50lb Jbraid, powerpro or Chinese braid has never given them any problems and then look at their catch reports, I'm not surprised at all the line hasn't given them any problems. 

🤣👍

[JonC]

9 minutes ago, JDP said:

These braids some people like may well be ok on fish of 10lb on 30lb braid but turn that around to 30lb fish on 10lb line to see how they last. I like thinner light lines as they are so much more sensitive when I'm dropping plastics, jigs or baited rigs in depths of around 120m. If I can target a species using 10lb drag, then using line heavier is simply overkill. 20lb braid is still relatively thin but doesn't give me anything like 10lb in terms of sensitivity and up to 20lb of drag is some serious stopping power.

When I see people saying their 50lb Jbraid, powerpro or Chinese braid has never given them any problems and then look at their catch reports, I'm not surprised at all the line hasn't given them any problems. 

I don’t understand? My 80lb braid has had no issues with my whiting this year. 

[Jon cook]

Another vote for stealth 8 braid. Won't use anything else now for my lure fishing.

[headlight]

When I see people saying their 50lb Jbraid, powerpro or Chinese braid has never given them any problems and then look at their catch reports, I'm not surprised at all the line hasn't given them any problems. 

John I"m using cheap Chinese Spectra for shark fishing, in fact I use it for all my boat fishing and have done for the past about 12 years, and I have never had a problem with it on fish up to 250lbs.

[JDP]

11 minutes ago, headlight said:

When I see people saying their 50lb Jbraid, powerpro or Chinese braid has never given them any problems and then look at their catch reports, I'm not surprised at all the line hasn't given them any problems. 

John I"m using cheap Chinese Spectra for shark fishing, in fact I use it for all my boat fishing and have done for the past about 12 years, and I have never had a problem with it on fish up to 250lbs.

Yes but there are many different Chinese braids, some people were caught out buying 50lb green Chinese braid that snapped like cotton because it was actually cotton over here. One fella asked me to take my 1800m spool of saltiga braid to work to see if it compared to his saltiga he had bought off eBay from China. Instantly you could see the label was different (why don't people copying simply scan a label ). His line had a really bad chemical smell and the colour easily rubbed onto our hands. The braid did however seem pretty strong until it became wet after the first time, where it then dropped to an easy hand pull and break. 

To me it simply isn't worth the risk, I buy genuine line from reputable suppliers.

Jervis Walker do a braid that is very cheap, under $10 for 300m, I bought some to put on a reel I was selling which was the first and last time I will buy that!!! This stuff was meant to be 20lb but was thicker than the saltiga 150lb I own. 

 

 

[headlight]

I"m not quite sure what you are saying ?

I use Chinese Spectra in 40lb for general bottom fishing and 70lb and 100lb for sharks.

I have had fish to 63lb on the 40lb and to 250LB on the 70lb.

I can only speak from my own personal experience and that is that I have never had any issues with it in the12 odd years that I have been using it, maybe I have just been lucky.

Admittedly it is not as thin or smooth as more expensive braids but for my use it is fine.

[JonC]

Just now, headlight said:

I"m not quite sure what you are saying ?

I use Chinese Spectra in 40lb for general bottom fishing and 70lb and 100lb for sharks.

I have had fish to 63lb on the 40lb and to 250LB on the 70lb.

I can only speak from my own personal experience and that is that I have never had any issues with it in the12 odd years that I have been using it, maybe I have just been lucky.

Admittedly it is not as thin or smooth as more expensive braids but for my use it is fine.

I think what JonD is getting at is that most of us don’t get our kit tested too hard, which is fair comment for a lot of us. 
I fish with 18lb mono, it’s not that often that I get anything that is going to smash me up. 

[Dicky]

Stick with Daiwa J braid. In the grand scheme of things the price difference isn't worth worrying about. 

[GPSguru]

10 hours ago, Andy135 said:

I've been using Daiwa J-Braid pretty much for ever on my boat reels. Whilst I have no particular complaints about the J-Braid, it is expensive for what it is.

What other braids are people using?

 

@headlight, I'll save you the effort of posting to add that I already know about your chinese Spectra braid 😉

 

Another vote for Spectra in green  ............... IIRC it is made in the same factory as Powerpro .............

I buy direct from china and there has never been a problem .....................

I use 28lb for general wreck and bottom fishing, and 80lb for sharks and other stuff .........other stuff can be counted as fish weighing 100's of lbs !

 

Edited December 7, 2020 by GPSguru

[GPSguru]

1 hour ago, JDP said:

To me it simply isn't worth the risk, I buy genuine line from reputable suppliers.

It isn't a risk if you know a little about the manufacturer etc .......... being in the trade, I probably am able to source this info easier .

28lb spectra with a 30lb Sakuma  copolymer leader and a 92lb conger is a fair test ........... 👍 ................ 80lb Spectra and a large Bluefin is also a fair test, TBH I was more worried about my bimini top shot knot and the Aussie plait leader knot than the braid 🤣

[Odyssey]

Spectra braid bring this stuff....

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/392359465339
 

Just checking as will order some to spool up reels. Then attach dog biscuits on the end and go fishing for Daisy the dog 😂😂