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Which Braid?

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Jbatel

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Excellent comments. At the end of your post you talk about Spiderwire XDS. I think you meant Fireline XDS. So do you like the Fireline XDS and what about standard Spiderwire braid ?

 

NIB, I started using the 50lb Stren Superbraid earlier this year on my conventional reels. It is alot more expensive than the other Braids. I expiremented some this year with braids agian off the boat. I had one rod rigged with brand new powerpro 50lb and the other with the Stren 50. I found myself experiencing unexplained break-offs with the PowerPro. I wasnt fishing a tight drag and I was using a very long leader. This was much different from the surf because I was fishing vertically, it should be nearly impossible to break with just 4-5lbs of tension unless the bottom was really nasty, never really felt the fish rub on the reefs or anything. Some days I was doing anywhere from 20-40+ Fish, big fish. I know you would feel the leader on the gills when the fish sounded. I have tried PowerPro in the past and went away from it to the whiplash which Tim turned me on too, also used the spiderwire stealth.

Off the surf this year I stayed mostly on Rocky beaches and have had my share of break-offs...Al on rocks, remember you are now fishing a totally different angle of the surf and alot of youre line is exposed to the rocks. I tried the Fireline in 20lb which has changed alot from the last time I had used it quite a few years ago. Agian, I broke some really big fish off and just wanted to try something different. And yes I went from 65lb braid, which was wat I used in really rocky areas to 20lb fireline, the diameter is less, but the line I feel is stronger on the rocks. I also needed Alot of distance, that is why I went with the 20 over the 30. One important thing, I feel you will have much better of a chance of landing a big fish off the rocks with a lighter drag. Agian I lost some real big fish in areas that were rocky with very slight current with a tighter drag, if the fish sounds and starts to rub on the rocks, Back off the drag...I have lost to many fish trying to muscle them. Yes, I still have lost some fish with the lighter drag, but far less than before, Ive landed fish to the low 40lb class with the light drag this year off the surf...

As far as the spiderwire XDS, it is some very tough stuff, the lightest they have is 35lb Test, the diameter however is equivalent to a braid of about 60lbs or so. You will loose some casting distance with it, but you will make up in the abrasion resistance, landing fish in very rocky areas with no problem. Trust me that stuff is strong...Oh yeah, it is also about $35 for a 300 yard spool...I dont think that fireline and fireline XDS are actual braids though.

 

 

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Farmerjeff,

You know what they say, "It only cost's 100 percent more to go first class" I teamed up that VS250 with an Arro Pro XSRA 1322-2. I know I'm a beginner, but like you said. can't take it with you. I like to call it passion. Find something you like and dive in! Looks like I'll be going with Spider Steath in moss green.

Thanks to everyone.

JB

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I like to call it passion. Find something you like and dive in!

 

icon14.gificon14.gif Good luck to you. I hope we hear some stories of some great fish this season!

"One thing is clear: The Founding Fathers never intended a nation where citizens pay nearly half of everything they earn to government"- Ron Paul, 7/17/01
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have been real happy with 50# PP on my 150 (thanks to Bill K wink.gif ), 30# Stealth was great on Nautil 6500...

 

picked up 30# Fireline from Tim's Store last fall... will try it this spring...

"Because as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns and the ones we don't know we don't know." Donald Rumsfeld
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I would go with Fireline too ,had bad stuff happen with Power Pro .For the leader i like Andu 80 lb mono.Few $ and you get enough leaders for a long time

 

What kind of problems did you have with Power Pro? How long ago did you have these problems? I have had wind knot problems with the 20# stuff on surf spinning.

NeilB HappyWave.gif

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I have to say, I haven't had the same "mystery breakoff" problem with Power Pro over the last two years, like I had when it first hit the market. If you look up posts from before 2003, I usually referred to it as "Power Blows" eek.gif I'm not quite at the point where I'd sink $150 or so into a bulk spool---yet.

 

Never had a problem---ever--with 20# and 30# Fireline on my Penns and VS. I have 20 on the 704 and 200, 30 on the 706 and 250. With 30 on the 250, you fill with mono to the bottom of the holes, and the 300 yards fits just perfect.

"…if catching fish is your only objective, you are either new to the game or too narrowly focused on measurable results.” - D. Stuver

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I'm a big fan of the Stealth and regular Fireline, have not tried the XDS yet. I don't care much for the regular Spiderwire, tangles easier and is harder to undo.

 

Fireline does loose its color and gets fuzzy after being broken in but in my experience it does not have a noticable affect on the line strength.

 

D

Embrace American Privilege

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