I had the chance to use some power pro drifting
for steelhead over the weekend, and got to thinking
about using if for pike in the spring.

My question is...do any of you use a braided line as
your main casting line, and if so, how does it hold up?
I am used to 10lb mono...would I want to use the same
pound in braid? Should I use a floro leader?

Happy New Year ...thanks.

I've used braided line on my baitcaster a lot and liked it.
I used Fireline 10# test which is a smaller diameter than mono.
The sensitivity was great; I could feel anything the crankbait touched when retrieving. The only thing I noticed was occasionally the outer few feet would start showing wear so I would just cut some off. Last season I went to mono again just because I wanted to save a dollar or two but I think I will respool at least one or two baitcasters with Fireline again.

Hurrel

30/8 braided Stealth. Never had a pike or muskie cut it or break it and I'll usually bag 100+ nice pike throughout the year casting and trolling. No leader at all. Just a 30# snap swivel at the end.


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My reels, including my spinning and casting, are almost EXCLUSIVELY "Super Lines" - specifically - PowerPro and Fireline!! It casts better than mono on any given day!

There is one exception though: The Supers' don't do well for freezing temps and Salmon fishing. They load-up with ice from the surroundings and that is a bad thing!

I have not tried yet, but I read alot about Braid at Florida Sportman Forum. The type of fishing they do is shallow water, flats, docks, and beach areas. The braid most rate high are Sufix and Tuf XP. I just read that Sufix will give you a $6 rebate.

I have some form of superline on all but 1 of my reels. From 4 pound Fireline for Crappie to 80 pound Power Pro for Muskie. Love the no stretch characteristic. I've got some Spiderwire Stealth that I know is at least 5 years old on one of my reels. Probably closer to 7. I've got some Power Pro nearly that age as well.

I love it for casting especially when your line weights need to be in the 20 pound and up class. Its so supple it just flies off the spool. Only way to go in my opinion.



Matt Davis

Better to have and not need than to need and not have!

I have been using 20lb power pro on my baitcasters for the last 2 years and think it's great. Like any other line get your settings down or you can get a backlash like anything else, however you can get a little rougher getting it out and not have to worry about a nick in it.

To try braided line without spending a lot, buy dacron. Very low stretch, small diameter (especially the Mason brand), and traditional
among musky fisherman for years.
I like a flourocarbon leader for its resistance to teeth. I hate it for its resistance to knotting, but I put up with that because of its advantages. The flourocarbon I use is the expensive leader material. I've learned that any flourocarbon that's advertised as reel fill line isn't as good.

Use 65 and 80 pound test Power Pro on all Musky rods.All of the reels are Abu's 5600,6500 or RCN60's. PP works great in all of them. Also use 80 or 100 pound test Mono and Fluorocarbon leaders. Palomar or a Uni knot with 8 or so turns works well. Power Pro will lose it's color, it will wear away with time.I think all of the Spectra fiber lines fade in color.

I use Power Pro for 90% of my fishing, from trolling for Eyes,casting for kings to casting for Snook in Fl. during the winter. Just be sure to back off on the drags till you get use to the no stretch.

I cast the sh** out of it. ;)

>I cast the sh** out of it. ;)


:rock-on:

Power Pro (85lb) for casting for Muskies. It does freeze up a bit in late November though.

>I had the chance to use some power pro drifting
>for steelhead over the weekend, and got to thinking
>about using if for pike in the spring.
>
>My question is...do any of you use a braided line as
>your main casting line, and if so, how does it hold up?
>I am used to 10lb mono...would I want to use the same
>pound in braid? Should I use a floro leader?
>
>Happy New Year ...thanks.
>
>

I use a lot of Stealth Spiderwire. I love the feeback I get with it as braided doesn't streach like mono. I still use a ballbearing steel leader for pike fishing. I suppose it's a habit I should break, but every once in awhile I find new teeth marks on the leaders plastic coating.

I have used 30# spiderwire while drifting shiners for big Florida bass for years. The line performs very well. It floats on top of the water and has a long life. One thing you must do is frequently check for the slightest bit of fraying. I hold the line up to a light source and look for the slightest sign of a minuet thread hanging out from the main line. If I see one I cut off and retie. I tie a palomar and then put a granny knot (overhand knot) in the tag end about a quarter inch or less from the knot. Knot failure is not a problem for me.

I have tried it casting for bass but found that if the line comes in contact with lilly pads you get frequent breaks. I think the lilly pads must cut into the line slightly.

Jack

I only use a true "braided line" when using a baitcasting reel. The braided lines are hollow and will flatten out which will cause problems on spinning gear. This happened a lot with the original Gorilla Braid.

Other super lines are fused which creast a more round line. These are the ones to use with spinning gear.

The lines all hold up great and you will get many years of use from them. As T-Mac says you can cast the heck out of them. You would want to go with a heavier lb test as teh diameters of the lines are about 1/4 that of mono. This allows you to have thinner/stronger line. I feel that there is no need for a leader for pike especially. If you have thenm shying away then maybe try it but most of the time it is not an issue.

I tried Power Pro 30# a couple of years ago and really like it a lot on a bait caster. I didn't like the lighter power pro on a spinning reel and went back to mono for spinning.

Power Pro 30 is a real improvement over mono. It casts great, it's strong. The only bad thing I can say about it is that the color fades very quickly, but that's not such a bad thing in practical terms.