Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[aquaboy24]

OK...got the new Abu 6500 C4 reel...will be getting a nice 10'6'' rod to compliment it. Now....what kind of braided line do people recommend? What brand?

cheers - Vince

[Sterling C]

Where are you planning on fishing? If your next outinng is for steelhead I would recomend 15lb maxima rather than a braid.

[BIG T]

maxima over braided line for sure

[DragonSpeed]

reasons?

[Oliver]

There used to be some info here 

[aquaboy24]

I am actually going to get the hang of casting with the level wind for steelheal season using 15 maxima. Then my thought was to put some really tiny braided on it for Pink/coho season. Call me crazy..that was my thought..but if Maxima is good..I might stick with that. How about this new non-braided but super strong stuff some of the brands are carrying?

 

[TROY B]

steelhead fishing 30lb fireline is the way to go...

[Fish Assassin]

I used Fireline for several years until changing to Tuff XP for the reason that LimitKiller outlined.

[blaydRnr]

i like spiderwire when fishing the fraser. the line flattens on the spool, so it doesn't dig in like tuff line.

but with any braided line you have to make sure, you have a rod that can help absorb some of the shock that the reel takes. especially the ones with high gear ratio.

i highly recommend the maxima ultra green, if you choose to go with monofilament.

[Sterling C]

Just a few words to the wise. If you are going to use braided line, fraser vedder wherever, do not use fire line or spiderwire when fishing around other people. These lines will cut through mono like a razor. Instead try power pro or tuff line. These lines are essentually the same but will not chew up mono. Then again if your fishing in a remote area or you like to piss people off........

[blaydRnr]

power pro and tuff line has its downside too.  they're too soft. i've had guys (using tuff line) cross my mono...what a mess. their knots are almost impossible to undo.

also, the green colour can be hard to see under certain conditions.

[blaydRnr]

I hate pepeole who use mono and run a 30 pound leader on a 20 pound test, then snag up and have 100 feet of line snap beaucse their mainline is weaker...creating bigger snags, but I dont have to worry if I use fireline

people like that obviously don't know what the hell they're doing. but its not the line, its the people using them

[Eagleye]

In my opinion Tuff Line XP is the superior braided line.  I have tried Fireline and it's abrasion resistance is very poor. Once the plastic like protective coating wears of it frays like crazy because the fibers are not integrated.  I bought some once and it lasted me two weeks of heavy fishing.  After my bad experience with fireline I decided to try Power Pro after hearing all the raving reviews about it.  The problem I had with Power Pro is that it makes for a real nasty birds nest because it digs down deep in the spool, making it nearly impossible to untangle.  With Tuff Line XP the knots come out very easy (especially once the protective coating wears down). Usually I just pull on a couple of loops and the birds nest undoes it self and I'm back to fishing in a matter of seconds.   I don't recommend the regular Tuff Line (black and white) because it is thicker and it is flat on one side which makes a nasty bow on windy days.  In my opinion Tuff Line XP is best suited for fishing the Fraser rather than smaller rivers.  It will enhance your action when you cast out far into fast deep water.  Mono absorbs the shock of hits and bounces leaving the angler in the dark.  One of the disadvantages of using it in small rivers is if your mainline breaks it can make for a real nasty snag for fellow anglers because it balls up and when someone's hook touches it, the hook will ride the line to the ball at the top and hook into the fabric like material which is very hard to undo.  Also, it's not translucent like Maxima which is a bonus when targeting easily spooked fish like coho.  It is also nice to have some stretch when fishing for smaller species.  Sometimes you'll lose a fish even if the drag is set very loose because the braided lines are so stiff they lack the shock absorbance to keep the hook in place.  

[Gooey]

I cant figure out why you would want to fish braid on the vedder or chehalis. 

On the fraser 50lb braid with no strech is great: hard hook sets, small diameter=less water drag and easy long casts.  That really doesnt apply on the first 2 rivers mentioned. 

Mono seems like the best bet for me when it comes to clear water rivers like the vedder and chehalis.

[Eagleye]

Maybe they call it Fireline because it goes up in a cloud of smoke. Power Pro would take a Pro to be able to cast it without getting a nasty bird's nest. And Tuff Line... it speaks for itself.