PowerPro Braid Alternative???

[Casslaw]

I tried J Braid and really liked it! It’s so much less stiff than other braids and holds its color a long time! I’m a Sufix 832 (owned by Rapala so not made in the U.S.) and it’s on most of my rods because it just plain works! Sufix 832 has never let me down, the J Braid was pretty darn good though.

[Les Young]

WARNING: I tried J-Braid from a referral from a well known BBC'r and I will NOT get it again. I have NEVER experienced as many wind knots as with J-Braid. Definitely could be size/weight specific so anything higher than 10lb no clue.

Really? I’ve only used 40 & 65 lb. x4, but I’ve really been happy with it. Enough that I just ordered another spool for my tube rod.

[Birdman2136]

Fins Pitch Black has been treating me well.

[Milehibird]

Having a hard time finding where Sufix is made. Seems like it's not in USA and maybe Japan. Not sure. But, trying to stick with line made in USA if possible.

Just happened to have a box of 832 on my desk next to me. Spool says "Made in Taiwan"

[pabasshawk]

Sufix 832 has a strand of Gore fiber in it that is made in the US.

[marshall256]

Been using the Cortland Masterbraid. It performs well, but the dye does seem to bleed pretty good. Funny thing though...it doesn't seem to stain my hands. Other that that, it's been pretty good stuff.

[Highlander]

Stren Superline Braid is worth a look. Ive found it to be a high quality braid and IMO it is under rated. Compared to Power Pro I find it to be rounder, the weave stays together better (doesnt fluff out), and the dye stays on as good or better than others I have tried (is there any braid that dye stays on great?). Im comparing to older gray Power Pro, I have not fished with any of the newer versions of Power Pro but they all seem similar in my hand.

Stren Braid is made in USA, previous versions (Super Braid and Sonic Braid) were made in Japan and I have not observed much difference in any of the versions. Ive used it for light spinning and topwater bait casting in different lb test/colors for many years and still happy with it. I usually fish clear water and like it for long casting. It is also happens to be one of the lower priced braids.

I know line choice is very much personal preference and reflects each angler's fishing style and tackle, I hope this info helps.

BTW I am not sponsored by anyone except my own wallet.

[bbbill]

I'm a 832 man for heavier braid but got spinning I like the Slick 8, V2, version of power pro. Nothing like regular pp.

[pabasshawk]

I have used several different brands but keep coming back to 832.

[Hollopoint94]

Been using the Cortland Masterbraid. It performs well, but the dye does seem to bleed pretty good. Funny thing though...it doesn't seem to stain my hands. Other that that, it's been pretty good stuff.

Glad the Cortland is working out well.
I have experienced the same things, the dye bleeds a lot at first, but it doesn't stain anything, and the line doesn't recieve much fade too the color after it's done.

[dragon1]

Glad the Cortland is working out well.
I have experienced the same things, the dye bleeds a lot at first, but it doesn't stain anything, and the line doesn't recieve much fade too the color after it's done.

While a bit loud through guides, the 50lb is one of my favorite all-purpose power tech braids for anything 3/4 - 2oz.

[Walkabout7781]

Stren Superline Braid is worth a look. Ive found it to be a high quality braid and IMO it is under rated. Compared to Power Pro I find it to be rounder, the weave stays together better (doesnt fluff out), and the dye stays on as good or better than others I have tried (is there any braid that dye stays on great?). Im comparing to older gray Power Pro, I have not fished with any of the newer versions of Power Pro but they all seem similar in my hand.

Stren Braid is made in USA, previous versions (Super Braid and Sonic Braid) were made in Japan and I have not observed much difference in any of the versions. Ive used it for light spinning and topwater bait casting in different lb test/colors for many years and still happy with it. I usually fish clear water and like it for long casting. It is also happens to be one of the lower priced braids.

I know line choice is very much personal preference and reflects each angler's fishing style and tackle, I hope this info helps.

BTW I am not sponsored by anyone except my own wallet.

Yep, the Stren braid is decent stuff and often overlooked by folks that insist on paying big bucks. I bought some on sale someplace real cheap, mentioned it in the Lounge and no comments about it. IIRC, I paid about $8 for a spool of 40 lb and like it for spinnerbaits. No fade noticed.

I think if you are getting a lot of "wind knots" and loops around the rod tip, you're using really light line. You might try rubbing wax or fly line dressing into it to stiffen it up a bit....but I haven't tried that. I usually use 15 lb test braid on my DS rod. Tried 20 and didn't like the bow from wind/current/boat movement. Haven't had the guts to try 10 lb, frankly, but I think wind knots would be much more likely.

[Jetch114]

You fellas use some HEAVY # line. I just went from 10 to 15# and it was too much. Back to 10# braid and I catch some big fish. Why so heavy for you guys? What am I missing?
I did switch from PP to suffix 832. So far I like it. Seems a little more limp than PP

[dragon1]

You fellas use some HEAVY # line. I just went from 10 to 15# and it was too much. Back to 10# braid and I catch some big fish. Why so heavy for you guys? What am I missing?
I did switch from PP to suffix 832. So far I like it. Seems a little more limp than PP

Horses for courses my man...I use 8lb on light spinning, 10-12 on BFS, 20 on all around mag finesse and med powered techs, 30-40 for heavier jigs and frogs, 50 for 1-2 oz lures.

10-15 will snap like a twig casting heavier 1+ oz lures, even with a leader when the line dig eventually stops your cast. Also, a hard hookset to drive bigger diameter hooks home will destroy smaller diameter braid, as will abrasive rocks and structure and critters with teeth
Lots of reasons, not to mention some bigger diameter spools don't play nice in laying down thin diameter braids, and that larger diameter braids also keep bigger baits floating higher and connects better to thicker diameter leaders and has more body for flipping/pitching/frogging.


Others will chime in.

[DrewFlu33]

I don't have a recommendation for the OP in terms of USA made braids. I'm a big fan of Daiwa J-braid for casting applications, and Sunline Asegai for spinning applications. Berkley X9 is good stuff, too, and I may be buying more of it now that it's available in their flame green color.

As for the thoughts about using heavy vs. light braid, I think it depends entirely on the application. If someone is considering using heavy braid on a spinning rod, I can see why that would seem strange. On the flip side, not many people would spool up light braid for a casting rod application, or at least most casting rod applications, partially because of the abrasion resistance and durability issues dragon1 mentions, and partially because the thin braids really want to dig in on casting gear.

One related thing not really mentioned in this thread that I'm always harping on to anyone who will listen: Trying to compare braid based on lb test ratings is just asking for frustration. Even forgetting the fact that they mean nothing since most every braid out there won't break until 2-3 times its rating on a straight pull, the variation between brands, even lines within the same brand, is insane. Maybe the best example to illustrate the point is to compare two different lines from the same company--Berkley X9 50 lb actually has a smaller diameter (0.011") than Berkley Fireline 20lb (0.012"). 250% of the breaking strength in a smaller diameter? If that were really true (or really mattered), how could they ever still be selling Fireline?

I used to use a lot of 832 and while it holds up well, it was the one that started cluing me in on the variance between lines in diameter/lb test ratings. Admittedly not a huge deal as you can just buy lighter line, and not really the reason I quit using it. Instead, it's the fact that it sinks. Whether that's because it soaks up water or the fibers are made out of something heavier I'm really not sure, but I really started noticing it when I realized I couldn't stand to throw a frog anymore. If I wasn't working it perfectly straight back to the boat (i.e., the boat wasn't completely stationary), anything sticking out of the water was sure to wreck the end of that cast, and I was bound to be spooking fish left and right ripping out pads, reeds, whatever trying to get the . As I started paying more attention, I began to realize I was having issues with it messing up my presentations on long casts with spinning gear, and giving me all kinds of hell in current. So while I think the fact that it sinks can be advantageous in some situations, it's really pretty specialized and can cause a lot of headaches in more general use. I tend to just go with a longer fluoro leader if I want my line to sink.

[marshall256]

You fellas use some HEAVY # line. I just went from 10 to 15# and it was too much. Back to 10# braid and I catch some big fish. Why so heavy for you guys? What am I missing?
I did switch from PP to suffix 832. So far I like it. Seems a little more limp than PP

For me....I typically use 20-30# braid in every situation. 30# on my buzzbait for those bad casts deep into the grass or into an underlying tree limb. It allows me to rip it out without going in and spooking the fish further. If I need to finesse, I just add a leader. Use an FG knot and it works really well going through the rod guides and casting. Honestly, I fish braid on every reel now. I've yet to have a leader let me down and I just flat can't cast Fluoro....unless it's $50/100yd Fluoro.

[dragon1]

I don't have a recommendation for the OP in terms of USA made braids. I'm a big fan of Daiwa J-braid for casting applications, and Sunline Asegai for spinning applications. Berkley X9 is good stuff, too, and I may be buying more of it now that it's available in their flame green color.

As for the thoughts about using heavy vs. light braid, I think it depends entirely on the application. If someone is considering using heavy braid on a spinning rod, I can see why that would seem strange. On the flip side, not many people would spool up light braid for a casting rod application, or at least most casting rod applications, partially because of the abrasion resistance and durability issues dragon1 mentions, and partially because the thin braids really want to dig in on casting gear.

One related thing not really mentioned in this thread that I'm always harping on to anyone who will listen: Trying to compare braid based on lb test ratings is just asking for frustration. Even forgetting the fact that they mean nothing since most every braid out there won't break until 2-3 times its rating on a straight pull, the variation between brands, even lines within the same brand, is insane. Maybe the best example to illustrate the point is to compare two different lines from the same company--Berkley X9 50 lb actually has a smaller diameter (0.011") than Berkley Fireline 20lb (0.012"). 250% of the breaking strength in a smaller diameter? If that were really true (or really mattered), how could they ever still be selling Fireline?

I used to use a lot of 832 and while it holds up well, it was the one that started cluing me in on the variance between lines in diameter/lb test ratings. Admittedly not a huge deal as you can just buy lighter line, and not really the reason I quit using it. Instead, it's the fact that it sinks. Whether that's because it soaks up water or the fibers are made out of something heavier I'm really not sure, but I really started noticing it when I realized I couldn't stand to throw a frog anymore. If I wasn't working it perfectly straight back to the boat (i.e., the boat wasn't completely stationary), anything sticking out of the water was sure to wreck the end of that cast, and I was bound to be spooking fish left and right ripping out pads, reeds, whatever trying to get the . As I started paying more attention, I began to realize I was having issues with it messing up my presentations on long casts with spinning gear, and giving me all kinds of hell in current. So while I think the fact that it sinks can be advantageous in some situations, it's really pretty specialized and can cause a lot of headaches in more general use. I tend to just go with a longer fluoro leader if I want my line to sink.

Absolutely - "braid" and "superlines" have a lot of factors, in addition to the country of origin, manufacture, etc. Not only the quality of the material used, any coatings and color, but also the extrusion and/or weaving process.

[Sharpcard]

You fellas use some HEAVY # line. I just went from 10 to 15# and it was too much. Back to 10# braid and I catch some big fish. Why so heavy for you guys? What am I missing?
I did switch from PP to suffix 832. So far I like it. Seems a little more limp than PP

I just never cared for 10# braid for fishing frogs or punching grass. Maybe I'm missing something.

[dragon1]

I just never cared for 10# braid for fishing frogs or punching grass. Maybe I'm missing something.

LMAO...with all due respect of course.

In all likelihood, this fisher uses braid with spinning and perhaps not heavy BC gear and techs.