Difference Between Braid Brands?

[Cooper Brown]

I need to purchase some braid for a reel i'm about to buy and i'm not sure what brands are reliable as i have heard some of the cheaper ones can end up chewing through the eyelits of the rod! I am looking for about 300m of 40lb, but am i best to just go into a local fishing store and let them do it for me to save me the time and hastle or should i do it myself?

I cant really find anything online about good and bad brands for braid, just read some story's on the cheaper ones.

 

[MarkA]

What will you be fishing for with it? How much would you be happy to spend? Will be doing a lot of casting or deep/ish water plastics?

Some braids strength is over rated and others are under rated. some are really ropey and some are smooth as silk.

I don't have any experience with the Chinese ebay braids but I'm sure some people swear by them.

Ive used power pro in the past and it does the job and is reliable.

My favourite braids now though are Shimano Ocea ex8 and Varivas casting which are both very nice.

[Tybo]

11 hours ago, Cooper Brown said:

I need to purchase some braid for a reel i'm about to buy and i'm not sure what brands are reliable as i have heard some of the cheaper ones can end up chewing through the eyelits of the rod! I am looking for about 300m of 40lb, but am i best to just go into a local fishing store and let them do it for me to save me the time and hastle or should i do it myself?

I cant really find anything online about good and bad brands for braid, just read some story's on the cheaper ones.

 

Brands of braid are all personal choice, there are dozens out there, and you only know for yourself once you use them. I have never had any problem with braid I've used, from 60lb down to 4lb, some feel different to others, some last ages, some don't. I personally don't buy unbranded stuff, and the three words I look for in braid is either 'Made in Japan' or 'Made in the USA'. My go to braid is Power Pro, which has never failed me, and my arsenal of exclusively Shimano reels are made for it. I have used Fins as well, and find it superb also, with little difference between the two brands in similar line weights. On my smaller reels I've lately been using Sunline which also seems fantastic, but all three of these brands of braid are similar in price, so should be of comparable quality.

I've also used Daiwa's J-Braid and find it excellent for the price. I only went to it because I bought a few cheaper reels, and I couldn't justify putting $70 worth of braid on $150 reel. Depending on your budget, there are certainly options to suit the style of fishing you do.

I always look at what reel I'll be putting it on and the line capacity. Quite often you can get away with the equivalent of one spool of braid, even if you have to pack it out a little bit. Although sometimes the spool capacity of certain reels is awkward, and you'll have to go for a 300yd spool and then be left with 60yds or so. This is where getting your reel spooled at a Tackle shop has it's advantages, and you're not left with useless little bits of braid like me.

[Old Scaley]

The tackle shop will do a better job than you can and will get the right tension first time. Generally they will do this for free and I have never been charged for the backing nylon. They are also good for advice on the right braid for your style of fishing and most don’t try to sell you up to the most expensive brand if that is not what you need.  Good luck and don’t forget to post up some trips once you get your gear sorted.

[Cooper Brown]

Alright, thank you both for the tips and advice!

[Guest Kendaric]

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[Angus]

Also consider braid diameter...

Many braids differ significantly between diameter for their lb or pe rating. 

This is one the reasons for large price variance. Often expensive braids are very thin compared to strength making it easier to cast etc etc.