How to Choose a Braided Line
The biggest difference between braids, all of which are made from high modulus polyethylene (HMPE) fibers, is the number of carriers (or strands) that make up the braid.
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When spooling up, choosing a braided line best-suited to the technique and location is imperative. The biggest difference between braided lines, all of which are made from high modulus polyethylene (HMPE) fibers, is the number of carriers (or strands) that make up the braid. While manufacturers offer different weaves and coatings, the number of strands in a braided line has the largest impact on its performance and best applications.
Most braided lines on the market are made with 4-, 8-, or 16-strands, making them better suited for everything from finesse freshwater fishing to offshore tuna trolling.
4-Strand Braided Line
Fewer, thicker strands give 4-strand braid a rougher texture.
Benefit
- Tears through weeds and vegetation
- Most abrasion-resistant
- Usually less expensive
Tradeoff
- More friction reduces casting distance
Best For:
- Freshwater fishing in heavy cover
- Saltwater fishing around rocky structure
- Wreck fishing
Examples of 4-Carrier Braided Line
From Seaguar:
TactX is engineered to maintain its perfectly round shape and stay firm to minimize rod tip wrapping and wind knots. It packs tightly on your reel without cutting into itself to help reduce backlashes too. This is an all-around braid that combines excellent castability, abrasion resistance and overall strength with a “pebble” texture to add durability and help it cut through vegetation. Available in 150- and 300-yard spools.
From Berkley:
Berkley x5 Braid is a conventional braid using 100% PE fibers. 4-stranded braids are popular and Berkley x5 takes it to another level by adding an additional strand making x5 strong, reliable, and built to cut through weeds and vegetation.
From Daiwa:
J-BRAID x4 perfect for abrasion resistance and ease of use for knot tying and line management. The 4 Carrier lends itself to be a bit thinner diameter great for additional line on your reel when necessary. x4 is made with the highest quality Dyneema material from Japan.
8-Strand Braided Line
Eight thinner strands make this braided line smoother and rounder.
Benefit
- Smoother, with less friction, for longer casting distance
- Quieter through the guides on the retrieve
Tradeoff
- Less abrasion resistant
- More likely to bury into itself on the spool
- More expensive
Best For:
- Surfcasting
- Freshwater fishing with spinning tackle
- Inshore and albie fishing
Examples of 8-Carrier Braided Line
From Berkley:
Berkley x9 Braid is a conventional braid using 100% PE fibers. 8-stranded braids are popular and Berkley x9 takes it to another level by adding an additional strand making x9 strong, reliable, and built to be smooth and cast effortlessly and far.
From Seaguar:
Made with 8 ultra-thin, micro-weave strands, woven into a perfectly round profile for quiet laser-like casts. One of the thinnest-diameter braids available for extra sensitivity – so thin that 20 lb test has the diameter of 6 lb monofilament. Provides exceptional knot and tensile strength with unparalleled abrasion resistance. Available in 150-yard spools.
From PowerPro:
PowerPro Super Slick 8 is Smooth as Silk – 8 yarn Spectra fiber construction braided under high tension to create a live surface that feels smooth as silk. Cast like a Bullet – Reduced line friction on the spool and through the rod guides allows Super-Slick to cast like a bullet. Silent as Assassin – Smooth surface design reduces friction and line noise, allowing you to fish with stealth and silence.
Available in 150-, 300-, and 1500-yard spools.
From Daiwa:
J-Braid x8 line is a complete line up of high quality 8 carrier braid made of the finest materials from Japan. 8 Strands of tightly woven fibers makes for a perfectly round profile. The result is a much stronger, softer and smoother line that is more sensitive and farther casting. J-Braid is one of the best quality and value braided lines on the market.
From Sufix:
832 Advanced Superline has 8 fibers (7 HMPE fibers plus 1 GORE Performance Fiber) and 32 weaves per inch. GORE Performance Fibers improve abrasion resistance, increase casting distance & accuracy and reduce line vibration. HMPE fibers provide high strength & sensitivity, hydrophobic water-repellent protection and small diameter.
16-Strand Braided Line
Braided lines made with 16 carriers are known as hollow-core lines that provide seamless, 100% connections between the braid and the leader (or topshot) through splicing or a loop-to-loop connection using a terminal loop. They are most commonly used by big-game fishermen who want to maximize line capacity without sacrificing breaking strength.
Benefit
- Seamless connections between braid and fluorocarbon or monofilament that move easily though the guides
- Knotless braid-to-leader connections that maintain 100% of the breaking strength of the line
Tradeoff
- Most expensive
- Requires specialized tools and rigging
Best For:
- Offshore trolling with a monofilament topshot
- Giant tuna fishing
- Jigging and popping for tuna on both conventional and spinning tackle
- Deep-dropping for swordfish with electric reels
Examples of 16-Carrier Braided Line
From PowerPro:
With Hollow-Ace, anglers can make a highly efficient knotless splice that achieves strength translation near 100% compared to 65% to 70% with a typical knot. Additionally, Hollow-Ace is much easier to thread than other hollow-core products.
From Seaguar:
Made with 16 ultra-thin strands in a high-density weave for amazing tensile and knot strength. Hollow-core for easy knotless leader connections to Seaguar Fluorocarbon Leader material. It is exceptionally smooth and strong, with unmatched abrasion resistance. Designed for offshore saltwater anglers who are targeting pelagic species andfreshwater anglerstargeting musky, sturgeon and other large game fish.
From Tufline:
TUF-LINE® Guide’s Choice is a hollow, spliceable micro-filament line. The hollow core design allows monofilament to be spliced into the braid for the strongest possible main line to leader connection. Guide’s Choice is a must for “top shotting” monofilament into the braid. Simply insert the end of the monofilament approximately two feet into the braid and use floss to whip the area where the mono enters the braid.
Watch: Captain Dom Petrarca Details his Line, Rods, and Reels for Jigging Giant Tuna
Blended Fibers
Some manufacturers sell braided line that have a mix of fibers. For example, Sufix offers two lines with a GORE fiber added to the HMPE fibers to improve roundness, abrasion resistance, and ability to shed water.
Examples of Blended Fiber Braided Line
From Sufix:
Built with 13 fibers (12 HMPE fibers + 1 GORE® Performance Fiber in core) to guarantee consistently strong construction with no weak points for reliable braided line during casting, strikes and fighting action. Construction increases the number of fibers at the knot resulting in better knot tying and stronger holding power.
Available in 150-yard spools.
From Sufix:
832 Advanced Superline has 8 fibers (7 HMPE fibers plus 1 GORE Performance Fiber) and 32 weaves per inch. GORE Performance Fibers improve abrasion resistance, increase casting distance & accuracy and reduce line vibration. HMPE fibers provide high strength & sensitivity, hydrophobic water-repellent protection and small diameter.
Available in 150-, 300-, 600-, 1200-, and 3500-yard spools.
New Materials
As new HMPE fibers are developed, fishing-line manufacturers are incorporating them into their products. One example is Spectra HT (“high tenacity”), which is 25% stronger than other HMPE fibers of the same diameter. This is especially beneficial for anglers looking for the thinnest-diameter lines to reduce water resistance and use less weight when bottom fishing, but without sacrificing strength.
Example of Braided Line made with new materials
From PowerPro:
Maxcuatro delivers the same great performance anglers have come to expect from PowerPro but is 25% thinner than standard PowerPro braided fishing line with equivalent strength. Maxcuatro features 4-end construction made with next-gen Honeywell Spectra HT fiber to optimize casting distance while also increasing line capacity on the reel.
Available in 150-, 300-, 500-, 1500, and 3000-yard spools
From SpiderWire:
SpiderWire DURABRAID is 25% tougher than conventional braids! Strong knots with super shock absorbency, SpiderWire DURABRAID is now the toughest braid in the market. Designed to be fished around rocks, docks, boat hoists, heavy vegetation, and timber.
Available in 150, 300, and 500 yard spools
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1 thought on “How to Choose a Braided Line”
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Billbeck I wish you had posted pricing as well.Will save a lot of searching and price comparisons.
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