Braid fishing line lubricant.

[JasonGotaProblem]

In summary, the amount of friction involved when line is passing through the guides during a cast is so small, that attempts to optimize it are extremely unlikely to affect casting performance.

This would seem to fly in the face of the now famous Fuji KR Concept.  I always suspected that Fuji was full of bologna.

The last thing I want is greasy fishing line.

That has to do with guide shape, the rings they use are available on the prior generation. I'm sure we can all agree that guide layout has a huge influence on casting performance on a spinner. It's not unreasonable that guide shape is important too.

And they're lighter. But in general all marketing is hogwash anyway.

[jurelometer]

In summary, the amount of friction involved when line is passing through the guides during a cast is so small, that attempts to optimize it are extremely unlikely to affect casting performance.

This would seem to fly in the face of the now famous Fuji KR Concept.  I always suspected that Fuji was full of bologna.

The last thing I want is greasy fishing line.

[Jason and I responded at the same time.  Gonna leave  my post here as it has a few more details]

Yeah, a lot of BS in fishing tackle marketing.  Also agree with you on the greasy line. 

But to give Fuji a tiny bit of credit:  I forget which generation the Fuji Concept series is, but the most recent one is based on the sound theory that sliding friction on the ring surface is not the main problem that can be addressed with guide design, but rather the coils and waves of line smacking into the guide frames and to a lesser extent, the blank.  Impact force is a function of deceleration, so the speed that the line is moving is now part of the equation. A much bigger deal.  The guides are designed and placed to minimize impact. Still playing at the margins, but at least it is a larger component of the big picture than sliding friction.  Realistically, if your guides magically disappeared when you released a cast, I doubt that the line would travel that much farther unless your guide choice and layout was  screwed up.

You can get these new Fuji frames with the lower end inserts (Fazlite?) which in addition to being much less expensive, also will generally be tougher than the high end inserts, as harder = more brittle.  Same casting distance,  more durable, lower price.  What's not to like?

-J

[Flat Top]

Sorry I brought up the topic, but lubed fishing lines have been used for years by professional and non-professional anglers so there must be something to it and it works for me. Most commercial line lubes are silicone based and they haven't been banned by the government yet so the impact on the aquatic environment must be negligible.

Once the sprayed silicone is dry and the propellant has dissipated/evaporated there is no greasy residue on the line. It feels just like factory braided line right out of the box.

By the way, I am not saying that I am right or wrong here. This is only 'My Opinion" based on "My Experience" with the silicone on the braid that I use.

If you have never tried it, I suggest that you do, then comment. If you have tried it I would like to hear your opinions...positive and negative.

[oc1]

Will silicone prevent PowerPro from becoming fuzzy?  That's something I could get on board with.

[Flat Top]

Will silicone prevent PowerPro from becoming fuzzy?  That's something I could get on board with.

I dont notice any fuzz when inspecting my braid. All I can say is give it a try.

[wfjord]

I suppose everyone who uses braid at some point notices some fuzz developing on their line. But being able to see the fuzziness might be a good thing as it enables you to monitor the condition of your line. If you squirt something on the line to hide the fuzz, you might end up masking some line damage that you'd want to know about, regardless of how tough and strong braid is.

So far as I notice on my reels, fuzzy braid syndrome hasn't seemed to negatively affect line strength or casting. If braid eventually starts looking too ragged I'd probably change it if it worried me enough.

[Flat Top]

I suppose everyone who uses braid at some point notices some fuzz developing on their line. But being able to see the fuzziness might be a good thing as it enables you to monitor the condition of your line. If you squirt something on the line to hide the fuzz, you might end up masking some line damage that you'd want to know about, regardless of how tough and strong braid is.

So far as I notice on my reels, fuzzy braid syndrome hasn't seemed to negatively affect line strength or casting. If braid eventually starts looking too ragged I'd probably change it if it worried me enough.

I think what oc1 was talking about was using the silicone treatment to prevent the fuzziness, not to fix it....but, not sure on that. I usually fish new braid as it comes a couple of times and then I treat it with silicone every few times and have not noticed the fuzziness that oc1 talked about. Its possible that different brand braids have different characteristics or the rod guides are a bit rough or there is debris (dried salt or sand/dirt, etc) in the guides. I fish dirty river water so I am always checking my guides for debris and after they are clean I apply the silicone...which helps keep them that way for a few outings. Preventive maintenance.

[oldmanjoe]

    Woo nobody uses chapstick ?   I don't either  .   But Downy fabric softener is my go to , best for cast nets and mono , works with braid too . And it is not 10 dollars plus a ounce !

[Flat Top]

   Woo nobody uses chapstick ?   I don't either  .   But Downy fabric softener is my go to , best for cast nets and mono , works with braid too . And it is not 10 dollars plus a ounce !

Good one!!! I have also seen some hair conditioners (which by the way contain SILICONE...check the label) used as well. Yes, the commercial fishing line lubes are very expensive and for the most part all but a few contain SILICONE. I just purchase my silicone in its pure form and save $$$$.

[jurelometer]

Fabric softener might make sense for a throw net.  But we usually don't want to make braid softer. And some downsides to consider.  The softener mess with the electrostatic charge, loosening the fibers from each other:

Fabric softeners coat the surface of a fabric with chemical compounds that are electrically charged, causing threads to "stand up" from the surface and thereby imparting a softer and fluffier texture. Cationic softeners, like those shown in Figure . bind by electrostatic attraction to the negatively charged groups on the surface of the fibers and neutralize their charge. The long aliphatic chains then line up towards the outside of the fiber, imparting lubricity.

Source:https://chem.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Introductory_Chemistry/Chemistry_for_Changing_Times_(Hill_and_McCreary)/21%3A_Household_Chemicals/21.03%3A_Laundry_Auxiliaries-_Softeners_and_Bleaches

———-
On Fuzzing:

TLDR-  these line lubricants might be mostly protecting the fibers from each other, and any casting "improvement" could be the result of slowing down the progression of fuzzing.  But fuzzing is the process of the line  degrading, so slowing this process would be useful.

OK- now the long version:

 Gelspun polyethylene fibers are actually quite brittle axially, with low compressive strength.  That is the molecular tradeoff from making them so strong longitudinally.

The fibers break from rubbing on abrasive surfaces (dragging across rocks and bottom) and various forms of impact ( whacking guide frames), but probably mostly from load (fibers in the weave pulling and rubbing across each other). Shock load is particularly bad on the fibers I am pretty sure that shock load is where my braid fuzzing comes from, since  I cast heavier lures from a boat, and don't rub bottom much.  The fuzz starts maybe 15-30 feet from the lure and gets worse as you get closer to the end.  It doesn't take much fuzz for my line to lose significant strength, but this might not be noticed by folk that don't catch fish that take line at high drag.

Since fishing tackle manufactures are a bit fast and loose with the facts and more than happy to sell us snake oil, the best place to look for more technical information is rope manufacturers,  who have liability issues to consider.  They make rope out of the same stuff and also use these coatings.  The rope manufacturers state that the primary  value of the coatings is to decrease friction on the fibers across each other. They also do not recommend re-treating the rope, only gentlywashing it, but rope is a lot thicker than fishing line.

Varivas claims that their fishing line coating decreases fraying and right after that claim that their "tests" show an improvement in  casting performance, without any details.  I'll bet that fraying is the difference.
 
So if you re looking for a reason why braid coatings make your casting feel smoother, this looks like a good candidate. And slowing down fraying is a tangible benefit.

As to specific line enhancement products vs. generic silicone spray,  the Varivas product uses silicone plus  "fluoropolymer lubricants" (I am guessing PTFE/Teflon).  And solvents that they claim will help the lubricants stick longer.   They also recommend coating several hours in advance to help the lubricants  penetrate- another sign that the primary benefit is protecting fibers from each other.

OTOH - Varivas will also happily sell you an $18, 6 oz bottle of "saltwater neutralizer", which is just alkaline water, which will work no better than using a slightly greater amount of plain tap water.

This is what I don't trust anything a tackle manufacturer tells me. It makes it tough 
to evaluate products.

But if you do want to spray line, you might want to try it the night before your trip, and not right before your first cast.

-J

[Midway Tommy]

I've never understood the fascination with Silicone given its static electricity buildup and it's reputation for attracting dust and dirt. I avoid that stuff like it's the plague. 

[oldmanjoe]

Fabric softeners impart antistatic properties to fabrics, and thus prevent the build-up of electrostatic charges on synthetic fibers, which in turn eliminates fabric cling during handling and wearing, crackling noises, and dust attraction. Also, fabric softeners make fabrics easier to iron and help reduce wrinkles in garments. In addition, they reduce drying times so that energy is saved when softened laundry is tumble-dried.

Just trying to read inbetween the lines , I can see wool being static charged .  I am not sure if braid will charge , I see a test in my future .     Too me the fuzz is from the tip top and small diameter line roller on the bail with sharp turns .

[jurelometer]

Fabric softeners impart antistatic properties to fabrics, and thus prevent the build-up of electrostatic charges on synthetic fibers, which in turn eliminates fabric cling during handling and wearing, crackling noises, and dust attraction. Also, fabric softeners make fabrics easier to iron and help reduce wrinkles in garments. In addition, they reduce drying times so that energy is saved when softened laundry is tumble-dried.

Just trying to read inbetween the lines , I can see wool being static charged .  I am not sure if braid will charge , I see a test in my future .    Too me the fuzz is from the tip top and small diameter line roller on the bail with sharp turns .

It says "synthetic fibers". Wool is not a synthetic fiber.  Polyethylene is though. 

Sharp turns will definitely be more damaging to PE braid fibers.  One fiber gets bent over the other and fractures.  If you are seeing uniform fraying along the length of the line that you cast and retrieve, you could be right.  For me, the fraying is concentrated toward the lure only, so unlikely to be the case for me.

I rarely use spinners too, so what I see could be different.  Spinner bails have to make a tight bend in the line as it changes direction from guides to spools.  Not to mention the twisting.  No bueño for braid fibers.  Did I forget to mention (again) how much I don't like spinners? 

-J

[Flat Top]

I've never understood the fascination with Silicone given its static electricity buildup and it's reputation for attracting dust and dirt. I avoid that stuff like it's the plague. 

Silicone "spray" once cured does not generate static...matter of fact it is used as an insulator for electrical equipment. Silicone does not generate static buildup but if the surface it is on is dirty or if it is mixed with debris static discharge may occur....or may not.

All fishing lines, rods and reels, etc, will conduct electricity when a storm is present. That is why I dont fish in an electrical storm, or if I am out fishing I dont touch the rods until the storm has passed. I was struck by lightning once and dont want that to happen again.

As far as silicone attracting dust. "Cured" silicone spray does not attract dust. It leaves a slick coating that dust has trouble sticking to compared to other lubricants, but like everything else it will get dirty sooner or later, but it makes removal of the dust or debris a lot easier. I use a silicone treatment on my truck and when it looks a bit rough I just spray it down with water and all the debris just washes off.