For those that have been tempted by inexpensive braid from China on eBay you might want to watch this video I made.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBcZ0vyuTKc (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SBcZ0vyuTKc)
I got some a couple years ago and it had a funny smell to it, like some kind of lubricant, I never could get it to stop smelling I tried soaking it in lemon joy etc.....
Well I haven't bought any in a few years but I am still using the same dyneema I bought 3 years ago in 20,50,65,80,and 100 without issues and have not had any breakage issues.
just the same as japan when they started out.
chinese junk will die a natural death,it just might take 10years
@Saltydog, where did you get yours? Any particular seller?
40 lb test breaking at 18 - 19 pounds is just flat out bad. My guess is that it would probably break at 15 pounds if the strain was applied for any length of time.
Quote from: Sven Golly on March 26, 2013, 06:44:33 PM
@Saltydog, where did you get yours? Any particular seller?
40 lb test breaking at 18 - 19 pounds is just flat out bad. My guess is that it would probably break at 15 pounds if the strain was applied for any length of time.
You should have tried out my 40# hollow braid, but it won't be as cheap as that Chinese braid.
http://alantani.com/index.php?topic=5081.0 (http://alantani.com/index.php?topic=5081.0)
I use chinese braid of 80lbs test and have done for the last 4 years or so bought off the Auction site and ive never had a problem with it and thats dragging up 200lbs plus common skate in 400+ of water
(http://i992.photobucket.com/albums/af48/willybendit/skatefishinglochcrinan044-1_zps9d65a41e.jpg)
my mate Gary caught the common skate using my rod and its well over 200lbs
(http://i992.photobucket.com/albums/af48/willybendit/garyskate-1_zps34059ca0.jpg)
and paying £20 for 1000m is very good value for money ( Keenfisher ) on the auction site Tight lines Alain
I've been using the Dolphin 168 seller/brand for bout 4 years now. It does well and breaks at rated strength. I never tie knots in though. I always splice my end loop and fish a windon.
I've straightened 12/0 circles with the 80lb. No complaints from me.
How does the diameter compare to others or the same of the same test?
My buddies reeled in this 7' Bull on a 4/0 that had Chinese 80 lb test power pro. I ordered it off ebay. It was 50 bucks for 1500 yards, but it looked just like the real deal. The Power pro stickers looked identical to the ones that sell for a lot more. It didn't say Dyneema or Spectra. It said Power Pro.
(http://i1300.photobucket.com/albums/ag93/darondyer/Jerome_zpsdd502942.jpg)
I'm gonna buy some multicolour braided line for my next Norway trip. Earlier I have used StrikeWire Extreme 0,36mm/30kg. But I think I will try a 0,32mm this time. The StrikeWire line have been good, but the last trip I lost my faith on it. Maybe it was just an accident, but other people told me it also happened to them. I was just lifting the rod and the line snapped. Brand new line...... Only dropped the lure a couple of times pelagic. The line snapped 5 times for another guy on the fishingcamp. I had new line to spool on, but after the first incident I got mindghosts every time I caught a big fish. Will the line snap..... ???
Everybody knows that its a jungle with fishinglines. If you search for multicolour braided line you get a bunch of hits. Daiwa, Sufix, PowerPro and StrikeWire. And of course a bunch of china lines. I'm like most of other fishermen. It feels better to fish with "Brands" . But are the china lines so bad ? I've never bought one myself. And I haver never tested any of my brand lines either so they keep the lb/kg:s they promise.
Skatefishing is mentioned in this thread. I've been on skatefishing in Scotland and there was china line on all the reels. We caught fish up to 180lb and its really heavy fishing. I think it was the Spectra Extreme line you can find on Ebay. At first I thougt it was a brand line to that type of fishing and I couldn't tell it was a china line just to feel and look at it.
So now its up to me to se if I dare to buy a china multicolour line ?
I would look for frays, knot selection, and knot execution before bagging on line. When testing braid, you have to wrap the braid around a dowel a good dozen or more times to get it to break somewhere in between the scale and the pull point. I always tell people about line or knots is that it only need to hold the drag pressure you're running. Most of the braid gets made somewhere and it gets labeled. Where is most of the stuff made?
Day time shift: Brand line
Night time shift: No Name line
Exactly. Just like Pennzoil 2-stroke marine oil and Walmart Super Tech TC-W3
I think it could be like that ? I don't think there are that many factories that make fishinglines. And I hope there isn't a high/low quality button on the machine.
Hi Guys,
I already have my preferences for mono (or copolymer) and fluorocarbon - Tried and tested over time. Although I will be sending some samples to Paulus ( link: http://www.paulusjustfishing.com/4linetesting.htm ) for testing. When it comes to braid I use Paulus's results as a guide to narrow down my search. Some are more comfortable to handle - some are smooth - some are like frayed rope (Chinese 80lb fake PowerPro for example) unfortunately many I can't find, or afford :(, in the UK. I am currently using Berkley Fireline Tracer - smooth and reasonably thin -knots very well (I usually use a double Palomar or no-knot knot). If jigging or lure fishing (in the UK's murky waters) I use a short hollow Kevlar topshot spliced to a ring/swivel, then tied to the lure/jig (tied to a hook assist style). Since using Kevlar hook linksI have stopped using wire completely. It is seriously tough! My hookup and landing rate on English pike has nearly doubled. I think this is down to the Kevlar and circle hooks (I don't use trebles any more for bait fishing). I just wish there was a transparent option.
Do check Paulus's website it might just be an eye opener. He uses purpose designed industrial test equipment. If you prefer to skip the techy stuff and go to the results charts - there are a few surprises there!
Quote from: Drisse on September 09, 2013, 07:37:01 AM
I think it could be like that ? I don't think there are that many factories that make fishinglines. And I hope there isn't a high/low quality button on the machine.
I guess there could still be cases of bad line. A 100 mile spool could be rejected in a routine quality check for a Brand and still be sold as a copy or a No Name brand instead of being thrown away. Just me speculating here...
And you still have the mislabeling issues. Stated strength and diameter is not always (is it ever?) correct. But you have that problem with Brands as well.. It doesn't mean the line is bad just that it's heavier (most cases) than what it said on the spool.
Power pro has a lot of low quality from my experience. For small stuff it's fine, with big fish, where's the suffix and JB?
I am starting to get away from Braid all together. Its strength and reel capacity are good to have, but fishing from shore, it gets cut too easily.
Well I have seen a lot of issues with the way some people use braid especially in the land based crowd. Trying to use to long a drops, not checking there knots properly and a lot of abrasion issues to deal with structure, here in Texas we still have tons of debris from past hurricanes off of the beaches. And with the tackle I repair a lot of people who still refuse to clean there reels and line properly. As I have said in the past It is not the braid most of the time, you still get bad batches of spectra and jerry brown, but I am more economically minded. Now if you have the money go ahead and buy the super expensive but for those on a budget the off brands can still give you the ability to improve you spool capacity and not break your wallet, another analogy is if the line to fill your reel cost as much or more than your reel you spent too much. As in all things personal preferance is what it comes down to in the end, there are guys who can only afford a $100 reel and those who don't have a budget.
Actually this sounds like the original PowerPro. It had a reputation for unexplained breaks. It seems to be better since shimano bought it
Quote from: Shark Hunter on September 09, 2013, 04:17:21 PM
I am starting to get away from Braid all together. Its strength and reel capacity are good to have, but fishing from shore, it gets cut too easily.
I agree, use the braid as backing and fish a 200m mono topshot + leader, the braid lasts a long time as backing and it is usually the topshot that takes the abuse. What makes this setup great is that you get good line capacity out of your reel and you just replace the topshot every time it gets damaged, much more economical than having to fill an entire reel
i have 1000 yards of 80lb chinese braid on my senator 6/0, the diameter is similar, and i have caught sharks on them without a problem, ive had times where hooks straightened out on me
i use the 50# and 100# works good :)
I use 300lb braid toppers on my big reels for pier pylons, where I fish there's no sandbars really, but I still would run a float off the beach
I've been using Chinese 80lb braid and had no issues.
I bought the multicolour 10m of each colour on ebay and love it so you know how far back the lures are from the boat. Even my 7 yr old can count 3 or 4 colours :)
I wish I'd have gone hollow to add top shots easier than knots, but I may go hollow next time.
Older thread I know, and my first post. I picked up some of the Spectra Extreme in 50# and 80# and the tests I did were alarming. I will never use it. I used equal lengths, about 20 inches, of the spectra and 30lb Berkley big game mono. I rigged it up with weight, swivel, mono, swivel, spectra in that order. Lifting the weight, both the 50# and 80# broke before the 30# mono and not at the knot. It was a clean break every time. I tried this about five times with each of the spectras and the mono never failed. The amount of weight was 40 pounds. The last test was just the 30# mono, and it lifted the weight off the ground.
I won't be using this cheap Chinese crap.
FYI my cheap Chinese 80lb braid now breaks about 20-30lb...
So better to put the money into quality line in my opinion.
I only use mono here in the NE, but lately was tempted by the braid made in China and was going to give it a shot :-\
Thanks for the information.
Some members have been using it and like it, I wonder if they changed their mind by now.
If I remember correctly, one of the members was Broschro ( Jamie), I know he really gave it a workout, maybe he'll chime in.
Sal
I have been using Braid for a few years now. It is more sensitive, you feel all bites. This will drive you crazy in the beginning. You can use 1 size sinker or Buck tail smaller then needed. I fish Party Boats & I like PP Yellow because passengers can see it. I also like a 4-6' top shot of Mono. If I'm going Offshore 200'-400' I use 25' top shot. Albright Knot or Alberto Knot for the splice [I don't Tuna Fish]. I think you will like it with practice.
Mike
Quote from: Alto Mare on September 20, 2014, 11:53:35 AM
I only use mono here in the NE, but lately was tempted by the braid made in China and was going to give it a shot :-\
Thanks for the information.
Some members have been using it and like it, I wonder if they changed their mind by now.
If I remember correctly, one of the members was Broschro ( Jamie), I know he really gave it a workout, maybe he'll chime in.
Sal
Sal,
Stay away from the Chinese braids. The inconsistency will drive you crazy. Just stick with brand name like sufix, powerpro, Jerry Brown, etc..They typically cost twice as much but you have a consistent products that should last years. Btw, a lot of the San Diego long rangers are moving back to solid braid vs hollow braid for better performance.
I have purchased some 8 strand off brand braid that has been working well for me. The 8 strand is super slick and cast's great.
Quote from: handi2 on September 22, 2014, 10:40:02 PM
I have purchased some 8 strand off brand braid that has been working well for me. The 8 strand is super slick and cast's great.
The 8 strands does feel nice but for about 15-20% more you can get peace of mind buying brand name. You can buy 1200 yards 65 lbs sufix for $100 vs 1000 meters 65 lbs 8 strands for $76. The difference is too low to take a chance on the Chinese braid.
I have bought a chinese brand ShadowStrike 8 strands and it is sleek and strong. Haven't done any advanced testing of strength yet, but #60 is far stronger than the "known brand™" #60 I bought last year here in Norway. It will perform well for the intended use. I have a spool of #100 of the same type that I will use for halibut fishing. Since I don't plan to hoist heavy fish out of the water by the line, I think it will be more than strong enough.
The price? About 1/5 of what I have to pay for that "known brand™" with lower real life breaking strength.
That makes it an easy choice for me.
The 4 strands braid is more like a rope and of lower quality. Stay away from them.
The knot you use will have a big impact on total line strength. Some braid lines with hard, thick fibres will break at low load due to small radius bends in the knot. Other braid will perform better with the same knot. I prefer to use the uni-knot It works well with both braid and mono.
Quote from: trond_solem on November 13, 2014, 02:59:46 PM
I have bought a chinese brand ShadowStrike 8 strands and it is sleek and strong. Haven't done any advanced testing of strength yet, but #60 is far stronger than the "known brand™" #60 I bought last year here in Norway. It will perform well for the intended use. I have a spool of #100 of the same type that I will use for halibut fishing. Since I don't plan to hoist heavy fish out of the water by the line, I think it will be more than strong enough.
The price? About 1/5 of what I have to pay for that "known brand™" with lower real life breaking strength.
That makes it an easy choice for me.
The 4 strands braid is more like a rope and of lower quality. Stay away from them.
The knot you use will have a big impact on total line strength. Some braid lines with hard, thick fibres will break at low load due to small radius bends in the knot. Other braid will perform better with the same knot. I prefer to use the uni-knot It works well with both braid and mono.
Can you photograph the spool so we know which one it is? Thanks.
Quote from: Nicko_Cairns on February 02, 2015, 08:43:58 PM
Quote from: trond_solem on November 13, 2014, 02:59:46 PM
I have bought a chinese brand ShadowStrike 8 strands and it is sleek and strong. Haven't done any advanced testing of strength yet, but #60 is far stronger than the "known brand™" #60 I bought last year here in Norway. It will perform well for the intended use. I have a spool of #100 of the same type that I will use for halibut fishing. Since I don't plan to hoist heavy fish out of the water by the line, I think it will be more than strong enough.
The price? About 1/5 of what I have to pay for that "known brand™" with lower real life breaking strength.
That makes it an easy choice for me.
The 4 strands braid is more like a rope and of lower quality. Stay away from them.
The knot you use will have a big impact on total line strength. Some braid lines with hard, thick fibres will break at low load due to small radius bends in the knot. Other braid will perform better with the same knot. I prefer to use the uni-knot It works well with both braid and mono.
Can you photograph the spool so we know which one it is? Thanks.
I have bought several other spools from the same seller. Same stuff. He is marketing them under another name now, but get the 8 strands line. They are ok. The 4 strands are more like a rope and not so strong.
Photos tommorrow. It's late at night now. Almost morning.
Quote from: Drisse on September 09, 2013, 07:37:01 AM
I think it could be like that ? I don't think there are that many factories that make fishinglines. And I hope there isn't a high/low quality button on the machine.
There isn't a high/low quality button, but not every part that comes off the line meets the first tier of quality control. That's universal in any manufacturing environment, and those parts are either scrapped or sold off at a discounted rate as factory seconds.
That reminds me of a company that used to, and may still, import AK47's. They were assembled in the USA from parts that failed quality control at a Russian manufacturer not once, but 2-3 times, on looser tolerances at every qc check.
Back to the topic of lines, here's my take of lines I have had and used:
Powerpro original: inconsistent breaking strengths, and a stiff and very coarse braid. I'd use it as backing on trolling reels, but for a primary line I think there are better choices, unless you are on a very tight budget.
Powerpro superslick 8: my current favorite for light line and inshore. The braid is smooth, the breaking strength is good for the diameter, and it's not too stiff. I use 15 or 20 lb for artificials, and 30 lb for bait.
Daiwa saltiga boat braid: very nice metered braid, it's smooth, slick and supple. I use it for most of my offshore reels that do not see trolling duty. It's not cheap, but not terribly expensive either. It's very thin, and the breaking strength is very good. Also, I see less abrasion after fishing the reefs than on most other braids, and the color doesn't bleed. I use 55 lb and 80 lb.
Jerry brown solid: good breaking strength for its diameter, but the 4 strand 50 lb braid I used was relatively coarse, and somewhat stiff. Also, the color bled pretty badly.
Izorline: the heavier lines are fantastic. Very smooth and supple, and excellent strength for its diameter. Light lines have a coarser braid, that's rather flat instead of round. If the budget permits, this is my favorite line for backing on trolling reels, either hollow or solid.
Tasline hollow: very expensive, and very good. But for the money, I don't think its that much better than other quality lines. The best thing about this line is the wide range of strengths, and that every batch is tested independent of the manufacturer.
http://www.paulusjustfishing.com/4linetesting.htm
That's an excellent site for comparing different braids. I generally use it more as a comparison between different lines, instead of absolute numbers, since there are so many variables in the real world.
Adam, thanks so much for the above link. Great info there on lines. Have you had any experience/opinion on the Momoi braid.....anyone.....
Quote from: trond_solem on February 05, 2015, 03:11:33 AM
Quote from: Nicko_Cairns on February 02, 2015, 08:43:58 PM
Quote from: trond_solem on November 13, 2014, 02:59:46 PM
I have bought a chinese brand ShadowStrike 8 strands and it is sleek and strong. Haven't done any advanced testing of strength yet, but #60 is far stronger than the "known brand™" #60 I bought last year here in Norway. It will perform well for the intended use. I have a spool of #100 of the same type that I will use for halibut fishing. Since I don't plan to hoist heavy fish out of the water by the line, I think it will be more than strong enough.
The price? About 1/5 of what I have to pay for that "known brand™" with lower real life breaking strength.
That makes it an easy choice for me.
The 4 strands braid is more like a rope and of lower quality. Stay away from them.
The knot you use will have a big impact on total line strength. Some braid lines with hard, thick fibres will break at low load due to small radius bends in the knot. Other braid will perform better with the same knot. I prefer to use the uni-knot It works well with both braid and mono.
Can you photograph the spool so we know which one it is? Thanks.
I have bought several other spools from the same seller. Same stuff. He is marketing them under another name now, but get the 8 strands line. They are ok. The 4 strands are more like a rope and not so strong.
Photos tommorrow. It's late at night now. Almost morning.
I promised some photos of the spools.
Here you are.
I can publish the link to the seller if I am allowed to do so.
Great thanks Trond.
That braid shown is good.
Trom_solem.
now you have another believer of the chinese braid lines, I bought the same line few months ago and it worked just as good as my JB solid spectra.
knots are tight strong with no slippage as the coated Powerpro line.
(http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa198/alextellofotos/miscelaneos/IMG_20150113_162224_965lineachinasaratoga8strand_zpsabe9e5a8.jpg) (http://s202.photobucket.com/user/alextellofotos/media/miscelaneos/IMG_20150113_162224_965lineachinasaratoga8strand_zpsabe9e5a8.jpg.html)
8-strand multicolor 80lb saratoga is really similar to 60lb toro tamer multicolor braid, not knocking down toro-tamer but giving my props to saratoga/shadow strike line
I have been using this stuff for a long time. The 8 weave/strand is a great buy. It also handles and knots well. This company also makes a 12 or 16 strand hollow braid, from 20 to 200lb. test. I find that product to be 15% larger ( WxH/2 = D) than most brands. So you get less on a reel spool, but for the money along with the ease of splicing makes it a good product. If I am fishing large YFT I might use a name brand, for anything else there hollow is great.
Quote from: steelfish on February 05, 2015, 06:23:24 PM
Trom_solem.
now you have another believer of the chinese braid lines, I bought the same line few months ago and it worked just as good as my JB solid spectra.
knots are tight strong with no slippage as the coated Powerpro line.
(http://i202.photobucket.com/albums/aa198/alextellofotos/miscelaneos/IMG_20150113_162224_965lineachinasaratoga8strand_zpsabe9e5a8.jpg) (http://s202.photobucket.com/user/alextellofotos/media/miscelaneos/IMG_20150113_162224_965lineachinasaratoga8strand_zpsabe9e5a8.jpg.html)
8-strand multicolor 80lb saratoga is really similar to 60lb toro tamer multicolor braid, not knocking down toro-tamer but giving my props to saratoga/shadow strike line
I think they make this line for several brands. Anyway, if the breaking strength is 80 lbs, 90 lbs or even 70lbs for a braid marked as 80lbs, I wouldn't care less since I use a stronger line than I need anyway. The problem today with this strong braid lines is to fill the spool. Using a 50lbd braid line on a Penn 113HLW would require more than 1000 meters of line to fill the spool. Since I don't fish for sharks, there is no reason to have 1000 meters of line. 500 meters of 100lbs line is enough, both in length and strength. What if it breaks at 90 lbs? Doesn't matter since I won't be able to hold on to the pole anyway at that load.
I don't think it will break at 90lbs though.
If I was using 30lbs or 40lbs line, I would have been a bit more concerned about breaking strength.
A quick and not very accurate test showed that 80lbs broke at 60lbs in the uni-knot. Not surprising at all. I don't have any setup to test without knots.
For the intended use, this is more than enough.
Quote from: trond_solem on February 05, 2015, 07:36:06 PM
I wouldn't care less since I use a stronger line than I need anyway.
well, thats same case than me, normally I go with stronger braid line that the fishes I go for, because I fish on really rocky areas and like to go stronger for the abrasion resistance, I also use a top leader of mono.
If I would hunt for surface fishes I surely use lighter lines
I'm not trying to rock the boat here, but to the best of my knowledge, Just about all fishing line is made overseas. Braid and Mono. I researched this over and over. Sure, it might say made in the US, but dig deeper and it usually comes from Korea or China.
My favorite mono is Exsum. It is made in Korea. I will never buy a Kia or a Hyundai, but my choices are limited here.
I will always Drive a Chevy, but they don't make Monofilament. ::)
Quote from: trond_solem on February 05, 2015, 12:38:19 PM
I promised some photos of the spools.
Here you are.
I can publish the link to the seller if I am allowed to do so.
Sorry to bring up an old topic, but I thought I might add my update on this.
I bought this very same line direct from the Chinese seller - 80#, 8-strand. It looked good and I started using it. I have not had any break offs in the two years of so I have been using it but never had a billfish on it so cannot justify the success so far. The issue is it is not breaking at below 35# so I have taken it off my 30s. I also ordered a 1000m spool last year from the same supplier in blue color. This one has seen an 88# sailfish landed and an estimated 200# marlin on for 15 minutes and has stood its furious leaps without any topshot except the mono leader. The newer line is also in a much better shape physically. I am using it for now but taking no chances in future. I am ordering Sufix 832 for all my 30s, 600 yds each and top shot them with 50# mono
I know this thread is almost 4 years old, and information regarding this braided line was posted on-line elsewhere. The lines are labeled Spectra or Dyneema, but it isn't the actual material, it is counterfeit.
The original poster showed a video of Power Pro 40# spectra. At that time, there was a lot of counterfeit Power Pro distributed and sold on-line, and by small tackle shops. Power Pro was/is a common target because of name recognition. It was not actual Power Pro. The first packages were such badly produced reproductions that coloring and letters/numbers on packages and SKUs did not even line up. The counterfeiters improved packaging over time. The line inside may not have even been spectra. One test is to put a flame to the end of the line. The counterfeit "spectra" line easily burns with a flame, on its own (catches "fire") after the flame is removed. True spectra melts and smolders once the flame is removed.
I have to say that I'm not a fan of the cheap Chinese braids.
I started fishing with store bought brands. The first I tried was PowerPro which I had mixed feeling about at first. Decent price but it's a little stiff. It's a good line for bottom fishing or jigging. I stopping using it for a while but now I've moved back to it. After Powerpro, I then switched over to Fireline which proved to be incredibly strong but much thicker in diameter. It's not good for casting distance but has great abrasion resistance. Fused line in general is very wiry and thicker. The Sufix Fuse is a very similar line. I then tried using PowerPro Super Slick which was an unbelievable line for casting. Really thin, limp, and soft. Downside is that it has the least amount of abrasion resistance of any line I've tried. Not good for fishing around structure. Great for open beaches or casting over open water. A friend of mine fishes all Jerry Brown hollow on his boat. It's the best line that I've used. It's limp and soft. It retains it's color well. Could really be used for anything but I think it's best purpose is as backing due to the fact that it's hollow. I just picked up a large spool of 80lb Saltiga boat braid. Going to be testing that out soon.
Last year I got a holiday discount price on a big spool of KastKing metered braid and figured I would give it a shot on my bait rods. After using all of these other lines, I was not impressed. It was extremely thick and the color faded after one use. The price made it really attractive but the 50lb I bought looks like it's 80lb or 100lb Powerpro.
We spend all this money on our nice gear, I say, why cheap out on the line? Especially if you are going to be doing some casting.
My preferred Spectra is PP and JB.
I use JB hollow as much as possible.
I used Power Pro for a long time, but stopped over the last couple years. The quality has gone away. I bought a spool of 50 you could break with your hands.
I buy from Keta. You won't deal with a better guy.
Yes, I'll be buying some JB from Keta soon.
I began using superlines about 10 years ago. The first lines I bought were Fireline Original 20#, and Power Pro and Tuf-Line XP 40#. The Power Pro began to 'decay' sort of and I discarded it years ago when I began losing fish and jigs on it. I still use the fireline and tuf-line with confidence for bottom fishing and trolling - Great lines! I have had 80# Power Pro Depth Hunter that came with my Penn Squall 30LD for 3 years, and I like it, but am not going back to the original Power Pro.
still have some old, original PP in the no-frills packaging (plain, light chart. cardboard boxes; small spools; "moss" more gray than green) & I'm rather fond of it, despite poor color retention -- nice, tight braiding; lasts forever!!!
then, the packaging started getting progressively bigger, brighter & shinier, while the braiding got loose; coating got heavy/messy (albeit, better color); braid would get "hairy" & weaken much quicker & I lost interest
I screwed up and left two rigs sitting out in the sun for two weeks during a long period of windy weather. One had 20# moss green PP and the other had 20# fluorescent green JB. After two weeks of neglect the JB was weakened where the line was strung through the guides and the top layer of line on the reel. I could break it without cutting my hands. It was probably from sun exposure. The PP did not seem to be affected and even the 20# fluorocarbon leaders seemed OK. That's when I made sailcloth sleeves to keep the rods/reels in. I liked the bright color of the JB because you can see it late in the day although it also left a fluorescent green residue on the levelwind guide. The eight strand JB felt a little limper but slicker than the six strand PP. I would have stuck with the JB except for the sunlight thing. It is possible that PP was not affected only because of the darker moss green pigments and more UV resistance. I'm using some bright yellow PP now and hope it holds up.
-steve
Quote from: oc1 on February 24, 2017, 09:03:08 AM
I screwed up and left two rigs sitting out in the sun for two weeks during a long period of windy weather. One had 20# moss green PP and the other had 20# fluorescent green JB. After two weeks of neglect the JB was weakened where the line was strung through the guides and the top layer of line on the reel. I could break it without cutting my hands. It was probably from sun exposure. The PP did not seem to be affected and even the 20# fluorocarbon leaders seemed OK. That's when I made sailcloth sleeves to keep the rods/reels in. I liked the bright color of the JB because you can see it late in the day although it also left a fluorescent green residue on the levelwind guide. The eight strand JB felt a little limper but slicker than the six strand PP. I would have stuck with the JB except for the sunlight thing. It is possible that PP was not affected only because of the darker moss green pigments and more UV resistance. I'm using some bright yellow PP now and hope it holds up.
-steve
20# JB solid is 3-strand only... Their 50# is 4-strand, 65# is 6-strand and 80 up is 8-strand. Not sure if you had solid or hollow core on your reel
I have been using PE/Spactra in 8 weave, and hollow for so long that my supplier and I have become friends. I have a trip to the far east coming up and we will have dinner with him.
As for product I've found that it's a little larger that some. The hollow is very easy to splice, and make wind-on's with. The stuff is great bang for the buck.