Reel Repair by Alan Tani

My braid gets fuzzy down to the limit of my casting distance; about 38-40 yards.  The distal end is not noticeably more fuzzy. 

Whenever I feel a rough spot while leveling the fuzzy line, the top 50 yards are replaced.  I don't know what causes a rough spot to appear but it is not related to contact with the bottom. 

I went through a period of trying many brands of braid based on the internet hype at SOL.  None lasted any longer than PowerPro or Line One.  But I once had an unexplainable brake-off when casting PowerPro so JB Line One is preffered.

Quote from: oc1 on July 10, 2026, 06:25:22 AMMy braid gets fuzzy down to the limit of my casting distance; about 38-40 yards.  The distal end is not noticeably more fuzzy. 

Whenever I feel a rough spot while leveling the fuzzy line, the top 50 yards are replaced.  I don't know what causes a rough spot to appear but it is not related to contact with the bottom. 

I went through a period of trying many brands of braid based on the internet hype at SOL.  None lasted any longer than PowerPro or Line One.  But I once had an unexplainable brake-off when casting PowerPro so JB Line One is preffered.

I have a few inexpensive rods (Ugly Stiks) that I use on occasion and the tip guide of those rods become scored/grooved fairly quickly. I replace those tip guides with quality tip guides and that problem is solved. I use Catch the Fever rods for most of my fishing and they never have had that issue. If your issue is with spinning reels check the bail roller for free movement and for any burrs or dings. Use a powerful magnifier to check both the tip guide and the roller. Any sign of damage no matter how slight needs to be addressed. I also use shock leaders (five wraps around the spool plus twice the length of the rod) to save wear and tear on the braid. By the way I use KastKing Superpower on my conventional reels and KastKing Kast Pro on my spinners and have never had line issues or break offs.

I hope you don't still regret starting this thread. It's maturing nicely.

Quote from: JasonGotaProblem on July 10, 2026, 01:31:03 PMI hope you don't still regret starting this thread. It's maturing nicely.

I was just wondering if anybody "used" the line lubes and what they thought about it. Everybody has an opinion but if you haven't used it how can you give an opinion?

I guess I should have worded my original post a little different and that is what I was sorry about, but, that was my fault.

I researched the use of food grade silicone spray and its use on braided line before I started using it so I did not just jump into it willy nilly, and like I said before its working for me.

Yes the post is maturing nicely...a lot of good info, concerns, and braid related issues here. Hopefully something good will come out of this.

Quote from: oc1 on July 10, 2026, 06:25:22 AMMy braid gets fuzzy down to the limit of my casting distance; about 38-40 yards.  The distal end is not noticeably more fuzzy. 

Whenever I feel a rough spot while leveling the fuzzy line, the top 50 yards are replaced.  I don't know what causes a rough spot to appear but it is not related to contact with the bottom. 

I went through a period of trying many brands of braid based on the internet hype at SOL.  None lasted any longer than PowerPro or Line One.  But I once had an unexplainable brake-off when casting PowerPro so JB Line One is preffered.

I've picked up some useful line info from the hype on SOL in years past. And some not so useful. But I've never actually registered and posted there.

I'm still using PP on various reels (primarily baitcasters and small conventionals). How does JB Line One compare?

By the way, I've still got (and use) one of my 714s set up with the bail-less kit you sent me some years ago (thank you Steve!).

Let's be real. There's a packaged product on the market. People are using it. I appreciate you having the cojones to come into an arena where some of us read the datasheets and make evidence based arguments, to bring up the topic. And as a result I've learned new things.

Limiting a discussion to people who already use a product can turn it into an echo chamber.

Quote from: Flat Top on July 10, 2026, 03:45:57 PMI was just wondering if anybody "used" the line lubes and what they thought about it. Everybody has an opinion but if you haven't used it how can you give an opinion?

How?  That's an easy question to answer. Anecdotal evidence is highly unreliable, and it is not the only kind of evidence out there. It's what you use when that is all you got.

I haven't done a lot of things that I have formed a useful opinion on. If I decided that I had to try everything first, I would be dead by now.

Here is an analogy to illustrate the illogic of only wanting anecdotal evidence: "I read about a guy who survived falling out of a plane without a parachute. Why should I listen to anyone else who has not fallen out of a plane when it comes to parachute-free skydiving?"

Quote from: JasonGotaProblem on July 10, 2026, 05:59:15 PMLet's be real. There's a packaged product on the market. People are using it. I appreciate you having the cojones to come into an arena where some of us read the datasheets and make evidence based arguments, to bring up the topic. And as a result I've learned new things.

Limiting a discussion to people who already use a product can turn it into an echo chamber.

I am with Jason. A skeptic who is willing to do some homework can be your your best friend when it comes to getting to the bottom of a topic like this. I think we have made some progress, in large part thanks to the skeptics.

And yes, we do have an ample supply of (respectful) skeptics here.  So, sorry for any pain, but thank you for getting this topic rolling.

-J

Quote from: jurelometer on July 11, 2026, 12:03:57 AM

Quote from: Flat Top on July 10, 2026, 03:45:57 PMI was just wondering if anybody "used" the line lubes and what they thought about it. Everybody has an opinion but if you haven't used it how can you give an opinion?

How?  That's an easy question to answer. Anecdotal evidence is highly unreliable, and it is not the only kind of evidence out there. It's what you use when that is all you got.

I haven't done a lot of things that I have formed a useful opinion on. If I decided that I had to try everything first, I would be dead by now.

Here is an analogy:  I read about a guy who survived falling out of a plane without a parachute. Why should I listen to anyone else who has not fallen out of a plane when it comes to parachute-free skydiving?

Quote from: JasonGotaProblem on July 10, 2026, 05:59:15 PMLet's be real. There's a packaged product on the market. People are using it. I appreciate you having the cojones to come into an arena where some of us read the datasheets and make evidence based arguments, to bring up the topic. And as a result I've learned new things.

Limiting a discussion to people who already use a product can turn it into an echo chamber.

I am with Jason. A skeptic who is willing to do some homework can be your your best friend when it comes to getting to the bottom of a topic like this. I think we have made some progress, in large part thanks to the skeptics.

And yes, we do have an ample supply of (respectful) skeptics here.  So, sorry for any pain, but thank you for getting this topic rolling.

-J

So, you are giving your opinion on something you have not tried...therefore it is only an opinion with no personal experience to back it up. I was looking for something a little more concrete than that...like actually using line lube and reporting on the "experience" whether positive or negative. If you had used line lube and had positive report or  negative report, I would be all ears. There are only two actual line lube posts in this whole thread, and I would be willing to try both of them because the poster actually used the line lube and reported success with it.

   

I sometimes put power bait liquid scene on my braid,,,makes it slick and smells good,,,,,

Quote from: Benni3 on July 11, 2026, 01:57:43 AMI sometimes put power bait liquid scene on my braid,,,makes it slick and smells good,,,,,

Thanks Benni3...that makes "three".

Quote from: Flat Top on July 11, 2026, 01:02:44 AM

Quote from: jurelometer on July 11, 2026, 12:03:57 AM

Quote from: Flat Top on July 10, 2026, 03:45:57 PMI was just wondering if anybody "used" the line lubes and what they thought about it. Everybody has an opinion but if you haven't used it how can you give an opinion?

How?  That's an easy question to answer. Anecdotal evidence is highly unreliable, and it is not the only kind of evidence out there. It's what you use when that is all you got.

I haven't done a lot of things that I have formed a useful opinion on. If I decided that I had to try everything first, I would be dead by now.

Here is an analogy:  I read about a guy who survived falling out of a plane without a parachute. Why should I listen to anyone else who has not fallen out of a plane when it comes to parachute-free skydiving?

Quote from: JasonGotaProblem on July 10, 2026, 05:59:15 PMLet's be real. There's a packaged product on the market. People are using it. I appreciate you having the cojones to come into an arena where some of us read the datasheets and make evidence based arguments, to bring up the topic. And as a result I've learned new things.

Limiting a discussion to people who already use a product can turn it into an echo chamber.

I am with Jason. A skeptic who is willing to do some homework can be your your best friend when it comes to getting to the bottom of a topic like this. I think we have made some progress, in large part thanks to the skeptics.

And yes, we do have an ample supply of (respectful) skeptics here.  So, sorry for any pain, but thank you for getting this topic rolling.

-J

So, you are giving your opinion on something you have not tried...therefore it is only an opinion with no personal experience to back it up. I was looking for something a little more concrete than that...like actually using line lube and reporting on the "experience" whether positive or negative. If you had used line lube and had positive report or  negative report, I would be all ears. There are only two actual line lube posts in this whole thread, and I would be willing to try both of them because the poster actually used the line lube and reported success with it.

I think Jurelometer, without coming right out and saying it, is trying to explain the difference between inductive and deductive thinking. Scientific method is based on the latter -- as opposed to anecdotal evidence.

Quote from: jgp12000 on July 07, 2026, 02:21:14 PMI have only sprayed "Reel Magic" on mono & it does appear to make things happen for the better. I spray the entire reel in a pinch.

Looks like the active ingredient is some sort of isoparaffinic hydrocarbon, which I think means it is a more liquid-ish/viscous form or paraffin.  So not a silicone oil.

It also looks like the stuff is not super toxic unless you try to ingest a bunch, and it goes down you windpipe instead.

https://ttiblakemore.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/SDS-for-Liquid-Fill-Real-Magic-83-86-87-LS-6.pdf

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2193978/

-J

Quote from: wfjord on July 11, 2026, 03:09:06 AMI think Jurelometer, without coming right out and saying it, is trying to explain the difference between inductive and deductive thinking. Scientific method is based on the latter -- as opposed to anecdotal evidence.

Interesting. Actually I was just pounding away ungracefully on the illogic of exclusively wanting anecdotal evidence, but I think that you might have a better structure here.  Correct me if I get this wrong (it has been more than a few years), but I thought that (pure) inductive reasoning was based on observation without understanding, and deductive reasoning was based on understanding without observation.  Anecdotal evidence feeds inductive reasoning, but has limited utility, as it is generally not well controlled observation.

Ideally you want to do both inductive and deductive - they both have value and they feed each other, but you can go a long way with just one if it is done properly.  And I thought that both were part of the scientific method.

Relying on a single or small set of lightly controlled observations is not doing inductive reasoning properly.  But it often doesn't matter to many folk. We humans are wired to favor inductive reasoning at any level of accuracy.

Deductive reasoning is often more abstract, so many folk undervalue or even disregard it.  Hostility is not entirely uncommon.

And so here we are...

-J

The problem with your intended direction for this discussion is how selection bias and confirmation bias become a consideration, whether or not you acknowledge them.

Those who have already tried the product are those who have been convinced by the marketing or the hype that it's worthwhile or worth trying. People tend to want to believe they're right. It's not a character flaw it's just part of being human. Some folks enjoy telling the tales of their misadventures, but many don't.

So this would limit responses and also skews them in a way that could turn this thread into more marketing material for silicone sprays, not an honest discussion about their merits.