Who makes the best braid?

The previous post makes my stance on braid pretty clear. If you haven’t made the switch to braided line yet, its time. Now that we have that out of the way there are a few more details to consider. The term “braided line” actually includes a variety of different materials from a handful of companies. To properly understand braid you must begin by understanding that not all braid is created equal.
I’m not here today to advocate a single brand. However, I will tell you that before reading the following material I fished with power pro and P-Line Spectrex interchangeably. At this time, I’m not sure what I will be using in the future. I’ve always liked the thought of using a brand of braid that had more carriers, as they are typically smoother and more manageable. The downside to this, at least in my own thinking, is that they tend to be weaker overall than lines with only a few carriers. I’ve been arguing with myself about what brands to try and what options might meet my needs for over a year now.
On a recent trip I stumbled my way into the pages of Florida Sport Fishing Magazine. As I thumbed through the pages of the September/October issue I was happily surprised by an in-depth article on braided lines titled, “The 30 lb. Challenge, All braids are NOT created Equal”
I was in for a treat! There are four primary factors that you need to consider when looking at a braided line. As explained in the article they are the fibrous material the braid is made of. (Typically Dyneema or Spectra fiber) The number of carriers (individual threads that will be weaved together to form the line), The “picks” per inch (this represents the number of times the carriers cross each other in the weaving process), and the final coating process.

Once you bring these four factors into play you can select a line that will meet your needs. In the meantime, I’m happy to share this graphic from the magazine. I hope you find it as helpful, eye-opening, and possibly even as much of a shocker as I did. As the title of the article stated, braids are NOT all created equal!

I have to admit that I was completely shocked by some of the results of these tests. Again, I am not here to promote any specific brand. However, after seeing these results I will personally be looking into a few different brands that may better suit my needs. I hope you’ve found this information useful!

If you’re interested in gaining a better grasp of how braided line is made and what separates one brand from another I highly recommend you visit the magazine’s website and contact them directly to try and pick up a copy of the September/October issue at: http://floridasportfishing.com/magazine/

Also, I beg you to support your local tackle shops. We’re in the midst of a tough market and they need all the help they can get. However, if you don’t have a local shop I recommend purchasing your braid from tacklewarehouse. Here is a direct link to their Braided line selection: http://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Braided_Fishing_Line/catpage-FLBRAIDED.html?from=tbassin

Did you enjoy this post? Was this information new? Leave a comment and let me hear your thoughts.