Daiwa samurai braided line – short review

[aquaholik]

Wow, that line is so soft and has super smooth texture. It reminds me of Berkerley Iron Silk but much smaller and with out the stretch.

I had a local bait shop spooled 200yds of 18lb test on the new Stradic 3000FI.
They did a sloppy job, uneven spooling but gave me a great deal at 13cents a yard. I did a quick strength test when I got home. First of all 18lb test diameter is .20mm not .22mm so it is quite small. It feels closer to 8lb power pro than 10lb power pro.

I did a quick 5 turns spider hitch and 10 turns yucatan knot to 20lb leader and attach it to a scale while the other end is still on the spool. It broke at 12lbs. I did another test with bimini and 10turn yucatan and it broke at 15lbs at the bimini. So I think you got a bad spool shtuka.

I'm pretty sure this line will not overtest using IGFA equipment. I think that is why they have 15, 18, 20 in the smallest test. I do not think Daiwa made a breakthrough in strength to diameter ratio but they did make a breakthrough in the finish. It is very slick and soft and will create nasty windknot if not used properly. It will definitely enhance casting distance and that is why I decided to purchase it.

The 15lb test feels like 6lb Suffix PB and the 20lb test feels like 10lb Suffix PB, and the 30lb test feels like 20lb Suffix PB. Since Suffix and most braid manufacture underrate their line, Daiwa made no breakthrough in strength/diameter ratio. Power Pro could easily label their 10lb test as 20lb and it wouldn't be a lie.

I wouldn't use this line in baitcaster, it is way too limp. Also I would definitely not use the label strength as a measured of it's strength. Expect 20-30% loss when knots are involved. If you normally use 20lb test braid, you could use 30lb Samurai braid and get better distance and about the same breaking strength in actual fishing application.

Right now I'm treating 18lb test as 10lb braid but it will cast further than most 10lb braid on the market.

[Zest]

samurai user, does this line fray badly like powerpro? so far i uses Sufix PB and no matter how i cast the fiber stay in one string, i expect this expensive samurai to fare better in this compartment

[GAMEOVER]

I do not understand why so many of you are having braid that breaks under its rateing. Braid is the toughest stuff out there when it comes to impact strength. What are you guys doing, letting it get mauled up and not retieing? Im so shocked by this that you are reading this in bold.

[Zest]

I do not understand why so many of you are having braid that breaks under its rateing. Braid is the toughest stuff out there when it comes to impact strength. What are you guys doing, letting it get mauled up and not retieing? Im so shocked by this that you are reading this in bold.

braid or any stretchless line supposedly weak in impact strength,that's why we need some stretchy leader material to absorb the impact force behave of the braided line,especially when talking about big game fishing.

[aquaholik]

I do not understand why so many of you are having braid that breaks under its rateing. Braid is the toughest stuff out there when it comes to impact strength. What are you guys doing, letting it get mauled up and not retieing? Im so shocked by this that you are reading this in bold.

Most braid are underrated so it's rare to have it break below the LABEL strength, even with some bad knot. With the exception of the new Samurai braid, the only time I have braid break under it's LABEL strength is with a bad spool. Samurai braid LABEL strength is probably very close to its actual strength if someone can use an IGFA equipment to test it. Just because it breaks below the label strength, it doesn't mean it is weak at all if you are looking at the strength/diameter ratio. The 18lb test has diameter similar to 6-8lb braid so I'm quite satisfied with its 12-15lbs break strength under actual fishing condition.

BTW, the 18lb Samurai braid that I have is more flat than round. Twist the line several times and it is readily apparent that is not truly round like Suffix PB.

[aquaholik]

I fished with it this morning. I was using a new Stradic 3000FI. The line cast fantastic. I was using 3/8 oz Pompano jig and outcasting several people that were using 1/2 oz jig. The lighter jig and longer cast made the difference jigging in 20ft of water FROM a 25ft high bridge. Sensitivity is unmatched considering 200ft cast from a tall bridge, and what adds to the sensitivity was that the line sink very fast and seem to slice right thru the current. I can feel the fish tap the jig from almost 200ft away, not bad, considering you always have a little bit of slack fishing from a tall bridge.

Had 6 taps, two ladyfish and 4 keeper Pompanos in less than one hour. The last one flipped of the hook as landing them from 25ft height is not fun. This line would be great on the flat but I wouldn't use it around the bridge again. It frays very easily and I had to retie a couple of time.

[Vladimir_Kazan]

...BTW, the 18lb Samurai braid that I have is more flat than round.

Sir,
How about calliper test? -

My HO on this "diameters", "roundness" of braided lines in common is =here= ;)

[aquaholik]

Your "study" concludes that if you put a caliper to even the "round" braid such as Stren in the example with 6 strand weave, it will flatten. Therefore the study go on to conclude that the so call diameter or cross section measurement is "informative" but basically irrelevant and not useful because ALL braid will flatten when you put a caliper and squeeze it.

GENIUS!!!!

NOT

I don't think it surprise anyone that if you squeeze any soft woven line, it will flatten even when it is normally round. That doesn't mean that some braid are not naturally round. And by natural I mean when it is just laying on the spool or even when you stretch it a bit. No doubt the original spiderwire is flat, the Bass Pro Magic braid is flat. Heck, even along the same brand of line, some braid are more flats than round. Take for example, 6lb Spiderwire Stealth is pretty flat compare to 10lb Spiderwire Stealth. And you can easily tell that SPB, even in 6lb test, is pretty round.

To conclude that diameter measurement is irrelevant just because ALL braid("round" or not) will compressed flat with a caliper is absurd. It is very relevant when the braid in question is "naturally" round.

Take for example. If I take my kid's play dough set and squeeze out a couple of round spaghetti string(thru a circle in the playset), would you conclude that that spaghetti string is not round and that diameter measurement is irrelevant and gives me no useful information. If you put a caliper to it and measure it without squeezing it, you will get a diameter measurement. That strand of spaghetti is "naturally" round, but certainly will not stay round if you squeeze it with a caliper.

[Vladimir_Kazan]

"More round", "less round".
We measure the deviations of Moon orbit in negligible parts of percent, and properties of bootlace we get to know on sensations, votings only.
It seems we live together in XXI and XI.
However, if precisely to know technical parameters of items, what then to discuss on forums?