Favorite braid for spinning reels

The single most important aspect of your tackle providing that vital link between yourself and your catch. What's everyone's favorites and why? Come on in and find out!
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slipperybob
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Re: Favorite braid for spinning reels

Post by slipperybob » Thu Feb 04, 2021 9:06 pm

Bronzeye wrote:
Thu Feb 04, 2021 5:25 pm
slipperybob,

Thanks for the data. What was the knot you used?
I tie my own knot sort of. It's a lot like a trilene knot double loop passed. :mrgreen: Nothing special just that I can tie it in lowlight and often get good consistency. And I keep the data mostly for myself based on what I will do for fishing in real scenario.
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slipperybob
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Re: Favorite braid for spinning reels

Post by slipperybob » Tue Feb 09, 2021 12:27 am

slipperybob wrote:
Mon Feb 01, 2021 9:02 pm
Becuz I started with spinning reels and braid. Yes I did use spiderline fusion back in the days. :doh: Over the past few years, I'll buy again Berkley Fireline Ultra 8 and Diawa J-Braid x8. The Grand x8 is softer so actually don't prioritize that.

What I've used...
Diawa J-Braid x8 .06 mm 6# knot break 8# 4 oz.
Diawa J-Braid x8 .15 mm 10# knot break 13#
Diawa J-Braid x8 .19 mm 15# knot break 18#
Diawa J-Braid x8 .23 mm 20# knot break 19# 14 oz.
Diawa J-Braid Grand x8 .06mm 6# knot break 6# 4 oz.
Diawa J-Braid Grand x8 .13 mm 8# knot break 10# 12 oz.
Diawa J-Braid Grand x8 .15 mm 10# knot break 16# 14 oz.

Berkley Fireline Crystal .06 mm 1# line break 3# 5 oz.
Berkley Fireline Crystal .08 mm 2#knot break 3# 9 oz.
Berkley Fireline Crystal .10 mm 3# line break 6# 4 oz.
Berkley Fireline Original .13 mm 4# knot break 6# 12 oz.
Berkley Fireline Crystal .15 mm 6# knot break 8# 8 oz.
Berkley Fireline Original .18 mm 8# knot break 11# 6 oz. (old Cyrstal 12# 1 oz.)
Berkley Fireline Original .20 mm 10# knot break 14# 10 oz. (palomar knot 13# 5 oz.)
Berkley Fireline Original .23 mm 14# knot break 19# 12 oz. (palomar knot 16# 2 oz.)

Berkley Fireline Ultra 8 carrier .12mm 4# knot break 8# 4 oz.
Berkley NanoFil 6# .13mm knot break 9# 14 oz.
Berkley NanoFil 4# .10mm knot break 7# 5 oz.

ASSO Power Braid .12 mm 10# knot break 11# 0 oz. Mfg claim break of 15.9#
ASSO Power Braid .14 mm 12# knot break 11# 8 oz. Mfg claim break of 18.0#
ASSO Micro Finish braid .08 mm 10# knot break 8# 4 oz. Mfg claim break of 13.2#
ASSO Micro Finish braid .10 mm 12# knot break 9# 12 oz. Mfg claim break of 16.5#
ASSO Sinking Braid .16mm 10# knot break 12# 5 oz.
ASSO Sinking Braid .18mm 12# knot break 13# 10 oz.
I just got some YGK G-Soul Upgrade X-8 line and it feels wonderful to the touch and packaging looks great. The line looks almost like a monofilament and feels similar to Nanofil but smoother and softer in a likeness to J-Braid Grand x8. I can feel quality in the line.

Some preliminary line break test on the G-Soul Upgrade X-8 with all knot break failures as # and oz.
14# .131mm listed with four trials: 6#15, 6#12, 7#0, 6#15
16# .153mm listed with four trials: 9#0, 9#15, 8#15, 8#15
22# .171mm listed with three trials: 13#10, 12#15, 12#10

So I'm feeling that, it's not going to be the strongest in terms of knot strength for myself. It appears that the sample of J-Braid Grand x8 is the strongest line for what my knot tying results is. I would hate to change knot, just to get totally different results thereafter.
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Re: Favorite braid for spinning reels

Post by amso4 » Tue Feb 09, 2021 5:36 am

Thanks slipperybob, This G-Soul line is a fantastic feeling, smooth as silk, thin as can be line. I love how it slides through the guides keeping quiet and while reducing restrictive friction.

On the other hand, as your data shows, the actual functional strength for fishing use is about 50% of its JDM rating.

For spinning applications I use the 22lb (12lb break strength) with Tatsu 8lb leader with an FG knot tied with the EZ Knotter. I can cast an Ito Shiner 50+ yards with a 7'8" rod when bank fishing. So far, only one break off, likely due to a toothy Pickerel.

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Re: Favorite braid for spinning reels

Post by Cracker » Tue Feb 09, 2021 8:45 am

amso4 wrote:
Tue Feb 09, 2021 5:36 am

On the other hand, as your data shows, the actual functional
For spinning applications I use the 22lb (12lb break strength) with Tatsu 8lb leader with an FG knot tied with the EZ Knotter. I can cast an Ito Shiner 50+ yards with a 7'8" rod when bank fishing. So far, only one break off, likely due to a toothy Pickerel.
What rod do you have? Looking for a spinning rod in that length.

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slipperybob
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Re: Favorite braid for spinning reels

Post by slipperybob » Tue Feb 09, 2021 12:58 pm

amso4 wrote:
Tue Feb 09, 2021 5:36 am
Thanks slipperybob, This G-Soul line is a fantastic feeling, smooth as silk, thin as can be line. I love how it slides through the guides keeping quiet and while reducing restrictive friction.

On the other hand, as your data shows, the actual functional strength for fishing use is about 50% of its JDM rating.

For spinning applications I use the 22lb (12lb break strength) with Tatsu 8lb leader with an FG knot tied with the EZ Knotter. I can cast an Ito Shiner 50+ yards with a 7'8" rod when bank fishing. So far, only one break off, likely due to a toothy Pickerel.
Thanks. That distance sounds awesome. One other thing I noticed is that the YGK G-Soul Upgrade does not flatten or ribbon out like most other braid even when I pinch and compress it between my finger nails on a section of the line. It retains it's round shape very well. The uniformity of the line is so similar between the three samples I just got. It seems, like it would be so easy to mistake one for the other. Unlike other braids by touch alone, I can feel the difference immediately between two line diameter. For example I use Fireline Ultra 4# and switch to 6#, I can feel how much more stiff and resistant the increase diameter of the line performs.

I just got a Zodias 7'6" Light power spinning rod and looking forward to match it with something. Looks like the YGK G-Soul is going to get priority this spring.
slip bobbing is the laziest way to fish

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BRONZEBACK32
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Re: Favorite braid for spinning reels

Post by BRONZEBACK32 » Tue Feb 09, 2021 10:19 pm

I wonder what the breaking strength is with the FG knot and what the breaking strength is without any knot :-k
On G-Soul

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slipperybob
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Re: Favorite braid for spinning reels

Post by slipperybob » Tue Feb 09, 2021 11:55 pm

The Freak'n Guud knot is so time consuming and it's very difficult to tie with such small threads. :big grin:

From my experience it usually slips on me before it breaks. :doh:

But I've got some preliminary knot break test on G-Soul SS 112

Here are the preliminary line break test results on the S-Soul SS 112 with all knot break failures in # and oz.
10# listed with three trials: 9#10, 9#1, 9#8
14# listed with three trials: 10#10, 9#15, 10#8
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amso4
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Re: Favorite braid for spinning reels

Post by amso4 » Wed Feb 10, 2021 4:46 am

I just got some Suffix 131 in 20lb. This is some of the most wiry stuff I have felt. Not too sure how it will work on a spinning reel. I did a break strength and found about 12 lbs with breaks in the line. For some reason, I rarely get breaks at knots with these light braids.

I got the line out of curiosity, but based on the lack of limpness, I could use in on an Alphas or a BFS reel, or send it back and get 30 or 40lb for general use. Definitely like the G-Soul for handling properties on spinning gear, unless this 131 breaks in and softens up a bunch.

The best price and availability was at Bass Pro, $30.

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Re: Favorite braid for spinning reels

Post by BRONZEBACK32 » Wed Feb 10, 2021 3:38 pm

amso4 wrote:
Wed Feb 10, 2021 4:46 am
I just got some Suffix 131 in 20lb. This is some of the most wiry stuff I have felt. Not too sure how it will work on a spinning reel. I did a break strength and found about 12 lbs with breaks in the line. For some reason, I rarely get breaks at knots with these light braids.

I got the line out of curiosity, but based on the lack of limpness, I could use in on an Alphas or a BFS reel, or send it back and get 30 or 40lb for general use. Definitely like the G-Soul for handling properties on spinning gear, unless this 131 breaks in and softens up a bunch.

The best price and availability was at Bass Pro, $30.
I seen this line today at Cabelas, I looked at the 10lb and its clearly thicker then the rating says, it does however feel
pretty nice, smoother then 832 but feels the same thickness.

Maybe I'm just spoiled with the Japanese line, but I'm not changing from my Upgrade right now :big grin:

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Re: Favorite braid for spinning reels

Post by slipperybob » Fri Feb 12, 2021 5:16 am

BRONZEBACK32 wrote:
Tue Feb 09, 2021 10:19 pm
I wonder what the breaking strength is with the FG knot and what the breaking strength is without any knot :-k
On G-Soul
Alright so I decided to actually endeavor in a few various knot trails against the FG knot on the 14# G-Soul Upgrade. Of which first test run I tied it only some left over fluorocarbon leader of Seaguar InvisX can't remember if it's 40# or 30#. It was kind of a dirtly sloppy FG knot tie job, but it seems to be holding. What I was attempting was to see if I slip a section of a line onto my standard knot to see if it would create a buffer to support a higher knot strength. The results was astonishing.

Line upon itself yield a result of 5# 9 oz.
Line with 80# braid yield a result of 5# 8 oz.
Line with 4# gamma polyflex: 5# 9 oz.

The results was very consistent knot break. I suppose if the loop right at the knot end next to the main line still compresses the main line, it will create an uneven pull, resulting in a weak spot. That also indicates that even if the line is set onto a dowel the size of the dowel will have a lot of influence on the line break when creating an uneven pull throughout the cross section of the line.

Then doing some bonus testing. Same line still and other knot end is still the same FG knot to fluorocarbon leader.
Palomar knot: 4# 9 oz.
Double Palomar knot: 5# 3 oz.

Then with remaining section of the line, I decided to wrap it around the tackle clip in the same manner as the FG knot to a leader. Again what an eye opener result. Here I was not expecting a higher break strength.
Mock FG onto a line clip: 7# 14 oz.

So onto another FG knot to FG knot trials. This time I'm using standard 30# mono. I need to tie two ends so no fluorocarbon leader, my arms not that long and leader material is a pain to tie. I started out with rather sloppy FG knot tying, then went onto doing it more carefully. My one other FG knot was holding so well, it stood throughout all other three tests, with the same line.

The results with three trials. 8#4, 8#15, 9#14.

The line breaks just at the knot. This is probably due to the line pinch and the main line is not pulled with even pressure throughout the whole cross section. So this means that I should probably use a leader and FG knot instead of tying direct to lure or end tackle for my purpose.
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slipperybob
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Re: Favorite braid for spinning reels

Post by slipperybob » Fri Feb 12, 2021 8:26 pm

I put some more test trials. FG knot is only 10 loop; 10 per side.

YGK G-Soul Upgrade X-8 16# FG to FG knot on 30# mono

Three trials: 13#10, 14#1, 13#13.

Again one FG knot held, while the other one breaks at just the knot. With the exception of one that I felt slipped and broke at the bottom opposite end of the knot, saw the line fray ends sticking out there. High 13# breaks at the FG knot compared to my direct knot to swivel that was just above 9# consistently. This is telling me with the results that the FG knot is holding my braids to a stronger strength than a direct knot tie.
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Re: Favorite braid for spinning reels

Post by njbasscat » Tue Jun 15, 2021 10:02 am

I have a few months fishing Daiwa J Braid Grand 15lb and YKG G Soul 22LB side by side. The YKG is thinner so it's not a direct comparison but after fishing both, the YKG is much better that he Daiwa in my hands. I haven't had any mysterious breakoffs with either. The G Soul casts extremely well. The J Braid Grand is underwhelming. It seems to soak up water or something that effects the casting distance. Thanks to everyone who recommended the G Soul. I like it so much, I just ordered a few more spools from Japan. I can't find it in stock in the US.

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Re: Favorite braid for spinning reels

Post by amso4 » Tue Jun 15, 2021 3:31 pm

YKG 22# is the ticket for me. That's what I will be putting on the 2500S-XG Luvias Airity pairing with the new Steez 7'6" MML I am putting together. Should handle a bunch of techniques depending on the leader I tie.

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Re: Favorite braid for spinning reels

Post by reason162 » Tue Jun 15, 2021 3:57 pm

njbasscat wrote:
Tue Jun 15, 2021 10:02 am
I have a few months fishing Daiwa J Braid Grand 15lb and YKG G Soul 22LB side by side. The YKG is thinner so it's not a direct comparison but after fishing both, the YKG is much better that he Daiwa in my hands. I haven't had any mysterious breakoffs with either. The G Soul casts extremely well. The J Braid Grand is underwhelming. It seems to soak up water or something that effects the casting distance. Thanks to everyone who recommended the G Soul. I like it so much, I just ordered a few more spools from Japan. I can't find it in stock in the US.
Those are my exact observations between the Jbraid and YGK - after a few trips Jbraid starts soaking up water like a sponge. By no means the worst at this but the YGK is stellar at repelling water even after a year of spinning reel use.

Btw if you like the 22 try the 16 - it's thin yes but the extra distance is worth it!

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Re: Favorite braid for spinning reels

Post by Oktayne the Red » Thu Jun 17, 2021 3:15 am

So this YKG G-Soul seems like worth giving a shot. How many of these glowing opinions are based on inshore saltwater? Offshore? How about casting reels? Hard to find, only see it in small-ish spools. Does it come in bigger spools? Like 300-500 yards?

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