Braid

[JET01]

I'd been fishing with 3lb Fireline crystal for about 4months on a Stradic CI4 2500.

I got bitten by the tackle bug and bought myself a new setup going down to the Ci4 1000 and spooled with 6lb Sunline PE, liking the idea of thinner diameter and higher breaking strain. When fishing the 3lb Fireline Crystal it was rare that i'd ever get a wind knot, or have problems with knots.

The Sunline PE was the opposite. Not only do i get wind knots, but also tend to lose a lot more tackle to what seems to be the braid cutting through the 6lb vanish/rovex flourocarbon leader. I've lost about 3 HB's spinning the flats. Not from getting hits, just from jerking the lure through the water and eventually cutting the leader. Has this happened to anyone else? I tried doubling the braid and re-tying, but it still happens and the thicker knot (improved albright) catches on the recoil guides on my t-curve a fair bit more too.

It's my day off tomorrow and will be going to shimano to get a spare spool for my Ci4 1000 and 2500 (hope they have them in stock).

I just cant decide what line to put on the new spools.

I'm thinking about giving the new Fireline Exceed a go, but noticed it's really thin.

I normally fish 10lb vanish for Flatties and 6lb Vanish for Bream. And only take 2 rods out with me in the yak, 7ft and 6'6 T-curve Flights with 2500 and 1000 size reels respectively. I use the 7ft for SP's for flatties and the 6'6 for HB's and smaller SP's for bream.

I'm having some problems deciphering the thickness measurements for all the different brands of braid. from the purefishing website 4lb crystal is 0.13mm in diameter. I'm guessing the 3lb would be around the 0.10mm mark.

So trying to keep the thickness aroung that 0.09-0.15mm mark what would you put on these spools?

1000 SP's/HB

1000 SP's/HB

2500 SP's/HB

2500 SP's/HB/Blades for Bigger fish, like jews and kings.

[mike82]

The fireline is 'gelspun' and the sunline is a pe 'braid'. I think the gelspun is a fair bit stiffer and holds its shape while casting into the wind and retrieving slack line better than braid.

I also find that not filling the spool quite as much as you normally would with mono or gelspun makes a difference with the pe braid too.

I also fish from a kayak and I don't think being low to the water helps the situation.

Silly question: Are you wetting your knot down before you pull it tight? Haven't had any issue of the leader breaking with the sunline. I used vanish once and had that exact problem but with fireline crystal as the main line! , now I use a sunline f.c 6lb leader and haven't had a problem with it.

Not 100% sure but just my two cents.

Mick.

[austral]

stick with the fire line buddy, ( if it aint broke dont fix it.).

i won some real fine stuff in a bream tourny worth about $80 and keept getting wind knots so it went straight in the bin.

now i stick with the tried and tested stuff..cheers..stevo..

[rockfisherman]

Fireline all the way, hassle free and like old mate said...

If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

[JET01]

Thanks for the replies.

I ended up getting 2 spare spools. 1 x 1000 Microline Spool, and a 3000. The good thing about the Ci4's is that the 3000 fits on the 2500. So i can hold a tonne of line just in case I hook up a massive jew or king.

I bought 2 spools of Fireline Exceed. 300m of 4kg/8.8lb and 135m of 6kg/13.2lb.

the 4kg/8.8lb is 0.12mm thick which is the same as the 3lb fireline crystal. How awesome to have such strong thin line.

will put the 6kg on the 3000lb spool and use it when i'm going for jews and kings.

Had a 4hours out in the yak today for only 2 barely legal flatties. A big one chewed through my 6lb leader in Woolaware Bay, I know full well the 10lb is better for flatties. I didn't get to see it, but i could feel the weight.

Fireline Exceed. No a bad thing to say about it. Is a bit stiff out of the packet like most lines, but i'm sure it'll soften up like the crystal did when it was new.

[Catchin Jack]

After a bit of use with fireline exceed I must say I'm not real happy with it, seems to fray to easy and break, thought it would've been better.

[JET01]

If that happens to me then i'll just got back to the good old fireline crystal.

[The Iceman]

Ive been using 3lb powerpro braid and so far it seems to be better than the fireline I was using 2lb crystel I also used to use vanish for leader and had problems with leader knots breaking I have now been using FC rock for awhile and havent had a leader knot break

[gretsch]

I have just changed a few outfits to Sunline and have had nothing but trouble.

I have currently got spools with:

1. PE 0.4 (10lb) HG Egi

2. PE 0.6 (12lb) HG Egi

3. PE 0.8 (12lb) PE Jigger

4. PE 0.4 (8lb) Rockfish PE

For those who want to know, that's about $320 worth of silly string.

Apart for the Rockfish, they have all given me extreme wind knots. At one point, a wind knot started deep within the spool!! Its got me buggered as to how that happened. Also, the knot strength is questionable (I'm using a spider hitch or bimini double and a slim beauty leader knot). I have lost more squid jigs and rubbers since having this line on than ever before.

I switched from Power Pro and Fireline Exceed. I am going back to them. I have written a shitty email to Sunline but haven't had a response as yet.

I will never buy Sunline in the ultra light stuff again.

Edited May 7, 2012 by Cephalopod

[Goran]

I fish 6lb Sunline and have no issues, i fish a Yamatoyo rock fish leader either in 6 or 8lb, casts a dream. I usually avoid casting in high wind or try to have it against my back. Make sure you lube up the leader to braid knot before tightening it, that's where it'll most likely cut through the leader. Good Luck

[JET01]

Thanks for digging this thread up Ceph.

When i started that thread i only had one 1000 size reel, but had two spools. One spool with 3kg Fireling exceed, and the other with 6lb Sunline. The sunline does cast further, but I dont use is anywhere near as often as i use the fireline exceed because of the wind knots. I have since bought another ci4 1000 which I spooled with 5lb power pro. Haven't used it much, but when i did it was great stuff.

If i was to buy a new spool of line tomorrow i'd probably just stick to fireline ranges. anything between around the thickness of 3lb Fireline crystal, but no thinner than Sunline 6lb Super PE.

[steze]

Ive never had any problems with sunline products.

[PowerFisher]

The real diamater and breaking strenghts of the fireline cyrstal is as follows.

anything over 8lb gets to thick. The crystral is a great braid for casting and gets good distance only issue with it is that after a while the white gets dirty.

1LB breaks at 4.85lb diamter 0.102

2LB breaks at 7.47lb diamter 0.129

3LB breaks at 10.38lb diamter 0.143

4LB breaks at 11.81lb diamter 0.151

6LB breaks at 19.32lb diamter 0.199

8LB breaks at 22.37lb diamter 0.227

15LB breaks at 37.55lb diamter 0.316

20LB breaks at 46.09lb diamter 0.389

30LB breaks at 85.99lb diamter 0.523

[tw9635]

I recently bought 300 metres or fire line exceed In the 6.6 pound which is 3 kg. It is super thin and I could almost fit the whole spool on my aernos 2500. I think it's really nice and cast a mile. It doesn't really have the traditional braid feeling, it feels like a mix between mono and braid . I think you made am great decision and hope you catch alotmof fish.P.S. Did you get orange?

[bharris]

I have had the same probs with the vanish leader snapping and also fraying

Sent from my GT-I9100T using Tapatalk 2

[hottyscotty]

I've never had any problems with any brand of braid in regards to wind knots. My cause of wind knots when i started was leader size. As you go up in leader size, your knots have to change with it. As leaders gets thicker, the knots get bigger. When you cast, these knots hit the guide which temporarily stops but the trailing line is coming off which causes slack and its this slack that gets caught around the guides. Either let out enough line so your knot is not in the guides or choose a knot that is streamlined. Or get rods with Fuji K-guides. Their design is to rid of wind knots and it works!

I've always stuck with braid and not gelspun. Its much smoother and it digs less into the spool. Thats my experience anyways

[TFK2012]

I have recently loaded up my spool with some of the Super Pe and I have had drama after drama with it.

Lost rigs and breakages at the leader end time after time last week. After reading this thread I'm thinking my knots are causing my troubles. I keep hearing it go through the guide and it must be hitting them and allowing slack line to build up behind it as was just posted before me.

I have never really fished with braid until now, can anyone suggest the best knot to tie for repetitive casting?

Cheers