# POWER PRO ON REELS



## AL_N_VB (Apr 3, 2002)

Went to Lite House tackle the other day to pick up my brand new rod and reel.(8 foot Key Largo trout rod,and a Daiwa Samuri 2500.A reel lite tackle out fit,awesome for schoolies and a blast with large flounders and trout.
Well when it came down to spooling the reel,I wanted to put some 15lbs test POWER PRO,3 lbs diameter.The guy behind the counter discouraged me from doing that,since the reel was not intended for braided line,so I went with the 10 lbs Berkley.
The guy who sold me the rod and reel showed me some new casting and spinning reels that were intended for braided lines,and I almost passed out!
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ one reel was almost 7-$700.00 dollars.
I understand the advantages and disadvantages of braided lines,but $700.00 for a spinning reel made specifically for braids....come on!That's a house payment!
So what do you guys think?Loosen up on the drag and let the fish do there thing,or stay with fluro-carbons,and give up casting distances and sensitivity....
Lemme know


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## sand flea (Oct 24, 1999)

I fish Power Pro on a Stradic and have never had any trouble. What reel were they trying to sell you? A Van Staal? Crikey.

I've seen braids fished on all kinds of spinning reels--I don't know how a spinning reel can be made specifically for braid, anyway. Maybe someone out there can enlighten us.

I'll probably be switching my Stradic out for a Diawa this winter anyway--whatever matches up well with my Loomis plugging rod. And Power Pro will go on that reel, too.


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## Surf and Turf (Oct 1, 2002)

Hey Nsearch, I picked one of the Key Largo surf cast rods from them, heavy action, nice rod. 

It's nice to know guys with money! How many of those reels did you buy? I don't see why you need a special reel unless your going for distance.


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## Digger (Jan 4, 2000)

I don't fully understand why some reels work with braid and others don't except for a couple of things things. On a spinner the line guide affects how the line lays down, this is a area that can be a problem to much twist and wind knot city. Now the Stradic should not have a problem with the twist. How hard is the roller, because of possible grooving. Another possible problem is the way the line gets laided down on the spool do to the thin line. Should it cost more for this? Maybe but not $700.00. A hundred bucks or so should do what you need.


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## AL_N_VB (Apr 3, 2002)

sURF AND tURF-WHICH guy with the money?Some rich SOB that fishes once a year on a yacht in the Bahamas....  
For real though,the guys @ Lite House said that that Daiwa spinning reel would crap out due to braided line...something to do with the line stretch and wearing out of the gears. I don't know,but I am planning on putting braided line on the spare spool.


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## Surf and Turf (Oct 1, 2002)

Yeah that's you my man!!!!!

Hmmmm..... let's think about this. As long as you don't exceed the rating of the reel, the gears should do fine. Unless the braid is more abraisive, the line roller should do fine. The laying of the line and twisting on a spinning reel...does it realy matter? There will most likely be less stretch, thus more shock on the initial hit, but if the drag is set properly, that should not be a problem. Hmmmmmmmmm.....was it made of gold? Used by FDR? Dragged through the desert by Benny Baby? Nope, can't see it! Must be hype, like $5 coffee! Ooooops, that's my stock!!

Don't really have a clue there guy, but get me one if you get one!! I'm sure they will give you a price break for two!


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## fl ordie (Dec 31, 2001)

I switched to Power Pro several months ago. The only problem I've encountered has been trying to remember that there's no 'give' in the line. I have snapped the line at the knot on the leader several times during hook set. There is NO stretch. As you mentioned, Nserch..., loosening the drag a little prior to fighting and a little adjustment after hook-up would probably solve this problem. I love this stuff. Haven't experienced any of the other difficulties that I've read about relating to P/P.


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## Sandcrab (Mar 20, 2002)

$700 for a spinning reel? Must be a VS or the Shimano Stella...seems the folks here got a good handle on the BS out there with regards to braids and spinners...Listen to them...they use the stuff.


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## sand flea (Oct 24, 1999)

_said that that Daiwa spinning reel would crap out due to braided line...something to do with the line stretch and wearing out of the gears..._

That sounds pretty suspect to me. The amount of torque applied to the reel's spool will be the same if you're using mono or braid if the drag is properly set.

There are several guys on here that work in tackle shops (including Lighthouse)--anybody care to explain why certain reels won't work with braid (other than cheap rollers that could get grooved out)? It certainly could be the case that some reels don't perform well with the stuff--I'd just like further explanation. A reel that doesn't work well with braid would probably suck with mono, too.

I'd love to fish a Van Staal or other sealed drag reel meant to fish the wash, but there's no way in hell I'm paying that kind of money for a reel. Digger's right: 100 bucks and change will get you a perfectly good reel.


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## rockhead (Nov 6, 2002)

I only use braided on my penn ss series reels, I dont have any major complaints about performance. there are pro's and cons to each type of line.


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## rlott (Oct 19, 2002)

I use it on everything, even the el-cheapo spinner, with no problems. In fact, it seems to get better with use.

On spinners, just make sure the line roller stays healthy.


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## Fish'n Phil (Nov 11, 2002)

When I went to Lighthouse a guy told me that I should not use Power Pro on my Penn 4400 and that it was better suited for Stren Extra Strength Monofilament. When I went to
Ocean's East I heard the opposite.


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## AL_N_VB (Apr 3, 2002)

Same thing-Lite House must have some special deal with Stren!I lost a lure,AGAIN, on my Key Largo rod lastnite.Goona get some braid FAST!
FYI:The Spit was smokin last nite!Caught 15 stripers in 2 hours,on wind cheaters.


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## *BRANDON* (Dec 2, 2001)

I spooled up with some spiderwire fusion. I will tell you guys how that works out on my penn 4400.


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## Tom Powers (Aug 2, 2001)

I have been using spiderwire and, lately PowerPro on my spinning and trolling rods for about 5 years. I have killed a reel with this stuff. I did it by using 30# braid on a reel rated for 15-20 pound. The real problem was that the reel had a poor drag system. The gears died in short order. They probably would have died had I used 30# mono.

The key point here and they have it on the flyer. SIZE the line rating to the gear. If you are using a rig set up for 10# line don't go to 30# line because you can cast it or hold enough on the spool. Me I just try not to go more than 25% overrated. 

I have been using 10# on a Penn 4300 and Penn 4400 for about three years, 20# on a Penn 4400SS and 30# line on an ABU6500, Penn309 and 320GTI. The only problem with reels that I have had is that I beat up the 4300 pretty bad catching several 30-plus inch bluefish last winter off of Sandbridge. I think that I bent the shaft a little. I fixed it by modifying the spool with sandpaper. For the fishing that I do I will not buy another 4300. It is just to wimpy and the drag system is not as beefy or smooth as the 4400.

There is one other problem that I had with all types of super lines on my spinning tackle. Whenever I get a loop on the spool from fliping the bail down to soon (I guess that is why) I end up with the potential for a twisted up snarl in the line. It is something that I watch for but I get the loops at least once per lure casting type trip.

Tom


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## TDAU (Oct 9, 2002)

A GOOD FRIEND OF MINE WORKS @ LIGHTHOUSE TACKLE. HOPE THIS INFO. HELPS.

Let me see if I can help with this one. I work at LightHouse Tackle, however
I was not the one trying to sell a $700 spinning reel. In fact, I don't have
enough money to even touch a $700 spinning reel and currently we don't have
any Van Staal's in stock even though we plan on carrying a few in the
future. I believe the reel that was recommended by one of our sales staff
was a Daiwa Saltiga (a new line of reels offered by Daiwa that appear
bulletproof....and they should be for that kind of money.) In my opinion,
after having used, and after hearing feedback from others using Power Pro, I
do not recommend it for spinning reels(although some still swear by it).
This is why. As you guys know, braid is a high strength, low stretch line
that is good for many applications (I love the stuff for deepwater flounder
fishing). It has two major problems though. One lies within the user - and
one lies within the braid itself. I'll address the user problem first. Our
most popular selling braid size is 30lb which is @ the same size as 12lb
mono. Guys come in every day and want their spinners, that are designed for
12lb line, filled with this stuff that has a breaking strength @ 30lbs. Now
comes the bad part. Most spinning reels take incredible abuse using regular
mono in the first place. With 30lb line, many fisherman increase the drag on
these reels anywhere from 10% to completely locked up. This is horrible for
the longevity of a spinning reel. Let me stress that I'm not saying that
everyone does this. It is just observation. I've seen dozens of trashed
spinners come across the counter attributed to this. When I take the spinner
and it has braid, I always check the drag. Most of the time it is set way
too high. Medium priced spinners ($50-$130) cannot handle this. It is a pure
fact that they are just not designed for this. No if's, and's, or but's.
Many of you on this board are probably very responsible fishermen that use
tackle correctly and take good care of your equipment, however there are
probably twice as many more who do not take the extra time to do this. This
comes from observation as well. This is a major reason that I do not
recommend braid for a spinner. Now to the problem with braid itself. Many of
you probably swear by Power Pro as an excellent casting line. Straight out
of the box it may be good for casting, but it is all down hill from there!
This is why. Power pro is coated with a water resistant material and starts
out round. Each time it gets used, it loses a bit more of the outer coating
and begins to flatten on the spool. For those of you who have older braid on
your reel, check it out. You'll probably even see where the braid has frayed
edges. Now comes an even bigger problem. When you continue to cast this
flattened out line, it actually absorbs a small amount of water and becomes
slightly heavier. Now you are casting flat line, which is supposed to be
round, and waterproof line, which is holding moisture. This is not good. You
certainly will not get the distance cast from this and unless you change
your braid very frequently(at $10 per 100yds) it will happen. I generally
have very little problem getting the distance that I need from regular mono
and hookset seems to be a non-issue. Most of those problems occur when lure
size is not matched to gear size anyway. Anyway, I hope I've shed a bit of
light on this subject. For those of you using braid on spinners responsibly
and are happy, more power to ya even though I do not recommend it. For those
that are unsure, stop by the shop and I'll try to help. Thanks.

Scott


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## GatorGlass10 (Sep 12, 2002)

I was going to get power pro put on a conventional but decided to go with regular mono. How would power pro do on conventionals? Thanks for any info


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## TDAU (Oct 9, 2002)

Power Pro on a conventional reels is fine, especially for any kind of bottom fishing and even some trolling. I would discourage using it for any kind of distance casting unless it is changed on a regular basis due to it's ability to flatten on the spool.


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## Heaver (Feb 7, 2001)

Another problem with braid on a conventional being used for casting lures is the line, because of it thin diameter, buries itself into the underlying layers during the force of a cast or fighting a fish - later causing the line to hang up momentarily during the next cast. The problem may be that the level wind mechanism is slow, laying the line in very neat wraps around the spool, each wrap adjacent to the next. Line can easily dig in between wraps.

Conventional reels (also some spinners) designed for braid have a very fast level wind mechanisims that criss-crosses the line onto the spool in a broad X to elminate some of this dig-in, yet it still sometimes occurs.

IMHO braid is best suited for trolling....

Lou


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## 8AnBait (Jun 24, 2002)

Power pro is harsh on the eyes I've seen people where all the way throw their guides with power pro or spider wire... Answer to problem titanium eyes no more than 50 bucks.. For the reel braid line doesn't have anything to do with the gear were just how it raps it on the spool just be ready to replace the line guide and keep it well oiled for longer lasting use... Even the strongest steal can't stand up to a piece of dental floss and dry metal how do you think prisoners make shanks they cut their bed rails with floss... P.S. if anyone needs eyes raped send me a private message and ill hook you up with a guy he makes almost the best rodes in town next to lou/ hever... 
but i dont think ill ever leave mono


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## Dyhard (Oct 24, 2002)

Any line will wear the guides if you are catching enough big fish. Most people can cast far enough out that the stretch in that long section of mono causes many bites to go undetected therefor the only fish that are caught are the ones that hook themselves. I haven't replaced mono on all my rods but I have on all my favorites. There are conditions where the only fish that are caught will be on Spider Wire or it's equivalent. I beleive it! 
And by the way crush the barb on your hooks, you'll catch more fish, when you get in a blitz you will find that it's easy to get the hook out quickly so you can get back to fishing faster and it does less damage to the fish if you plan to release it.


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## Dyhard (Oct 24, 2002)

$700 for a reel? The mind is a terrible thing!


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