PowerPro Spectra™ Braided Line
reviewed by Nick "The Quick"  Caine

"I tend to use nylon monos for everyday fishing, but when I get out my piking tackle, I like to use braided lines to keep me in direct touch with my baits and lures"  says all-round predator angler Nick Caine.

I'm not an "all year round, out 'n' out piker" but if I get the chance I do like to do quite a bit of sink 'n' draw with dead-baits plus some lure fishing with big plugs, spoons and jerkbaits in the autumn and winter months, weather permitting. My lure fishing is mainly fairly heavy stuff, jerkbaits and so on and I'm very much a "chuck it out, wind it back and see what you get" merchant, and no way am I in the same class as some of you other serious lure anglers guys, but I bet I have just as much fun and success which is what I reckon it's all about.

I've been using braided lines for my piking for a fair few years now and I suppose I must have tried most of what's been on offer at one time or anothe, but if my memory serves me right, though, the first few spools of PowerPro that I tried a few years ago, left a lot to be desired. What I do remember clearly is that the coloured coating came off and coated everything, my reel, rods rings, the lot! This badly affected my casting until I'd cleaned it all off.

Fortunately the PowerPro that I've been using in the last couple of years is much improved and I have taken to using it for most of my lure fishing. I've got to say that I don't have much experience of it in its lower B.S. because I take advantage of the fact that the 50 lb and 80 lb B.S. have such a low diameter compared with monos of the same B.S., and that way I get more of my lures back, complete with the snags they have grabbed.

PowerPro is based on Spectra™ High Performance Polyethylene HPPE gel-spun fibres. Dyneema™ is the other make of HPPE fibres used in braids and fusion lines. For some odd reason I've never really got on with fusion lines — I know lots of anglers swear by them but I tend just to stick to braids.

So, at the beginning of last season when I got the chance to review some of the latest PowerPro braid, naturally I jumped at the chance. I've been using this 50 lb B.S. PowerPro which sells for around £15 or £16 for 100 metres. It's available in green or white, although after a while the green colour still tends to wear off.

PowerPro has performed fine throughout the season although I've got to admit using an even higher B.S. braid for some of my heaviest lures - mostly though the 50 lb B.S. PowerPro has been perfectly OK. The 300 metre spool that I got for review normally costs around £35 (it's available in the UK now at a lot less than this though!) and as I only needed about 100 metres for myself, I've gave the rest to a couple of my friends to try-out and to help me review it.

As with all braids, and nylon monos too, when you're lure fishing, you've got to keep a close eye on the first few feet of line that do all the work and that come into contact with snags etc. Braids can fray a bit if you're not careful but I meticulously check my line before and after every trip and bin anything that looks at all dubious. Also, braids aren't particularly cheap compared with standard nylon monos etc.

Oh, and I nearly forgot, you've got to be dead careful with knots when you're using braids, or any other line for that matter. I always use the manufacturers' recommended knots which seem to be Palomar or Grinner, and it's very important to wet them thoroughly when you're tying them.

Advantages
Most everyone knows about the advantages of HPPE braids i.e. high strength, low diameter and not much stretch, and these properties are ace for lure fishing and sink 'n' drawing (wobbling) dead-baits which is probably my most favourite method for pike and zander. The thinner diameter means that you can cast further and more easily, and the zero stretch keeps you in direct contact with your bait or lure.

So, with the feedback that I got from my friends who have also been trying-out PowerPro for the first time this season, and from some Lab tests that confirmed its diameter, knot strength, B.S. claims etc., l can honestly say that we have all been very pleased with the way it's performed. No-one had any real problems, except perhaps a couple of loose wind knots and a bit of fraying here and there, but nothing that wasn't easily sorted !

PowerPro is also available in 10, 20 and 30 lb B.S. although I haven't tried these out personally but I'd guess that they'd be fine for normal lures and baits, and many other lighter styles of lure fishing, no doubt. I've got to say that I tend to use Whiplash or Herculine braids for my lower breaking strains. They're also reviewed by some other lure anglers in this Tackle Test Section.

So I'd say "Yep, give PowerPro a go if you fish with big lures, jerkbaits and such, or even sink 'n' draw like me"

Nick Caine

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