Before I complain about Sufix Performance Braid...

[Questor]

Can you tell me if I've missed something in the literature of braided lines? I am using 30# Sufix Performance Braid for the first time. It is on a very good bait casting reel. On the first cast the line snapped as I tried to cast a 2 ounce plug. I then cast some 3/4 ounce bait rigs without incident. Then I tried to cast a 1.5 ounce bait rig and the line popped. The breaks in both cases do not appear to be at the knot.

I have routinely used this outfit with the same sized baits with 12 pound test Stren and Trilene XT and have not had any breaks.

These casts were with a 7' rod and I was casting for distance.

Am I supposed to be using a leader with braid for applications like this?

This line made a terrible first impression on me. The first break was with my first cast ever with this line. It'll be mighty difficult to trust this stuff with fish after this.

[dahlberg]

Hi Q,
Due to the fact it's softer and has less elasticity(which means it doesn't pack as tightly on the spool) than mono, braid backlashes much more easily. Because it has such low stretch, when it stops it sometimes pops!
When it was first introduced I heard stories of guys who threw musky lures into low orbit and completely over small islands.
Using lures the weights you're talking about, I'd never use anything lighter than 50#, with 65# being the average.
best,
L

[Questor]

Wow! Thanks for the insight. I think I'll remove it and go back to 12# mono. I've never had a problem with that. If I go to 50# braid I lose the advantage of thinner diameter and gain no advantages for general fishing.

[dahlberg]

Hi Q,
Actually 50# sufix is close to or maybe even thinner than the 12# mono.
In some cases it's lack of stretch is a decided advantage, but in my opinion mono is easier to prevent backlashes and you dare give it the klingon war cast without as much risk of an un-untanglable backlash or taking down a low flying airplane.
best,
L

[Questor]

I should say in fairness that this is the first such failure I've had after using 30# braid for a couple of years, and very happily. It just happens that this is my first attempt at casting for distance. Usually I'm either making short casts, or using live bait techniques that don't require more than a lob.

Very good to know. I'll see how this braid works for the rest of my season. I like it for its good qualities.

[Questor]

I made an earlier post on the topic of how I could not cast 30# Sufix Performance Braid using 1.5 to 2 ounce weights. The line snapped when I cast for distance.

As a follow-up I went down to the workshop tonight with a bunch of line and my Berkley digital fish scale. I know the scale to be pretty accurate and consistent because I have tested tonight it with known weights varying from under a pound to 25 pounds (gallons of milk, quarts of motor oil, various athletic weights, packages of meat that had been weighed on a certified scale, etc.). The scale is rated to 30 pounds. It seems to read a bit heavy, about 5 to 10 percent (i.e., 10 pounds reads closer to 11 pounds.)

I measured the breaking strength of the following lines by tying a snap to one end with a palomar knot, and a no-slip loop knot to the end that engaged the scale. Pull was steady and slow so I could read the scale. The lines never broke at the knot, always in the length of line between the knots.

Here are the results:
new 30# Sufix Performance Braid broke 14.5 to 15.1 pounds
used 30# Power Pro broke at 15.5 pounds
new 30# Power Pro broke at 17.1 pounds
new Trilene XL 8# broke at 7.8 pounds
new Sufix Elite 8# broke at 8.1 pounds
new Berkley Vanish Transition 12# broke at 2 pounds on the first test and 4.1 pounds on the second test.
new Western Filament 30# dacron broke at 14.5 pounds
new Cortland Micron 20# dacron broke at 9 to 9.5 pounds
new Berkley Trilene XL 12# broke at 9.2 pounds

I think these are reliable measurements. As I said, the scale is pretty accurate and consistent, and the breaking strengths felt like they were consistent with the results I got from the scale.

Still wanting some more testing on the Sufix 30# Power Braid and Cortland 20# dacron, I used a set of athletic weights of known weight. I used no-slip loop knots and very gently lifted the weights with the line. Results were within a couple of pounds of what I measured with the scale.

All lines were dry. Are these lines stronger when wet? Some would have to be twice as strong to meet their rated test weight.

Almost needless to say, I immediately discarded the Vanish, which is a bad line for other reasons too.

While it's nice to know that I could qualify for IGFA records with these lines, I really expect them to test at least their rated weight.

Have you actually measured breaking strength of any of these lines? What results did you get?