Vicious Line

[Trav]

I thought you meant spinning, but I'm not knocking spin cast reels - they do have their place, especially for kids or anyone who isn't a regular fisherman. I have a couple of the Diawa trigger-spins for the kiddo and the Mrs. and they work really good on light Bass/Panfish/Trout. Really good for folks in cold weather - gloves make using regular spinning gear hard for some folks.

The most manageable hybrid on spinning gear I've used was the P-Line FluoroClear, but I don't really know if it's any upgrade from a nice mono like Tectan or Maxima. Since I spooled superlines on every spinning reel I own I'm not up with what new stuff is out there as a main line. I read about what Bass Pro's are using or who likes what on the forums, but that's not the same as first hand experience. I did spool up some XPS Fluoro a couple of years ago because I was using it as leader material and wanted to why KVD supposedly liked it (besides BPS being his sponsor), but after one trip stripped it off and put Stren Superbraid on that reel. Much more manageable.

I have ruined two of my favorite spinning reels and three rods trying out braid....it burns the guides and eyes... leaves grooves. Like I said...Floro cuts too easy on rocks and gravel and i like to dig the lake bed as I fish....mono is the best when it comes to abbrassion resistence without ruining my gear. It just has such a stretch flaw I have to replace it all the time. Next time I go to BPS I will pick up some hybrid. It sounds promising.

I wrote an article on fishing line back in the spring and have found even the best for spinning reels has its flaws. I would like to write a more thorough report to include lines I have yet to experiment with.

As far as spincasters.........my Gramps was a prolific big fish man and he had some reels as big as grapefruit. He loved them.

In my opinion, fishing is one of the most individualistic sports there is. Some guys won't even hit the water unless they have a fly rod and others think baitcasters are the bomb. My style of fishing is totally oriented around spinning reels and fast retrieves. I know some guys who don't like to fish with me because I move too fast to work a worm or a jig. To me slowing down is a grub or a tube bait with quick pitch fishing.

My mom likes a bobber and a nightcrawler...haha...

It is all successful if you know what you are after. I have always said fish with your strengths and it will do you good.

But I stray...I would like to find a line that is abbrassive resistant, won't ruin my gear, and will last more than three outings on the lake....haha...

This is why we have OAF!....lol

To get insight...

[RSBreth]

No modern guides should be effected by superlines. Nothing even as common as Fuji Alconites, and those only cost about 1.00$ per guide, retail. By the 10,000 lot rod maker's get there's in they probably cost pennies.

I have several rods over ten years old that have had nothing but superlines used on them with nothing happening to the guides.

So I'm curious, what make/model rod have had the guides grooved by braid, and which reels?

[drew03cmc]

Vicious is incredible on spinning gear. It does not twist up real bad if you are using inline spinners. It has break strength that is ridiculously high compared to its rated strength. I love using it when fishing around salad on my 1000 size spinning reel. I haven't used it as a tippet material, but as 3x it would work just fine. I am kind of partial to Maxima Ultragreen for tippet material though. I like the 4# line. I throw it on the end of 2x or 3x leaders.

[Trav]

No modern guides should be effected by superlines. Nothing even as common as Fuji Alconites, and those only cost about 1.00$ per guide, retail. By the 10,000 lot rod maker's get there's in they probably cost pennies.

I have several rods over ten years old that have had nothing but superlines used on them with nothing happening to the guides.

So I'm curious, what make/model rod have had the guides grooved by braid, and which reels?

My biggest probs are on rods. It isnt so much the line grooving but it is the eyes loosing their eye guides due to friction.. Then there is the bail guide to consider. Which has been less of an issue over the past years.

I am not a big guy of buying high quality rods, I bust the crap out of them and usually buy new stuff every year. I do however buy the best when it comes to spinning reels. I mostly buy Penn but have Diawa and Shimano as well. To be honest, none of the Diawa or Penn reels had any affect to braid or floro. Just the rods. When it comes to reel guides Shimano was an issue. Not good when I am talking about a 80 dollar reel. However...I have a couple Shimano Salt waters which took the salt water wire type line fine. But they costs me 300 bucks a pop.

The fact I will buy a 200 dollar reel and slap on a 50 dollar rod is probably an issue to think about. Since I run so many cranks and deep divers the fact the tips wear out and I cut them down is a benifit. Stiffer the rod the less stress I have to reel. Yet...it does create a higher friction to the reel.

Line is the issue here though...

Floro sucks in the high timber/rock envirement I work, yet braid rips my cheap rods to peices. Mono is perfect but it stretches to the point I have to change it everyday.

I do know my reels out perform the rods I break and beat up but in the long run mono is cheaper to replace everyday.

Haha....what do you do when you crank and beat the hell out of your rods?...

Line is important ,.....

[RSBreth]

I've been using a "cheap" Browning (Actually Bass Pro) 7' spinning travel rod for most of my shallow to medium cranking the past couple of years, and the past three it's had Stren Superbraid (4/14) on it. I think it retails for about 100.00 and I did break the top on it, but that was from closing a garage door on it, then also dropping it tip-first on a rock.

But I do crank a lot. Hours of it on some trips, especially in the Summer. It was one that I couldn't get the top two sections apart after on long morning of cranking.

The old tip was fine before I crunched it.

My Spinnerbait rod has had 10/40 Stren Superbraid on it for 6 years (I think) - same thing, I'm very hard on it -it's a spinnerbait rod. No grooving so far. I'm using an old Pro Qualifier 4000 spinning reel on the cranking rod, that reel has had nothing but Fireline or braid since I first bought it, maybe 8 years ago. No problems so far, either. Not too shabby for a 80.00$ reel.

One thing you do have to remember if you do use braid for a set up you usually have to step down in the rod's power or action from what you were using with mono or fluoro - something has to give, and it's not going to be the line. Maybe the knot, maybe the rod tip's ceramic guide, but something. I do use a fluoro leader on the end of the braid, and it provides just a tiny bit of stretch, but doesn't effect sensitivity as far as I can tell. I can still feel if I get a leaf or bit of moss on the crank during the retrieve. I use medium or med/light rod power, too, so I'm probably not as hard on the reel or rod as you.

I just wondered because I usually hear the "braid cuts your guides" thing from people but when you ask to see the rod it's not ever actually them, it's the "friend of my brother's friend's girlfriend's Dad" type thing. I wasn't trying to call you out on it or anything like that, I just really want to see a rod tip grooved by braid, and I just haven't seen it yet. Now that I say that some guy's probably going to take a file to one of his old rods....

I'm going to have to do another article about this, get responses from Shimano, St. Croix, everyone I can. See what they say about using superlines on their tackle. I bet I'm going to get a lot of "...Although we don't recommend using braided line on or rods/reels some pro fishermen have been trying this hot new technique the past year... bla bla bla."

Basically a non-answer answer.

And I'm sorry we hi-jacked your thread Drew. I still don't know jack about Vicious line.