Braid and I are unusual company. While many sing praises to the braid, I have just a couple of bass rods spooled with it for top water plugging and frogging, a couple of walleye rods spooled with light braid and two crappie rods spooled with braid. 6 out of 27 rods have braid. The frog braid is 30 pound and those stupid bass would hit rope so I have no problem there. The heavy braid helps when 38" pike decide that a frog is dinner. The walleye rods have 6 pound power pro braid and are used specifically for vertical jigging in deeper water on the Mississippi River. Even when the Mississippi is running clear it has a heavy stain and braid is not noticed so much and then there is always the fluoro leader that can save the day if needed. I think over the years of using the braid on the big river I have added a leader twice. The two crappie rods have #3 Nanofil on them. The rods are custom built numbers using blanks rated for 1/32 ounce jigs and see action when I am either on docks and bridge pilings fishing straight up and down or when I am in submerged wood dropping jigs straight down along the branches.
The other 21 rods have either 4 pound xl, 6 pound xl, or 8 pound xl. My three lake superior rods have either 6 pound xl or the same weight of Berkley Vanish Fluorocarbon. I'll note that I also retro fit most all of my reels' drags with carbon washers. I don't need braid that much and of the reels that have it I like the power pro least of all. Love the nanofil. Braid has a place but I think its really up to each individual how well they like and use it. I'm not a tournament angler so I could care less about the need for heavy hauling just to get a fish to the boat. I use braid in specific instances where I feel that mono just isn't the line to use. Other than that, braid and I are on a different set of shelves.
I did replace the braid on one of my walleyes rods a year ago at this time with Suffix 832 braid in 6 pound. The surface of this line is supposed to be way more resistant to abrasion than some of the other popular lines. I liked the 832 and while jigging 1/4 ounce sonar type baits the line did a great job in the sensitivity department by letting me feel hits on the drop, something that only Nanofil has done before for me. The other river rod is going to get the remainder of the 832 spool pretty soon now too. If ya'll haven't tried 832, I suggest you at least give a spool of it a go especially is you fish cold weather. The 832 seems to shed water better and seems also to absorb a lot less water so freezing issues. I took that rod to the levee wall to try one morning when we were at the antique shop and the air temp was -8. I cast for about 10 minutes and never had an ice problem. 832 is worth a try. I'll also note that the Nanofil I have used in some of the heavier weights and I took it off the reels about as fast as I put it on. The light lies are great up to about 6 pound, but even 8 pound is way stiffer than I like and at 10 pounds I had issues and all of this while vertical fishing. The 3 pound I use for crappies is super sensitive and has zero stretch, but is supple enough to show an upward hit immediately. I love the stuff and lose very few fish to break-offs.
Like I mentioned before, braid is really a personal thing and I am convinced that each person has to fish his way thru the different products [literally] to find what fits his needs best. Braid is not a one-size-fits-all product. Fireline might be great for one person and the next might want to hang the guy who suggested he use it. When I buy line I ALWAYS keep the receipts. If that line has issues, it goes back, period. If it doesn't meet the advertising claims, it goes back. If I am the least bit unhappy with the way it performs, it goes back.
On mono lines, I replace mine often. I buy my XL in 1000 yard spools. My crappie rods will get new line every 3 months thru the open water fishing season. The Lake Superior rods and walleye rods with XL get swapped out a couple times during a season. If a person stops and really thinks about the line he has on his reels, its the only true link other than the knot that stands between him and his fish.
