I began using braided lines several years back upon their introduction. I quickly found out there are many types of the so-called "superlines". There are braided ones, fused ones, and others melded together in strands. Each of these handles differently on reel and rod, but the outcome is still basically the same in makeup, thus the term "superline".

Horror stories began to ring throughout the fishing industry. Story’s of rod breakage, guide wear and replacement, reel faults, and so on. The list grew like a hot potato in a microwave oven. Every time I'd hear of such abuse to tackle, my eyes would roll back into my head about 3 inches. How could this be? I've been using superline on outfits priced from $25.00 right on up to $350.00 with no problems at all. What makes me so different? I'll tell you what makes me so different - I am using them properly and not abusing the equipment, that’s why. The newer braids aren't troublesome on equipment, people are. It is possible to destroy equipment, any equipment. We must remember "proper use" are the words to live by here.

Braided line does not break rods, it does not ruin guides, or harm reels. Anyone telling you different needs some education or has something to gain in the industry by placing these rampant rumors. That last part will get you to thinking, will it not? Just how much capital has been gained in the guide industry since braids hit the market? Rod guides were pennies, now the rod guide alone can take the price of a rod from one level way up to the top of the line models. What of the loss of the nylon makers if the industry suddenly weighed heavily on braids?

Lets put a few generic names in place - we'll call braided lines "superlines" and all fluorocarbon, co-polymers, and monofilaments "nylon". Now, there are many differences between superlines and nylons. Lets start with nylon, which is nothing more than plastic.

Nylon has about as many "quirks" as does any superline. We have come to forgive these quirks by learning them and dealing with their troubles and problems. Nylon degrades and must be changed very often. It develops memory and coils at the worst possible times. Twisting is a major trouble as well and lets not leave out lack of strength and that all important stretch factor. These are all just normal things we deal with in using nylon as a fishing line. We have, over the years, become educated in how to and not to treat nylon. This has become second nature to us fisherman and we don’t think twice about it.

Along comes the superline and we don’t know squat about it. We hear the horror stories along with all the good things and wonder what its really like.

Here's what its really like: superline has no stretch, or very little of it depending upon brand. This promotes a "feel" like no nylon ever has had or ever will. It is thin and very strong, has no memory, lasts forever, can be used for years on end without degradation - which makes it very economical to the environment and the angler. It doesn't twist, curl, and blow off the reel, and gives the angler confidence when fighting larger fish due to its strength.

Superline, like nylon, also has quirks, most of which is angler error. Here are a few: air knotting, most superlines float, pulling against a snag improperly will cause the line to "dig in" upon itself, and because it's light the wind is more a factor with blowing or skating the line. Superline is not forgiving to the occasional angler as nylon can be. I once said, "Try a braid for a day and like it, use it for a month and hate it, stay with it a few more months and fall in love with it forever." This still holds true. Sight: this line is very visible to the angler and the fish. This can hurt the anglers confidence by thinking the bass can see the line and will shy away from the lures. I believe this to be more of a human factor than a fish factor, meaning we care more of line visibility than our quarry does!

Some species are line shy. Bass I have found in my waters are not. The simple addition of a leader for these anglers will suffice in that confidence level, but I surely don’t recommend one for bass fishing. It's a hassle of knots and weak points that are simply not needed in any way. Lesser abrasion resistance than nylon is another factor. Diameter is the largest part of the pie of abrasion resistance, and superlines being so thin, do not excel at this conception unless one compares diameter to diameter, then the two lines are basically equal.

Slick: superlines are just that, thin and slick, and they will "spin" on many of today’s reel spools when trying to load them and when fishing them. This can be easily avoided by using a nylon backing (which I don’t recommend unless larger reel spools are at hand) or by simply placing a piece of rough tape onto the spool, thus giving the line something to grad onto. I personally use what is called a "double backed tape". It's a cheap, clear, extremely thin, 1/2" wide tape (available at any office store or x-mart) that is sticky on both sides. One side grabs the spool and the other grabs the line, it’s a win-win situation.

By not having a line backing means there are no knots to impede casting or create a weak point should a fishing excursion place you fishing near that knot for one reason or another. An added bonus of this technique is once the line is worn and you feel the need to change it all you have to do is reverse it on the reel spool. Now you have brand new superline to fish with and all the worn out stuff is at the bottom of your spool. It’s a very cost effective way to use a line and use it all.

Rod tip wrap: this happens mostly when the line is brand new. It will wrap around the tip of the rod, or a guide when slack is thrown into the line. The newer braids have helped with this lesser feature, but I think the angler is the most at fault here by him or her not paying attention to what the line and rod are doing at a given time. Nylon will also do this, but due to its memory and springy nature, its evil is much lesser.

Snags: that’s another beast of words that have spilled onto the pits of superline non-users. Unless one is using a thick wire hook most superlines will bend hooks out and reward the angler with returned bait. I have lost 90% fewer lures since my change over to a superline. 90%...couple that with the ease of snag removal because of the no stretch properties of superlines and you can see the saved dollar signs, cant you?

Don’t pull back with your rod and reel on a snag while using braids, this will cause a “digging in” problem. If you need to pull back with spinning gear, one only has to grab and hold the reel spool to keep it from slipping drag, point the rod tip at the snagged lure and pull straight back. One of two things will happen: you will get your lure back or the line will break at the knot of the lure 95% of the time (always get as close to the snag as possible). With casting gear one must pull back by wrapping an object in the line above the reel, pointing the rod at the snagged lure and pulling back with the object only. There are many objects you can use to do this, my favorite is a pair of pliers with coated handles. I always carry these anyway and it adds nothing to my terminal tackle selection. A glove or towel of any kind is my 2nd choice, and even a stick or piece of wood does well, too. Never pull lines of any kind with the bare hands. Cutting the larger lines above 20lb. test may also be necessary due to their sheer strength, but I have found nothing more that 15lb. test is needed in my bass fishing and removing snags as described is effortless.

Cutting superlines: here is where we surely have to delve differently from nylon. Superlines cannot be cut with your teeth, nail clippers, or the usual nylon cutters. Some use scissors, and these work well. Just about any brand will do, but my tool of choice, again, is that same pair of pliers we spoke of earlier. I use a pair of what is known commonly as "side cutters". These are the basic wire cutters, as most know them, cheaper pairs normally don’t last long or do very well. If you bought a pair for around $10.00 chances are they will be just fine for cutting braid and pulling snags. These side cutters also enable the fisherman to cut braid against and close to the line tie of the lure, leaving the lure empty of line and ready for re-use when needed without added trimming that the scissors sometimes require.

Superlines are all different, some pose troubles others don’t, and the reverse is true also. If you're planning on trying a superline anytime soon, use this guide to "read between the lines" of the misinformation out there today, to help make your choice easier.

There was a time when the world was thought of as being "flat" and we burned witches at the stake. With time and education, we've done a lot better than that. I feel superlines will be no different. Give one a chance, a real chance, not just a day or two of fishing, and I think you'll like what you feel in time.

Special thanks goes out to Ed Marcol and Travis Myers!