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Are there any problems with "superlines"?
Response by Steve @ OutdoorFrontiers - Dated 2/25/03

Editor's note: It has been mentioned that superlines, like many other fishing tackle items, is constantly changing technology. New lines should be reviewed every few years to see what is new or improved in the industry.

Some people think that it is worth the added expense, others don't. That is a decision that you will have to make after trying it.

Personally, I love the line PowerPro, and have it spooled on all of my baitcasting reels and most of my spinning reels as well.

Some things to remember about any superline. You have to make sure that the line is secured to the spool very well. It is very slippery and if you just tie it on with a standard arbor knot, there's a good possibility that the line will spin on the spool. Some people will wind 10-15 feet of mono on first, then tie the superline to the mono and continue to fill the spool. Personally, I find that tying the line on the spool, then a wrap of electrical tape solves the line spinning problem quite nicely.

Another thing that must be done is make sure that the line is wound on the spool tightly, much tighter than mono. If this isn't done, the line will "cut" down into itself and cause problems. I solve this by either having someone hold the bulk spool tightly while I wind the line on or run the line through a folded towel, clamped in a vice. This insures that the line is wound on tightly.

Drag settings become critical. There is no stretch (or VERY little) in superlines and unless you have your drag set properly, you're going to lose fish, either through too big of hook sets and tearing large holes in the fish, or hooks straightening/pulling out. Mono is a little more forgiving and will stretch when a fish surges, superlines won't.

Things I like about PowerPro? With its thin diameter, I can fish a much lighter lure in current and still maintain contact.

The sensitivity is unbelievable, I can feel the lure working, when it has weeds on it and the lightest bite of a sluggish fish. I can tell when walleye or smallmouth fishing whether I'm dragging my jig across sand, gravel or mud. I can even feel a lively minnow and when its dead!

The thin diameter also means that when fishing weeds, the line will cut through the weeds much better than any mono I've fished with.

The strength to diameter means that I can fish much heavier line than I normally would be able to with mono, allowing me to fish heavy cover and know that I can pull a fish out. I also don't loose as many lures, because quite often, if I hook a branch or a thick clump of weeds, I can pull it to the boat and retrieve my lure.

I'm also impressed with PowerPro's ability to withstand sharp teeth. Most of the lakes/rivers that I fish have northern pike and muskies. Quite often, while bass fishing, these toothy critters will strike a bass lure. With mono, I was "donating" too many lures. Now, I land a much larger percentage of these lure thieves.

PowerPro is quite durable, when one end of the line does become worn, I simply tie the worn end onto another reel and wind it on. Doing this means that I can use the "Back Half" of the line and get twice the life out of the line. Also, being a guide, I teach quite a few clients how to baitcast. With mono, some of the backlashes were horrific and the line was kinked badly. Once mono gets kinked, it's weakened and should be replaced. Not so with PowerPro, kinks don't bother it in the least. So even though the line initially costs more, I end up saving money in the long run.

Some people are of the opinion that because the line is visible in the water, that it's causing fish not to strike the lure. I don't think that fish have the reasoning power to look at a lure and say "Hey, there's line attached to that fish, I don't think I'll eat that one." So this doesn't bother me, but it does some people. If you find this to be distracting, then it's quite simple to tie on a couple feet of mono as a leader.

Others find that the sound the line makes as it goes through the guides to be distracting as well, again, it doesn't bother me.

Some have said that superlines are abrasive and will cut grooves in the guides. I haven't found this to be a fact either. I suppose that if you use a very cheap rod, with cheap guides, this might be a problem, but I haven't found it so, but then again, I fish with all hand built, custom built rods with quality guides...

Like I said, some people can't make the adjustment to the no stretch properties of the line and soon give it up, going back to what they're comfortable with. I suggest spooling up one rod with it and trying it first before making the expenditure for all of your reels.

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