Braid Line - How Long Do You Use It???

[FloridaFishinFool]

Well here is another thread posted out of pure curiosity...


How long do you keep and use braid line on your reels?

I will save my response for later on...

[DonM]

Until it starts breaking or looks really bad, like it MIGHT break.  Generally that's a LONG time. 
I don't fish tournaments any more, so I probably don't change nearly as often as others.
I know a couple of my reels have line that is several years old!
Sometimes I change if I get excited about reviews on a new miracle line of some sort. 
I have a couple boxes of PowerPro Quatro waiting to be put in service!
DonM

[Lipripper]

Don I'm with you I don't change until it starts breaking either or starts getting low on the spool even then I would just tie more on to what was left and fill it back up again.

[FloridaFishinFool]

Can you guys translate "long time" into some years please???

I decided a long time ago to do some experimenting with braid. I learned that because it is made from PE fibers that it is sun sensitive and that it is the sun's bright light and UV light that breaks down the PE and causes it to get brittle over time.

Gallon milk jugs are made from the same PE plastic and we all know if you leave a milk jug in the sun for too long it does get brittle and begins to break up.

So the trick to braid line longevity is to keep it out of direct sunlight as much as is possible.

Right now I have one spinning reel with 7 year old braid still going strong.

I think part of the reason why is that due to my sun sensitive skin nature I tend to avoid fishing in the brightest hottest hours and tend to focus my fishing time in early morning or afternoon and during both of these times the sun's rays are not as direct and not as strong so the braid line is not getting enough sunlight to cause it to break down and I am getting some years out of it.

Another reason I choose to push it with the braid line is because I fish for fun. I do not fish for tournaments or competition so I can afford to let the line go for as long as I can get away with it, and as said above, one spinning reel is going strong on its 7th season this year.

Try that with mono!

[Oldfart9999]

I might get a couple of years out of braid on a rig I use a lot and 4-5-6 years out of one I don't.
Rodney

[LgMouthGambler]

I leave it on until it either gets too little on the spool from retying, or its looking pretty crummy. I do flip the line on the spool after some time to utilize the line that hasnt seen water. So it could be a year, or it could be 3.

<")))<{

[Oldfart9999]

I leave it on until it either gets too little on the spool from retying, or its looking pretty crummy. I do flip the line on the spool after some time to utilize the line that hasnt seen water. So it could be a year, or it could be 3.

<")))<{

Yep, flipping the line definitely increases the life of braid!
Rodney 

[analfisherman]

Well if I don't get at least three years out of it............that brand doesn't get purchased again. 

I flip the braid as was mentioned.
I got multiple reals set up just for braid fishing that may see 5+ years.
I got a PanFish spinning rod, 8lb. braid, with at LEAST 6 years and going strong........caught a 8lb carp and a 26" Northern with it last fall. and this rod sits in the car ALL summer long, day in, day out all season long............. but have reel cover, rod cover AND I use line conditioner on ALL my fishing lines.

[kadas]

 Pretty much like the rest of the above posts. I do flip my braid and I generally get 3 to 4 years out of it. I put braid on all my reels both spinning and bait casters and really feel like with flipping the braid it really makes braid pretty cheap to use

[Princeton_Man]

I use Power Pro Super Slick and Spiderwire and do everything mentioned above. I seldom get two years or more though on any of my heavily used rigs, mostly I think do to retying. My lessor used rigs probably go three or more years.