Line weights vs diameters

Question here from a guy who has admittedly not paid much attention to line diameter over many years of fishing. I am primarily a monofilament guy. I have braid on one bait casting outfit and I don't remember what weight it is. I don't fish that rod and reel much at all. Usually I just buy my monofilament based on the labeled weight. If I was dissatisfied with how the line behaved and performed I just bought something else next time. It was all about the fishing and I never paid a lot of attention to the technical aspects of the equipment. It either worked to my satisfaction or I moved on. For most of my last thirty years of fishing I have fished ultra light gear with 4# monofilament. I caught a few fish along the way.

I recently got tempted into trying Varivas Twitchmaster in 4#. Along the way I have been reading much about how American market mono is actually a good bit stronger than rated. The Varivas lines are supposedly rated more accurately for weight. They are also thinner in diameter for the rated weight hence the difference in weight rating accuracy.

Then along comes braid and the differences it introduces. I read people discussing the weight rating of braid and see questions asked whether a person is referring to the weight of braid or the diameter of the equivalent weight of mono. A braid rated at 4# test is supposed to be the diameter of 1# mono from what I read.

Then of course there are lines made of other materials as well and where they fit into the diameter scale.

Sorry to be so long winded but finally to my question. Is there a comprehensive article, tables or other info that would provide someone with a good understanding of lines, weights, diameters, accuracy of breaking strength and other issues around choosing a line to use. It is as much for me to understand some of the technical discussions that take place here as anything else. Or I guess I could just be proud of my ignorance and just go fish.

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Originally Posted by UpstateSC_Bill

Question here from a guy who has admittedly not paid much attention to line diameter over many years of fishing. I am primarily a monofilament guy. I have braid on one bait casting outfit and I don't remember what weight it is. I don't fish that rod and reel much at all. Usually I just buy my monofilament based on the labeled weight. If I was dissatisfied with how the line behaved and performed I just bought something else next time. It was all about the fishing and I never paid a lot of attention to the technical aspects of the equipment. It either worked to my satisfaction or I moved on. For most of my last thirty years of fishing I have fished ultra light gear with 4# monofilament. I caught a few fish along the way.

I recently got tempted into trying Varivas Twitchmaster in 4#. Along the way I have been reading much about how American market mono is actually a good bit stronger than rated. The Varivas lines are supposedly rated more accurately for weight. They are also thinner in diameter for the rated weight hence the difference in weight rating accuracy.

Then along comes braid and the differences it introduces. I read people discussing the weight rating of braid and see questions asked whether a person is referring to the weight of braid or the diameter of the equivalent weight of mono. A braid rated at 4# test is supposed to be the diameter of 1# mono from what I read.

Then of course there are lines made of other materials as well and where they fit into the diameter scale.

Sorry to be so long winded but finally to my question. Is there a comprehensive article, tables or other info that would provide someone with a good understanding of lines, weights, diameters, accuracy of breaking strength and other issues around choosing a line to use. It is as much for me to understand some of the technical discussions that take place here as anything else. Or I guess I could just be proud of my ignorance and just go fish.

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Good articles here.
Japanese Silk

AGX PELAREEF: Information: Japanese Line Size “Gou” i.e. PERegards

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Originally Posted by Alphahawk

Good articles here.
Japanese Silk

AGX PELAREEF: Information: Japanese Line Size “Gou” i.e. PERegards

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Excellent reads. And I found the article on braids in that first link. A lot of good information. Thank you again.

in my case ,the lbs. it breaks at are important to me and it's durability , beyond that ease of operation is next , no matter the brand name or type of line .
to thin is a problem , to thick is one as well , the goldie lox syndrome you know...:Rofl
one thing for certain if you are after a line class record or something along that "line" the particulars are likely very important ...
in my case it matters not to me what is said about any line , it is simply a case of does it do what I want it to do ....:highfive
alphahawk seems the best versed fella in these parts on this subject ,so it would be my suggestion to follow his lead ...

Yeah. I read the articles in that link he provided. Very interesting. I am not looking for any records that's for sure. Just trying to get familiar with the subject because it comes up here regularly. For me I switched to the Twitchmaster because it is thin for its weight so it casts well and it is low stretch for sensitivity.


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Reckon I’m satified with Trilene XL, 4lb, green. Fits the bill for Me

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Originally Posted by KRW

Reckon I’m satified with Trilene XL, 4lb, green. Fits the bill for Me

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I have used that or Stren for a lot of years. Decided to try the Twitchmaster looking for a little more casting distance and liked the low stretch aspect. I just wanted to know more about line diameter differences. So far I am happy with the new line. It is a bit pricey though so whether I buy it again remains to be seen.

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Originally Posted by UpstateSC_Bill

I have used that or Stren for a lot of years. Decided to try the Twitchmaster looking for a little more casting distance and liked the low stretch aspect. I just wanted to know more about line diameter differences. So far I am happy with the new line. It is a bit pricey though so whether I buy it again remains to be seen.

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The line size for casting distance (being stuck on land), is why I was asking about braid, that and i need the hi-vis to see to tie the knots and line watch. That Moss green blends in to well for me. Cost is another factor...
Some one was saying if the line fades color to cut it off, My question on that is, are you cutting it out due to color loss, or does it loose strength when it fades??? If it's just line fade, why cut it??? Crappie don't care what color it is, they gonna bite, right???

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Originally Posted by Jamesdean

The line size for casting distance (being stuck on land), is why I was asking about braid, that and i need the hi-vis to see to tie the knots and line watch. That Moss green blends in to well for me. Cost is another factor...
Some one was saying if the line fades color to cut it off, My question on that is, are you cutting it out due to color loss, or does it loose strength when it fades??? If it's just line fade, why cut it??? Crappie don't care what color it is, they gonna bite, right???

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Yep, pretty much !!

I did unspool my PowerPro Hi-vis 10/2 and spooled it on to another reel, when it first faded, just to get the bright yellow color back in sight. But, since that's faded down to a lighter yellow, I just use it as is. Haven't seen any more or less bites because of it, nor does it seem to be any less strong. And, yes ... I do tie the baits I use directly to the braid.

* All my reel spools are solid, so I initially spool on some old mono & tie the braid to that and finish filling the spool. That keeps the braid from spinning around the spool when setting the hook or fighting a large fish. It also means I can use less braid per reel.

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Originally Posted by Jamesdean

The line size for casting distance (being stuck on land), is why I was asking about braid, that and i need the hi-vis to see to tie the knots and line watch. That Moss green blends in to well for me. Cost is another factor...
Some one was saying if the line fades color to cut it off, My question on that is, are you cutting it out due to color loss, or does it loose strength when it fades??? If it's just line fade, why cut it??? Crappie don't care what color it is, they gonna bite, right???

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You can get some braid in 5 and 5.6 pound test but it is not cheap. But it will beat any US market line on what it does, and that is what they will break at also. Casting is superb and so is knot strength. The Varivas Avani Light Game in 5 pound and the Infinity PE X8 in 5.6 pound test. The diameter of these lines are around 0.075mm. They are colored and I can see them with my old eyes. I have used both and will continue to do so.

Regards


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Most braid will have the breaking strength and then it will state what diameter it is based on equivalent mono diameters. Example. 8# 2pound equivalent diameter

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Originally Posted by DockShootinJack

Most braid will have the breaking strength and then it will state what diameter it is based on equivalent mono diameters. Example. 8# 2pound equivalent diameter

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I have seen that on the labels. But to refer to it as 2# equivalent diameter doesn't seem to give you a clear picture. The diameter of Varivas mono is less than Stren for the same weight. I suppose it doesn't matter if you stick to lines for the same market. But it kind of got me frustrated when one of my reels lists a capacity of 100 yards of 4# test and my spool of Varivas Twitchmaster didn't fill it. So I had to reload it with a backing.