This is taking a long long time. I still have 6 lines left to test. Kudos to Verles, and to Sportsmens Warehouse for donating time, and 20 foot samples of line for testing. Thumbs down to the 'other' warehouse sporting store for their complete lack of interest (from all 4 sales reps in the fishing dept). With my wife's recent experience at that place, being ignored while trying to buy me a lami certified pro, I'm done with them forever.

Anyways back to the subject...

Testing involves a 45 minute presoak in distilled water, palomar knot to two 8/0 trolling hooks, digital scale hand pulled . Tests are run 8 times per line, with 4 runs being done on fresh line, 4 runs done on previously tested (fatigued) line. Lowest break result tossed out. Also noted is whether line failed at knot or midline. Improved double clinch knot was initially tested, and tossed out in favor of palomar. Also noted is presoak line diameter, as measured in 3 different sections of line, by Lyman Dial Caliper, accurate to 0.001".

Subjective notes were also taken on stretch, line memory, and 'softness'.

Here are the lines being tested.

P Line Flurocarbon
P Line Floroclear
P Line Xtra
P Line standard

Sufix Seige
Sufix Elite

Maxima HiVis
Maxima Chameleon
Maxima Ultragreen

Trilene
Trilene XT
Trilene Big Game HiVis

Vanish Fluorocarbon
Seaguar Fluorocarbon
Stren xtra strong
Stren Magnathin
Yozuri hybrid clear
Izorline xxx Hi Vis copolymer


I'll post results of testing including avg break knotted break strength, fatigued line break strength, actual vs measured diameters, and my conclusions. There are some surprises, at least for me. Some things that weren't surprises as well. So far the P line, Maxima, and Sufix lines have all been tested. I'll give you this for now;

Sufix Elite is the strongest line for its diameter by far. It also is the easiest to chew through (subjective abrasion test), low line memory, moderate stretch, very soft. Probably a fantastic main line for spinning reels, bad as leader material.

Maxima is 20% thicker than the stated line diameters. If your in love with stiff 0.014 diameter leaders, P Line xtra tough 10 lb tests much better and is the same diameter as the Maxima UG/Chameleon.


Just a teaser to let everyone know I'm good for my word. I'll be done with testing, and doing the math in about 3-4 days. Lots more interesting stuff to come.


VHawk

You aren't the only one.

That aside, thanks for posting this stuff. It's good to know. It's not like Consumer Reports farts around with this kind of thing.

I've fished them all.

Pass the Chameleon,hold the rest...as per leader material

Hog Daddy your welcome to do what you want with the numbers. You, and anybody else are also welcome to invite me to the nearest drinking establishment where we can reproduce the results, at the cost of you buying the beer, and bringing the line you want tested. I'll bring the scale, hooks, distilled water and empty belly.

The one spot where Maxima seemed to dominate, and this was a subjective test, is abrasion resistance. I'll give my other conclusions in the final results thread.

Vhawk

If I'd have known I'd have made you bring it last time.

Give Vince his moment in the spotlight folks.

Keep the comments to yourself (for now) about your favorite line(s), etc.

The stage is your Vince.

Granted, once you post your results, I'm sure the mob will tear in to you like there's no tomorrow, but until that point, it's all you. I'll keep everyone behind the safety ropes.....

Strike One.

LOL.....

Strike Two.

One more and you are gone.

Easy Hog Daddy.Good luck,
STRIKE ZONE

The P Line may not have the abrasion resistance. This is where the practical use of the analysis may get tricky. The real question is; Do lines fail because fish teeth nick them, and moderate tension leds to failure, or do they fail primarily from tension?

If the answer is primarily tension than PLine xtra tough is better, but if abraided line is more responsible for failure, than maybe the Maxima makes for better leaders. In either case, the PLine xtra tough would make a decent mainline for baitcasters. It has significantly stronger tensile strength than the same diameter lines from anything else I tested. And just as significantly, its ability to retain strength after its been stressed to near failure, is exceptional. I suppose that's not important if you respool your line each time you have to break off from a snag.

If that 20 pound wild steelie makes a blazing run upstream, and the only way to keep from being spooled is by really buttoning down the drag, 0.014 diam PLine xtra is going to get the job done before the same sized Maxima. Likewise if your driftfishing near heavy structure then Maxima would probably be a better choice.

I find it interesting the amount of testing rifle hunters will do with different grain bullets, different loads, different shaped bullets, in order to improve accuracy by an inch at a hundred yards. Especially since most kills occur under 200 yards. But how many anglers have actually wet their fishing line and tested it on a scale?

If your not open to consider that there might be a better way to do things, or that the performance of your gear has no room for improvement, then I can guarantee you will see no improvement.

It's usually easy,I must admit.

My last comment before heading back to bed...cause I gotta work tonight.

I cannot reccomend a single line that will be superior for all applications. If your using the same line for spin fishing, baitcasters, jig fishing, etc. etc, than you might find this information of practical use.

I have never used Sufix Elite before. It will be the next line going on my spinning reels, because of its OVERALL performance. Tensile strength is only one part of that.

I'll be anxious to see the results....

Don't forget about Suffix ProMix aka DNA. I'd be interested to see how it holds up against its fellow brothers Siege and Elite...

Keith

Parker,

Its ok. You can release the hounds.



Keith,

I didn't test the DNA because the stores I checked didn't have bulk spool samples. I will say that the Siege significantly underperformed compared to the Elite.

Really have to go. The actual percentages, and numbers will be avail before the weekend.

Vince

Hounds released.

My apologies Hog Daddy. Go get 'em!!!!

Vhawk, I heard that Gamma line is the new craze down here. Could you possibly test it also?

Nighty Nite

VHawk rules for doing this. Look forward to the results,

fb

Gamakaysu line is the worst line I have ever used. I tried some a few years ago when it first came out and I lost fish after fish to line failure and not the knot. I will agree with Vince about the P -Line being less abrassive resistant than some. I use P-Line XXXtra for some application in the Salt but not all. It's a great line for casting and extrememly strong if you are not fishing waters with lots of crap that causes abrasions, such as rocks and shells, teeth, etc. P-Line XXXtra makes and excellent main line but not the best leader material.

There was extensive testing done in camparing fishing lines by a fishing rag I get a couple or so years ago. I will find and share, once it's located. Those results were posted here and probably in the archives if you check. I believe Stren score the highest. If not, it was right up there near the top in all catigories of testing. When I'm fishing where abrasion might be a probelm, I use Stren blue for leader material. I learned a lot from the magazine's line test caparison article, and looking forward to your final report. Looks like you have the important elements of the study covered. Thanks for sharing.