Berkley Trilene Big Game vs. Braided Fishing Line

Here's an update to my testing of Trilene Big Game monofilament compared to Power Pro braided fishing line.

I've been fishing with 50 lb. braided fishing line for two seasons of carp fishing. I've had success with it and developed strong confidence in the braid. Between snags, boaters running over my lines, and general wear I've gone through 1,200+ yds. of line this year. Priced at $24.99 per 300 yds. I've spent more than $100 on fishing line so far.

In July I picked up 900 yds. of Trilene Big Game 15 lb. for $3.97 on sale at Dick's Sporting Goods. My thought at the time was to experiment with the possibility of saving money with monofilament compared to braid. I'll add that I would have preferred to buy 20# Big Game, but they did not have any available.

Quote from my blog post in July:

"Let's see...should I spend $100 on fishing line or $3.97? That one's easy...if it the performance is similar."

As year two winds down, I'm ready to report on my results for the testing here on my local Michigan lakes. Specifically my goal was to validate whether or not I can justify the extra expense for the braided line going forward.



Power Pro priced for $27.99 locally

Trilene Big Game purchased for $3.97 locally.

My testing started with several sessions in late summer at Ford Lake in Ypsilanti. The Big Game performed o.k. at Ford Lake and I landed a few carp in the 12# to 14# range.

As the year continued and bigger fish moved into the lagoon I fish near Lake Erie it provided a better opportunity to see how the Big Game would hold up. For the past three sessions I've hooked a lot of carp on the mono. I've landed carp in the 12# to 22# range on the monofilament during those sessions.

To be completely honest, I wanted to Big Game to match up well with the Power Pro so I could save some money. But in my personal experience the Big Game falls short for carp fishing compared to the Power Pro.

The biggest disappointment I had with the Big Game was a snapped line while trying to land the biggest carp I've hooked all year long. The line didn't fail at the knot and the failure wasn't caused by an abrasion. The line was over-taxed with a big carp and the carp was more than 15# monofilament could handle under extreme conditions. Yesterday I lost another smaller carp in the 10# range from another line break. Maybe 20# Big Game would have been more appropriate for big Michigan carp, but I didn't have 20# available.

For full disclosure I have broken Power Pro during the casting process due my own mental mistake and one other time several months ago while fighting a fish, but I suspect that time was due to an abrasion and not due to the size of the fish.

I am not a professional fisherman, so someone with more skills than I may have had better luck with the monofilament. For me the choice of monofilament vs. braid comes down to my own personal confidence in the line. With a new personal best on the line I don't want to worry about the line failing and losing the fish. I want to feel good about my chances of landing "the big one" and for me that means I'll be sticking with 50# braid.

I have a tip for those who find Power Pro more expensive than you think it could be. There are alternative braids that will work equally as well for carp or catfish fishing.

Difference in Fishing and Being a Fisherman

For most of my life catching fish I simply threw a line in the water and hoped for the best. When I started carp fishing I had to make adjustments to that carefree approach in the name of catching more carp.

I like to study and learn new things, so fishing for carp is a no-brainer for me. A worm on a hook won't produce many carp and certainly not on a consistent basis. So I've had to learn ways to entice the carp to eat the bait I'm offering. For illustration, consider an example from yesterday's session.

I was fishing with three rods and had landed multiple fish on my left rod and right rod, but none on the middle rod at midday. So when re-baiting I took notice of the hair rigs, hook lengths, etc. for clues. I noticed that the hook length on the middle rod was about 1 inch shorter than the hook length on the other two rods that were producing all the carp. I switched out the shorter hook length with a 6" rig, re-casted and hopefully waited.

It didn't take long.

I caught the biggest fish of the session 90 minutes later on that middle rod.

22 pounder caught on 15 pound test Berkley Trilene Big Game monofilament

So many of my winter weekends will be filled with reading, watching videos and strategizing new ways to improve my fisherman skills vs. buying the newest, shiniest, latest and greatest tackle and just fishing. I want to learn to use what I've already got more effectively. Lucky for me Michigan winters provide plenty of time for that as we wait for things to thaw out each spring. But I think time spent strategizing and learning will pay off big time with more carp in future sessions.

How to Tie a Uni Knot - Big Game to Power Pro

9/29/14 Update: Well, the uni knot test ended poorly yesterday. The knot failed and I lost my hook, inline lead, hair rig, etc. I was not casting anything heavier than normal. The knot held up for 10 or so casts, but eventually failed. :-(

9/27/14 Update: I tested my strategy of fusing the 15 pound test Trilene Big Game to 30 yards of 50 pound test Power Pro yesterday. It casted pretty well and I landed a nice 9 pounder on it. As I need to replace the Power Pro on my other reels, I'm going to use this strategy. Instead of 4 new spools annually and occasional replacement spools of Power Pro throughout the year, using the Big Game in conjunction with the Power Pro should save me $150 - $200 a year.

 

 

I just finished spooling up a test reel with 225 yards of 15 pound test Trilene Big Game monofilament fused with a uni knot to 30 yards of Power Pro braided line. I think I may have put on too much monofilament and not left enough room for the Power Pro. If the first try doesn't work, I'll just make adjustments and try again.