Whilst I find it increasingly difficult to review these modern 8-strand braids when firstly we already have what to me are four awesome braids for what I would term a “more than friendly price” - Daiwa J-Braid, Sufix 832, Sufix Performance Pro 8, and SpiderWire Stealth Smooth 8 (just as good as the others but for some reason seems to fly under the radar) - and secondly these four braids which I have used a hell of a lot now are so damn good I can’t help but wonder why there could be any need to spend much more on a mainline…………….
But then a high-end braid like this Shimano Pitbull 8 comes along and I can understand why it’s that bit more expensive than the four braids I mentioned above - and by no means am I saying you need to spend more, but more expensive stuff will always exist and some people will always pay more. If the figures on the spool of Pitbull 8 braid I am using are to be believed (PE1/22.4lbs) then it’s a very thin 8-strand braid, and I can’t get away from how uber-smooth and round it feels - from the very first cast with this stuff I am literally purring. I can’t tell you whether this Pitbull 8 really is 22.4lbs strong, but when I tie an FG knot between this braid and a leader it takes all the pulling I can possibly give it when tightening the knot down - and yes, I got one of those braid cuts on one of my fingers when trying unsuccessfully to break it.
So it’s smooth and it seems to be very strong. I love this Lime Green colour although it’s also available in a Blue colour here. I like to think I know a really good braid when I fish with it, and whilst I haven’t spent nearly enough time with this Shimano Pitbull 8 to feel comfortable putting it in the same category as the high-end Varivas braids that I have used loads and loads, I do have a feeling that this Shimano braid is easily as good as the Varivas ones. By no means am I going to sit here and tell you that you need to spend €39.95 on a 200m spool of 8-strand braid when the “more than friendly priced” braids I mentioned in the first paragraph are all outstanding, but this Shimano Pitbull 8 is relatively new, it’s out there, it’s done really well for me, and some anglers want to spend that bit more for any number of reasons.
Perhaps I do have a slightly different take on this Shimano Pitbull 8 braid, and it’s based around the fact that if you buy it you are getting 200m of braid as opposed to the more usual 150m or less. I assume that many of you here reverse your braid when you feel it’s warranted, but of course if you’ve been using whatever 150m or less spool of braid for a fair amount of time you’ve been trying multiple leaders and no doubt cutting back the line a bit when you find the odd bit of damage etc. It sure ain’t 150m or so when you eventually come to reverse it.
Now I’ve never had an issue changing my braid around to get at the unused stuff underneath, and to be honest I don’t always do it, but I would argue that having 200m of braid on your reel as opposed to 150m or less means you really are going to be getting at what is brand new braid when you reverse it. I don’t know anybody who is putting bass lures out over 100m, and even if you cast as far as you can and a big bass hits you, if that fish ends up over 100m out then I would suggest you need to locate that great big drag knob on the front of your spinning reel and tighten it the hell up. Twisted logic this may be, but all of a sudden that €39.95 for a 200m spool of what is so obviously a serious quality mainline makes a bit more sense……………...
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