J-Braid – Testing 6lb to 60lb – Kris Hickson

#BeAStrongFighter I have always been a fan of softer braids, ever since I started using it 12 or so years ago I couldn’t get my head around the springy fused lines that were so popular. So when I first felt the new Daiwa J-Braid, I knew I was going to like it.

I was fortunate enough to try from 6lb right through to 60lb on a range of different reels and it performed every bit as well as I hoped. I spooled up some Daiwa Freams 2000 and 2500 with 6, 8 and 15lb, a Sol II Baitcaster with 20lb, a Seagate E 4500 with 40 and a Saltist BG 35 with 60lb and can honestly say that it was just as nice on the little 2000 as it was on the Saltist!

I did have reservations on how it would go on a baitcast reel as I have seen soft braids dig in under pressure before, so when I gave it a good run on some Jacks, Bass and Jew and this didn’t happen, I was convinced Daiwa was onto a winner.

The main things I look for in braid were all covered, good strength to diameter, how well it ties to a variety of leader sizes and cast-ability. The new J-braid does all of the things a good braid should and as a bonus, it’s not going to break the bank.

I have used the 6,8 and 15 in a few Tournaments now, the Hi-Vis Chartreuse is awesome for bite detection, and although, like all braids, some of the colour comes off in the first couple of trips, it doesn’t seem to fade out after a lot of use.

A few other key points that I have taken note of so far are the fact it hasn’t started to “fluff” as can happen with other braids, it has been really abrasion resistant around hard structure and it is strong! I haven’t put it over any scales but if it says 6lb, it is definitely a minimum of 6lb breaking strain. I have even got to the stage of confidence to drop down a size from what I would normally use, increasing the already slick casting.

The larger diameters of J-Braid are also going to come in metered colours, perfect for jigging or any other fishing applications where knowing where your line is at, is essential.

There is going to be a lot more J-Braid going on my reels in the near future and I’d say that I’m not going to be the only one.