I've been using 12lb trilene xt for my steelhead fishing. I have used this line for years and was very satisfied until last year. I lost at least 4 fish last winter that swam away plug and all. I also lost one today that broke my mainline. None of these fish put up the kind of tussle that my line has stood up to in past years. So I want to make a change. Lots of plug pullers are making the change to lines like Power Pro and similar. Problem is I do a lot of drift fishin also. As I understand it these lines have poor abrasion resistance,if true this won't work for driftin.Are these lines durable for plug pullin for more than 1 season? I use maxima UG for all my leaders when drift fishin and am very satisfied with their performance kinda spendy though. Should I put Power Pro on my plug rods and 12lb Ug on my drift fishing rods or put 12lb UG on both? One thing I forgot to mention I do change my lines 2 or 3 times a season,feel for nicks,etc. So thats not the problem with the XT. All opinions welcome

If you change all your line that many times a yr,why don't you buy a service spool of Maxima? A service spool is around 3000yds and is about $50 depending on test. If you buy Maxima filler spools in the store it's about 4.5 cents per yd. With a service spool it winds up around 1.5 cents per yd.

Maybe you've got a nick in a guide or on your reel that is fraying the line?

I've had pretty good luck over the years with XT, though I don't think it takes a knot as well as Maxima. I use Yellow XT as well as Maxima fiberglow for plugging, and they've both done well. However, if XT wasn't quite a bit cheaper, I'd stay with Maxima. I may get one of those service spools.

We love out trilene. how often do you change your line?

Where do you get a service spool for $50??? Tell me, I want to know

skydriftin
I have used Ande tournament, light green (not the flourescent) for the last 15 years. I have used many lines off and on but always come back to the Ande T. It is tough, very consistent, lasts well and more flexible than any of the Maxima lines of equal weight. I use 12lb Ande alot for mainline with 8lb. Maxima for leaders, it is a well balanced combo. I have used the florescent green also but it is more flexible without the knot strength of the old tried and true Ande Tournament (not darker green Ande Premium, which isn't bad line but it is not as consistent as tournament, also has more memory). The Ande line is reasonably priced so changing lines doesn't cost much either, it can also be purchased in bulk spools.
Just my preference.

Cabela's has service spools of Maxima. 12lb UG 3300yds $51.99,add $7.95 for shipping and it'll run you 1.8 cents per yd. 10lb is the same and 8lb is $39.99.

Service spools of Trilene from Cabela's is even cheaper.

sportco in fife carries the service spools

you change your line 2-3 times a year?? how many trips/fish are on each change??
i fish 4-6 days a week and probably change line 2-3 times a month.. i buy the maxima cystral ivory and its good line for the money
for 12lb test you cna get a 1100 yard spool of line for 9 bucks!! that will change my line on reels atleast 7 times..

try that line, and change more often

Fishon!

I'll second the vote for crystal ivory Maxima. I tried it awhile back,after TTT and FS were talking about it pretty highly. If it were the same color as UG I wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

I always stick with my max. UG #8 or #10 has been solid for me on every steely trip I have ever been on!

Oh yeah! and for those of us that fish in boats and have a propane heater be sure not to set your rod anywhere close to that thing when it on. That heat can do alot of damage to your line and you might not notice it until its too late. iam sure we all have did it once or twice before on those cold winter mornings.

I use the Trilene big game and I have had very good luck with it. I use 12#main and 10# leader and haven't had one break off yet! This line is abrasion resistant and very castable. Give it a try, it comes in the green color or clear I always use the green.
Buck

I use Power Pro for main line on my float rod and my driftin rod. I use IZOR for my leaders. I have NOT had a problem with abrasion using PP except when using a sliding weight, which I no longer use.

I've also change over to pp for float,drift and plug rods. Never lost a fish due to a broken main line. I also fish 2-3 days a week and I may change spools twice a year. It worth giving it a shot. Try it out on your drift rod.

throw the trilene away and go with izorline or suffix, better line, not narly as much stretch as xt, i used to be a diehard xt fan, but comparing to izor, well it cant, izor has little memory and hardly any stretch and is as strong as line you can get per pound test rating..im fishing 10 pound izor for steelies over here in idaho right now and landing them with ease..so do you who fish power pro, how does it last for bobber and jig? a whole season or 2? i wanna try that stuff and where do i get it for a decent price? another reason i switched from xt is the diameter is way bigger than it should be for its test rating..not opionin, jus fact..anyone want my xt spools?

I'm becoming a braided line fan, but did lose a big, beautiful native last year when my fireline touch a boulder during a hard run. Maybe I'd have landed it on mono, but I wouldn't bet on it. I do change the last 150 feet of braided line every 10 to 20 hours, as I think the coatings rub off. As a spinning rod dude, I love the low memory of the braided lines.

Maxima Crystal Ivory, its tough as nails and cheap too...

TTT