I didn't make a vote because you didn't have a
"none of the above" box.

I think it is all junk unless you were going Halibut fishing.

fp

Got my first spool of Power Pro. Haven't fished the stuff yet, but here's what I think right out of the box. ( Yeah I've got spools of PowerPro, SW Stealth, Whiplash, and TUF-line XP side by side.)

PP is defintely coarser in texture than Stealth and Whiplash, but not as coarse as XP. Stealth and Whiplash (which I maintain are identical) are definitely the smoothest of the superlines. No funky sound as the line runs out of the rod guides against a tight drag.

PP definitely has more "body" than the others (more like the stiffness of mono), then XP, then Stealth/Whilpash. Does this "body" hold up after repeated fishing use, or does it get limp and tangly like the others?

PowerPro will, with wear, get limp like the others BUT I didn't notice the fraying problem with PowerPro that I did with Gorilla Braid and Whiplash, which btw I liked a lot too.

One word of advice; this could be just me but I'd recommend becoming REAL good friends with the Palomar (sp) knot!!!

And the stick to pull the snags.

I tried Fireline for a season. Overall I was pretty happy with it, but I didn't like the way the line over time became bumpy and "frayed" looking.

I tried Power Pro for a season. I was all pumped up about this line from everything I heard about it on this board, I quickly loaded up all my spinning and casting reels and fished it hard for a year. I began noticing problems when I used it on my stradic spinning reels and abu/shimano baitcasters. The line would often tend to bury itself while winding it up on the spool of your reel, didn't seem to matter if it was spinning or baitcasting. Then when you went to cast "El snappo" as you watched your line and rig go sailing as you sat there and watched and became mystified on how a 30# braid could break so easy (I personally watched Jerry Garcia do this 3 times in one day while beach fishing off of Whidbey

BD

I would be too BD.

No way a 30# braid (of any brand, let alone PP) snaps off on a cast unless it is breaking off at the knot. But this is a well documented issue and although some braids are easier to tie a good knot than others, they all require better and different knot than mono. I have used double uni or palomar and have never experienced a snap off on a cast with any brand of braid regardless of wear. To reduce wear at terminal end though I will use a mono shock tippet for drift fishing. I will also do this when I am changing lures alot too because knots are far less critical and easier to tie with mono than with braid. But with a GOOD knot and straight braid of ANY brand you're NOT going to break or snap off PERIOD. This is also another very good reason to use a mono shock tippet when fishing rivers so that when you do eventually snag up you can intentionally break off at the terminal end without leaving that nasty ol' braid around. But since a mono shock tippet does introduce another knot into the chain I will only use it where appropriate.

Knots, not line strength or consistency, is the big overriding issue with braids.

When tuffline xp first came out I filled up on of my reels with 30# xp. I could cast a #4 blue fox and break it off by thumbing it hard. It would break any wher from the first eye guide to ten feet from the end of the rod. I took it back ;and they said I got a bad batch and sent it back to the factory. I waited a year before I bought some again. So far I have had no problems.

Fish hawg,
No doubt there will always be QC problems with anything, but I will still contend that this is a VERY rare occurance with fishing lines of any type or brand these days. The market is too crowded and competitive for this to be a common issue as much as fisherman depend on fishing lines in general. However the fact remains that many fisherman fail to appreciate the inherent differences or unique characteristics of different types of lines that are available to them. This is especially true of braids. The problem with braids is that folks fish them like they were fishing mono. Braids, by their vary nature, are actually less prone to "snapping off" than mono (all things being equal) regardless of brand. However braids are more prone than mono to abrasion and slicing (not necessarily cutting). These are often the root cause of failures such as you describe. It is not uncommon to find on closer inspection that some burr on a guide or a sharp edge on a reel or boat is actually the true cause of line failures that get blamed on a braid brand or type. In addition, the limpness of braids makes them particularly vulnernable to edges on open face reels when casting. Braid breaks from 3 to 10 feet out are a very good indicator of these kind of defects. Most stores today though will do whatever it takes to make their customers happy and therefore will often be more inclined to blame it on the manufacturer than risk losing a good customer over trying to educate them and insinuate that they might be doing something wrong. Thus the "Rule of Maxima".
Like anything there are always trade offs; for every benefit there is usually a weakness. Even the lack of stretch which can be desirable at times can also put additional stress on weak points like knots and cuts that might otherwise have gone undetected for a longer period of time with mono. But when it comes to sheer strength, pristine braids are incredibly strong, even too strong at times.

I I know for a fact that the reel or rod was not a problem. Because I just bought a G-Loomis WTR 941c 7'10" 10-17 1/4-1oz and just put a Shimano curado 201 just for spinner fishing slivers.

I do agree with the other stuff you said .....Ross

I took a reel with fresh 20# powerpro up to the Kenai two summers ago and lost at least 4 Reds that couldn't have been more than 10lbs. Line broke in middle, not at knot.
These are the same fish I handled with 12# UG the previous year.
I am not confident with the terminal knot (always used Palomar).
I re-wound it back on the spool and it's sitting in my garage if anyone wants it.
Went back to UG and I'm happy(and confident) again.
I would use it for bottom fishing in 80#.

Goforchrome:

Yep that's about the same experience I had, the powerpro breaking right in the middle of the line! I just got a free 500 yard / 65# spool of Power Pro for buying a Shimano rod, its going straight to E-bay.

BD

Interesting about the power pro.....

I have used it for about eight months now without a single problem. I did have a learning curve at first not realizing different knots would be required.

Which knots are recommended for 50# Power Pro and what do you use to cut it / trim knots?Thanks!

Palomar knot and I use a sharp knife.

EX........

I'm basically lazy and half blind so I take the easy but sure route and use the good ol' Uni knot. I also use a Double Uni when marrying braids to mono. No problems.
Not too long ago someone posted a neat link to a great knot site on a previous thread that showed some other simple and strong braid knots. It might have been from Berkley or Stren or some such vendor. Check it out on Bob's search.
By the way, it seems like the cheap scissors that shear, more than those that cut sharply, seem to work best for braids. I picked up a nice cheap pair labeled specifically for braids at Sportco.
I think you were also asking about mono backing on another thread. Personally I think it's a good idea to lay down a mono bed but only if you have the room to spare. I don't bother with backing on my smaller reels, but on my bigger reels I do in order to avoid the expense of respooling an entire reel of expensive braid all the time. Braids tend to swell, cinch and pinch over time, so a mono backing can definately help maintain a cleaner, smoother wind over time as well.

fish off

I use 50# power pro and while I use uni-knots at times I find that the Polomar knot holds better over time. The obvious exception is line joins which are always back to back uni-knots.

Graybar and several other electrical supply stores carry Lineman's Snips. That's what they're called. I've been cutting superbraides all the way upto 200# for 8 years on the same pair and they're sharp as ever. These things will literally make a penny into a corkscrew and then cut paper with no problem (I've also done that with this very pair). They'll cost you about $20 bucks but they last forever. You can cut wound stainless wire with them too. One side of the blade is micro serrarated so they don't slip on the material you trying to cut.

I think it also depends on who is using it. I spooled up my side drifting rods with 15lbs pp and I personally like it alot. It gets wound around the tip of the rid if your not careful. That being said if I have any one else who doesn't fish alot in the boat its another thing all together. In three trips the hmmmmm relatives (aka crackers) I had in the boat continuosly had the pp around the tip of the rod. This ended up loosing a whole tip(don't ask) and break off the tip of another rod. Needless to say I have 12lb Izo back on the rods.

Tight lines

Kevin