04-26-2006, 05:13 PM
I spooled the 9500ss up with Whiplash just to make a few test casts, as far as the reel and the way it seems to handle it, it looks fine, but the Whiplash is so thin, casting requires that I either wear a glove or tape my forefinger, it's only .012" diameter line, and is like casting piano wire. I did a test on a short piece of 80lb Whiplash, tied off to two #7 swivels, pulling on it with a drag scale, it took 77lbs of force to brake, and the brake was at the knot. So the stuff is strong. I may switch up to a thicker line, maybe Power Pro just to save my fingers. Casting distance with the Whiplash is great, I used a 7' rod and had no problem throwing a 12oz sinker 400 foot acrossed a grass field with a good strong throw. Of course a clam and leader will be a different scenario.
The main reason I asked the question was to see if anyone had had any bad experience with braid on the older reels, the tackle shops around here that gave me the warning do not do much surf or salt water tackle.
As far as guides, I have replaced all of my guides over the last few years with ones that will handle the braided lines, and have no doubt that I won't have a problem there.
Older dacron line was known for guide damage, like was stated earlier, and since it's a looser weave, it does hold both dirt and salt and will cut ceramic guides. The modern Aluminum Oxide, Zirconium, SiC, and Halide guide materials are so hard that there is no way that an line could create enough heat or friction to do any damage.
I would venture to guess that a good way to check your guides is to see if they are cushioned or uncushioned style guides, those that are uncushioned, (without the black plastic shock ring around the guide ring), they are most likely a good quality of Aluminum Oxide or better. There are also metalic type inner rings made of Titanium, Stainless Steel, and SiC. The only one of them that I would be concerned with is those with Stainless Steel rings, but even those seem to hold up ok with Power Pro line. On the older rods, one solution to stop the guides from grooving was to run carbide or carbaloy guides, these are steel or bronze frame guides with a carbide steel ring, while these can rust if not kept clean, they are harder than stone, (Made of the same material as used to make machine tool cutters). Many rods still use this type of ring at the tip.
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The main reason I asked the question was to see if anyone had had any bad experience with braid on the older reels, the tackle shops around here that gave me the warning do not do much surf or salt water tackle.
As far as guides, I have replaced all of my guides over the last few years with ones that will handle the braided lines, and have no doubt that I won't have a problem there.
Older dacron line was known for guide damage, like was stated earlier, and since it's a looser weave, it does hold both dirt and salt and will cut ceramic guides. The modern Aluminum Oxide, Zirconium, SiC, and Halide guide materials are so hard that there is no way that an line could create enough heat or friction to do any damage.
I would venture to guess that a good way to check your guides is to see if they are cushioned or uncushioned style guides, those that are uncushioned, (without the black plastic shock ring around the guide ring), they are most likely a good quality of Aluminum Oxide or better. There are also metalic type inner rings made of Titanium, Stainless Steel, and SiC. The only one of them that I would be concerned with is those with Stainless Steel rings, but even those seem to hold up ok with Power Pro line. On the older rods, one solution to stop the guides from grooving was to run carbide or carbaloy guides, these are steel or bronze frame guides with a carbide steel ring, while these can rust if not kept clean, they are harder than stone, (Made of the same material as used to make machine tool cutters). Many rods still use this type of ring at the tip.
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