Power Pro Super Slick V2 Is the 30-Pound Braid on Our River Rods
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I grew up spooling Power Pro on saltwater reels, so when we started chasing blue catfish in St. Louis I brought the same line north with me. The one I reach for most is Power Pro Super Slick V2 in 30-pound test, the 300-yard spool in moss green.
Why braid on the river
Monofilament stretches. That is great in a leader (more on that in our Berkley Big Game mono post), but on a long cast into 40 feet of moving water, stretch eats up your feel. Braid has almost no stretch, so every tap from a catfish nosing your bait comes straight up the line to the rod tip.
Braid is also much thinner than mono at the same strength. Thin line cuts through current with less drag, which means you can hold bottom with a lighter sinker and your bait stays where you put it.
Why Super Slick V2
- Smooth and round. Power Pro treats this line with what it calls Enhanced Body Technology, which gives it a round, slick finish. It comes off the spool quietly and casts a mile.
- Sensitive. You feel the bottom, the rocks and the bite.
- Moss green. It blends with stained river water.
- Two spool sizes. The 300-yard spool fills a couple of reels. The 3,000-yard bulk spool makes sense once your whole crew is running it.
Why 30-pound
For most of our bank and boat fishing, 30-pound braid hits the sweet spot. It is strong enough to turn a big blue away from a snag and thin enough to fill a mid-size baitcaster or spinning reel and still cast well. If you are fishing heavy timber or chasing true giants, the storefront also has Super Slick V2 in 40-pound. For lighter work, there is a 20-pound spool too.
Three tips for spooling braid
- Braid is slick enough to spin on a bare spool. Put down a few wraps of mono backing or a strip of electrical tape first.
- Spool it on tight. Loose braid digs into itself on a hard hookup and causes knots.
- Tie a Palomar knot to your swivel, then run a mono leader. Braid hates sharp rocks and rubs on wing dams, so the leader takes the abuse.
Pair it with a Mustad Demon circle hook and you are set up for big river cats.
Watch the action
I brought my saltwater rig to the Mississippi to see what would happen.
Tight Lines!