Fishing Line Consistency

[Bud Kennedy]

Have you noticed just how much difference there is in fishing line from spool to spool?  Fishing line has a lot of loyal users who have always used a particular line.  We tend to be brand loyal and keep buying what we always have used and trusted.  Now it seems that the lines are suffering from a problem of consistent quality.  Sometimes our favorite brand is great and sometimes not so great.  This is all lines regardless of type such as mono, braid etc.  My last spool of power pro just was not up to snuff.  It did not feel right in my hand and it did not act well on the reel as it has so many times in the past.

I don't know who really makes this stuff but I would not be surprised it is only a few companies around the world that builds about all the line on the market today.  They build the line to the specs requested from the materials requested but I am suggesting that the difference in material types used by the manufacturers might not be of the same quality as used in the past. 

Have you guys noticed these inconsistencies or is it just me.

[apenland01]

I've been complaining a lot over the past year, quite a few posts on it.  Some of my favorite lines are now no longer used.  I've gotten back to a lot of mono and have been using some braid lately.

I think the biggest problem is that manufacturers are having trouble getting quality ingredients they use to make their lines due to various covid issues.  I've had brands that have been stellar with no problems that are suddenly on my "don't trust" list.  All of the problems have been with spools that came back into stock, after they went out of stock during covid.

I'm extremely brand loyal, but once burned, twice shy and I don't go back easily once I've found a better replacement.  I don't care why there are quality problems, I only care that I'm getting break offs I never had before that cost me money.....

[Princeton_Man]

I noticed that years ago using the filler spools of Berkley and Spiderwire from Walmart.

Since switching to PowerPro and Seagar Tatsu a number of years ago and buying bulk spools, I've never found any issues.