With summer her
e, fishing the thick stuff is in full swing which means using some heavy line for specific applications. Today we’re talking about pitchin’ and flippin’ around stick ups, cattails or other heavy vegetation that bass tend to inhabit.
When we’re literally putting our baits in and/or up against heavy cover like this, we prefer to use a heavy braid.
We had not ever had the experience of fishing Sufix 832 – that is until now.
We decided to go with the Camo as it has all the colors that are prevalent in our local lakes. The Sufix has the green, gold, brown and tan hues that blend in very well with most of the common aquatic vegetation.
We have been using the 65lb for banging through and around all the slop with heavy jigs, pegged soft plastics and other baits. We have also used it for other typical applications such as casting frogs as well as other lures over fish holding slop.
The Specs
The Sufix 832 Braid is constructed using 8 fibers, 7 Dyneema plus 1 Gore Performance Fiber. It contains 32 weaves per inch which make for a nice tight line that has the added benefit of increasing the overall roundness of this braid.
The addition of the Gore fibers improve the abrasion resistance, reduces line vibration on the cast and improves strength as well as sensitivity, at least this is the claim. As a comparison, the 65lb test has the equivalent diameter of a 17lb mono.
In using this line primarily for close contact fishing, a couple of things stand out about its overall performance.
To begin with, the 832 is a bit quieter through the guides than some other braids of the same lb test, both in casting and retrieving. This line does have a solid feel to it that may be the result of the claimed reduction in line vibration.
Another characteristic that stands out is that this line does not dig into itself the way some of its competitors do on the spool of your reel.
It lays predictably even when under the stress of horsing fish out of cover unlike some braids that tend to dig through themselves so that the cast following a catch results in the angler having to dig out a birds nest as the result of a short cast.
Going to Work
When it comes to pitching and flipping, the Sufix 832 is more than competent. It doesn’t exhibit any noticeable negative qualities for the task at hand. It’s smooth, relatively quiet through the guides, lays well on your spool while delivering the strength and sensitivity you would expect from an advanced braid.
When we get on a flipping bite, we aren’t leaving out bait sitting for very long. Our M.O. is to allow our bait to hit bottom on the initial cast, give it a few hops, reel it in and repeat. When you’re fishing this way, you’re subjecting your line to a lot of abuse. The Sufix 832 is up to the challenge.
Maybe y’all are too young to remember the horrible stuff that started making its way into bass fishing circles a lot of years ago but I do. The first braid I tried stayed on my reel for all of about 15 minutes. It was so miserable that I replaced it while on the water after it snapped on two consecutive casts. I was so bent, having lost two of my favorite lures, that I swore off the stuff. Fortunately, the lines we have available today are much better than those early products.
The other application we’ve been using the 832 is for top-water frogging. I don’t know too many folks who fish for bass that don’t enjoy catching this way. To see a big ol’ bass bust the surface, then feel the weight of the fish – it still gets my heart pumping!
In the area of casting, in our opinion, the Sufix again is one of the better choices out there. Thanks to its small diameter to lb test, using it on casting gear is no problem whatsoever. Its stable in the air, predictable, resists wind knots through the guides and delivers your bait to your target.
When using it with floating lures on top of slop, it cuts through the snot easily while playing a fish. Not to mention, its brute strength comes in handy on the occasional errant cast that results in fishing for those tree bass unintentionally.
Hey, it happens to all of us when we’re trying to put out baits an area that is smaller than the actual profile of the lure. Or maybe I’m the only guy out there who gets a little too cute with placement?
One Last Tidbit
One last point about the Sufix 832 Camo. They’ve done a very good job incorporating color retention into this product. Over the course of the last several months, this line has exhibited very little fading across its colors.
I have had many a braid begin to bleed all it’s color as soon as it gets wet. Usually this results in green hands, green reels and goofy green wipe marks all over your pants or shirt. Then you have to clean up this whole mess when you get home. Not with the 832.
The price of the 832 is on the low end of the market but you get a solid product that performs better than some of the other more expensive braids out there.
Yeah, we all have our favorites when it comes to fishing and trying something new may not appeal to you. However, the only way to expand your horizons is to give new things a try.
| Sufix 832 Braid Camo | |
|---|---|
| Overall Rating |   |
| A value priced, performance braid | |
See ya’ on the water …