An Average in Strands, But Not Performance : Finatic's Pro Series Braid

Total Score: 8.0 - EDITOR'S CHOICE AWARD

Introduction: Every year, a handful of new manufacturers reach out to us with the goal of finding out how their product stacks up. During the Fall of 2018, one such company, Finatic, introduced themselves by sending us spools of their brand new fluorocarbon and braided fishing lines. Today, we take a look at their braid which features a unique, six carrier weave.

Background: Traditionally, braided line manufacturers have either employed 4 or 8 strands of polyethylene (PE), a synthetic material that's most easily described as plastic. This raw material is manipulated and extruded into tiny fibers that are then wound, at varying degrees of density to create all the different braided lines we use today. Of course, this is an oversimplified explanation of what a braided line is, and each fishing line manufacturer uses a different formulation of PE fibers and treats them differently during manufacturing of their line.

Finatic made their debut late in 2018.

Impressions: Finatic begins with a coloring technique they refer to as a cationic dye process to infuse their colors directly into the fibers that make up the line instead of coating the finished product. Then they tightly weave their six carriers at a pitch that they claim delivers increased abrasion resistance and casting ability. That's where we come in - to test these claims.

Our first look at their product is their Pro Series Braid.

Performance: Well, from the very first cast with this line, you can tell those claims have some merit. A good percentage of the braided lines out there today are a little sticky on their initial cast. That has a lot to do with the finish manufacturers employ to protect the line, give it color, etc. Some of these coatings are a little powdery, some are a little waxy. You need to kind of break most braids in with a good half day of fishing before they really cast well.

Here's a look at their Camo Green.

This is not the case with Finatic's Pro Series Braid. It casts very well right from the get go as claimed. What's more, because of their die process, there is no finish residue to muck up your guides, rod, or reel. There are a handful of braids I purchased with the intent to review but stopped fishing them because their coatings would flake off and mess up my gear, so I put them down, stopped fishing them, and forgot about the line while working out other gear for review.

It is also available in Camo Blue - also known as TT Camo.