Best Spod Braid to Avoid Frap Ups/Crack Offs

Looking to spool up with braid that’ll keep your spomb hitting the clip every time? Let’s check out the best spod braid you should have on your spod/spombing setup this year.

Spod braids have improved massively in recent years. Gone are the days of making use of some dodgy sea fishing braid on your spod reel.

We now have access to lots of different spod rods, reels and braid to accompany them.

Thin braid, thicker braid, floating or sinking. You name it and you’ll be able to find it on the tackle shop shelves from the leading manufacturers.

But what’s the best spod braid on the market right now?

Let’s check them out.

What to look for in a good spod braid

Over 15 years ago, there was only one or two braids on the market. Everybody seemed to use Berkley Whiplash which isn’t even a dedicated spod braid!

It’s fair to say that the market for spod braid has grown significantly.

However, whilst choice is always good, it can bring a layer of confusion when it comes to purchasing a new spod braid.

So, let’s talk about what you should be looking for in your next spod/spomb braid:

Diameter

When it comes to finding a spod braid that can cast well, diameter is everything.

Luckily, braid is naturally thin and most spod braids on the market are significantly thinner in diameter than traditional carp mainline.

You’ll certainly notice the casting distance in comparison to your carp rods that’s for sure.

This one’s simple; thinner diameter braid will always cast further. You’ll notice that it knots down a little tighter helped reduced friction on the cast too.

Knot Strength

Knot strength is vital and luckily braid as a material knots very well.

Either way, spods can be very heavy when loaded, so you need to make sure any braid you use has some strength to it.

Most carp anglers opt to use a shockleader when spodding, so make sure that any braid you use is recommended for use with a leader if that’s what you want to use.

Buoyancy

A dedicated spod braid will typically float to make it easy to retrieve after casting.

However, some braids that you will find online don’t float, often those that can be used for marker rods too.

It’s not the end of the world if you are to use a sinking braid for spodding. However, you may begin to notice the spomb being harder to retrieve after casting.

Not only that, but it may begin to pick up debris and weed floating on the surface.

Berkley Whiplash 8

Berkley Whiplash is the original spod braid in the eyes of many anglers.

This stuff has been around for years, and experienced carp anglers will have no doubt used this braid on their first spod set up.

Interestingly, despite much advancement in this sector, Berkley Whiplash 8 has pretty much remained the same.

Perhaps that’s due to it not being designed specifically as a spod braid? Who knows!

Either way, it still performs well to this day for both spod and marker work.

Like most of the top braids on the market, it’s manufactured from Dyneema. For those who want to get technical, this is basically a microfibre material that’s woven together to produce a braid which is strong, yet thin in diameter.

As a result, Whiplash casts like a dream and is pretty decent when it comes to preventing frap ups and crack offs.

Those who are still putting this braid to good use will typically use it without a shockleader. The 50lb version can be fished straight through, just remember to use a finger stall when casting!

RidgeMonkey Transmit Spod Braid

RidgeMonkey are known for their innovative products, so it was only a matter of time before they released a braided spod line.

Transmit is a spod and marker braid to be specific, designed for those who like to double up on their spod/marker rods.

According to RidgeMonkey, it’s main USP is how strong it is. In some way this can be attributed to it’s diameter which is quite thick in comparison to other braids on this list.

Transmit comes it at around 0.28mm in the 25lb breaking strain. This is much thicker than both Berkley Whiplash 8 or ESP Spod Braid.

That being said, having used this for six months, the difference in diameter didn’t limit my casts at all.

I was still able to achieve great distances. It knots well, floats and is easy to retrieve a big spomb.

My only gripe with this braid is that it probably knotted too well! I experienced multiple frap ups with Transmit, and was unable to untie the never-ending birds nest.

It certainly wasn’t as easy to untie as my old Wychwood braid which served me a few seasons.

After about 6 months it began to fray too which was a little bit annoying considering the price.

Whether I just got a bad batch, I’m not sure. Many have raved about this braid and if you’re a RidgeMonkey fan it might be worth making your on conclusions on it.

Nash Spod & Marker Braid

Nash have certainly impressed in recent years with the launches of their baiting up range.

Their braid certainly fits into that category, being a spod braid specifically designed for range fishing.

It’s super thin in diameter, coming in at around 0.18mm in a standard 25lb breaking strain.

In my experience it knots well alongside a shockleader such as Korda Armakord. The thin diameter really helps you achieve a tight leader knot which passes through the rod rings easily.

That being said, Nash market this as a braid that can be used ‘straight through’.

If you don’t feel comfortable tying up shockleaders for your spodding, you can simply do without. That’s testament to the strain that this braid breaks at, in Nash’s eyes at least.

Whilst it hasn’t been tested on The Tackle Box line tests, it does have some strength to it and remains a solid contender on this list.

ESP Spod Braid

When it comes to lines, it would be hard for ESP not to make this list.

They are responsible for some of the best carp mainlines in the game, alongside some awesome braids too.

Their spod braid is much loved by ESP followers, and it gained a bit of an upgrade a couple of years ago.

It’s now available in high-visibility green, helping it to deter seagulls when spodding. Although I’m sure the gulls on my local park lake won’t care!

But it’s not just colour that’s changed.

ESP spod braid now comes in at a much finer diameter. 0.22mm in 20lb breaking strain to be precise.

This is incredibly thin for braid, enabling you to spod at extreme range.

Like whiplash it’s made from 100% Dyneema too, so it’s incredibly strong and knots well. That being said, ESP do claim that it should be used with a shockleader when spodding large loads.

We expect that’s not to do with the breaking strain, but more to do with the diameter of this braid which is one of the thinnest on this list. It pairs well with Armakord and other similar distance casting shockleaders.

Spomb Carp Fishing Braid

The pioneers of the spomb branching out into spod rods, reel and braids? Who could have guessed it!

As soon as Spomb were inducted into the Fox International Family, they began to launch a host of products to add to their baiting up range.

Spomb Braid was naturally one of the first, and it’s been a hit amongst carp anglers ever since.

Like AVID and ESP, this braid is one of the thinnest on the market, coming in at 0.18mm in 20lb breaking strain.

If you’re looking to put every percentage in your favourite when it comes to distance casting, this is the braid for you.

Whilst the ultra-thin diameter is excellent for casting, you do need to use it with a shockleader.

Luckily, Spomb have their own leader material which works perfectly with this braid to create the ultimate distance set up.

It’s not cheap though. The braid will set you back around £27 and the leader is an extra £10 so you better pray you don’t crack off!

Korda Spod Braid

Korda’s original spod braid is officially the thinnest braid on this list.

For years this has been seen as the ultimate braid for spodding. Offering distance casting abilities and abrasion resistance rolled into one.

And to be fair, it has always delivered. It gets rave reviews online and has all the hallmarks of a decent braid.

It’s high-vis, low stretch and floats well, making it easy to retrieve after you’ve just whacked the spomb out 150 yards!

For a braid of this diameter, it knots pretty well too. That being said, I wouldn’t advise using it straight through. There’s always potentially of these thinner materials slipping at the knot.

With that in mind, Korda recommend that you use this braid alongside their Armakord Shockleader. This will help to take the pressure of the cast and give you some stronger knot potential around the spod/spomb itself.

Given what we’ve just said, you’d be expecting this braid to take the top spot. However in the current financial climate, we can’t warrant spending £36 on braid that won’t even fill a reel without a shock leader.

Fair enough if you’re looking to get every ounce of of your cast, but that cost is slightly overstepping the mark in my eyes. And maybe that’s why Korda decided to beat that price themselves with their latest launch…

Korda Basix Spod/Marker Braid

The Korda Basix range has become synonymous with quality products at a reasonable price.

And considering the cost of a typical spod and marker braid going through the roof, this one just had to top take spot.

You could be fooled into thinking that there is a distinct lack of quality with this braid, but you’d be wrong.

This is a quality braid. Part of a range which we belivee Danny Fairbrass has put a lot of thought into in terms of getting people into our beloved sport.

But how does it perform?

Very well in our tests. It has virtually zero stretch, as you would expect with a combined spod/marker braid. It’s also buoyant, making it easy to retrieve a spomb and pop up a marker float.

Perhaps the only downside to more expensive braids is the lack of high-vis colouring. On waters plagued by birdlife it always helps if your braid stands out a bit. But in respect of the price, we’re probably nit-picking there.

So, how have Korda been able to make this product affordable?

Well, that would come down to the amount of braid available on the spool. This stuff comes in at 200m, whereas most brands listed above are sold on 300m spools.

The chances are you’re never going to need 200m, but Korda just recommend you use some old line to back up your spool a bit.