Daiwa - Morethan Sensor 12 EX braid review Ayato Otsubo

I’ve had a pleasure of testing this braid for a while now. First impression was “wow It casts well”. I’ve had so many good experiences and caught so many nice fish on it. The overall performance was nothing short of brilliant and here are my findings.


Technical features
The model I tested was 16lb (#PE0.8), 12 Braid model.
The Morethan 16lb comes in 150m spool, and the rest of the models are all in 200m spools. In most freshwater fishing situations, that’s more than enough length to be happy to fish anywhere, and adequately fill a reel with. It comes in chartreuse colour with two line marking systems. Dark Green marking on every 10m, and it has Sky Blue markings on every 50m so you will know how far/deep your lures are. And this chartreuse colour line contrast very well with most surface and water colours, and stands out well in most light conditions. For any anglers that do technical contact fishing, it is vital to know where your line is at all times. 

To make it easy for people to understand the line rating system, “lb” will show the breaking strength of the line, and “PE” rating on the lines stands for “Ultra High Molecular Weight Polythene (UHMWPE)” in short “PE”. It indicates the volume (thickness) of the lines, every company differs a little on their ratings, however classically every 10lb of breaking strength roughly rated as PE1 (i.e 30lb is PE3). So this 16lb at PE 0.8 is half the normal diameter of the line.

Numbers on the braid packaging that often shows in ‘X’ rating on the package (Morethan is 12), is how many strands of the material used to weave the lines. Most commonly used fresh water braids are between 4-8 strands weaving. Lower strands of weaving often makes the lines a little stiffer and flies better on the cast, and more strands in the weaving it will make it tighter knit, however because each strand is thinner, it tends to be a little softer. Back when I was a retail assistant, we used to say “if you need the repetitive big casts, use 4 strands braids, if you are fishing close quarter or fish off the boat, use 8 strands or higher model. Since those days technology has improved so much, that still is true to a degree but not necessarily the most adequate measurement to base your purchase on. It’s all down to the material and weaving quality that makes the difference.

I have been side tracked and gone a bit too technical on the talk, but basically Morethan Sensor EX 12 braid and it’s half of the standard PE rating diameter, it is a remarkable achievement and shows the quality of the products.  We will come back to how these attributes translate to fishing later in the review.

Performance:
As I mentioned above, a braid with a high number of strands tends to be softer and more suited for the close quarter fishing or more of the vertical fishing style (jigging etc) however this new material Daiwa uses leaps through that boundary, because of the thin diameter of each strands, they can weave a lot tighter, so the line diameter is much thinner, also having less lumps from each strand crossing over will allow the line to shoot out of the rings with lesser friction, which means it flies further and straighter. So the initial feel was “wow it casts so smooth and far”.  Also having more breaking strength for the same diameter, you can be more confident when it comes to applying the pressure to the fish, especially in a situation when you need to get them away from the structures.

Another thing to emphasise about this line is the knot strength. If you use Improved “Albright knot” or “FG knot” it holds very well and does not seem to come undone easily. And even using “Slim Beauty knot” or “Double blood knot”, it still holds well. Morethan is a very knot friendly braid, and that is far better when we fish in the colder months, and tying the knot in very unconformable situations.

I have fished this line anywhere from shallow streams, braided rivers, weedy swamps, bleakish estuaries, and deep cold glacier fed lakes.  And performance made no difference in any situations, and surprisingly it held together very well.  And the sensitivity of the line is second to none. You can feel every bump and lump on the bottom, and bite of the fish on the spinner or softbait like you are holding the lure 4ft away. It is once again the benefit of the tighter weaving and low diameters.

Durability of this line was outstanding. Conservatively estimating, I have fished the current Morethan on my reel for about 380 fishing hours and it is only just getting tired now. It doesn’t sound much but for the average anglers it is 2-3 years’ worth of fishing time.  Of cause, you need to re tie the shock leader every so often, and keep cutting into the end bits that are getting damaged from rubbing on the structures, so it will get shorter as the time goes. However the durability of this braid is A+. If anyone has fished any of the braided rivers in Canterbury NZ or even the Canal systems, you’d appreciate how hard the elements are to your line.  I can put the hands to my heart and say this braid lives up to the expectations. 

Price:
Now… all the high praising I’ve done on the Morethan braid has to have balancing aspects, that is the price of the line. Morethan braid is retailed at RRP $139.99. It is amongst the most expensive grade of the braids in New Zealand market.

Is it worth the money? 100%!

As I indicated above the durability and performance of the braid out lasts most braids by a double, in this case it is simply you get what you pay for! However, if you are new to fishing with the braids, or it is the backup set for take your family fishing, or you are solely fishing the rough braided rivers.  Daiwa J – Braid ✕ 4 (4 strands) and renew them more often, may be the better option for the cost performance.

This braid is top notch in every aspect and it certainly is worth it’s price. I’d happily recommend it to any freshwater anglers, particularly for those who do the contact style fishing. It is expensive but I am sure you will not be disappointed with the performance and durability of the Morethan braid.  And as per usual, high performance of braided lined will be enhanced with the quality reel with the better bearings (particularly in spinning reels), and a sensitive rod with good quality shock leader on the end is a must. It is important to balance your gears the best with your budget, however out of all that, braided lines and shock leaders should definitely be the priority purchase out of all the components.
I use Daiwa J-thread fluorocarbon leader (6- 12lb) with this braid, and they have served me well, there are many options on shock leader material. Just consult the trusty retailers near you for the leader options.

That just about covers all aspects of this line, and my personal experiences, however If you have any questions regarding Morethan braid, just contact me from the email on the top of this page.

Tight lines.

Ayato Otsubo

https://rivertalkguiding.co.nz/

Instagram: @rivertalkguiding

Contact: info@rivertalkguiding.co.nz