PE line rating chart

When I first started braided lines I always paid attention to the lb strength as a reference point. After all lb or Kg is still a very important number when it comes to line in general. Today lb and kg are still used widely in the market. If you look especially to products sold in the US market you will see braided lines sold according to their lb rating and almost never on the diameter. The thing is that diameter may vary from manufacturer to manufacturer and one brand's 10lb braid might end up being much thinner or thicker than another brand.

1.5 PE line by Varivas.

In the Japanese market they use the line diameter as a reference measure instead of the lb rating. Surely the lb rating is still used on packages and for marketing purposes but all the reels and rods are rated and measured according to the PE line rating.
Example: If you get a USDM reel you will see that the spool as a total yard for a certain lb (lb/yd) but if you get a JDM reel you will see a PE rating/mt information.
What is the PE rating? Below is a chart that I made by looking at a very well made chart by YGK which is one the world leading brands in braided lines. Basically a number corresponds to a certain diameter that is supposed to be standard (some fluctuations among brand will always occur). The good thing is that if you get ,say, a 0.8 you end up with a 0.148mm diameter line. How about strength? It depends on the brand but anything from 12 to 14lb on average.

I prefer the PE line rating because I can understand how much line my reel will really get (JDM) and reels are sold in a way that it allows you to fill the reel exactly "as planned". For instance a 4000 size Shimano Biomaster SW is supposed to get 200 meters of 2.0 PE which is a standard number for the purpose of the fishing you might doing with the reel. If you get, let say, a YGK x4 200 meter PE2 spool you will fill the spool all the way to the lip as designed. Simple and effective with no waste of line or guessing with nylon backings.

PE Line 2 by YGK. This line is a 0.235mm with 30lb strength

Source: YGK Line Technology

Other reads: PE Rating

YGK Jigman WX4 : First Look

After trying the YGK X-3 Soul I got pretty much hooked with the braids produced by this amazing Japanese Company.  I think YGK is a step ahead in term of braid quality and this something I also heard around anglers when I was in Tokyo.
Anyway, I had the chance to buy a nice spoolf of YGK JigMan WX4 for my new Biomaster SW reel. I was looking for a 2PE capable of dealing with medium heavy fishes and this was the best choice in terms of quality/cost ratio.
I took some photos to share in my blog. The line is a 30LB , 4 strand PE line that comes with 5 colors (10mm for color). The reason is (as the name says) that this braid is originally designed for vertical jigging but  there is no problem in using for casting setups.

The spool is the famous DOUGHNUT. It allows easy spooling. 

The strands are quite tightly woven and the line appears thin for a 30LB breaking strength. The line doesn't look very slick (as the Slick 8 by Power Pro) but it gives you more confidence and looks to be more resistant to fraying.
Anyway, only time and repeat casting will give better idea about the quality of this line.

30lb for PE2.

Here is what the YGK english page says about the line:

Same four-strand Super PE base line as conventional Jig Man with compacted braiding for high durability and strength stability. Highly sensitive, all-around economy jigging line also suitable for casting. Specialty sheath processing for reduced friction with guides and resistance during reel-out. High performance for beginners and pros alike. New five-color (10m interval) version. 


I have added a detailed photo of the braid:

5 colors for the WX4. 

MORE INFO: YGK JIGMAN WX4  / YGK ENGLISH PAGE