DeadLead Fishing Line

Premium 8-strand braided line. Distributed by Prolite Rods.

Shop the lineup Wholesale accounts

Built for serious downrigger trolling — anywhere you fish deep.

DeadLead Fishing Line is an 8-strand braid engineered for downrigger trolling and big-water main line. Low drag means your cannonball runs closer to true vertical instead of getting blown back at speed — your spread fishes the depth on your sonar, not 15 feet shallower. Low stretch for solid hooksets at 200 feet down. High abrasion resistance for structure, rocks, kelp paddies, and downrigger release clips.

Built for the way Great Lakes anglers troll for Chinook and lake trout in Ontario, Erie, Michigan, Huron, and Superior. For Pacific Northwest salmon and halibut. For British Columbia and Alaska charter operators. For East Coast striper trolling, kingfish bluewater, and any deep-trolling fishery where cannonball blowback and cable hum are losing you fish.

Prolite Rods is the lineup's distributor — every spool ships from our shop in Olympia, Washington, and we host care, knot, and rigging instructions for the brand on this page.

Two product families

  • Downrigger Line

    Heavy 8-strand braid built for downrigger release clips and deep trolling.

    • 200 lb test — 300 ft, 450 ft, 750 ft, 3,000 yd
    • 250 lb test — 450 ft, 750 ft, 3,000 yd
    See sizes & order 

  • Braided Fishing Line

    Premium 8-strand braided main line on 3,000 yard spools across the full test range.

    • 30, 40, 50, 80, 100 lb test
    • Custom colors available — call to order
    See sizes & order 
Why we run braid on our riggers

Braid beats cable on a downrigger.

More accurate depth, no electrolysis, silent troll, no kinking — the case for upgrading off steel cable, told straight.

DeadLead 8-Strand Braid

The upgrade

  • Depth accuracy. Thin diameter = less drag = cannonball runs closer to vertical.
  • No electrolysis. No anode wear, no degraded clips. Cable's hidden cost.
  • Silent troll. No hum (some anglers actually miss it).
  • No kinking. Won't go weak at a kink point. Cable kinks lose cannonballs.
  • Abrasion resistant. 8-strand construction + coating handles release-clip wear.

Stainless Cable

The default

  • Blowback. Larger diameter pushes the ball back and up off true depth.
  • Electrolysis + corrosion. Wears clips, wears terminations, costs you cannonballs.
  • The hum. Some anglers swear it attracts fish; others just want quiet.
  • Kinks permanently. One kink = weak point = lost cannonball.
  • Cheaper up front. The honest comparison — you'll pay less today.
Honest trade-offs

Braid needs a rubber shock snubber (the line doesn't stretch). It also doesn't conduct, so black-box electronics won't work through it. We tell you both — if you fish a black box, stay on cable. Everyone else: pick up speed.

Shop downrigger sizes Call to spool up — (360) 800-6317

Downrigger Line

Heavy 8-strand braid built for downrigger release clips and deep trolling. 200 lb and 250 lb test, sizes from 300 ft up to 3,000 yd bulk spools.

SKU Test Capacity Price Status Order
DL-DRBRAID-200-300 DL-DRBRAID-200-300 — DeadLead 200lb 300ft Braided Downrigger Line (DL-DRBRAID-200-300) 200 lb 300 ft $38.50 Available now Shop now
DL-DRBRAID-200-450 DL-DRBRAID-200-450 — DeadLead 200lb 450ft Braided Downrigger Line (DL-DRBRAID-200-450) 200 lb 450 ft $42.00 Available now Shop now
DL-DRBRAID-200-750 DeadLead Fishing 8-strand braided line label — DL-DRBRAID-200-750 200 lb 750 ft $63.00 Call to order Order & pick color
DL-DRBRAID-200-3000 DeadLead Fishing 8-strand braided line label — DL-DRBRAID-200-3000 200 lb 3000 yd $525.00 Call to order Order & pick color
DL-DRBRAID-250-450 DLFBraid250-450 — DeadLead 250lb 450ft Braided Downrigger Line (DLFBraid250-450) 250 lb 450 ft $42.00 Call to order Order & pick color
DL-DRBRAID-250-750 DLFBraid250-750 — DeadLead 250lb 750ft Braided Downrigger Line (DLFBraid250-750) 250 lb 750 ft $63.00 Call to order Order & pick color
DL-DRBRAID-250-3000 DeadLead Fishing 8-strand braided line label — DL-DRBRAID-250-3000 250 lb 3000 yd $525.00 Call to order Order & pick color

Braided Fishing Line

Premium 8-strand braided main line. Low drag, low stretch, high abrasion resistance. 3,000 yd spools across the full test range.

SKU Test Capacity Price Status Order
DL-BRAID-30-3000 DL-BRAID-30-3000 — DeadLead 30lb 3,000yd Premium 8-Strand Braided Fishing Line (DL-BRAID-30-3000) 30 lb 3000 yd $228.20 Call to order Order & pick color
DL-BRAID-40-3000 DL-BRAID-40-3000 — DeadLead 40lb 3,000yd Premium 8-Strand Braided Fishing Line (DL-BRAID-40-3000) 40 lb 3000 yd $228.20 Call to order Order & pick color
DL-BRAID-50-3000 DL-BRAID-50-3000 — DeadLead 50lb 3,000yd Premium 8-Strand Braided Fishing Line (DL-BRAID-50-3000) 50 lb 3000 yd $228.20 Call to order Order & pick color
DL-BRAID-80-3000 DL-BRAID-80-3000 — DeadLead 80lb 3,000yd Premium 8-Strand Braided Fishing Line (DL-BRAID-80-3000) 80 lb 3000 yd $228.20 Call to order Order & pick color
DL-BRAID-100-3000 DL-BRAID-100-3000 — DeadLead 100lb 3,000yd Premium 8-Strand Braided Fishing Line (DL-BRAID-100-3000) 100 lb 3000 yd $228.20 Call to order Order & pick color

Care & rigging instructions

Knots. Tie a Palomar knot for terminal tackle and snaps. Use an FG knot for braid-to-leader (mono or fluoro) — it's a thin, smooth connection that runs cleanly through guides.

Spooling. Braid slips on a bare arbor. Either back-fill with 20–30 yd of mono backing or wrap a few turns of electrical tape on the spool before tying on. Spool under firm, even finger tension to prevent dig-in.

Downrigger rigging. Run a Bimini twist into an 80 lb-class swivel above the release clip. Do not tie braid directly to wire-line or to the release clip itself — abrasion at the release is what kills braid downrigger setups.

Drag setting. Set drag to roughly 25% of rated test for braid. The line's abrasion-resistant coating tolerates structure contact but is not bite-proof — re-tie after a fight with a toothy fish.

Storage. Keep spools in the original box, out of direct UV, and away from solvents or fuel. No special shelf life under normal storage.

Color longevity. Surface dye fades naturally over 1–2 seasons of heavy use. This does not affect line strength. If you use color for depth tracking, re-mark every 100 yd with a permanent marker.

Common questions

Quick answers from Pacific Northwest, British Columbia, Great Lakes, and bluewater anglers before they switch to DeadLead braid.

Is braided line better than cable for a downrigger?

For most anglers, yes. Braid's smaller diameter reduces blowback so the cannonball runs closer to true vertical — better depth accuracy when fishing at trolling speed. It also won't kink or corrode (no electrolysis, no anode wear). Trade-off: braid needs a rubber shock snubber and doesn't conduct for black-box electronics.

What pound test braided line should I use for salmon downrigger trolling?

200 lb to 250 lb test 8-strand braid is the standard across Pacific Northwest salmon, British Columbia Chinook, and Great Lakes trolling fleets. Use 200 lb for most coho, kings, and lake trout setups; step up to 250 lb if you're running heavy cannonballs (12 lb+), fishing deep structure, or chasing Chinook at 200 ft+.

Does DeadLead braid work for Great Lakes Chinook and lake trout?

Yes — it's built for exactly this. Great Lakes trolling means deep summer thermoclines (Lake Ontario 150-200 ft, Lake Michigan even deeper for laker), and the low-stretch 8-strand transmits a bite cleanly from the cannonball release at depth. Pair the 200 lb downrigger braid with a 30-50 lb 3,000 yd spool as your main line and you're set for an entire season.

Can you get braided fishing line in custom colors?

Yes. DeadLead runs custom-color orders on every test class — high-vis yellow, chartreuse, white, pink, purple, blue, red, and more. Pair the braid color with the wraps on your custom Prolite rod for a fully-matched build. Call (360) 800-6317 or email orders@proliterods.com — minimums apply on custom-color runs.

How do you keep braid from slipping out of a downrigger release clip?

Don't run braid directly through the release clip. Tie a Bimini twist into an 80 lb-class swivel above the clip and run a short mono or fluorocarbon leader through the release. The swivel sits on top of the clip; the mono provides grip and shock absorption.

Where is DeadLead Fishing Line made and distributed?

DeadLead Fishing Line is distributed by Prolite Rod Technology in Olympia, Washington. Every spool ships from the Prolite shop — to Pacific Northwest, Great Lakes states, British Columbia, Alaska, and bluewater fisheries nationwide. Care, knot, and rigging instructions are hosted on this page.

Next-level custom

Match your braid to your custom rod.

Custom-color braided line is rare. A custom rod shop that runs both is even rarer. Only the best order a pink rod and pair it with pink braid — and you can only do that here.

DeadLead braided line in available custom colors — yellow, teal, purple, orange, white, green, pink, magenta, blue spooled on Accurate reels

Available custom colors shown — and not limited to these. We can match any color you spec.

"Pink rod, pink braid. Chartreuse wraps, chartreuse braid. That's the move."

Example pairings

Steelhead Pink

Pink thread wraps + pink 30-50lb braid. The classic PNW steelhead build, finished.

Chartreuse Coho

High-vis green guides + chartreuse 200lb downrigger braid. You'll see every release.

Purple Tuna

Black blank with purple metallic wraps + purple 80-100lb braid. Bluewater showpiece.

Design your custom rod Browse custom builds

Spec a color match: call (360) 800-6317 or email orders@proliterods.com. Minimums apply on custom-color spool runs.

Wholesale & individual orders

Wholesale accounts. Prolite Rods distributes DeadLead Fishing Line at wholesale to shops, charter outfits, and guide services. To open an account, call (360) 800-6317 or email orders@proliterods.com. We'll send pricing, MAP, and a current stock sheet.

Individual orders. Every SKU listed above ships individually from our shop. Use the table above to add in-stock sizes to your cart, or call to order any size that isn't live on the site yet.

Call (360) 800-6317Email orders@proliterods.com