softlay nylon retains its flexibility and softness after repeated uses
which makes it easier to handle and store.
I use it because I store my lines in 20 gallon cans.
with softlay nylon I can easily get 1200' of line in 1 container with room left over. the line lays in the container much more compactly.
I also use a line winder and the softlay is ideal for me because it goes through the winder and falls right in the container.

years ago I mistakenly purchased a roll of hard lay line. & built a trotline out of it.
it was so stiff & unmanageable that I could not get 1200 ' of it in a 20 gallon container, it would not lay & compact in the container.
& when coming through the winder it would come out in a straight stiff line & would not always land in the container. I would always have to stand by and make sure it went in. it would constantly overshoot the container, and it would not compact ,so it would fill the container and overflow the top
( I gave it away)
as far as catching , I saw no difference it was just the manageability factor.
if you have sonething other than softlay there is no problem using it , other than the manageability factor,it should catch just fine,
softlay just works better for me.

 

If you get softlay wrapped around your prop, you just unwrap it. Locktite almost always has to be cut....Not that I'm speaking from experience here!!!

 

Hmmm! interesting Dave
I've never had to cut off locktite, the prop usually chewed it to shreds and it was gone!

with softlay around my prop the motor just stops itself and i just have to unwind it!

it really doesn't matter what kind of line (soft or med or hard lay) but the time spent making a good 1/4 line with snoods is always worth the effort. it will last a long time with minimal maintenance. and catch a lot of crabs

 

If you were going to compare softlay to locktite, where would the locktite rate between soft, med, and hard?

 

I thread my necks right through the softlay. Best line I have ever bought!

 

Locktite is not as "supple" as Soft Lay. It is closer to Medium Lay line in that it has more rigidity than Soft Lay has. This is noticable even though the diameter of most Locktite used for crabbing is smaller than 1/4" which is the more popular diameter of Soft Lay.

There are varying degrees of "suppleness" in Soft Lay lines due to formulae used by different manufacturers. However, every brand of soft lay I have ever used/seen is more flexible than Locktite.

Keep in mind that "Locktite" is a brand specific line. Not so with Soft Lay. Only one company manufactures Locktite. Other manufacturers make line similar to, better and worse than Locktite and they have varying degrees of softness.

Other manufacturers make lines that are of different degrees of quality that can be termed Soft Lay. Soft Lay is a characteristic of a line, not a brand name.

This may be more info than you wanted to know. Hope it answers your question.

 

Polecat, just one more question. Of the manufacturers that produce softlay, which, by your experience, has the best quality softlay??

 

That's a good question that I truly wish I could answer.

It seems that rope manufacturers like to hide their identity for some reason. All the line I buy comes from brokers who won't divulge their sources. Except for Locktite, which is not Soft Lay, no one places their name on their product.

I once had some Soft Lay that had a name on it. I tried in vain to contact the "named" manufacturer. No such luck. It's the same thing with bungee material.