i use 8 strand
diawa j braid on my spinning reels, and 4 strand power pro on my bait casters. the 8 stranded braids on the spinning reels cast further than the 4 strand because they are rounder and go thru the guides better, but are more prone to dig into the spool on baitcasters . if the water is very stained, i dont use a leader. but if real clear i will use one. you may need to switch to a bit softer rod if you really hammer them on the hook set. absolutely no stretch with the braid, and you can tear a bigger hole around the hook.