[thedude]

for braid i use power pro - 30lb on my crankbait rods and 50-60lb on my flipping & frog setups.
Don't let people con you in to the whole "braid is best" montra... it certainly excels in heavy cover and weeds. In some scenarios it is great for light line/sensitivity... If i'm not using a "moving bait" presentation, i typically use 6' of florocarbon for a leader. I'm used to clear water lakes and have noticed significant drops in catch rates when using braid w/ no leader on my t-rigs and jigs.

Another thing to consider is the rod you are using. Braid has zero stretch... and with today's ultra-fast action rods, it is very easy to pull the hooks. in my opinion, braid has no business on a rod with an action over moderate - in which case, Gamma and PLine make virtually indestructible co-polymer lines which i highly favor! 12lb gamma is pretty stout, pline is very strong as well with a little more stretch - both excel in low-memory and castability.