From what I have heard, read and experienced, the biggest difference between braid and wire is the "signature" difference between the two. Each line you pull behind the boat creates its own "signature"... mostly in the way of vibrations, though some people say the wire gives off a small electrical disturbance as well. I don't know about the electrical charge, but I certainly believe in the difference of vibrations. Some days it seems the wire dipseys are the only thing the fish want. Other days it seems the wire shuts the fish down. I have and use both braid and wire dipsies. Honestly, I catch more fish on the wire, but I also have more confidence in it and therefore probably (subconsciously) run it smarter. The wire itself will sink, whereas braid doesn't. This will cause some difference in how far the diver will go. However, if you have a lot of line out for deep trolling, I wonder how much difference there really is... the wire has more drag than the braid, so maybe they even out at some point?? I have never tested it. When I run them, I run them the same distance out. I catch fish on both at the same length, so the difference in depth must not be too great. There are others hear with way more experience, but this is my take on it. As far as line size... I run 30 pound wire and 30 pound braid. But, I also am the guy using 12 pound mono on my spoon rods for the riggers. I've landed a good share of kings between 25 and 30 pounds on these setups with no problem. Its just a matter of having the drag set right. Good luck.