Line

5801 Views 19 Replies 9 Participants Last post by toothdoc, Jul 17, 2006

Topwater

Discussion Starter · Oct 12, 2005

Ok, I've used the expensive stuff and the cheapest stuff. I've yet to find a line that is a good all around 12-14lb line. Any suggestions? How do you load the reel? Any insights and suggestions are welcome. :roll:

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JasonN

· #2 · Oct 12, 2005

One word... FIRELINE. That's basically all I use on my medium/heavy action rigs. Its a braided line and more times than not, you will pull back a straightened out hook rather than a broken line. The one I use is, I believe 30lb strength with 10lb diameter, or something like that.

I don't have to worry about working a fish to tire him so the line doesn't break. I just horse 'em in with the Fireline.

One think to note... it is very expensive. It cost me 30 buck to spool up at Ed Shirley's. But it's worth it in my opinion.

Augy

· #3 · Oct 12, 2005

30 buckaroos for one spool of line!!?? Jiminy Crickets that's some expensive line. Hope that spool of yours holds 300 yards of line. G-wiz!!!

jnapodano

· #4 · Oct 12, 2005

Everyone has their own personal preference when it comes to fishing line. It all comes down to how & where you fish; the type of cover that is present in the bodies of water you fish and the types of baits you throw should be the determining factors. My favorite all around line is 10lb stren magnaflex. It's fairly tough stuff for bass fishing in the rivers and Lake Michigan. The only issue I run into with it is while fishing LM around the erosion rocks along the shore I have to check it and re-tie often as it doesn't have the abrasion resistance of braids. That being said out of a dozen or so mono's & flouro's I've tried this stuff takes the cake. I use fireline on my musky pole but in my opinion it is a hinderance for bass fishing. Not as supple and has too much memory, in a clear water presentation like the K3 or LM it's like fishing with a steel leader for bass, they can see it and the result's reflect that.

will

· #5 · Oct 12, 2005

My standard live bait/general purpose line is 4lb Trilene XL green. Just seems to be the perfect line for me. I go to 8lb. when I expect to toss spinners, other heavy baits, or while fishing in waters near snags. For bigger game where a braid is acceptable I love PowerPro 30lb. (8lb. dia.). It does not stretch so the samari hook set is not recommended or you may bring up a set of fish lips.

My best advice is to try out a few different brands and strengths. Mono only cost 2 cents a yard and you don't need to put more then about 50-70 yards on your spool to try it out.

Topwater

Discussion Starter · #6 · Oct 13, 2005

I have tried the Fireline stuff, 20lb I think. It seemed ok but as far as line twist and memory it didn't seem worth the difference in cost from mono stuff. Besides having Ed Shirley hose me for loading a reel, what suggestion are there for loading up a reel? I put tension on it tonight as I reloaded a couple of reels to see if that helps with memory etc.

Thanks for the input!

Topwater

Discussion Starter · #7 · Oct 14, 2005

Note to self..... do NOT put tension on the line as you spool up your reel. BIG mistake. Nothing but twisting and knot headaches all evening long. :x I think I'll try the old straight out of the box method.

Topwater

Discussion Starter · #8 · Oct 20, 2005

Ok, cheap stuff is working just fine. Put it on straight out of the box and had a few prob's with twisting but not much. Last night I got my wife to walk down our block with each line and nothing on it (the line, not my wife! :shock: ) to get all the line out of the reel. I then reeled it in. Is working great with very very little twisting happening today. just FYI for anybody interested...........

will

· #9 · Oct 20, 2005

I always wanted to try that to get twists out, glad to know it works!

Augy

· #10 · Oct 20, 2005

I've used 15lb mono from Wal-Mart that ran me a whoppin $1.74 for 500 yards for this salmon season and it hasn't let me down yet. I read somewhere instead of buying expensive line and change it every so often, get the cheap stuff and change it often. It seems to be working quite well for me. No more than two weeks go by without changing it up. But they don't have it any less than 12lb test. At least I haven't seen it around.

I realized how important line diameter and visibility are the last couple of outings. It could really mean the difference between having a good day on the water and one that just blows chunks. I've become a big fan of the lightest line I can possibly get away with. I'm going with 6lb as my default line from now on.

Cheers,
Augy

Topwater

Discussion Starter · #11 · Oct 21, 2005

Thanks for the reminder. I used to use a lighter test and switched to heavier for my trips north where I would be trolling more and fishing Northern Pike more, plus more rip rap and hidden structure. I have been, for some reason, stuck on higher test since comming back in August for no apparent reason, other than laziness. But since we've been all but skunked this week at the magic pond I am putting 6lb on a few reels before going to the pond this weekend to see if that has a positive effect. We found a great drop-off in that private pond that has produced the biggest LM I've caught in a long long time! But still well below what I could land on 6lb line.

JasonN

· #12 · Oct 22, 2005

Aside from outtings when one gets "skunked", battling fishing line can be the next thing to making a really frustrating outing. All too often, i'll be going along just fine without paying attention to the reel and line when suddenly I cast out and a freaking birds nest has erupted from my reel!

I find it often helps to have the lure weight match the line specs. To do this usually means having a few rigs with me - light, medium and heavy. I also manually close the bail after casting. I made this a habit a long time ago to help with line problems.

I'm working on a new section for Windycityfishing about this very subject. Stay tuned!

Topwater

Discussion Starter · #13 · Oct 22, 2005

Thanks for the reminder about matching wieghts, etc. I was out all day today with the 6lb on two rigs I use for live bait and it worked out great. I had the 6lb on the rig I use for casting at first but had some troubles and just didn't 'feel' right so I upped the line to 10lb and was happy. I ordered extra spools for two rigs online and am trying to find a spare spool for the Shimano Sienna reel I have, but have not been able to find it yet. Any ideas??? I figure that if I can keep a few extra spools in the bag I can cut down on the rigs and be prepared for most situations. I try to remember to close the bail too. I also realized today that when I retie I ussually twist the hook end which only adds to line twist! No more of that, just flip the loose end instead. every little bit seems to help.

jnapodano

· #14 · Oct 22, 2005

I ALWAYS close the bail with my hand, actually helps for a few things. Most notably a lot of times I'm pitching towards structure and need to cut a cast short or risk getting hung up in a mess of wood that I want to fish. Having your hand on the bail ready does the trick quite nicely.

FishinMatt

· #15 · Nov 2, 2005

A note for those spooling up w/ Fireline. If you don't do one of these options you will be cursing Fireline because your line will constantly slip on the spool. Option 1 involves taping the knot to the spool before you start reeling the line onto the reel. Option #2, which I like to use, encompasses using a mono backing. By doing that you save money by not having to use as much Fireline, which runs about $12 for a 125 yard spool. All you have to do is tie a blood knot b/w the mono and Fireline, trim the tabs, then spool the Fireline over the mono until your reel is full. It sounds complicated, but just learn the blood knot, and you will find yourself saving a good amount of money and maximizing the potential of the Fireline. Another tip, although I have not tried it, is to use a flurocarbon leader when using Fireline. The successful pike fisherman that fish suckers at Geneva have good results with this and it would probably help with other clear bodies of water. For bass fishing though, the 6 lb. Fireline (2 lb. diameter) is hard to beat. If you get broke off with this line you are either horsing the fish WAY to much, or you need to look into upgrading to a reel with a better drag.

Matt

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Willy

· #16 · Nov 3, 2005

i like 12# vanish on my baitcaster the only time i have problems is when i cast spoons, they twist line like crazy even with a snap swivel, on my spinning reels i prefer 4# stren.

Topwater

Discussion Starter · #17 · Nov 9, 2005

I have settled on Spiderwire 30#/8# dia. braided line. $10.00 and I loaded three reels up. Was out today with the only problem being if it gets tangled, whoa! Mono keeps a bit of stiffness but this stuff is as limp as string and knots up just the same! Casting was beautiful, reeling in was great, no twist, no birds nest at the bail, no lost fishes! I think I will use a 2-3' mono leader for live bait, but other than that this stuff seems to be working great, Just FYI

krnfishboy7786

· #18 · Jul 17, 2006

For my baitcasters I usually Spider Wire mono... 12-20lbs, it's actually pretty cheap depending on what color and lb. test you're using. Usually under 6 bucks. For my spinning rods, lately I've used Berkeley Iron silk 8lb, and it works great -- super smooth, i mean smooth.

JasonN

· #19 · Jul 17, 2006

Like JNap, I also close the bail by hand.

toothdoc

· #20 · Jul 17, 2006

Closing the bail by hand definitely helps, but spinning reels will always tangle somewhat. The only way to avoid that is with a baitcaster. I usually use Trilene sensation on my spinning reels. I have tried Power Pro for Salmon.

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