What Pound Line

[flyrodman]

I am going to the james in a couple of weeks. What pound line do you use? Can I use a baitcaster?

[Wayne SW/MO]

I use P-Line Premium in 6# or 8#, 6# on spinning and 8# on my baitcasters. I normally carry baitcasters, with a spinning rod thrown in sometimes. I like Tuf XP in 4-15 for topwater however.

[Ham]

6-8-10 lb for spinning in P-Line CX Premium, but I have of late been trying Power Pro in the 6-20 (or whatever they call their 20 lb braid) on spinning with a 2 foot section of 10 lb mono attached to the braid with a uni knot. If you want to try the braid, use some backing to take up room on the spool and DO NOT overfill. if anything, under fill the spool.

I use 12-14 lb on the baitcaster, but I might try some 10 lb soon.

[Al Agnew]

8 pound is good all around for mono. That's all I use on my baitcasters, but I use very light baitcasting outfits. I like 4/15 Power Pro for spinning tackle, no leader. Small baits and clear, cold water, I'll go down to 2/10 Power Pro.

[rps]

6-8-10 lb for spinning in P-Line CX Premium, but I have of late been trying Power Pro in the 6-20 (or whatever they call their 20 lb braid) on spinning with a 2 foot section of 10 lb mono attached to the braid with a uni knot. If you want to try the braid, use some backing to take up room on the spool and DO NOT overfill. if anything, under fill the spool.

I use 12-14 lb on the baitcaster, but I might try some 10 lb soon.

If you go braid, Ham has a point about the underfill. 20/6 (20# test w/ 6# diameter) is good, but use an Alberto knot to attach your leader.

[eric1978]

I hear people say all the time that they use mono, fluoro or copoly leaders on braided line...and I just don't understand that.

The benefit of braid is its incredible strength, and since most abrasions and break-offs happen on the last few feet of line, doesn't it completely defeat the purpose of using the braid in the first place? I don't get it. I was actually thinking about trying it the other way around...spooling up with copoly or fluoro and using a braided leader. That makes more sense to me. After all, unless you're fishing super slow in super cold and super clear water, invisible line isn't all that critical IMO...bass aren't really that line shy. They see a morsel they fancy and they'll eat it.

The biggest problem I have with braid is how difficult it is to pick out a wind knot. I use flukes a lot, and if you don't have that thing rigged absolutely perfectly straight, you get twist and then you get spool nightmare...with braid often times that means you have to cut out a large section of line, and we all know how much it costs and how much time you waste re-spooling when you could be fishing. So my theory is if you're spooled up with a traditional line with a braided leader, you don't have to deal with the negatives of braid, but you get the strength of braid where you need it.

I do like braid for plastics because with its lack of stretch, it really drives a hook home through the material...so that's another consideration, but adding a leader negates the hook-setting power because it weakens the line at the knots. All the stretch would be coming out of a few feet of leader, and I'm not sure it could handle that kind of shock.

They need to invent some clear braid that you can pick knots out of. That oughta be pricey.

And yeah, Ham's right about underfilling with braid. You overfill and you're just asking for trouble...you're gonna end up losing that extra line in the first 15 minutes anyway, so heed his warning and save yourself a headache on the river!

[drew03cmc]

Vicious Ultimate, pick your breaking strength by matching it to the rod you are going to use. Personally, I have 14 on my baitcaster and 8 on my spinning rod. I am having no issued picking up fish with the heavier line and it gives you more protection should you hang up in a tree while floating down river. You can almost stop your boat dead in the water.

[RSBreth]

The idea that leaders on braid (or fused) line weakens the whole chain is correct - if you are using very light braid and and light leaders. The lightest setup I use for rivers around here these days is my panfsih rig, and it has 4/10 Fireline on it, and I never use anything less than 8-pound test fluoro for a leader. For jigs and flukes and stuff I usually have 6/20 Sufix or 6/14 Fireline, and use 14- up to 20-pound flouro leaders. 7 or 8 feet of leader on the end of a braided main line may reduce hooksetting power slightly, but also is a slight shock absorber to protect the knots - most braided line break-offs are actually a result of breaking the knot on the hook set or trying to get a lure free. Learn to set drags correctly and it doesn't happen.

I use straight braid for my spinnerbait setup on the river no need for leaders how fash I fish the blades - I try to work it so fast the fish barely have time to clearly see the lure let alone the line it's tied too!

Anyway it works for me, but if other folks can't figure it out...

(Of course I'm just ribbing you Eric - you do make some good points - there's a hassle factor in using superline's - no free lunch for sure.)

I do know if I had to go back to straight mono or fluoro on spinning tackle I'd have to stab someone in the eye.

[eric1978]

The idea that leaders on braid (or fused) line weakens the whole chain is correct - if you are using very light braid and and light leaders. The lightest setup I use for rivers around here these days is my panfsih rig, and it has 4/10 Fireline on it, and I never use anything less than 8-pound test fluoro for a leader. For jigs and flukes and stuff I usually have 6/20 Sufix or 6/14 Fireline, and use 14- up to 20-pound flouro leaders. 7 or 8 feet of leader on the end of a braided main line may reduce hooksetting power slightly, but also is a slight shock absorber to protect the knots - most braided line break-offs are actually a result of breaking the knot on the hook set or trying to get a lure free. Learn to set drags correctly and it doesn't happen.

I use straight braid for my spinnerbait setup on the river no need for leaders how fash I fish the blades - I try to work it so fast the fish barely have time to clearly see the lure let alone the line it's tied too!

Anyway it works for me, but if other folks can't figure it out...

(Of course I'm just ribbing you Eric - you do make some good points - there's a hassle factor in using superline's - no free lunch for sure.)

I do know if I had to go back to straight mono or fluoro on spinning tackle I'd have to stab someone in the eye.

Well, whatever works for you is the right way to do it. I was using PP on my spinnerbait rod until I realized I was tearing hooks out of fishes' mouths. I switched to 10# copoly and problem solved. I only use braid on my spinning reels for plastics anymore, and if the fish are turned off by the line, I haven't been able to tell. I did break off PP in a fish's mouth last weekend for the first time. I thought for sure it had to be that the knot slipped out of the eye of the hook, but nope, it broke. I couldn't believe it...musta been a really abraded spot on the line. Of course I was using the broomstick Ham sold me...you could pull a truck out of the river with that thing. I backed the drag off a little and was good the rest of the weekend.

My one and only complaint about braid is the impossibility of getting knots out of it...I like everything else.

[RSBreth]

Yeah - you have to watch what rod action you use if you make the switch either way - I use a medium power med/fast action rod for that spinnerbait rod with straight braid - it's a much softer rod than what I used to use when flinging spinnerbaits around using mono - most people would call the action a "crankbait" action for not tearing trebles out - it works great but did feel a little soft at first.

That's another thing, thicker fluoro is better at abrasion resistance than braid is, at least the thinner braids.