Line Size For River Smallmouth

[Al Agnew]

I've been using 8# McCoys Mean Green for quite a few years now on all my baitcasters, and Power Pro (4/15 in the summer, 2/10 in the winter) on my spinning reels. I will not go lighter because, although you should almost always be able to handle any Ozark stream smallmouth on 6 or 4 pound test line, your margin for error is less. A bit of abrasion in the line, a slight inconsistency in the knot, or a big fish hooked next to heavy cover that knows to dive into it, and you have less of a chance with lighter line. I don't really mind losing fish, but I very much mind leaving hooks and lures in them...can't be a good thing for them. And there is the issue of over-playing them leading to increased delayed mortality. I don't really know how valid it is, but why take the chance? I fish a lot of very clear water, and have never to my knowledge needed very light line to fool smallmouth; maybe I would have caught more or bigger fish once in a while if I'd been using lighter line, but I catch enough on what I'm using. I use the braid on spinning tackle only because it is more sensitive when fishing deep and slow, which is mostly what I use spinning tackle for, and because line twist doesn't affect braid nearly as badly as it does mono, and line twist is almost inevitable with spinning tackle.

On the other hand, I don't see a need to go heavier than the 8# test with quality lines. And there are some definite advantages to using reasonably light line. It casts better, especially with lighter lures, on the baitcaster. Deep-diving crankbaits dive a little deeper with lighter line, and topwater lures and jerkbaits work a little better, it seems to me.

Unless you've tried every line out there, you can't say for sure which is best, even just for you, and people fish differently and like different lines. I can recommend the McCoys and Power Pro as GOOD lines. Whether there are others out there that are better, I don't know. I do know that some are worse, for me at least, especially the older Strens and Trilenes, which I used for many years, and Maxima, which was the strongest mono I ever used, but much stiffer than the McCoys, which is almost as strong. People I know and trust recommend some of the lines that have already been recommended on here, but the McCoys works well with very few problems for me, so as far as I'm concerned it's good enough.

[Ham]

I've used McCoy's and it is a good line. I think that they "under label" their strength. Ie I think their 8 lb is likely a 10 lb line. Seemed thinker for 8 than it needed to be.

I used Silver Thread AN40 and Super Silver Thread for years. It is a good co-poly line that I was able to get very inexpensively in bulk. still use those for lake fishing.

I went to the dark side with CX Premium for my smallie fishing to get smaller diameter and hopefully less negative drag on the bait.

BPS Excel is a perfectly acceptable line and is quite inexpensive in the 4-8 pound range. It's even on sale right now. I've heard it's Trilene XL, but you hear all kinds of things.

[moguy1973]

I just spooled my spinning rod with 8lb Nanofil. Going to see how that stuff works. 150yd fit on my reel with no problem, that stuff is thin!

[FishinCricket]

I fish very small streams and frankly I don't really target 20 inc fish necessarily... If I did and I used a larger rod and heavier line, most of my catches (8-14 inch bass) would just get drug in on the top on my heavy line.

It's like fishing the Niangua with big rapalas for big trout.. Yes, if you hook one you'll have a much easier fight, but meantime your dragging in stockers left and right accross the surface and that gets a bit boring.

4lb p-line has been doing a great job for me on an UL.. But then again I may be "willfully ignorant" and am just enjoying my good time either way.

[Mitch f]

I've been using 8# McCoys Mean Green for quite a few years now on all my baitcasters, and Power Pro (4/15 in the summer, 2/10 in the winter) on my spinning reels. I will not go lighter because, although you should almost always be able to handle any Ozark stream smallmouth on 6 or 4 pound test line, your margin for error is less. A bit of abrasion in the line, a slight inconsistency in the knot, or a big fish hooked next to heavy cover that knows to dive into it, and you have less of a chance with lighter line. I don't really mind losing fish, but I very much mind leaving hooks and lures in them...can't be a good thing for them. And there is the issue of over-playing them leading to increased delayed mortality. I don't really know how valid it is, but why take the chance? I fish a lot of very clear water, and have never to my knowledge needed very light line to fool smallmouth; maybe I would have caught more or bigger fish once in a while if I'd been using lighter line, but I catch enough on what I'm using. I use the braid on spinning tackle only because it is more sensitive when fishing deep and slow, which is mostly what I use spinning tackle for, and because line twist doesn't affect braid nearly as badly as it does mono, and line twist is almost inevitable with spinning tackle.

On the other hand, I don't see a need to go heavier than the 8# test with quality lines. And there are some definite advantages to using reasonably light line. It casts better, especially with lighter lures, on the baitcaster. Deep-diving crankbaits dive a little deeper with lighter line, and topwater lures and jerkbaits work a little better, it seems to me.

Unless you've tried every line out there, you can't say for sure which is best, even just for you, and people fish differently and like different lines. I can recommend the McCoys and Power Pro as GOOD lines. Whether there are others out there that are better, I don't know. I do know that some are worse, for me at least, especially the older Strens and Trilenes, which I used for many years, and Maxima, which was the strongest mono I ever used, but much stiffer than the McCoys, which is almost as strong. People I know and trust recommend some of the lines that have already been recommended on here, but the McCoys works well with very few problems for me, so as far as I'm concerned it's good enough.

I always have one 6.5ft Med to Med Hvy baitcasting rig with 12lb line for flipping bigger jigs in brush and logs, jerk baits get 8-10, cranks get 8, small jigs get 8.

Thats just me, it works well but might not be good for everyone. I think the partial fluoro hybrid lines might get me a little more depth from cranks too. But for topwater, it doesn't work so well.

[Mitch f]

Mitch the P line Premium is a polyp, floro coated and a thinner diameter than the other P-line's. I buy it in 1K spools and I haven't noticed any age degradation.

Thanks

[Wayne SW/MO]

I tried 2/10 braid and din't like it. The problem I had with it was that has little abrasion resistance because there simply isn't enough bulk to allow for much degradation. The other thing is it will seem weaker than a plastic 10# line because of the lack of stretch. If you use it you have to be as diligante about it as a #2 mono. You also have to use some restrant and control on hook sets. I just had problems with it breaking, my fault, but it wasn't worth it to me.

[Al Agnew]

I tried 2/10 braid and din't like it. The problem I had with it was that has little abrasion resistance because there simply isn't enough bulk to allow for much degradation. The other thing is it will seem weaker than a plastic 10# line because of the lack of stretch. If you use it you have to be as diligante about it as a #2 mono. You also have to use some restrant and control on hook sets. I just had problems with it breaking, my fault, but it wasn't worth it to me.

Yeah, Wayne, while the stuff is almost impossible to break when you want it to, it will break from shock, like setting a hook on slack line. What I found is that you need a medium light power rod to take up some of the shock. Setting a hook on 2/10 braid with a medium heavy or a "heavy" medium rod will result in break-offs. Even in the winter, the only time I use it, I only have it on my medium light rod, the medium rod still has 4/15 Power Pro.

[RSBreth]

Randy, do you use your 40/10 on baitcasters without issue? Doesn't the line dig in on itself?

Nope. Anything smaller does, but I've used braid with 10 or 12-pound mono diameter on my spinnerbait rods for years - works great and lasts a long time.

[hank franklin]

6lb test with medium or ML rod. I tried 8 lb test but couldn't cast as well and with same action on lighter lures. 4 lb is definitely too light.