Line Size For River Smallmouth

[ColdWaterFshr]

6 lb maxima green for spinning rod

12 lb maxima green for baitcaster

[ollie]

My trout rod has #4 P-line CX premium and my bass rod has #8 spooled on it with the same brand (moss green). I used to be in that group that believed I could just use the same set-up for smallies and trout until too many heartbreaks. Seems I have no problems pulling in a 20" trout on #4, but a smallie or largemouth that same size is just asking for trouble. I have lost TOO many nice size bass from being undergunned on a stream with smaller line. One day on Elk I hooked into 2 largies that were an easy 5-8 pounds a piece and lost both of them due to lighter line. After that I decided I would up the ante. Glad I did now and I wouldn't change it for anything now. Thanks Wayne for turning me on to the P-line.

[Gavin]

The 6lb Suffix is the thinnest braid out there..I like it better than power pro. It casts a country mile but it does need a leader to deal with abrasion issues. I fish it on medium light spin tackle..Works well with 1/8-3/8oz jigs & plastic, flukes, and 1/2oz jerkbaits.

[hoglaw]

Line digging on a bc reel can be an issue if you really crank down, like if you try to pull a snag free by thumbing the spool completely still and pulling with all you've got. For normal fishing and fighting, I've never had an issue.

I haven't had braid tied on a spinning reel in quite a while. I've been building my spinning rods with micro guide setups, and they strongly disagree with flurocarbon. The line I use on everything depends entirely on the lure I'm using. For crankbaits it's either mono or fluro. Jigs, worms, bottom bouncers, spinnerbaits - it's fluro. I use mono on jerkbaits and sammies, braid on frogs, buzzbaits, and heavy football jigs when night fishing.

So far I've stuck with mono on my spinning rods simply because the micro setups disagree with flurocarbon, but I may have to give braid a shot again this year. I do very little spin fishing anymore. Pretty much reserved for trout and flick-shake worms. Even shakey heads I prefer to use a baitcast rod anymore. But I did just build a really nice SCV spinning rod that's 7' in medium or medium heavy...one or the other. It will be a great rod for swimming a jig this summer and I'm sure I'll run mono on it.

For mono I've always used the green XT too. Mostly 8lb, though trout is a different deal. I've never used a co-polymer line. My understanding is it's a little limper, doesn't stretch, and neutrally boyant. Of all the ones you guys posted about above, which co-polymer do you reccomend?

My brands are:

Mono: XT green

Floro: Segaur red label

Braid: Power pro or suffix

[hoglaw]

And I'm sure this has been posted before, but Gavin, do you have a reccommendation for a 100% braid to mono or braid to floro leader knot? I can't seem to maintain very good strength when I try to put them together and a small shock between my hands pops the knot ever time.

[Ham]

Hog,

P-Line CX Premium is a co-poly. Mono covered with fluro. Thin and supple, but the fluro coating will get damage if you wrap it on a guide or something.

I have been using a uni to uni knot for braid to mono or flour with 8 turns on the braid and 5 turns on the mono, but Cajun Angler showed me the Alberto knot which shapes up a little slimmer. I'm going to give that a shot this season.

For fluro to mono, I use a surgeon's knot.

[Gavin]

Hog I use a triple surgeons if I'm tying on a new leader..probably not 100% but its a 10 second no brainer tie, small, and strong enough. I use a uni to uni if I want to retie the line leader knot w/o removing the lure.

Triple Surgeons

http://www.doalures.com/uploads/Docs/9102_DOA_10.28__Knot_Page.pdf

Uni to Uni

http://www.fish4fun.com/Joining2Lines.htm

[Wayne SW/MO]

Make a loop with the uni configuration and run one tag through the front of the loop 3 times and then run the other tag through the same loop from the opposite, or from behind, side 3 times Pull the 4 strands up tight and trim the tags. I've used this for decades in fly fishing and securing my braid leaders and never had it fail, even when the diameters aren't close. I call it wayne's knot.

[Wayne SW/MO]

Many many years ago there was a brand of line called Perlene and it was one tough line. My fishing buddies and I used it for years before it finally became scarce and most switched to XT. Eventually we did come to realize that its strength was in the label and not the line. It's 15 b test was comparable to 20lb XT in performance, but so was its diameter.

[Mitch f]

Many many years ago there was a brand of line called Perlene and it was one tough line. My fishing buddies and I used it for years before it finally became scarce and most switched to XT. Eventually we did come to realize that its strength was in the label and not the line. It's 15 b test was comparable to 20lb XT in performance, but so was its diameter.

What you experienced with Perleen is what spawned the "trophy line" craze. The people who were going for line class records were sometimes greatly disappointed when their record was rejected after their traditional line broke at a much higher rating than the label read. Also,Some people thought that "Trophy line" was somehow a more superior line than standard, they soon found out that it broke at the exact label rating.