What line do you use?

[Fisherwoman]

7'8" rod- 14 lb fireline
9 ft rod - 15 lb yozuri hybred
11 ft rod- 17 lb berkley big game
Boat rods- 80 lb power pro, 20 lb big game, 30 lb ande.

t.lapinski, I have used the Yozuri Hybred for three years now and love it on my 9 ft rod, especially when into 8 - 13 lb bluefish. One thing you should know about the line is that you don't want to go too heavy on the lb test as it does not flatten on the spool like regular mono. I only use 15 lb test on the rod. I started with 20 lb and what would happen is that when you would open the bail to cast the line would just come coiling off. So I went done to 15 and have never had a problem since. It's tough stuff, but cast very smoothly. I like it alot, hope this info helps.

[Fisherwoman]

Van, Power Pro is made by Spectra it is a braided line, very similar to cortland. Isn't flat like fireline, isn't as light in the air as whiplash, so it doens't knot up as easily.

Nice stuff, tried it on my 7'er a few years ago, went with 20 lb test on spinning and had alot of knot trouble, I am going to try 30 this year, but if the same thing happens I am going back to my trusty 14 lb test fireline on my light rod. Everybody has there own preference for braided lines. have found that after trying alot of different ones I have gone back to fireline.

One flaw that the fireline has is that it is coated and if you do not have hard guides on your rod it will cut the tip guide and from the friction of the line going thru the guides it will fray a bit and cause you more wind knots. But with hard guides this problem is eliminated.

[Fishpart]

Conventional- 35 Cortland Spectron for beach fishing

50 Cortland Spectron for Canal Jigging (will straighten an 8/0 Mustad jig hook )

Spinning- Big game mono, 12 lb mostly for schoolies. Also tried 35 spectron when I changed the line on my ABU 6500.

[schoolie monster]

20lb big game on my eelin' rod and large surf (spinning) rods
10lb big game for some schoolie applications

30lb magibraid for plastics or any situation I want the sensitivity

trying 20lb magibraid for flats fishing

My uncle spooled some yoz hybrid a couple years ago and was breaking off bluefish left and right... IMO, he needed to back off the drag a bit cause of the low stretch.

[JohnR]

What line do you use?

Come here often?

My, those are pretty eyes

Got any Irish in ya?

Was that your boyfriend last night with his young counsin - they're pretty cloase, eh?

Oh line

The only times I used Yozuri was some 15# test that I saw no reason for it to be better than Big Game. Notaro, use Flouro for leader and mono or braid for your main line...

[JohnR]

Big Game 12,20,25,30 Green - nuff said

Will likely try braids this year...

[JohnR]

Originally posted by Notaro
uh, no, john, it just occured to me. i did used it on the castle island. every time i cast, it tend to tangle.maybe im wrong. who knows? i didnt say that i became an instant expert. hey, im learning. like i said, maybe im wrong. i used it last winter on the castle island. i didnt do well with that.

Do you recall how you wrapped it?

In a nutshell, it is very good line and the same as the clear. My preference for green is based on the color and some wierd quasi-reasoning that I have - not that it is particularly different than the other Big Games...

But I do base my feelings with it on the fact that I've been using it for years.

Just about all lines are tougher in cold weather - seems to remove the suppleness and adds memory...

Also BUY THIS WEEKS New England Fisherman!!!!!!!!! Has a great article on Novice Surfcasters that you MUST READ!!!!!

[JohnR]

If you have it - OK ... Read (not glance) all of the threads from the past few days that you've replied to - you will find many suggestions and even a couple offers. Start there.

When I said make a plan for this spring - will you do that?

Thanks...

[JohnR]

Sounds good Notaro.

[Mike P]

20 and 25# Big Game mono.

20 and 30# Fireline

50, 65 and 80# Whiplash/Spiderwire Stealth.

[ragfly]

14 & 20lb iron silk (new this year)
15, 20 & 25 big game
20lb power pro
30 & 50lb Stealth (new this year)

Gee, you think Berkley would put me on their pro staff...............

[RickBomba]

Used to use hybrid 20# only on conventional rod (I caught my biggest fish ever on this setup two years ago). Putting it on all reels this year (spinning). Wish I would've read FW's report, I wouldv'e gone down to 15#.
Oops,
Rick

[Saltheart]

Cortland Spectron is the best fishing line for conventional levelwind reels. Not good on a non levelwind since it will saw your thumb off and of no use at all on a spinner.

I use 35 lb on a 6500 size abu and 50 lb on a 7000 or 7500 abu. I started using it about 97 when I started fishing the canal a lot. Not to brag but I think you'll find that 90 percent of the people in this area who use spectron on surfcasting rods are doing so based on my recommendations 5 years ago (not to brag ) . Whiplash is thinner and so casts a little better but spectron is way tougher. My big complaint about Whiplash is that it gets damaged by an overrun. With spectron , if it doesn't break oin the overrun , its fine but with whiplash , even if it doesn't break , it leaves a weak spot where the kink was.

50 lb Spectron is about all a typical man can handle. Its so strong and tough that I can barely break off a jig when i get hung up on the bottom. If you went to 80 LB spectron , I think you'd have to cut the line to break off when snagged. To break off , I pull my sweatshirt sleeve down to protect my hand and pull with the rod straight and break off. never try to break spectron with a bent rod. the spectron is just too tough and you'll break the rod.

I have a complete system built around the spectron. I use an Albright to attach a leader. Another good option is opposing uni-knots which is what i used the season i had the broken finger cause its hard to snug up an Albright properly (very importatnt to snug it up correctly) with a broken index finger. I like 50 or 60 lb Ande for use with the 50 LB spectron and a 30 LB Ande leader with the 35 lb spectron.

I use a uni-knot at the jig. This is my weak link and that's where I want it to break when snagged. I could use a polamar at the jig but then it won't break and my next weak link is the albright at the leader. its a pain to keep tying on new leaders so I use the uni-knot to provide a weak spot to break off. I never want to break the spectron since its expensive. When i say I put in the uni-knot for a weak link , don't think its very weak. Its just the weakest link. It's still such a strong system that I can barely break off when using the 50 LB Spectron and 60 LB Ande leader.

As far as the 35 lb set up goes , which I use on a 6500 Abu at the beach , i would say it casts great. I once did a field report on the breakaway 11'9" rod and had a measured cast of 163 yards using the 35 lb Spectron on an abu 6500 reel (I forget if it was a BG6500Cl or 6500CS mag).

I do find that you got to have a good length of leader. You need a little shock absorber out there or you'll break off or rip out of the fishes lips. As long as you have a leader though , everthing works great.

Anyway , that's what line i use now.

I do use 10 lb Berkley Big Game mono on my only spinner in the spring for schoolies.

[TheSpecialist]

I don't have to imagine the stress I have seen it first hand.

[TheSpecialist]

Notaro it would cost you less to use Big Game monofilament for your reel, and use a leader of flourocarbon. He is just trying to help you save money, and use it for other things like plugs, or whatever.

[TheSpecialist]

John the green not being compatable with his gear. I know where he got that one. I once went to a certain tackle shop, near a big ship. I asked to be spooled with 15lb Big Game Green. The owner told me all he had was clear, he does'nt carry the green cause too many people complaim about it's performance on spinning reels. Now I have never had a problem with it. So it is a place of last resort for me.

[Steve K]

Big Game Green 12, 15, 20, and 25 # - spinning

Power Pro 30# - spinning, 50# - conventional

Cortland Spectron 50# - conventional canal jigging

[jeffsod]

Canal jigging I was using the FINS braid that M&D's had in bulk (which by the way has been discontinued). I will try Cortland Spectron this season in 50lb. For plugging in the canal I have used 25lb Big Game.

Plugging the outer beaches I use 17lb Berkley Trilene XL. Schoolie or light tackle poles same but 12lb.

I tried Fireline and liked the sensitivity but did not like the loops on light lures when casting into the wind.

[striperjerk1]

i use big game now 15 to 20#,and like it very much.i was using ande but decided to switch last year ,so far so good.these are on spinners.will be trying braid 30# though on one reel. ande i feel was little stiff.

[fishsmith]

big game 15lb for spinning reels
spiderwire 30lb for boat reels.

[Jimbo]

Notaro, if I could echo what John said about making a plan, I would also suggest creating a file system for yourself. I in no way consider myself an expert in any specific branch of saltwater fishing, and that's why when I see a new topic that interests me, that I might want to try, I grab a manilla folder and I start filling it with everything I can find on that topic. For example, a couple of years ago I was asked to go on a tuna charter. I had never done this before, but what little I knew about it excited me. It was an overnight trip, it wasn't cheap and I wasn't going to go and be embarrassed because I didn't have a clue, so I started researching everything I could find on the terminal tackle, rods, reels, line, techniques, species, what I needed to bring with me, the boat, the captain, etc. I went out and bought a lot of stuff including a new rod and reel. The day the trip came I was confident, but reserved (being the newbie). With a little advice from some seasoned veterans on the trip out I got some more advice on knots, how to disguise a circle hook in a butterfish, practice what to do if I hooked up, that I should put on my transderm scop patch before I felt seasick, etc. Well needless to say it's been three trips and still no tuna, but I keep trying and adding to that file when I find something, and before my next trip I'll pour over that file again and gather together what I need for that type fishing. I keep files for cod, stripers, flounder, weakfish, as well as spots I've been to, spots I've heard of, some miscellaneous stuff, etc., and I buy books that seem appropriate, too. This all has a sort of nerdy twist to it, but until I can do it by rote like some of the knowledgeable and esteemed peers here, that's how I have to do it. Exhaust the Internet, Notaro. Alot of it is right there at your fingertips, the rest you just have to experience and learn first hand, which you can do if you've prepared ahead of time.

[tlapinski]

berkley trilene big game 25# for spinning, 30# and 40# conventional, berkley whiplash 65# spinning, and spiderwire stealth 65# spinning. no problem at all with any of these!

[tlapinski]

does anybody have any solid experience with Yo-Zuri hybrid? i like the look/feel of it, but i am a little uneasy about using a fluoro as a main line. any advice on it?

[tlapinski]

another reason why pure fluoro is a BAD choice for a main line is that it will explode off a spinning reel. due to the memory of flouro, it does not like to be wound on a spinner. at the first chance it gets, you will have a mess on your hands!

so far, the only person that i have heard of using Yo-zuri hybrid on a spinner in the higher pound tests would be the iron man. he uses 20# hybrid on his VS reels. i'll have to talk to him about that stuff.

[Rockfish9]

Andy pink -mono

powerpro - braid

cortland green spot dacron

[fishaholic18]

WOW, I started this thread 5 years ago..I use PowerPro only now...

[Van]

ANDE 20,30,40.....

Any kind for schoolies 10-12 lb..

I'm gonna try Hybrid this season. 12 for youngens'
20 for big brothers, and 40 for mamas....

[Van]

Originally posted by Ifishgibbs
Power Pro 10 Schoolies
Power Pro 20 Jigging from a boat
Power Pro 80 Jigging the Canal

What is "power pro" ?????
Who makes it ??

[capndave]

10# Fireline - Schoolies etc.

14# Fireline - Fluke etc.

30# Fireline - Large



Dave

[capesams]

17# silver thread= all bass up to 44.5# to date anyways.
65# whiplash= ditch jigging
80# whiplash= cod jigging