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Hi I thought I might pose a question as the soft water season is just begining.
What kind of line do you use and Why?
I started using super braids several years ago and I just loved them! Keep in mind when I started using them they were new and I was doing my anual re-stringing of my reels. I had NO idea how to use them or what they were really designed to do. I now know better and like them even more for most Utah fishing.
Here's why, in UT I fished mostly for the trout spieces. They are ram feeders and attack their prey. So a line with no stretch was the ticket for me. Feel the hit set the hook. No delay, no stretch, mostly fish on. That is primarily true of all ram feeds (fish that have teeth and feed on the move).
But about 3 years ago I started fishing for warm water species and found a more than difficult time setting hooks in them. So I went back to Strens, Trilene, and a couple of others. I started doing better. But I didn't have a clue as to why. So I asked a friend who had me contact a marine biologist. He explained that most (not all) warm water fish are suction feeders. Meaning they suck their prey into their mouths. With super braids I would feel the tug of the bait/jig being sucked backwards and set the hook missinf the fish. I was pulling the bait right out of their mouths. Thus the change to mono and fishing improved greatly.
Then I was introduced to fish that ram and suck when feeding. Adding another line, Co-polymers to my arsenal. Minimal stretch low memory and tough as nails. This line also can feel the nitch for the other 2 in a pinch. You just have to remember what you are using. When you get a bit older and a bit slower (like some of us here). Its the best way to go IMO.
So for me it's super braids and co-polymer with monos having been reduced to being my leader lines now.
Just thought this might be interesting food for thought before we get into full swing of the softwater season. Oposing views are not only welcome but encouraged. Thanks for reading.
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right now i have cajun red on all my trolling rigs but will be switching it all over to cuda line shortly, the cajun red is 3yrs old and i want to givve the cuda a try for a while
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Silver thread and suffix are what i use. Both are good for certain kinds of fishiing. I like 6lb silver thread fo my personal use its good to cast and tough when you get snagged. I use 10lb suffix fo trolling for wipers and catfish at utah lake. Suffix mono is tough i use it in the ocean too.
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For light tackle and small fish i use 8# berkley sensation. For the heavier more shouldered and toothy fish i use nothing but Power pro in various strengths. I love the positive hookups and toughness.
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When I was in Texas last week my buddies teased me for using 12# test, they were using 17-30# mono. I never broke a line or a knot but I did loose a few fish, mostly due to trees and stickups, no fault to line. I was using 12# P-Line Flourocarbon. I usually use 8-10# for Utah. I have always used Trilene XL but when reading this post I realized all my reels but a couple had flouro on them.
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I guess I am just hard headed. I like the traditional mono. line. However, LH2 convinced to use a braided line for muskies and I really liked it. For trout, I will stick with the regular stren. I know
more people like trilene but my experience with trilene has not been
good. I will never put that crap on my reels.
I use 6lb for most trout, 4lb when I am fishing for whitefish, and 10lb for mac's (sometimes 12lb.)
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For bass, catfish, big trout, and ice fishing, I use the copolymers. (mostly silver thread) As you said, tough as nails, reasonably decent in the visibility dept, (most of the ponds I fish are sl. murky) and it handles and casts well. I do find it sufficiently sensitive for those super subtle takes. For super clear water high country fishing, I like the p-line flourocarbon coated line. Superior invisibility, good strength, and handles much better than the pure flouro monofilament, which seems to be a nightmare to handle on my reels. I do use pure flouro (p-line or vanish) for leaders, both in fly fishing, and in vertical jigging. I will try new things though. I noticed a "new and improved" silver thread that is available in the Cabelas catalog. Anyone use that yet?
I tried the super braids a few years ago, and didn't really like the feel of them. Maybe it was just me.
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Hey jason hows that cajun red work for ya in shallower water? I have some and have never wound a spool with it. When I checked into it I was told it was for deeper water (50/60 feet and below).
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I noticed that I didn't mention line weight in my post. Pretty much fish 4 to 6 # lines for everything in Utah. If they can break off so be it. They will be there for another days fishing. With rare exception I always use a leader of 4#.
1st time fishing Willard I was told to tie directly to the line. Superbraid in yellow atracted NO fish. Added the leader and Bam started catching fish. I am tying direct on the polymers with my jigs these day. Old dogs can learn new tricks, it just takes us longer.
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Ive used fireline 6-20 from trout to bass to catfish. I find it very versitle and never have any fish break me off. Just a suggestion.
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I stoped in at Cabellas last August Before heading to Alaska. They set me up with a 20# Suffix superbraid and a flourocarbon leader for Seatuk River silvers. It worked awesome! I have experimented with flourocarbon line on ice rods this year, it fishes good but it seems to want tocome off the reel faster than the lure will take it down. Great subject! There is alot of info here I never considered before.
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Just my two cents, but for many years, i have been addicted to using every new line that comes on the market. Most were good as long as I used brand names. When Fireline came out, I tried it, and have been addicted to it since for everything but trolling. For trolling, I just use a good brand name mono. (need some give in the line for the hit).
I use fireline for all types of fish, and find it far superior to all others for detecting the strike, and for casting distance. I haven't tried out their new fireline clear, but will prob. spool up with it soon.
Have also found no problems with knot strength.
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I use 10# copolymer for almost everything. I like silver thread excalibur, but the P-line is also pretty good. I use braided line for frogs and such in heavy cover, but I don't like to use it for much else.
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For most fishing I use 6 pound Silver Thread Excalibur without any leader. For mack vertical jigging I use 20 pound Fireline, with about 10 to 15 feet of 15 pound fluorocarbon leader tied directly to the Fireline without a swivel. For sturgeon I use 80 pound Dacron line and same for leader. Occasionally I will go to 4 pound and sometimes even lighter for small fish and casting a bubble and a fly. My biggest problem with lighter lines is sometimes I forget and set the hook too hard and snap the line on the hookset. I have Cajun Red on one of my trolling reels and it seems to be of similar quality to Silver Thread Excalibur.
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never had a problem with it in shallow water always caught fish with it. just after 3yrs its getting a memory and alittle brittle
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I use several different lines on my outfits, depending on what I use them for most. For top water and jerk baits I use braid, for finesse I use flourocarbon, for everything else I use trilene XL. Each has it's advantages and specific uses.
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I've been switching all my set-ups with various types of P-Line and have been having some good success with them. I use the co-polymer/flouro blend on all my heavy test applications. And I use the pure flouro for my river set-ups.
After using Fireline all last year for the heavy test set-ups, I've gotta say that I'll never use it again. This might of been just me, but I had a hard time with the knots I was tying. I ended up just tying a double-hitch on everything I used with it. Great knot, but not always so for fishing. However, using the double hitch with the pure flouro is great, fish cant see the knot and its incredibly strong. Anyway, just my 2 cents...[cool]
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