Fishing line

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karstopo
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Re: Fishing line

Post by karstopo »

No, it’s all good, I’m just messing around about the different reels. I don’t doubt anything y’all are saying about spinning reels. I’m sort of drawn to how things feel in the hand and put that attribute above all else. I don’t like side by side or semi-auto shotguns or 12 gauges. Give me about any reasonably balanced single, over and under or pump 20, 28 gauge or .410 and I’ll be happy. Spinning reel set ups sort of take out the joy of fishing for me, it isn’t that I can’t cast them or recognize how good they might be in certain situations. One of those quirks people can have. Same with ladyfish, I’d just soon move or not fish if those pests are around, but some people think they are fun.
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Ron Mc
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Re: Fishing line

Post by Ron Mc »

kars, it wasn't taken as disdain, but opening the floor for discussion...

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You're going to find even more preference range in rods, length, ML to H, moderate action, fast action + soft tip, fast plus fast, etc. - each has a place where they work better than the others.
I've never caught ladyfish alone, but close to specs, reds, and big black drum. Maybe don't move on, but fish through it.
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Jigawatt
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Re: Fishing line

Post by Jigawatt »

For me, fishing is about what's fun, not about what's best. I want an enjoyable outing. I only want one fish for dinner, which is pretty easy to do if I'm allowed to do it my way. If I catch more, back they go. Choosing line might be different for those who are competitive or want a bigger stringer.

I prefer monofilament because I like the feel, and because it's what I grew up on. Every time I tried braid it felt like I was trying to fix something not broken. I've tried all the brands of braids and keep going back to mono. The braids promising to feel like mono have all been disappointments.

To answer your question, I change my line as needed. I can feel the abrasions on mono. If a fish drags me through oysters or barnacles, I'll know by the feel, and I'll peel off enough line to get past the abrasions before retying the lure. If I lose enough line this way, I'll respool rather than splice. Mono is cheap enough to just take it all off.

I've never noticed age-related degradation in monofilament. I've got spools of mono over twenty years old and the line works fine. I use both baitcasters and spinning reels. I use Trilene Big Game on the baitcasters and Trilene XL on the spinning reels. Big Game is a tad stiffer with better abrasion resistance. Trilene XL is limper and better suited for spinning reels (in my opinion).

I use my baitcasters, Calcutta 400b's, on 7.5' popping rods with 20lb mono. These rods can hurl lures down to about a 1/2 oz, and jigs down to about 1/4 oz. But I typically throw heavier stuff with these rods, like 3/4 oz - 1 oz spoons or spooks. It's also my favored rig to use with Carolina rigs with live bait for flounder, reds, and specs. I use 1 oz or 2 oz egg sinkers with a gamakatsu shiner hook, somewhere between size 1, 1/0, and 2/0 depending on what bait I'm using.

My spinning outfits are light tackle. My Stradic 2500 reels have 8lb Trilene XL. My Stradic 4000 reels have 10 lb Trilene XL. I can hurl jigs 1/8 oz or less with these rigs. I also like using 3/8 oz and 1/2 oz spoons and the smaller zara puppy after changing the hooks to saltwater grade. The zara puppy, despite it's small size, has got me some fish when spook junior and super spook failed. It creates a higher frequency wake when walked, and I think fish interpret this higher frequency as panic. That's my theory.

It comes down to how you enjoy fishing as to whether you choose braid or monofilament, because they both work. For me, the choice is monofilament. A lot of braid users want an explanation and I can't offer it, although I've tried. I wonder, if I were to get into fishing today and, given the choice of lines today, would I still choose monofilament? I think probably not. I think my affinity toward mono has more to do with experience and familiarity. All things being equal, the super lines look like the better option, so I might not even have tried mono if I were to start from scratch today. Try both and see which you prefer.
LockjawTrout
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Re: Fishing line

Post by LockjawTrout »

Ron Mc wrote:any time you're facing the wind, spinning tackle is a decided advantage - you can definitely tune a baitcaster to avoid upwind backlash, but that costs distance compared to what you can do with a spinning rod.
For the most part, I've only used spinning reels due to fishing into the wind at the coast. The only baitcasters I had used were Abu Garcia C3's and C4's for fishing the surf because they were so easy to clean and maintain.

This January I bit the bullet and bought the two highest end low-pro baitcasters that Abu Garcia makes, the MGXtreme and the MGX2. MGX2 I got in the 6.4:1 ratio to have a bit more power. On a medium light St. Croix Mojo, I can outcast spinning reels throwing light lures into the wind, no problem. I'd say on average I'm getting 20% to 30% longer.

That said, I've fished that reel/rod set up next to a guy throwing a decent enough 13 Fishing reel on a Castaway, and he couldn't get the distance and had a problem with "professional overruns" throwing the same lures.

I thought the MGX2 was a great reel until I paired the MGXtreme to a G-Loomis Green Water. That was like going from an CL class Mercedes to a Formula 1 racing car. I want to pick up a few of the high-end Lew's to see what they're all about, and test them for longevity against the Abu's.

Right now though, I lament the years I spent owning a series of spinning reels because I had bad experiences with inexpensive baitcasters. Spinning reels still have their place, but it's a whole different fishing experience.
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