line choices

[WAeyes]

With all of todays choices for fishing line, what is your top pick for casting jigs and shallow cranks with spinning gear? Why? Thanks

[Predator NE]

Stren Easy cast, 6 or 8 lb some times 4 lb, or if you want a super-line Berkley Fire Line would be my choice. I use both all the time. Why? Because they both simply work the best on spinning gear.

You have to have a line that is very limp to avoid the rats nests you would get with a line that has more memory. Trilene XL would be my second pick.

Has anyone ever used Bass Pro shops Premium Excel mono on spinning gear? I am curious if it is limp enough.

I know you didn't ask but while we are on the subject, as far as bait casting gear I prefer 12 lb Super Silver thread for the--line hungry--line counting reels. Why? Because it is the same diameter of 10 lb Trilene XT that the trolling charts are set to. I can get a 3000 yard spool for $15.00 and it is simply a great line.

I use Silver Thread Excalibur on most other bait casting equipment.

Original Stren would also be good as would Trilene big game line for some situations

Pred

[slick2526]

Well my first choice for walleyes would be Trilene XL 6lb test. either clear or green. Why is because its the best monofiloment on the market. It has a better stress rating than Stren too.

Second choice would be tilene vanish. allot of people say its to brittle but Ive never had a problem with it i use 6lb of that to as you can tell I like 6lb test line. I was fishing with eyeguy/mn on a little local lake. He caught a 26 1/2 walleye on that line so it must not be to brittle. Why i would go with this line because it is practically invisible in the water

3rd choice would be trilene whiplash 6lb. Why I would go with whiplash over fireline is because it doesnt break from getting a "shock" in mid air. What i mean by a shock is say you catch a fish and it jumps out of the water and like a northern-pike shakes there head allot. it causes the line to snap back and fourth and that would make fireline break. why i would go with whiplash is because its stronger than #####. a suggestion is to go with a flurocarbon leader.

[Todd_NE]

The first couple of posts were great.

I would go:

#1 Choice - Solar Trilene to watch the line the best (yellow stren is ok too). I'm not a subscriber to the "fish are bothered by seeing line" theory. Yes, I know some of you are.

#2 Choice - Green Fireline, especially if I'm dragging jigs and need to really feel the subtlest bottom change or pick-up. I also get a little longer cast if that's an issue. I do go to a "softer" rod when using superline.

todd

[LaneLunder]

Trilene XL 6-8 lb test. Very limp amazingly strong. For vertical jigging, I can't believe anything can be more sensitve than Fireline, make sure you tie the knot that they recommend!

[Crew]

I would agree with Todd. My partner and I were fishing a favorite lake this past weekend and the Solar 6 lb was fantastic. We were pitching jigs up on the rocks and the eyes would run with the jig and you wouldn't feel the bite. Even with the sensitive, expensive rods we couldn't feel the bite, but we could see the fish run with the jig and the line. We caught several fish in the 25 inch category. It didn't seem to bother them that the line was green. My partner latched into a 20+ plus carp and attempted to horse the fish in. We didn't want to waste time battling this fish so my partner pulled, yanked and tried to thrash this thing off. The line held. I was convinced. Solar in the rocks and brush, fireline in the depths (with mono backing). Good luck!

[AquaMan]

I'll cast (no pun intended..hahaha) my vote for the Trilene XL green or the Fireline smoke, depending on the fish. I tie 5'-6' of Vanish (2-4# greater then the Fireline) on the Fireline for better steath.

AquaMan~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[Road Kill]

Hi Pred:
Could you tell me where I can buy 3000 yd. of Super Silver Thread for $15.00? Thanks Road Kill

[night_eyes]

I fish fireline almost exclusevely for northerns and i've never expieriened this "shock" you commented on. And that includes two 42" plus fish last summer in Canada....

[Cabinboy]

>3rd choice would be trilene whiplash
>6lb. Why I would go
>with whiplash over fireline is
>because it doesnt break from
>getting a "shock" in mid
>air.

Found this comment interesting. I purchased a spool of 4# dia / 20# test whiplash last fall for walleye fishing on the Red River at the Lockport Dam (Winnipeg). The walleye weren't biting but the 20+# catfish were. After it was Catfish - 3; Cabinboy - 0 (due to the whiplash snapping) I went back to my 6# dia / 14# test Fireline and didn't loose another fish to broken line. I've never expereince the "shock" breakage with Fireline referenced above.

I still use the Whiplash for walleye fishing, but I will not be using it for BIG fish fishing.

[byron]

I have always used 4lb trilene xl for bait and small cranks. But, I have started using 10lb powerpro braid for spoons and all sizes of cranks. So far it works great and casts very far.

[Predator NE]

Bass Pro shops Item # is 15-437-168 for clear and code of 12 for 12lb test. price $14.99 their phone is 1-800-227-7776. I think Cabela's carry's this for the same price, I don't know about Reeds.


Pred

[Weyes1]

Try the Spider wire Super Mono LS in 6 or 8 lb. Tough line, low memory, and thin diameter.
I also like Stren Sensor in 4 Lb. Has the same dia. and strength as any 6 lb.

Weyes1

[Matt]

Tried Super Mono last year. I had lots of problems with the line wanting to "jump" off the reel. Is there some secret way to spool that stuff up? Liked it otherwise.

Now back to XL in 6#, some 8# and Fireline with a mono leader, sometimes.

[Jiggereye]

Casting or pitching jigs-Stren HiVis- I can see it feel them , and it is very forgiving and abrasive resistant(Infisherman 1999). This line has been on my jig poles for over 3 years.
Same line for casting lures, or 10# trileneXT for baitcasters. You didn't ask but the XT does double duty as our trolling line.

[Pikeman]

LAST EDITED ON May-25-00 AT 08:08AM (CST)[p]My vote would go to Berkley Trilene Tournament strength. I have been using this line for a couple of years now, and have had no problems with it. I have caught pike up to 21 pounds with the 8 pound test. It is also my favorite line for walleye.

For superline i like Fire Line.

Pikeman
Western Canada Fishing Page!
www3.sk.sympatico.ca/farr

[Mike]

Trilene XL, 6 lb. test. Very limp, low memory, strong, easy casting, dead reliable line with zero knot problems. Great in clear water with spooky, pressured fish.

For jigging, it's a perfectly acceptable line, IMO, down to about 20 feet.

In fact, I use XL for almost everything. I try to keep my fishing simple and uncomplicated. After all, isn't that why we fish in the first place?

You can always find a "better mousetrap" for certain situations, but XL in 4lb (panfish), 6-8lb (walleye/smallmouth), and 10-12 lb (bottom bouncing, trolling, casting larger lures) covers 99.9999999% of all my fishing situations...

A great, always reliable classic...

[Andrew]

Personally I can't stand Fireline. How can I have faith in a line that is constantly frayed? I have my 7' St. Croix Legend/Shimano Sustain loaded with the 6/14lbs Fireline...I've used this rig maybe 3 times and no matter how much I peel off it is frayed. I've already had one walleye lost at boatside due to line breakage. IT'S GARBAGE! The only redeeming quality is it's slickness...you can cast a football field.

I will stick with Spiderwire for 99.99% of my applications, be it casting, jigging, trolling, whatever. In four trips to Canada...thousands of casts and hundreds of fish...one bite off (pike, no leader).
For ultralight applications...Trilene Tournament 6-8lbs is excellent.

[vetspet(ind)]

i use 17 excell...bass pro on my big lake mich reels and it holds up very well....these are 47h daiwas....not casting....hardly ever get a fish break the line and we catch some large salmon...i did buy lighter line for casting and it was not nearly as nice as my trilene xl.....i also bought some 4lb silverthread for perching....i did not like it....seemed to get nicks too easily and would seemingly break much more often than my trilene 4lb line so i went back to the more expensive line....for trolling the basspro is just fine...steve

[vetspet(ind)]

ditto on the frayed fireline....had the same experience....my only problem with spiderwire is that if you cast it when the temperatures are below freezing it will hold just enough water to freeze up on the spool...so yu get one cast!!!! great stuff in the south basin of lake mich in early spring if it is not freezing temps....must watch your terminal eye as if you get a screamin, drag pulling fish on, it will ruin regular guides even on my stcroix rod.....i went with copolymer lines...trimax...silverthread ...etc in early spring and even one lb coho kept breaking brand new line and there were no nicks in the line.... after asking nearly everyone what was going on the best answer which i think is the correct one is that copolymer lines do not stretch when it is very cold....use trimax in summer and it is great but had 6 small coho break of one day alone...gets expensive....went back to trilene and it does great when cold....never lost a fish yet on my spider wire but if its too cold you can not cast it and watch that the guides have hard enough surface so it doesn't get ruts...steve