Best lb test of Line for Salmon
- Thread starter Slack-tider
- Start date
Pippen
Well-Known Member
Hey Wolf,
I noticed that line in a few of your pics this past year and now understand why you use it. I use 30lb Maxima (sometimes 40 if I have a chance at catching a hali on the troll) but was wondering if you would still use the high vis green if you weren't a guide? Is the vis the only reason as you want to see what your people are doing and where the fish is? How do you find it overall for performance?
Cheers!
Good idea!! When I am on my own with a couple rookies on board I have had this happen the odd time and it sure would do a lot to save the rookies virgin ears from the 'verbal jihad' that comes out of my mouth the odd time that things get tangled. [
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T
Tofinoguy
Guest
You beat me to it. I tried braid a couple of years ago guiding and was alarmed at the # of hooks that pulled out. I've gone back to 30# Mustad and Maxima or Flourocarbon leaders in 40 to 50# test
wolf
Well-Known Member
Well il be honest I was always a die hard maxxum line user before I switched thinking that the hi vis would "scare" the fish so thought ill give it a go up north where the water is definatlly very clear noticed no difference at all I accually got +30 and 40s on it so I dont think it matters one bit. it didnt effect my totals at all I even got a few monsters with it and man its tough.
So to answer your question I would even if I wasnt guiding as I like to know where abouts the fish is and it really helps when your in a crowd as fellow fisherman can see the line as well.which would help so they can make room for you.
AS Tom said I use green on the bottom rods and then blue on my top rods incase they get tangle just like my hali rods they all have different colored lines as I want to know which line I may need to cut dont want a F### up LOL
Good luck Wolf
Blue Wolf Charters
www.bluewolfcharters.com
So to answer your question I would even if I wasnt guiding as I like to know where abouts the fish is and it really helps when your in a crowd as fellow fisherman can see the line as well.which would help so they can make room for you.
AS Tom said I use green on the bottom rods and then blue on my top rods incase they get tangle just like my hali rods they all have different colored lines as I want to know which line I may need to cut dont want a F### up LOL
Good luck Wolf
Blue Wolf Charters
www.bluewolfcharters.com
wolf
Well-Known Member
I know some that use the braided I tried it for a week and hated it especially how it would constantlly flip over the tip of the rod plus the use of the clips too much bother I want it up then down as fast as I can and dont want to fart around with sliding clips and not holding undoing a tip maybe I didnt give it much chance but I prefer the "KISS" system.
Now on the other hand having played a fish on braided was definattly cool as you felt everything but I am a bit experienced for first time guests I want a bit of stretch as sometimes they tend to "hang on" to the reel sometimes LOL LOL go with whatever you personally enjoy or like fishing is such and individual sport as we all do it our own way and have the "best" roll,knot,flasher,hootchie etc it all comes down to what you have the most convidence in......
Good luck Wolf
Blue Wolf Charters
www.bluewolfcharters.com
Now on the other hand having played a fish on braided was definattly cool as you felt everything but I am a bit experienced for first time guests I want a bit of stretch as sometimes they tend to "hang on" to the reel sometimes LOL LOL go with whatever you personally enjoy or like fishing is such and individual sport as we all do it our own way and have the "best" roll,knot,flasher,hootchie etc it all comes down to what you have the most convidence in......
Good luck Wolf
Blue Wolf Charters
www.bluewolfcharters.com
Slack-tider
Active Member
All really good info. The reason I started this question on the line was that the rod with the heavey line on one side of the boat has been catching far less fish then the lighter 30lb line. Same flashers and hoothies or bait. Maybe I should just move my rod over to that side of the boat?? I think I'm going to stay with the 40lbs.
IronNoggin
Well-Known Member
35 pound Maxima main line.
60 pound imported J-Line for leaders. The J-Line is actually a thinner diameter than the 40 lb Maxima, and damn near bullet proof. Unfortunately I can only get it about once a year - when we order from Hawaii for our commercial trolling needs.
Cheers,
Nog
60 pound imported J-Line for leaders. The J-Line is actually a thinner diameter than the 40 lb Maxima, and damn near bullet proof. Unfortunately I can only get it about once a year - when we order from Hawaii for our commercial trolling needs.
Cheers,
Nog
claymcpher
Member
#25 main big game and 30 to 50 on leaders and depends on lenth
something for your 'gee whiz' file. when you read the lable on a leader spool and it says: 25# what does that mean?
that is the minimum point at which that line will break. in practice, the point at which that line will break is at least 25% more.
if the leader spool says: IGFA 25# what does that mean?
that is the maximum point at which that line will break. in practice, it will break when no more than 25# of strain are applied.
that is the minimum point at which that line will break. in practice, the point at which that line will break is at least 25% more.
if the leader spool says: IGFA 25# what does that mean?
that is the maximum point at which that line will break. in practice, it will break when no more than 25# of strain are applied.
Olde School
Well-Known Member
Merry Christmas fishers!
About 5 years ago I tried 25# braid but it slipped through the release constantly. Then tried 2 or 3 fancy releases but got tired of showing newbies how to work them. Loved the feel when on a fish though!
Put the brain on it and realized that all I had to do was up the braid diameter to approximate 20-40# mono. Now the braid acts just like mono in the regular Scotty releases, AND I get the best feel ever when on a fish - you can feel EVERYTHING the fish does and can often i.d. the species before you see the fish; never heard of anyone doing that with mono!
Agree with Wolf that the line flips over the tip more often but we now are in the habit of keeping a bit of tension on the line the entire time we are setting the line in the release.
I'd believe that ham fisters lose more fish but I'd rather lose an exciting battle than win an easy one
Plus, braid lasts years and years and years and years and...
Have a safe New Years everyone and see you at the Nook in March.
Smiley.
About 5 years ago I tried 25# braid but it slipped through the release constantly. Then tried 2 or 3 fancy releases but got tired of showing newbies how to work them. Loved the feel when on a fish though!
Put the brain on it and realized that all I had to do was up the braid diameter to approximate 20-40# mono. Now the braid acts just like mono in the regular Scotty releases, AND I get the best feel ever when on a fish - you can feel EVERYTHING the fish does and can often i.d. the species before you see the fish; never heard of anyone doing that with mono!
Agree with Wolf that the line flips over the tip more often but we now are in the habit of keeping a bit of tension on the line the entire time we are setting the line in the release.
I'd believe that ham fisters lose more fish but I'd rather lose an exciting battle than win an easy one
Plus, braid lasts years and years and years and years and...
Have a safe New Years everyone and see you at the Nook in March.
Smiley.
Olde School
Well-Known Member
Merry Christmas fishers!
About 5 years ago I tried 25# braid but it slipped through the release constantly. Then tried 2 or 3 fancy releases but got tired of showing newbies how to work them. Loved the feel when on a fish though!
Put the brain on it and realized that all I had to do was up the braid diameter to approximate 20-40# mono. Now the braid acts just like mono in the regular Scotty releases, AND I get the best feel ever when on a fish - you can feel EVERYTHING the fish does and can often i.d. the species before you see the fish; never heard of anyone doing that with mono!
Agree with Wolf that the line flips over the tip more often but we now are in the habit of keeping a bit of tension on the line the entire time we are setting the line in the release.
I'd believe that ham fisters lose more fish but I'd rather lose an exciting battle than win an easy one
Plus, braid lasts years and years and years and years and...
Have a safe New Years everyone and see you at the Nook in March.
Smiley.
About 5 years ago I tried 25# braid but it slipped through the release constantly. Then tried 2 or 3 fancy releases but got tired of showing newbies how to work them. Loved the feel when on a fish though!
Put the brain on it and realized that all I had to do was up the braid diameter to approximate 20-40# mono. Now the braid acts just like mono in the regular Scotty releases, AND I get the best feel ever when on a fish - you can feel EVERYTHING the fish does and can often i.d. the species before you see the fish; never heard of anyone doing that with mono!
Agree with Wolf that the line flips over the tip more often but we now are in the habit of keeping a bit of tension on the line the entire time we are setting the line in the release.
I'd believe that ham fisters lose more fish but I'd rather lose an exciting battle than win an easy one
Plus, braid lasts years and years and years and years and...
Have a safe New Years everyone and see you at the Nook in March.
Smiley.
i have 30# gel spun on the reels over a bit of dacron fill. i have never had an issue with the scotty releases and i have them on the 'lighter' setting. i do know other folks who have complained about this but it works just fine for me.
i also like the no stretch feature as i think the hook sets are positive from the small pinks on up. my drag is set so it occasionally ticks as the troll is under way.
i also like the no stretch feature as i think the hook sets are positive from the small pinks on up. my drag is set so it occasionally ticks as the troll is under way.
i have 30# gel spun on the reels over a bit of dacron fill. i have never had an issue with the scotty releases and i have them on the 'lighter' setting. i do know other folks who have complained about this but it works just fine for me.
i also like the no stretch feature as i think the hook sets are positive from the small pinks on up. my drag is set so it occasionally ticks as the troll is under way.
i also like the no stretch feature as i think the hook sets are positive from the small pinks on up. my drag is set so it occasionally ticks as the troll is under way.
S
Satisfaction
Guest
I mainly fish the Columbia River, fishing in hoglines (where boats are all lined up abreast in 11 - 60 ft.deep water, with additional hoglines upstream and downstream that must be avoided once you hook a salmon and release from your anchor, motoring either shallower or deeper to the main channel with the kicker while fighting fish trying to avoid them). We back-bounce a 6-16 oz. lead on a 2-4 ft. dropper line from a slider or 3 way swivel and run a 3-5 ft. leader back to the lure (K-14 Kwikfish or herring for spring chinook, flatfish or spinner for steelhead & salmon shallows and big wobbling spoons - Clancys, Brad's Wobblers, Alvins etc. for the big hog chinook of the fall run in the deeper water).
I grew up using 20 lb. mono... and big fish can be caught on it... but how many 35 lb.+ salmon are you really going to have a chance at in a lifetime? How many do you want to watch swim away if a seal comes or they wrap around an anchor line below you? I use 65-80 lb. braided PowerPro (bright yellow- high vis) or Tuffline for the mainline and 40 lb. mono Ande for the leader. The braided transmits every wobble of those lures. You can see when a small weed hits and hangs on the hooks of one (telling you to clean it) as well as how and where the fish is swimming. Braided transmits a delicate sturgeon nibble better too. Salmon and steelhead are not leader shy here in the big river, go big and go home with fish. In the smaller, clearer tributaries, guys use lighter leader. I won't use Fluorocarbon anymore... for leader or anything, I've seen too many fish break it unpredictably.
I rarely cast anymore, and know some guys prefer mono for casting. I know we hooked a monster 36 lb. chinook a few years ago on the light summer steelhead rod rigged with 15 lb. monofilament. We got it in.... 2 hours and 20 minutes later... it was fun, but how many others did we miss while drifting downstream fighting that because of the light gear?
CW
Satisfaction: 23' Aluminum Thunderjet with Ford 460 salmon fishing the Columbia River
I grew up using 20 lb. mono... and big fish can be caught on it... but how many 35 lb.+ salmon are you really going to have a chance at in a lifetime? How many do you want to watch swim away if a seal comes or they wrap around an anchor line below you? I use 65-80 lb. braided PowerPro (bright yellow- high vis) or Tuffline for the mainline and 40 lb. mono Ande for the leader. The braided transmits every wobble of those lures. You can see when a small weed hits and hangs on the hooks of one (telling you to clean it) as well as how and where the fish is swimming. Braided transmits a delicate sturgeon nibble better too. Salmon and steelhead are not leader shy here in the big river, go big and go home with fish. In the smaller, clearer tributaries, guys use lighter leader. I won't use Fluorocarbon anymore... for leader or anything, I've seen too many fish break it unpredictably.
I rarely cast anymore, and know some guys prefer mono for casting. I know we hooked a monster 36 lb. chinook a few years ago on the light summer steelhead rod rigged with 15 lb. monofilament. We got it in.... 2 hours and 20 minutes later... it was fun, but how many others did we miss while drifting downstream fighting that because of the light gear?
CW
Satisfaction: 23' Aluminum Thunderjet with Ford 460 salmon fishing the Columbia River
