Thread: Good quality line?

P-Line makes for halfway decent leader, but it has absolutely zero abrasion resistance. Good overall strength, but not my favorite in the least. Siege on ther otherhand can get brutalized along rocks, and under logs while the fish is on, and you can still pull 12 lb. Coho up onto the bank floppin around with their 8 lb incarnation. Go UG when in doubt about mainlines, and leaders. There is a reason the stuff has been the same, well chemically, for freeking ever! It just works, and it works well.

After reading this thread I have a question, why do so many Steelhead anglers use such heavy line. Are the fish in the northern part of our state that much larger than my southern fish ? I use 8# main line and 4 - 6# leader depending on water clarity. I do mainly catch/release in creeks and some heavy water (middle fork Willy) and see no need for anything larger. Is it that I am such a spectacular angler or some other less meaningful reason ? I use Fireline for my main and Fluorocarbon for my leaders.. Just very curious...

Chuck

I just use 12 lb. line for everything darn near. Salmon, steelhead both winter and summers and salt water fish. I only use heavier for sturgeon and lingcod and lighter for trout. I have landed 14+ pound fish on 8lb. test but I have never had a fish break 12 lb. mono so why use anything else.

Oh, and I will never EVER use Vanish again! I broke off every single fish I hooked on it while using 6 pound test for trout while I landed every one on 4 lb. Stren.

I was of the opinion that if the fish could see the line you were using then they probably wouldn't go near it; so I used 6# Ande tournament line and 4# UG leaders. Then one day (by mistake because I didn't have my glasses on) I grabbed the reel with 20# Power Pro to go trout fishing in the boat. After launching, I started to hook everything up and discovered my mistake. Well that was all I had and so I used it. To my surprise, I caught just as many fish and had a blast watching them little 15 and 16 inch trout take line and fight like a "big fish". Then I figured that if 20# was overkill, I would try 10#. You see the diameter of Power Pro line is very small and to top it off I got it in HI-VIZ yellow. The fish don't seem to mind that at all and I am having a ball with it. What really blows me away is when they hit it nearly doubles my pole over and with 'no-stretch' line and a light drag setting fishing a riot.

Originally Posted by grampa ron

The quality or brand won't matter if you don't put it on the reel properly. Put the line line thru the rod eye closest to the reel, attach it to the spool. Start reeling some line on then give it some slack. If it starts twisting, turn spool of line over and try it from the other side. I have found that most lines want to come off the spool with the lable up. Do not put a pencil, or whatever, thru the center of the spool and take it off that way. It is gauranteed to be twisted when done.

grampa ron;
Well,poop! That explains a lot. Silly ol' me, following directions. I would even bet it was a guy that wrote those directions,just not a fisherman guy. So, do you just let it bounce all over or is there another trick you can share? I thought about buying one of those fancy line winder thing-a-ma-jigs. I had one line soooo twisted that I finally snapped...the rod...when I started beating the hell out of my truck. My 30 year old son almost wet himself laughing at me. I felt bad/great afterward. Wish I had known your trick with the eye on the rod back then.
Oh well, live long enough to learn and make all your enemies mad. Be safe.
Barb

Go out in yer bote. Feed into the water behind boat about half yer spool of bear(bare) line or more(all). Reel line back in under tension(hold with rag). yer line won't be twisted................................................................

Hawk;
That sounds like a plan. I have also hooked onto the rear bumper and walked away with my rod over my shoulder. After 100 yards,I turn around and start walking back and reeling in. It's kind of like not having an unexpected new arrival into the family,I'd rather prevent it than deal with it. Be safe.
Barb