WAY, WAY OT - Fishing Line

[Blaine]

What's really good out there these days? Open faced spinning reels of various sizes. I've always got Berkley TriLine, but there are many, many more choices than there used to be and I don't read the fishing publications anymore.

[adirondakjack]

Trilene is good. I like Stren a lot (just replaced 20 yr old Stren that was still good). Some swear by Spiderwire, but I haven't tried it.

[iceman]

I have come to like Fireline braided line, very sensitive minimal stretch, and lasts a long time.

[alnitak]

You will find that fishing line has evolved a great deal over the last ten years. As with anything, I will need to know more of what you intend. You said spinning reel, so that helps. But what kind of fishing -- e.g., ponds with lily pads, rivers with rocks, surf fishing, open water from a boat, etc.

Nowadays, there are braids, flurocarbon, polymers, mono, etc. --- and all combinations of above. You need to decide factors like strength, stretch, limpness, sensitivity, abrasion resistance, visibility, etc. to pick the right one for you. Also, are the fish spooked easily? What color water? What type of lures will you be using? Moving water or still? Etc?

Bottom line (no pun intended), many pros are going to braids and polymers for bass fishing -- they are thin for casting, don't stretch (for easier hook set) and have the strength to pull those hawgs out of the weeds and grasses. Use flurocarbon where the fish are spooky -- like as a shock leader for stripers out of the surf. Though some use FC to fill the reel, I don't prefer it for lower pound weight lines -- I think there are better (e.g., limper, with less memory and thinner but more resistant) lines for that purpose. I tend to go with polymers here.

So, say more about your needs if you want the best advice. Or, just go with the old standbys, like Trilene, Stren, etc. and find a general purpose mono that is moderately high in all factors. They also have "thin" mono lines that offer greater strength in a thin, less weighty line. For example, you can find 10# mono that is the diameter of normal 6# line.

[BTW, you need to watch braids, as different knots are needed as it can cut through itself (or other lines if joining, like a leader). Also, "serious" fishermen change their line on a yearly basis (at least mono line) as saltwater and UV rays can damage the line making it brittle. You don't want to have the line snap when you have the fish of a lifetime on it, trying to reel him in. At least take off the first 15-20 yards of line that has been sitting for a while, as the line underneath (that hasn't been cast yet or exposed) will be less damaged]

[JReed]

I have come to like Fireline braided line, very sensitive minimal stretch, and lasts a long time.

Great stuff plus it comes off reel and shoots threw the guides really quick for some nice casting distance.

[Blaine]

My buddy has been using fireline. Sure shows up good. Mostly, been fishing rivers for steelhead and salmon. Clear to muddy. Usually fast.

[stew71]

Dynamite....

[AmBraCol]

Well, today I spooled up an old Mitchell reel with some Trilene 10 pound test I picked up this summer. It was the only thing I saw that was Made in USA. Most of the rest was made in China or Mexico. Price difference was minimal and the Trilene was actually cheaper than one or two other choices. Anyway, I spooled up today and went to the fishmart with my wife and some friends. There's no "real" fishing around here, it's all pay by the pound - you hooked it you bought it. Well, IF you get it on shore that is. The trilene handled nicely. Came off the bulk spool well and coiled up nice on the reel. It shoot through the guides smoothly and I didn't have any twisting up even though I was not using a swivel. Only hooked one fish. A probably pound and a half cachama. A blunt toothed relative of the piranha. They are some of the toughest fighting fish there are, pound for pound. He put a nice deep bow in my Eagle Claw packrod. Played around with him a bit and when I went to horse him onto the bank the line snapped right above the hook. Well, I wasn't heart broken and it was my fault, not the line's. The cachama may have blunt teeth but they are murder on light line. I doubled and redoubled the line to make for a tougher piece and less chance of one getting away - but no more bites. Probably bulked it up too much for them or??? Anyway, other than not having used an adequate leader and losing the fish (no tears there, they are too bony for my taste) I was quite happy with Trilene. BUT - given your type of fishing I'd probably be looking for something different.

[Chuck 100 yd]

I like Stren high visibility line.

[Rusty]

I like power pro line over the old mono stuff. Power pro is a smooth braided line that won't wear grooves in your rod guides like some of the other stuff. Fishing in salt you need to use a leader anyway. Usually 30-40 pound flurocarbon for us. Braided lines allow you to cast further because the size of the line is usually about 1/2 of what the mono would be. It also doesn't stretch or give so you can feel the fish long before you could with mono. If I were fishing for LM Bass in fresh water I might still use 18-24" of leader anyway as the braided lines aren't invisible like mono is.
If you make the switch you might need to modify some of your techniques a bit though.

[Borregos]

I have come to like Fireline braided line, very sensitive minimal stretch, and lasts a long time.

This is all I ever use now, just love it

[Hobie]

You should use what Jim uses...

[2571]

1. Don't buy anything that is listed with a tensile strength in metric. It's all chinese junk. Not supple, tends to kink and guaranteed to bird-nest in bait-casting reel

2. Stuff Cabella's sells & installs at the store must be made by the same guy who measures line tensile strength in metric terms (see above).

I assume that stuff is intended for bamboo rods.

[slimster]

What's really good out there these days? Open faced spinning reels of various sizes. I've always got Berkley TriLine, but there are many, many more choices than there used to be and I don't read the fishing publications anymore.

Blaine, is that a reel question, or are you just being koi for the halibut? I suspect it's just a red herring. I don't mean to sound shellfish, but a fishing question in a gun forum makes me terribly eel, and gives me a roaring haddock! Now that I'm through feeling crabby, I'll quit carping!

[JB]

The best line to use is kind of like the best rifle for deer hunting. Everyone and every forum has their favorites. I used Stren and Trilene mono happily for years before I learned off the net that I was using "inferior" lines. I have most of my rods spooled with Power Pro braided line with a flurocarbon leader. I also have a couple poles set up with copolymer lines. To be honest once my current lines are used up I may just go back to a good premium mono again although I do like the sensitivity and lack of stretch with the braided lines.

[Blaine]

What's really good out there these days? Open faced spinning reels of various sizes. I've always got Berkley TriLine, but there are many, many more choices than there used to be and I don't read the fishing publications anymore.

Blaine, is that a reel question, or are you just being koi for the halibut? I suspect it's just a red herring. I don't mean to sound shellfish, but a fishing question in a gun forum makes me terribly eel, and gives me a roaring haddock! Now that I'm through feeling crabby, I'll quit carping!

I bow before the master

[Don McDowell]

Cabela's ultra green for light spinning tackle,going for trout, Root beer for dredging the bttome with jigs for walleye.

[slimster]

What's really good out there these days? Open faced spinning reels of various sizes. I've always got Berkley TriLine, but there are many, many more choices than there used to be and I don't read the fishing publications anymore.

Blaine, is that a reel question, or are you just being koi for the halibut? I suspect it's just a red herring. I don't mean to sound shellfish, but a fishing question in a gun forum makes me terribly eel, and gives me a roaring haddock! Now that I'm through feeling crabby, I'll quit carping!

I bow before the master

No sir, you're still da man! I was lured in by your post, but had to flounder around for awhile before I could get a line on a reply...(p.s.-I'll be waiting with baited breath to find out your line selection.)

[Blaine]

What's really good out there these days? Open faced spinning reels of various sizes. I've always got Berkley TriLine, but there are many, many more choices than there used to be and I don't read the fishing publications anymore.

Blaine, is that a reel question, or are you just being koi for the halibut? I suspect it's just a red herring. I don't mean to sound shellfish, but a fishing question in a gun forum makes me terribly eel, and gives me a roaring haddock! Now that I'm through feeling crabby, I'll quit carping!

I bow before the master

No sir, you're still da man! I was lured in by your post, but had to flounder around for awhile before I could get a line on a reply...(p.s.-I'll be waiting with baited breath to find out your line selection.)

I don't know...you're reel good at this. Creelative, too. Heretofore, I've knot been too pickerel about the line I used. You guys have given me the courage to wade into the subject, though. I'm sure I'm hooked on Stren and set to buy it.

[slimster]

I'm happy that you sea it that way, but I feel like a guppy in an ocean of sharks. Perhaps I could attend a school?

[slimster]

I'm hooked on Stren and set to buy it.[/quote]
I've been casting about for a solution to your rather knotty problem, and after snarling and cursing for a while, I feel that you should TRY-LENE. This should net you some fine results.

[tman]

i've had good sucess fishing lake erie and it's tributary streams for steel head and walleye using berkely's VANISHING line in #8 lb. test. since the invasion of the zebra mussles the lake is clear of algea and weeds. anyway, this works for me

[35 Remmy]

This is NOT a "fish story"...it is absolutely true. My friend and I went fishing for the last time about 2 weeks ago here in Wisconsin. We decided to fish the Wisconsin river as we usually do, an see if we could pick up a few walleyes for supper. I wanted to bring one of my medium action rod/reel just in case I would tie into a Musky. BUT, I had no line on my new Shimano 2500 Sedona reel. I looked at my supply in the basement. I found a new/old spool of Pflueger 10lb monofilament. I had bought from Shopko and paid $1.20 for the 700 yards!! I bought this line about 25 years ago but have never used any. I figured, why not. So I filled up the reel spool and we went fishing the next day. My buddy caught first fish...a 37" Musky on a jig/minnow. Nice fish...still swimming. We went closer to the dam and caught a few undersize walleyes..14"-15". They need to be 18"+ to be keepers at this location. I thought that I would try my new Shamano outfit and baited up my jig with 2 leaches. After a few unsuccessful casts, I thought I had a snag, which are common on the river. Long story short.....I fought this fish for 30 minutes. The pole (Ugly Stick) was bent so much, I thought surely it would break OR for sure the OLD Pflueger mono line would snap at any minute. We finally landed a monster flathead catfish that was 44" long !! Estimated weight was 40 pounds. Of course, we did NOT have a camera, but there were other boats there that witnessed the event. That monster is still swimming to fight another day. WHAT a thrill.