lines

John E. Sox · Post by **John E. Sox** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 3:59 pm

Wondering what some of you hard-core trollers are using for your main lines?

Also, has anyone tried Spiderwire UltraCast?

Kingfisher · Post by **Kingfisher** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 10:45 pm

John, I have used Mono ever since starting. Three reasons.

#1 stretch, I lost a BIG fish once Years ago using no stretch line for trolling. I tore a chunk right out the fish .
#2 Mono is easy to tell when you need to retie. Braid has that fuzzy feel to it after a while. I cant feel nicks or thin spots. Mono is very easy to find nicks. 90% of lake stClair trollers use Mono.
#3 I can use stainless steel rod guides. With Muskies this can be the real problem. The big lures thump so hard that they saw the line back and forth throught the guides cutting grooves in them. You can use SIC guides and expensive rods but why? Michelle and I use 29 dollar Catfish rods (glass) Shakespere. They are tough as nails and with the wide stainless guides I get no blow outs(inserts heating up and popping out) or line cuts in the guides.

I use 30 pound Mason P-Line . This stuff is one of the toughest co polymer mono lines ever built. It is used by many many Salmon trollers in 17 and 20 lb test. For leaders I use 90 lb Mason 7 strand for in land lakes where I am not running weights. On St. Clair I run like most of the locals. 30 pound main and 60 lb Hard mono leaders with in line weights. Mike

Steve S · Post by **Steve S** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 11:37 pm

I use Cortland 40lb. Micron, White. The only draw back, it hold alot of water, but I love it. Steve

Pete · Post by **Pete** » Sun Feb 24, 2008 9:52 am

As John knows, I can't help much on the trolling line - only do that about 2% of the time. Plan on bumping it up in the 3-4% range for 2008 though. Until I get more serious about it, I'll just do the superbraid, light drag thing.

But as far as the ultracast invisibraid goes - I picked up some 80 lb at Bass Pro this winter (no 100 lb at the store), and it does disappear, as advertisd, pretty dang well in the fish tank. Doesn't seem to hold much for water either - maybe even less than Stealth. Never thought I would say this...but, after a great run, Stealth may be getting usurped!

hemichemi · Post by **hemichemi** » Sun Feb 24, 2008 5:14 pm

I like the SW Stealth, too, and am anxious to try the Invisibraid. Any thoughts about its roundness, abrasion resistance and durability, Pete?

Pete · Post by **Pete** » Sun Feb 24, 2008 6:41 pm

The invisibraid is perfectly round, and has a tighter packed, higher thread density than the Stealth. Haven't had any chance to test durability in the field yet...though I see the real Pete (Maina) was touting it pretty highly on the last few 'The Next Bite' shows. Sounded like the next generation of Stealth...

hemichemi · Post by **hemichemi** » Sun Feb 24, 2008 10:25 pm

Now I've gotta get me some...

Steve Horton · Post by **Steve Horton** » Mon Feb 25, 2008 7:32 am

John primarily knows what I use but I like 65 lb. white Power Pro. 80-90 lb. 5 ft long flourocarbon leaders. Never had the problem with line cutting guides but it can happen. You can replace the tip tops with hardloy or High SiC. Low stretch I do like but I use longer, more mod action rods and reels with good, smooth drags like the Diawa line counters. My muskie reels will never again see mono. Everyone has their story but I had a 50 lb. fish break 30 lb. Maxima in jagged rocks several years ago.......but we were casting.

Post by **Will Schultz** » Mon Feb 25, 2008 8:01 am

This is mostly a matter of how you intend to troll. If you’re going to use boards and a mast then mono or hybrid is essential, braid just doesn’t hold well in a release (or even a rubber band). The standard for trolling seems to be 30-40# some like big game but I tend to lean toward technology and YoZuri hybrid, a flouro/nylon so it doesn’t soak up water like mono and uv won’t degrade the line. It also has much higher break strength for its diameter 30# has a break of over 40# and a smaller diameter than most.

If you aren’t going to run a board/mast system then braid is the way to go, even with inline boards. Line weight should match what you’re doing, still there’s not any reason to go below 80# as the diameter will allow lures to get deep quickly but it will still hold up to being wrapped around inline board releases.

To be honest I can’t tell the difference after a month of use between Stren, PowerPro, Spiderwire or Cortland. You can’t go wrong with any of them.

John E. Sox · Post by **John E. Sox** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 7:20 am

That brings me to my next question... how long you can use a spool of the hybrid line? My 60 lb. Yo Zuri will be going on its third season and it doesn't look, feel, or act like it's more than a day old. Just freaks me out to use any line that long.

Steve Horton · Post by **Steve Horton** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 7:33 am

John, most will tell you that bad mono will look chaulky and stiff or brittle. UV light is its worst enemy. I'd say strip off 15 yds and use it one more season if you think its OK. On the other hand, is the price of a couple spools of line worth loosing a fish of a lifetime? All my rods, especially the salmon rods with Yozuri or P-line get a full inspection B-4 the season and at the bare minimum get a bunch of line stripped off of them. I never go more than a few seasons on any of them though. I guess it depends on how much they got used and how long that sat in the rod holder.

Post by **Will Schultz** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 9:38 am

John E. Sox wrote:That brings me to my next question... how long you can use a spool of the hybrid line? My 60 lb. Yo Zuri will be going on its third season and it doesn't look, feel, or act like it's more than a day old. Just freaks me out to use any line that long.

I hear what you're saying. I got the itch last year to replace my YoZuri just because it was old and the spools were not full anymore. I got four seasons out of it and it was still perfect, in fact when we stripped the 30# off the reels the break strength was still 40#. With mono or any other hybrid or copolymer I would get one season (or less with regular mono) and I don't troll much at all. The YoZuri technology really is far superior to any mono or copolymer that I've ever used. It simply doesn't wear out due to soaking up water or UV rays.

OK, now I'm sounding like a commercial... sorry.