Mono or braided for muskie?

[bigcreekdad]

I had two different guides on my recent trip to LOTW. Both were pretty vocal about me being nuts for using mono ( I used 30lb P Line on one real, and 20 lb in a new P Line low stretch on another). I've always used mono, but wonder if I'm taking too much of a risk with it. Also, I caught the 50 incher in my prior post on the 30 lb P-Line, however, as I noted, the hook fell out in the net.

 

What's your opinion or experience.

[Mike the Pike]

I was always a mono guy before this year .I have fished with Braid most of this season and I am not going back to mono.I will only use Mono for trout fishing.No more twisty tangles.I caught a 6lb pike this spring deeply hooked with braid no leader.If that had of been mono my Rapala would have been history .The line was fraid but not broken.I use stren super braid 30lb test with 9lb diameter.For Muskie I use 65lb braid but I must catch my first Muskie.Ask Lew he swears by power pro braid for muskie.Mono to me is old technology.

 

MTP

[silveradosheriff]

I with Mike, 65lb+ braid on all my muskie gear with 80lb+ flourocarbon leaders.

 

:-)

[Roy]

Yup, 65lb+ Stealth with 130lb fluoro leader.

[Pigeontroller]

Minimum 65 lb. test braid. I have 65 lb. on one reel and I lost a Shallowraider this spring when I had a birdsnest and the line snapped, next year i'm switching to 80 lb. on that reel. My other casting reels have 80 lb. and on my heavy trolling rod I have 100 lb.

 

Now if I could just catch a Muskie...

[Handlebarz]

Here lon Lake St.Clair we have a sand bottom with alomst no sturcture so we can get away with mono.

 

here is how I like it on LSC mono 30 Big Game for my board lines this way they will sit in the release clips and not slip out like Braid does.

 

On my boat rods I use 50lbs Power pro this way I feel good about only having 5' of line out with a 3-4' Floro leader with the rod down in the water.

 

I use 65lbs PP for casting this is the rod that I use for trips to areas that have alot of rocks or other structure that will cut mono if a fish takes me into it.

 

I dont recomend mono to people that are fishing any area that has alot of structure that you can get rubbed on.

 

Just my $0.02

[Rich]

50 - 65lb braid for me!

[Letpikego]

My son and I go to a fly in outpost every year fishing for Walleye and Pike. We frequently catch Pike while trolling for Walleye with spinning reels light tackle and no leader. I use 45 lb Stren super braid. It works great. You still get the same action from your lures and I have a lot less line twist issues. We caught a 45 inch Pike with this set up while trolling for Walleye this summer. I use 65 lb super braid on the larger baitcasting setup. I won't use mono again.

[Zib]

I you are casting for musky then braided is the way to go. If you are trolling for them then mono is what you want because you want some stretch else they could tear the hooks out of their mouth (or rip a bigger hole) & have a better chance of losing the fish.

[Pigeontroller]

Nothing wrong with trolling with braid, just a matter of setting your drag just right...zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzz zzzzzzz

[Crazyhook]

80 and 100 pound braid for me,

[mattyk]

80lb powerpro for me on all 3 of my musky setups.

Edited September 9, 2007 by mattyk

[brickNblock]

Casting............. #65 PP w/ #80 Seagur FC

 

Trolling............. #80PP w/#120 Seagur FC

 

Edit: I do have a smaller set=up for certain conditions.

#30 PP w/ #30 P-Line FC

Edited September 9, 2007 by brickNblock

[Spiel]

....Braid all the way. As already mentioned go big, #80 for casting and #100 for trolling seems to be the standard with heavy floro leads. Advantages, fish are boated quickly and have a better chance for surving when released. Not to mention more solid hook ups when driving those over sized hooks home as wells as keeping those expensive baits tethered to the end line rather than lost in the fishes mouth. It's a win win situation for sure.

[Rich Clemens]

Braid for me all way. I have a couple rods with mono, but I only use them for pan fish and the like around my area. For bass, it's 12-14# Stren Superbraid and for pike/musky, it's 80# Power Pro. 2' Leader for casting and 3' for trolling. I just start using Flouro leaders at 100#. I'm like pigeontroller ... couple years removed from my last ski.

[Roy]

You got that right, Chris.

[Garry2Rs]

I use 80 pound PowerPro or Tuff Line Plus. I started with 50lb. and then tried 65lb, but both lighter lines would snap if I threw a birdsnest with a heavy lure, like a Sledge etc. Eighty pound PowerPro is the diameter of 20 pound Mono, and the best all around weight in my opinion.

2R's

[Guest Johnny Bass]

Braided all the way, because Musky are known for eratic runs and jumps that would easily stretch and eventually snap mono. I use 50 lb power pro to cast and 80 lb power pro to troll. I hear there are issues with the 65 lb but other people have no problems. If you are casting big jerk baits(10+ inches) all day I would also go with the 80 lb power pro.

 

I also use a 18 inch floro carbon leader with a heavy duty swivel. They sell them for around $10 at BPS already made.

[mistaredone]

I bought 35 lb gorilla tuff. Casts like rope.

[Roy]

JB, the 65lb is not PP, it's Stealth.

[Aaron Shirley]

As most others have stated, my favourite line is 80-pound braid to cast with.

 

I use different lines to troll with depending on the situation. Braid in most cases, but I also use mono (St.Clair with planer boards), and leadcore and wire in the fall. I like 6-foot fluoro leaders for trolling.

 

Aaron

[OhioFisherman]

I have lost Muskies using 10 pound test mono up to around 25 pound test mono. I can`t imagine using 65 to 80 pound test mono, LOL throw out the anchor line when casting? The super lines seem to be a lot better idea, 65 pound power pro the same diameter as 16 pound mono? 80 pound test probably equal to 20 pound test mono? super lines for super fish.

 

I prefer mono for most fishing I have done, but for muskie or out sized fish the super lines seems to make sense. Not enough experience using the power pro.

[Rizzo]

both my set-ups are 80lb powerpro with 150lb fluorocarbon leaders...snaps and swivels strong enough to lift a small car