Best Muskie Line

[bassmastermike]

I was hoping someone could help me out i just bought a new Muskie Rod and Reel and im not sure what to spool it with Mono Braid floro can somone please give me some suggestions Thanks

[lew]

You may get a few different opinions on this Mike, but myself & most of my fish'n buds prefer PowerPro with a fluoro leader......80 pound for casting & 100 for trolling works well and 130 pound fluoro goes good with it. Myself, I like Seaguar fluoro, but again you may get varying opinions on this.

 

You also need good terminal tackle to go along with the line & leaders and I find Stringeze snaps are about the best around and Spro makes excellent swivels.

 

You can buy fluoro in bulk, but it's expensive at close to $70 / 50 feet, or you can go to JB's and buy a couple leaders already made up. Brian can set you up with everything you need there.

[Rich Clemens]

You may get a few different opinions on this Mike, but myself & most of my fish'n buds prefer PowerPro with a fluoro leader......80 pound for casting & 100 for trolling works well

 

I must be one of Lew's fishing buds. What Lew is using is exactly what I have on my musky rods. 80# PP and the leaders. I am using a 2 foot leader for casting and a 3 foot leader for trolling. Actually I had purchased them from board member 'Eh' a couple years ago and their still going strong.

Edited November 8, 2007 by Rich Clemens

[brickNblock]

............be sure to first spool on a decent 50' or so of regular/cheap mono around 12lb for backing before attaching the PP or whatever braid you'll be using.

I tie it uni-uni.....this prevents the braid from slipping on your spool.

I'm using the same as both Lew and R.Clemons also........you cant go wrong

Edited November 8, 2007 by brickNblock

[Jigger]

Remember when fishing line was a little less costly? I almost hit the floor when I was spooling up my musky outfit this year. Yeah, I run the 80#PP and 110# Seaguar fluoro With good bearings and snaps. Buying premade leaders is a good idea if you're buying one or two and are not sure what you want to use. Buying a roll of fluoro and snaps/swivels is definately a commitment.

[Zib]

For casting I use 50# Power Pro or Stren Super Braid & a 80# flouro leader.

[Uncle Buck]

80lb power pro on my rig...

[Guest gbfisher]

I know that I am not sold on PP line yet. I have seen pp snap on just a cast on many occasions but it was 30 lb. I haven't seen it snap on a Musky hit YET( 85 lb pp)....... but seeing it snap while just casting makes me wonder. I've seen it snap while fishing with others as well. Lost a bit of tackle because of it.

I had this discussion with Marc when I was out fishing with him and he suggested I try Spiderwire Stealth so I switched one trolling rod to it and one casting rod. I have to try it in 30 lb test this spring to see if it has better SHOCK VALUE....

 

I know the zebra muscles make short work of any line be it pp, mono or FC and I'm assuming sws as well.. wont know for a while yet though....

 

I say it's what ever you feel comfortable with....

[lew]

I have to try it in 30 lb test this spring to see if it has better SHOCK VALUE....

 

30 # is pretty light for throwing heavy musky baits Andy. Go heavier and it'll reduce your chances of snapping it on a backlash. Muskies aren't the least bit line shy, so no need to fish the smaller diameter.

 

I only use 65# PP for casting and have never had it snap on me yet, but most guys are casting with 80 # and get as many fish as always.

[Terry]

best muskie line to me was

 

 

 

well we didn't land any but we had 6 follows

 

 

 

or

had pictures of 10 muskie but the camera fell in the water........LOL

now that's a line

[irishfield]

Along Gb's lines..no pun intended. I had my 30 pound PP snap twice on me this summer casting #5 Mepps on the back lakes. Wind knot on spool, snap, bucktail sails off into the distance.

 

I too put Spiderwire Stealth on my trolling reel a couple weeks ago... after seeing it in action for 4 days with Thorpe. I had an old roll of 65lb PPro here and I used it as backing for the new 65lb Spiderwire Stealth. As I'm tying the uni to unit knot to join them I found the powerpro was stiff...the wrap thru would unwind if you let go of it etc...where as the Stealth is extremely limp..you can let go of it and it doesn't spring back. I've also noticed it isn't fraying, or losing colour anywhere near as quickly as the powerpro does, and as you know that line has been getting a bi-weekly work out lately in Zebra infested water.

 

Consider Marc uses his stuff daily...10 hours daily, 200 days a year. He reties when he thinks of it..once a week or every two whether it needs it or not.

[Guest gbfisher]

30 # is pretty light for throwing heavy musky baits Andy. Go heavier and it'll reduce your chances of snapping it on a backlash. Muskies aren't the least bit line shy, so no need to fish the smaller diameter.

 

I only use 65# PP for casting and have never had it snap on me yet, but most guys are casting with 80 # and get as many fish as always.

 

 

I wasnt using 30 lb for Musky Lew. More for spring pike.

I just meant that in general I find that it snaps a little strange is all. I dont want to see it happen when I get a good fish on trolling with 85 lb pp which is what I use. I thought that seeing as how it snaps easy just from a cast that MAYBE....it might happen when you get a 55" plus with 85 lb pp on the line in the summer. They hit so dang hard makes me wonder thats all. I havent see it yet... the snaping or the 55 plus....lol

Edited November 8, 2007 by gbfisher

[Raf]

I wasnt using 30 lb for Musky Lew. More for spring pike.

I just meant that in general I find that it snaps a little strange is all. I dont want to see it happen when I get a good fish on trolling with 85 lb pp which is what I use. I thought that seeing as how it snaps easy just from a cast that MAYBE....it might happen when you get a 55" plus with 85 lb pp on the line in the summer. They hit so dang hard makes me wonder thats all. I havent see it yet... the snaping or the 55 plus....lol

 

Soft-tipped rod and loose'ish drags will absorb the impact on a strike. It's a little different when casting and all of a sudden the lure stops in mid-air on a cast due to a backlash. Take a 5oz lure, the force of your cast and it probably isn't very difficult to exceed the line rating, especially since it won't stretch. I still have 65# on one reel that I use for vertical stuff but use 80 and 100 for casting and trolling these days.

[Guest gbfisher]

Thought about using an rod with a soft tip. I like the fast action for good hook setting when trolling. You have a point though. When the fish gets to the side of the boat you may have a better shot at not losing it with a softer tip and good drag settings. Im talking about the person who reels it though. That they may not be used to how the line works and tighten up the drag with out me knowing because they can't get any line in with the fast action and my drag setting...lol and my drags are set hard all ready.

With out the soft tip and bad drag setting the hooks may pull out with no give and a good run at the side of the boat.

I don't get to reel in a fish very often on my boat.

 

not all snapings were due to backlash either.

As I say...I'm not sold yet.

Edited November 8, 2007 by gbfisher

[DANIMAL]

80-100 lb. test braid is definitly the way to go. I have used a few different brands, and powerpro stands up best. I have never tried flourocarbon leaders for musky, but I have had small pike bite through 60 lb. flourocarbon leader material with ease. Has anybody here had a musky bite through their flourocarbon leader?

[Guest gbfisher]

Thorpe told me he hasnt had it happen. With 400 plus fish in the boat this year, I think thats pretty good odds.

 

I have a little story about a native kid who asked me "whats this stuff on your Musky rods?"

I said , "thats PP and FC. You can't bite through that stuff. Well I sure can't anyway.

Less than a minute passed and he handed me my swivel. He bit through 85 lb pp and 150 lb fc in only a few seconds. Thats when I began to question the liine....

 

SHARPed tooth little bugger.

Edited November 8, 2007 by gbfisher

[Weeds]

If you think 30 pound snaps easy you should see 20lb powerpro. SNAP!! Lost a fair bit of tackle on a reel loaded with it due to bad casts. Now I find 80lb spiderline (Spiderwire maybe, can never remember which) braid to be perfect. Personally, I use 45 lb maxim fluro for my leaders and have so far have not had a problem. Admittedly that's because of the prohibitive cost of the 80, 100, 120 lb stuff and being relatively new to musky fishing and having not a ton of disposable income (newer house, baby, etc, etc) I was trying to save a few bucks. It's cheap, can't remember exactly, maybe 15 bucks for 40 yards and thats a lot of leaders. Mind you, Ive never caught a BIG musky and 45 lbs might be too light, I'd hate to have a break off and possibly leave a big musky out there with a lure stuck in it. So far it's been good but next season I'll probably splurge for some 120 lb fluro leaders, never seen them before and looking forward to a vist to this JB's.

 

Come to think of it, I believe I caught my last musky using an 80lb 8 inch black steel leader. 3 for $1.99 at Lebarons. Not a bad option if you are on a budget and I don't think the leader is long enough for a musky to get itself cut up on it. Mind you, I am a real rookie when it come's to this musky stuff as I previously mentioned.

Edited November 8, 2007 by Weeds

[Handlebarz]

I am also in favor of PP 65# is what is on my casting rigs with 50#-135# floro leaders depending on what the structre is if open water and just weeds no stumps or rock then 50# is good but if you have any rocks and stumps you should concider heavier just my $0.02

[HTHM]

my best musky line is: " Ah nuts he got away again!"

[Ben_Daniels]

I use 80lb PowePro with some Fluro leaders I bought already made up, not sure what lb test they are. Be sure to be careful when casting those big baits with PowerPro, if you get a small tangle in your line at the rod tip its reallly easy to snap the tip off when you try to cast....happened to me this summer...twice, not fun when I only had one pike/muskie rod

 

-Ben

[mattyk]

i also use 80lb power pro, with flourcabon leaders.

[Jigger]

I bought 30lb when I started fishing 'skis and also had 3 or 4 lures snap on a backlash. The last one had a titanium leader attached so I bumped the line# up. Even on my bass flippin rod, I use 50# PP and have set the hook in some horrible snags. Never let me down. Lost alot of lures to musky on that rod, you can't even feel the bite, they cut through PP like you wouldn't believe.

[linweir]

I use 60~80 pd braid line, depend on how heavy my rod is.