Fishing Line

[Steve2012]

Hi Everyone

 

What type of line should I buy to fish walleye? There are so many different types to choose from.

 

Cheers!

[mike rousseau]

Power pro has never let me down...

 

I like 10 pound test for trolling Crankbaits because the thinner line helps the lure dive deeper....

 

For drifting or trolling spinners/harnesses I step up to 30 pound test... For abrasion resistance...

 

And for jigging I like 6 pound fireline in hi vis yellow

 

 

...

Edited September 10, 2012 by Mike Rousseau

[kickingfrog]

There are lots to chose from and many of us have different preferences for different situations and conditions.

 

What type of rod(s) and reel(s) do you have?

How do you plan to fish for them?

 

I like 15lb braid on my medium spinning rod for jigging and casting most of the time.

 

I use a heavier spinning rod and 20lb braid in weeds.

 

For trolling I use a baitcaster or a line counter with 20lb or 30lb braid.

 

I'll add a florucarbon leaders of various lengths if needed.

[mercman]

10lb Power Pro with 24" of Flouro leader for trolling walleye in your area with cranks.The rod should be MH Fast as a minimum, but Heavy is prferable. Accudepth 17 or Convector cv20 line counters are great for this application, and are inexpensive.

[adolson]

I stick with 10lb Tuf-Line Duracast for walleye, and pretty much everything else. I don't fish muskie or salmon, though (not really found in my 1-hour radius).

[danc]

Old school here once again. I've never taken one cast in my life with braid. I grew up with mono and it still works well for me. Whats the big deal with braid anyways? It doesn't stretch? I like some stretch in my line. Smaller diameter? Phhhtttt. Mono has come a long long way since braid has been developed. Give it a try and you just might fall in love with it all over again. My favorite mono is Cabelas power pro. Ten bucks for a couple of thousand yards, depending on lb. test. I don't buy it because it's cheap. I buy it because it's good. Cabelas guarantees that their power pro mono is better than any than any other mono, reguardless of price, or return it for a full refund, no questions asked. 20 years later and I've never found a better mono. Braid? Whats that? Oh yea. It's the newest, latest and greatest thing. Must have braid... Must have braid... lol

 

Don't even get me started on that invisible clear stiff stuff that everyone is using for leaders these days. I forget what its called. Presentation is the key. If you present your bait properly tied to 1/4 inch yellow nylon rope, you'll catch fish.

[danc]

Fishing with mono is like driving blindfolded.

 

 

 

How so? The apparent advantages to braid is that it's thin for it's strength, and it doesn't stretch. I like some line stretch. Why am I fishing/driving blindfolded?

[Moosebunk]

Use braid for pretty much everything now. Stickler for tying floro leads to the business end.

 

For jiggin' eyes, 8-10lb PowerPro with 6-8lb, 2-4 foot floro leads.

 

Trolling eyes on Quinte, 40lb PowerPro with 12-14lb, 40 foot floro leads.

[danc]

Fishing with mono severely limits the amplitude of vibration transferred into your hands.

 

This isn't a problem when fishing fast moving reaction type baits, but when you need extra feel braid shines.

 

Try jigging with braid, you have no idea what you aren't feeling right now with mono. You could be missing fish you didn't even know had hit and spit.

 

Are you serious? I think that you've been brainwashed by the tackle/line manufacturers. Like I said, "must have braid... must have braid...". I jigged with mono a couple of weeks ago and caught hundreds of Walleyes. And you're telling me that with different line I could have caught hundreds more? I put more faith into my rod and skill as far as feeling a bite goes. But if you need non stretch braid to tell you when a fish bites, then I guess that it has it's purpose.

[danc]

What's the point of asking a question just to get pissy?

 

 

 

Just giving my opinion too. And I must have missed your question. What was it again?

[captpierre]

Trolling with braid will let you know if your lure has any weeds. Even a small amount.

 

You can feel everything. Down here in S. Ont, we need all the help we can get.

 

I tried 10lb Fireline Crystal last week and found it pretty good.

[solopaddler]

You know Dan I used to think exactly the same way you do. I know exactly where you're coming from.

 

You really should try a braided line though first before you decide.

 

 

Anyhow I don't mind Duracast in the lighter weights for walleye.

 

However I'm still somewhat stuck on Power Pro. 4 and 5lb for most of my jigging (it's unbelievably thin, limp and strong), and 10lb for trolling cranks.

Edited September 11, 2012 by Mike Borger

[bare foot wader]

I don't even bother wetting a line anymore...I just walk my white bucket down to the waters edge and yell, "I'm friends with Chuck Norris!" and BAM, bucket is over flowing with fish

 

 

braid is amazing IMO, use it for almost everything, mostly because of increased sensitivity and thinner diameter...i use it topwater fishing but with a longer mono leader than normal...even use 20 lb braid with a floating coating on my big water drift rod...i love feeling of driving the hook home at the very end of a long drift, which I used to miss a lot of fish before switching

 

downside to braid: harder to use properly compared to mono, expensive

 

if you're new to the sport keep things simple and cheap...use a quality mono, trilene sensation is my preference...for walleye fishing i'd say 8 lb is a good all round choice

[adempsey]

I still have some reels with mono when I need a break from the god awful noise from braid!!

 

I'd still recommend you go with 10lb Power Pro though. The only reason not to is if you don't want to bother using a mono or fluorocarbon leader; and don't want to purchase some serrated scissors. You only need to change it every few seasons IMO, so the cost is actually similar or cheaper than mono which should be changed each season.

 

If you can't stand the noise or don't feel good about dropping $20+ on a spool, I'd recommend Trilene XT, Maxima Ultragreen, Gamma Copolymer or P-Line Floroclear in 6 or 8lb test.

Edited September 11, 2012 by FishLogic

[Leecher]

..... Everyone who tries braid says the same thing - "I could never go back to mono".....

 

Wrong!!! Not for me... tried braid, didn't like it and went back to mono. All I use on my reels is Trilene XL Armor Coated in 10Lbs test and it's one tough line and there's no need for a leader, as I tie my main line directly to the lure

 

Only time I use braid is for ice fishing

[backbay]

This thread is interesting, When I started to use braid, it was like upgrading my rods. I'm one of the guys who now use it for everything, usually with about 2' ft of flouro leader. That's what I prefer, and wouldn't go back for all the tea in China, but confidence counts for a lot in fishing, and if Dan and some of the other guys like mono, then carry on....

[mercman]

Wrong!!! Not for me... tried braid, didn't like it and went back to mono. All I use on my reels is Trilene XL Armor Coated in 10Lbs test and it's one tough line and there's no need for a leader, as I tie my main line directly to the lure

 

Only time I use braid is for ice fishing

 

Mono is really all you need for those little trouty thing Jacques:whistling:

[Leecher]

Mono is really all you need for those little trouty thing Jacques

 

Yup... exactly

[gordy28]

I personally like braid for everything

I recently fished steady for a week - so I tried a little test

10 lb power pro on one spinning reel and 10 lb fireline smoke on the other

I will now use fireline exclusively - liked the feel and sensitivity better than power pro

I fish it with a 3 ft Seaguar Flouro 8 lb leader for walleye and bass

Best thing - on special at Lebaron right now...

[Dabluz]

I use braid on baitcasters for casting heavy lures for pike and walleye. I don't use braid on my spinning reels. I tried it and though it was ok, I still prefer a fusion type line like Fireline. Anyway, Fireline, size for size, is the strongest line. 20 lb Fireline breaks at over 45 lbs. I use light line so my largest Fireline is rated at 8 lb test. I tried Nanofil this year in 4 lb test and love it. It's as strong and shock resistant as 4 lb mono. I don't use leaders....especially fluorocarbon which is way overated and expensive. I'm even surprised at how many people like this stuff since it does not have any qualities at all except the fact that it sinks.

 

I am a finesse fisherman so I use 2 to 6 lb clear mono. The best line I have used so far has been Berkley Sensation. It is not a mono but a copolymer line. It acts exactly like mono but it does have less stretch than Berkley XL and if you look at the diameter versus rated strength, it's in the class with the thinnest monos and copolymers on the market. Of course, it does cost a bit more but it is a premium quality line. Sensation lasts a long time while I have seen other monos become deteriorated (turn chalky, feel sticky and rough) quite quickly. Tectan Premium is a great line but much more expensive and hard to find. Remington Ultra is rated as the best of the monos but I have never seen it for sale in Quebec.

 

I've tried a good number of braided lines and I did not like Power Pro very much. I prefer Mason Tiger braid and the original Tuf Line that has no special coating to make it stiffer. Both of these lines are super supple and cast great with baitcasters. They are about the only braided lines that don't use an outer covering to make them less supple. They have also tested to be the 2 best braided lines on the market. Ok....I have not used any of the very new braids because the one's that I have now refuse to die.

 

I still have my original 10 lb test Fireline and it is still going strong since the day it came on the market.

[adolson]

Everyone who tries braid says the same thing - "I could never go back to mono".

I tried braid and I sure didn't say that!

 

I know that Tuf-Line DuraCast is supposedly a braid, but compared with all other braids I've had the displeasure of wasting money on, it sure seems different. I'd easily go back to mono before I waste any more money on Power Pro or similar again.

[lew]

I've been fishing for around 60 years and find PowerPro to be about the best I've ever used and can't see any reason to change at this point.

 

Got it on all my reels, both spinning & casting.

 

To each their own...

[Christopheraaron]

Fish logic, are you kidding me! Who doesn't looove that sound! Maybe I'm just weird. Braid is definately a step up from mono, but I still like using it for trout and live bait, also topwaters. Try braid!!!

[backbay]

I use braid on baitcasters for casting heavy lures for pike and walleye. I don't use braid on my spinning reels. I tried it and though it was ok, I still prefer a fusion type line like Fireline.

 

To clarify, I tend to lump all "superlines" together, but use both fused and braided lines. I have Fireline 15 lb on one of my Spinning rigs, and Sufix Perfoprmance Fuse 30lb on one of my baitcasters. Power Pro for all the heavier strengths. Good for you to distinguish between the types, Dabluz.

[GBW]

I use 3 different types and brands of braid. all depends on what combo and how I'm fishing will depend on what line is on that reel.

I use spiderwire stealth, tuf-line duracast and nanofil and I keep a spool of #10 BPS Floro handy for a leader.