I lost a big perch yesterday on 3lb line - broke me up - grrrrrrrr. I've read articles that recommend very strong line - 6 or 8lbs - for big perch, saying they don't mind it, but when I look at my 6lb mono it seems very stiff. I'm more worried by this than them seeing it. What line do people recommend?

Vagabond,

Let me first say I don't have any idea of how much experience was involved with the original explaination.

Another possibility, and "first thought", perhaps the most common in the US, is line that was compromised at the knot before it was even cast. Mono often looks frayed when it is, in fact, stretched apart.

As for eels, not even a consideration in most waters over here.

My "second" thought (from a thread started in 2005??) was indeed a "non-target" fish (or creature like a turtle). The "most common" fish to fray line over here whilst predator fishing with live bait is the "dastardly channel catfish" of about 4 inches. Second, is the "dastardly channel catfish of about 40 lbs.

So, #1 bad knot; #2 non-target species.

Phone