as i started off as a match angler i never used above 6lb line. when i started carp fishing reading that i would need 15lb was a shock to me. so at the moment im using 15lb daiwa sensor mainline down to 12lb black dacron. i thought this setup was heavy.

the other day i qquestioned an angler on my local pool and he was talking about his setup and that he allways used 25lb mainline down to 45lb lead core.

i was really puzzled at the line he was using so i would like you views on what line you would reccomend. as im fishing for carp up to 30lb and cats up to 30lb. write you views below.

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It's a funny one this, i use 16lb diawa infinity mainline and 12lb Fox softsteel or 12lb fluorocarbon as a hooklength. I always try to use a lighter breaking strain for my hooklength even though this isn't the norm these days. Most people using 20lb+ braided hook lengths.

I've never figured out why people use heavy hooklengths, i've always felt it was safer for the fish to use a lighter one.

Paul.

Im with you on this one paul, i started carp fishing and was advised as you said. i use at least a 2lb lesser hook length than my main.

and i hope if i do have a snap off, that it will go at the hook knot.

sean

Pardon the newbie question but are we talking mono or braid?

Thanks.

Rustam

I use 15lb mono mainline and hooklengths are normally 20-25lb (mono or braid), although I did use 12lb braid in France this year - because that was their rules.

Fish size is almost irrelevant to the question of line strength. Remember that even with a 3lb TC rod you can only exert about 4 or 5lb pressure on a fish, and most of the time it's probably just acouple of pounds pressure.

Line strength should really be dictated by safety and to some extent the distance you need to cast. I use 15lb line because I fish weedy and snaggy waters. What is most important is that the line is strong enough to survive abrasions and land a fish.

Those of you that worry about losing fish are partly correct about having a lighter hooklength - in an ideal world. That said I can't remember the last time I lost any rigs - apart from when I cast up a tree.

If your rigs and end tackle are safe then a fish will quite easily shed the hook even if there is a rig and some mainline attached.

Rob.

This post has been edited by RobStubbs: Oct 12 2006, 07:12 AM

I use mostly 10lb big game for a main line. the hook link will vary because of what presentation I want to achieve.

Main lines to me should be dictated by where you are going to fish, weed, snags. I have used 7 lb for a main line, then put a leader on. this was to get distance, but the swim had no snags and was open the fish could could run anywhere and you could land it, but not many waters like that around.

I always carry spare spools for my reels, with braid on, 10lb and 15 lb. if conditions ditate I will change fish safety and landing the fish is more important.

Roger

i always use 15lb mainline and 15lb braid ive never had my rig snapped ^^ but my biggest fish is 13lb....

That pretty much sums it up for me.

Also, your actual breaking strain might be less, or even more, than stated on your mainline/hooklink packaging. Some manufactures are prone to exaggerating breaking strains and others are found to underrate them.

As such, using a 15lb mainline and a 12lb hooklink is no guarantee that the hooklink will always snap first. So much is dependant on the type of knots used for both hooklinks and mainlines, that unless you’ve actually tested your knots on a tension meter to see what they let-go at, it’s all pretty immaterial.

I use 12lb Diawa Sensa mainline and 10lb ESP Ghost Fluorocarbon hooklength and I haven't lost a fish on it yet. Knotless knot for the hook and palomar knots for the swivel. I've lost a couple of fish through hook-pulls and I been snapped after getting snagged but never on a straight fight. The biggest I've landed on this set-up is a 24lb 10oz Mirror (which is also my PB).

As a ps - I got everything above the swivel back on the snap off so in my case (and that's all I can comment on) the weaker hooklink did snap first.

This post has been edited by cidermonkey: Oct 18 2006, 03:08 PM

I use 15lb synergy mainline and 25lb snake bite hooklink,main reason i use stronger hooklink than main line is due to braid being much thiner than mono and in my opinion can have a cheese wire effect on the soft mouths and damage them more easly.