Really The Strongest Line?

[WeymouthSean]

Hi am usually on the sea forum as I am a mullet fanatic but was pondering a question that people on the freshwater side my be able to answer for me?

 

Its just that I have had a terrible year on getting big mullet in (ie 6lb + fish). Now where I fish there isn't much room to play fish. Basically if they make it to the pontoons which is about 30 yards they are gone! (ie rub on the structure) so I have to bully them and not let them run too much.

 

Now bites normally seem to dry up if I use anything above 1.8mm line thickness so the only stuff I have found is TEKLON GOLD which is supposed to be 8lb. I use a thicker 8lb main line but use a short hooklength of the TEKLON. Unfortuately I have been smashed up on this line more times this year than any other and was wondering what the best line would be to use bearing in mind a 6lb + mullet is like a barbel on steriods!!

 

There is no way I have applied 8lb of pressure to these fish and yet it seems to break like cotton! Whats the strongest thinnest line on the market that you can recommend?

[Dick Dastardly]

For my Mullet fishing I always used 4lb Maxima Chamelion in relatively open water and 6lb near snags/structure.Never had a problem.

 

This year I didnt get out as much as usual (only fished 14 tides) But I tried using braided mainline (mainly as Ive switched to using braid for most of my freshwater fishing over the years) Ive only used it for trotting a float down but the 10lb Spiderwire (has a similar diameter to 2lbs mono) I have on my pin was a bit to thin for my liking and Im not convinced that had any of the fish I caught rubbed up against any structure it wouldnt have gone.

 

Im going to try a slightly thicker braid next summer I should think around 20lb (Spiderwire of this breaking strain has a diameter similar to 6lbs mono).I did find the float line control was better and I also felt I was hitting more of the ultra fast bites (thin lips) that I often miss.

 

As braid(well some makes) hold water you need to get a fly fishing line winder to take it off your good centrepins (if you use one) else the dreaded rust will get in to your reel!

 

Going to

[poledark]

Sean, it may be your knot which is giving way...............

 

Check and report to me outside my study in the morning

 

Den

[david t]

Maxima is the most reliable line ive found. its not hi-tech, and its got a good bit of stretch in it, it seems pretty abrasion resistant too. Also it knots very well, it never seems to kink at the knot like some other lines. also, my local shop always tend to sell it for £2.99 a spool, which means imcan afford to respool quite alot.

[Jim Roper]

Now bites normally seem to dry up if I use anything above 1.8mm line thickness

 

 

I'm not surprised!

[Leon Roskilly]

Especially using lines with little stretch, ie very thin diameter mono or braid, you need to marry them with a very soft tip rod to act as a shock-absorber.

 

If there isn't the cushioning effect that you get with stretchy line and/or a soft tipped rod, even a momentary shock exceeding 8lbs, that you wouldn't necessarily feel through holding the rod, will snap the line.

 

A sudden shake of the head by a mullet, or the tail smashing against the line wil do it, and so will a sudden turbo-charged acceleration by the mullet.

 

You simply won't react in time to these, but will need to rely on balanced tackle to tacke the initial shock.

 

The other thing to remember is that the smallest nick or abarasion in a low diameter line means that a far greater percentage of bs is lost than similar damage to a higher diameter line.

 

 

So, you need to be especially careful at not re-using hooklengths, perhaps changing them during a session, especially if you've had to pull out of a snag, or had them stretched during a fight, or simply trod on them accidentally etc.

 

Something I try to remember to do, especially at the start of a session, is to hook the hook onto something and use the rod to exert some pressure, so that I'm confident at the amount of pressure that I can comfortably put on a fish.

 

On the odd occasion, the line has parted unexpectedly, like cotton, leaving me grateful that it didn't happen when I had a fish on.

Edited October 28, 2006 by Leon Roskilly

[WeymouthSean]

hhmm I have been thinking of trying briad for quite a while, but have been scared about using it due to its lack of stretch and the chances of hook pulls being massively increased. However I think it would be worth a try try to its massive abrasive resistant qualities you could probably let the fish run a bit further without the risk of getting snapped off on an obstruction such as a pontoon. Would you be able to see that sort of briad all the way through? Or would you need a hooklength.

 

Leon I think you are right I need to change the hooklength more often and I think shotting the hooklength weakness the line too and has led to the problem I have had. I don't think its my knots as the hooklength seems to give in the middle of the trace?

[Dick Dastardly]

hhmm I have been thinking of trying briad for quite a while, but have been scared about using it due to its lack of stretch and the chances of hook pulls being massively increased. However I think it would be worth a try try to its massive abrasive resistant qualities you could probably let the fish run a bit further without the risk of getting snapped off on an obstruction such as a pontoon. Would you be able to see that sort of briad all the way through? Or would you need a hooklength.

 

Sean be under no illusion.Despite the manufacturers claims braid (lb for lb against mono) has very poor abraission resistance.This is why it is best to buy it by diameter and not breaking strain.Simply get a similar diameter braid to the mono you would use for the same job.This is why pike anglers use 50-80lb braid simply because it has roughly the same diameter (0.35mm) as the standard 15lb mono that the used to use.This gets around the abbraission problem.

 

As Leons mentioned with a soft rod you wont have any problems.

 

Due to its fine diameter to high breaking strain I prefer not to use braided mainlines as hook lengths.Ive found them to both cut mouths and also be more visable.I always use a mono hook length.

[Leon Roskilly]

I think shotting the hooklength weakness the line too and has led to the problem I have had.

 

 

:Sharp intake of breath and gritted teeth:

 

 

You could well be right!