Line Size for Whopper Plopper?

[Brett's_daddy]

Okay, what line size/type do you use for a size 90/130 Whopper Plopper? I've hear some use 30lb. braid, wondering what you'd use for flouro...is 10lb. enough?

[Hog Basser]

I use 15-17 lbs. fluoro.  I have a lot of snags to contend with though, so I tend to stick to heavier line when I can.  

[Brett's_daddy]

This would actually be for a spinning reel setup...to start (until I get more comfortable with my bait caster). Can I go over the recommended line size for my reels (i.e.-if my reel says 10lb. max mono/flouro could I use a 15lb. and obviously get less of it spooled)?

[Philo Beddoe]

I wouldn't use flouro for a top water since flouro sinks. I'll let others chime in on the lb test, but I'd use mono or braid.

[r3825]

I throw mine on 50lb power pro and it works perfectly

[BassinLou]

Mono or braid sounds like the best suitable line for this topwater lure.  

[Hog Basser]

1 hour ago, Brett's_daddy said:

This would actually be for a spinning reel setup...to start (until I get more comfortable with my bait caster). Can I go over the recommended line size for my reels (i.e.-if my reel says 10lb. max mono/flouro could I use a 15lb. and obviously get less of it spooled)?

I wouldn't go over the recommended max weight for your reel....braid will likely be the way to go since you can get greater test strength with a smaller diameter.  With the whopper plopper, I put it on my fluoro rigged pole and don't have issues with the sinking line since I'm running it most of the time and not slow walking it back like a spook, but yes mono and braid will be best.  

Had a recent experience with using over the recommended size line on a spinning reel.  My nephew got his new spinning setup and had an inexperienced store employee put line on it for him.  They used too high of test and it was too stiff and kept unspooling off the front of the reel.  He missed out on a lot of good fishing that day.  

Also, as info: the equivalent diameter of a mono line is listed on the braided line spool.  

 

[dsqui]

30 lb power pro will be more then enough.  im only running 50 on my musky rod and the pacemaker makes the bass size whopper plopper look like a crappie bait

[Felix77]

I personally wouldn't go more than 15lb braid on a spinning outfit.  That includes for this whopper plopper.  FWIW I throw it on a baitcaster and I basically use 15 mono or co-poly as long as it floats.

[Airman4754]

I throw it on my top water setup which is 65lb braid. It's top water, KISS. 

[Onvacation]

I usually throw the 130 on a baitcaster with 30 pound braid but have thrown it on 65.  I have thrown the 90 on everything down to 8 pound flouro. Not ideal but my wife wanted to toss it on her light spinning gear for awhile. It works fine on my MF spinning gear but the 130 is a bit too hefty in my opinion for anything less than MH which is usually strung with heavier line anyway. 

[iceintheveins]

I don't like braid for topwaters. But since you insist on throwing it on spinning gear, I would go with 20 pound braid.

[Bluebasser86]

I fish mine on my frog rod with 50lb braid.

If you're fishing the 90 on a spinning rod, you'll be fine with 10-20 pound braid.

[Brett's_daddy]

6 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

I fish mine on my frog rod with 50lb braid.

If you're fishing the 90 on a spinning rod, you'll be fine with 10-20 pound braid.

I will be fishing both the 90 and 130 on a spinning rod so...maybe the 30lb. braid (or 40lb which I'm guessing is equivilant in diamter to 10lb test flouro/mono which is the max size for my reel)?

[Bluebasser86]

9 minutes ago, Brett's_daddy said:

I will be fishing both the 90 and 130 on a spinning rod so...maybe the 30lb. braid (or 40lb which I'm guessing is equivilant in diamter to 10lb test flouro/mono which is the max size for my reel)?

The 130, at 1 3/8oz, is a very heavy bait for most spinning rods (it's heavy for a lot of casting rods for that matter). You should still be fine with 20lb braid with the 130 as long as your rod is heavy enough to be able to handle that heavy of a bait. 

[Megastink]

I've had great success with the whopper plopper. On the 130 size, the LIGHTEST line I use is 50lb braid. On the 90 size, I will use 15lb mono, but much prefer 20lb. These are big fish baits and we have a lot of toothy critters up here in Pensylvania. 

[Brett's_daddy]

1 hour ago, Bluebasser86 said:

The 130, at 1 3/8oz, is a very heavy bait for most spinning rods (it's heavy for a lot of casting rods for that matter). You should still be fine with 20lb braid with the 130 as long as your rod is heavy enough to be able to handle that heavy of a bait. 

My rod is a Fenwick HMG 7ft. MH rod with a lure weight up to 1 oz. I've spoken to many people on this subject before and most have said they routinely throw lures heavier than what their rod rating says (within .5 oz.) as that's mostly a guideline and not a set-in-stone rule. I've also heard that Fenwick rods tend to fish heavier than their rating too so a MH will be more like a H in another rod makers product.

[burrows]

16 hours ago, Brett's_daddy said:

This would actually be for a spinning reel setup...to start (until I get more comfortable with my bait caster). Can I go over the recommended line size for my reels (i.e.-if my reel says 10lb. max mono/flouro could I use a 15lb. and obviously get less of it spooled)?

Use 12 I think 15 will  mess with the performance of your reel.

[Brett's_daddy]

I have 15lb. Power Pro on the reel now and have fished it without any problems, just worried about snapping the line and losing an expensive lure :).

[Robert Riley]

17 hours ago, Philo Beddoe said:

I wouldn't use flouro for a top water since flouro sinks. I'll let others chime in on the lb test, but I'd use mono or braid.

Yaaa bro^

I use 30lb braid, or 10lb mono. 

[d-camarena]

14 hours ago, Felix77 said:

I personally wouldn't go more than 15lb braid on a spinning outfit.  That includes for this whopper plopper.  FWIW I throw it on a baitcaster and I basically use 15 mono or co-poly as long as it floats.

15lb braid is the least i do on spinning. For the whopper i go with 30lb braid on a 3/4 heavy rod. The difference is in the reel size. All my spinning reels are 4000 size and cast heavy braid effortlessly

[webertime]

Use your braid with a 15lb leader (BigGame is $8 for like 800 yards at Wally World).  This will keep the trebles from fouling in the braid.  I throw my 130 on a 735 Dobyns and 15lb mono and it feels like I am getting close to overloading it.

[Cgrinder]

Yeah I think you're going to cast off the 130 on 15 lb braid. The 90 will work well though.

[Brett's_daddy]

I'm thinking of doing either 30lb or 40lb. braid...maybe with a 15lb. Big Game mono leader although that scares me a little as I'm not sure how much I trust my uni knot tying skills attaching the leader.

[Cgrinder]

Don't tie a Uni-Uni. Practice the Alberto knot or another knot designed for two different line diameters. The Uni-Uni works best with near identical diameters.