What kind of line do you recommend

[B-Gee]

I fish for largemouth bass in a small, fairly shallow lake here in Florida. I use spinning gear with 15 lb. Power Pro braid and I fish mostly with small surface lures, mainly Rebel Pop-R’s and Heddon Tiny Torpedos. I think I’ve read here that some folks recommend using mono or some other kind of line instead of braid because braid sinks and may weigh down these surface lures so that they don’t have the best action on top of the water. I’ve been catching fish using braid but I’m wondering if I’d do better using a good brand of mono or some other kind of line. I’m kind of new to Bass fishing and I would appreciate some advice on this.

[Benjamin Bunting]

Hi Robert, I'm new to this forum too, but I can share my experiences with line for top water. Braid is fine if you are satisfied. I wouldn't know if you would catch less or more on braid but if you have a lot of misses you might change those odds if you went to monofilament, since it has a stretch characteristic that braid doesn't which could cause you to set the hook too fast pulling the lure from the bass before it had a good hook set. One characteristic I have experienced with monofilament is it floats after awhile in the water but it will absorb water and start to sink, this is easily remedied by cutting your main line back to dry line. This isn't too costly with monofilament. Braid is the opposite, it will float and not absorb the water. I use braid with a monofilament leader for top water so not to compromise the designed top water lure action. The braid can pull the lure too swiftly due to lack of stretch and decrease the designed action of the lure. Your Pop-R and Tiny Torpedoes can both be affected by this on braid but a monofilament leader gives you best of both lines but remember that the length of the mono leader tied to braid still should be considered when you set the hook. I use about 3 feet of leader. I hope I don't sound like an expert, just my experience.

[Rich12]

any quality mono.  Nothing else needed.  Any decent brand like trilene, etc.  Dont need anything fancy regardless of what someone else may say.

 

[Captain Phil]

You will get more strikes on those lures fishing with 8 pound mono.  If your hooks are sharp, line stretch is not a problem with light lures like that.  I don't believe I ever had a bass throw a Tiny Torpedo.   You can't catch a bass that doesn't bite first.

[MN Fisher]

21 minutes ago, Robert C. Gates said:

I think I’ve read here that some folks recommend using mono or some other kind of line instead of braid because braid sinks and may weigh down these surface lures

Dunno where - every braid I've used floats - it's biggest drawbacks are visibility and lack of stretch.

 

For the poppers and torpedoes on spinning gear, I'd go with mono or co-poly in 8#-10#...depending on your reel size.

[JLBBass]

8lb mono, or copolymer. 

[B-Gee]

I would appreciate suggestions for a brand of mono or poly that is limp and easy to handle. Also I don't understand the difference between mono and copolymer or which I should buy in 8 pound test. Any difference in price would not be a factor. Thanks for your help.

[MN Fisher]

My opinions.

Mono:

Trilene XL

Sufix Siege

Sufix Elite

 

Co-Poly:

Yo-Zuri Hybrid

 

What ever you choose, get a bottle of KVD Line & Lure Conditioner and use it on the line. It'll help manage the line and actually make it limper - strongly indicated for the Yo-Zuri, soft recommendation for the mono which is naturally limper than the co-poly.

[B-Gee]

23 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

My opinions.

Mono:

Trilene XL

Sufix Siege

Sufix Elite

 

Co-Poly:

Yo-Zuri Hybrid

 

What ever you choose, get a bottle of KVD Line & Lure Conditioner and use it on the line. It'll help manage the line and actually make it limper - strongly indicated for the Yo-Zuri, soft recommendation for the mono which is naturally limper than the co-poly.

Is there any great advantage to using the Yo-Zuri Co-Poly Hybrid vs. the mono brands you recommended?

[Hammer 4]

I used Yozuri copoly for a few years, I now use sufix elite, which is very managable, although I still use KVD line conditioner on it. I have 8 lb on my spinning rig, and various poundage's  on my baitcasters. So yup, I highly recommend it.

[MN Fisher]

10 minutes ago, Robert C. Gates said:

Is there any great advantage to using the Yo-Zuri Co-Poly Hybrid vs. the mono brands you recommended?

Benefits: It's a bit more abrasion resistant than the monos, and I find it has a little less initial stretch than the mono lines - even FC will stretch, contrary to popular opinion', just that it takes a bit more force to start stretching

 

Downside: As it's a mix of mono and flourocarbon, it's a bit stiffer than pure mono lines, which is why the KVD is almost a requirement when using it. Many complain about it's diameter, but in the lighter ratings it's the same diameter as Siege and Elite.

 

 

[Skunkmaster-k]

Trilene xl is the bee’s knees. Super limp and strong too….. But it’s like a rubber band , which makes it a little more work to walk the dog way out yonder. 

[MN Fisher]

2 minutes ago, Hammer 4 said:

I now use sufix elite, which is very managable, although I still use KVD line conditioner on it.

If I'm using mono, it's Elite, my crankbait rig has YZH on it...and if it's not braid, it gets KVD without fail.

[B-Gee]

Well, if braid floats and mono does not, why should I consider using mono for topwater lures like the Rebel Pop-R and Tiny Torpedo? Won't the mono tend to drag them down and impede the action?

[TnRiver46]

Just now, Robert C. Gates said:

Well, if braid floats and mono does not, why should I consider using mono for topwater lures like the Rebel Pop-R and Tiny Torpedo? Won't the mono tend to drag them down and impede the action?

Braid and mono float, fluro sinks 

[jimmyjoe]

    Our friend @Team9nine has given us a video a few entries down from this one.

 

  

 

   No one expects you (or anyone else) to agree with everything in this video, but notice at about the 8:00 minute mark that Mr. Latimer says that he uses braid for topwater.

 

   Don't get hung up on stereotypes and what other people say. Believe what you see at your feet. Braid works now for you, doesn't it? So experiment with mono if you wish, but keep track of your results.

 

   Good Luck!      jj

[MN Fisher]

5 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

Braid and mono float, fluro sinks 

And based on my observations and experience, YZH is 'neutrally buoyant'.

[B-Gee]

3 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

And based on my observations and experience, YZH is 'neutrally buoyant'.

Sorry, could you tell me what is YZH?

[MN Fisher]

Just now, Robert C. Gates said:

Sorry, could you tell me what is YZH?

Yo-Zuri Hybrid.

[Mobasser]

Trilene XL, original Stren,  or as others have said a co poly line can work well also. 8- 10lb test. I like clear or green mono lines.

[bulldog1935]

19 hours ago, Robert C. Gates said:

I would appreciate suggestions for a brand of mono or poly that is limp and easy to handle. Also I don't understand the difference between mono and copolymer or which I should buy in 8 pound test. Any difference in price would not be a factor. Thanks for your help.

 

Even most good fluoro today is two polymers with different properties extruded together.  

Usually harder surface and tougher core.  

Newer, better nylon monos are also made this way.  

Keep in mind that all monos are stiff - limp is a relative term - all have some annoying memory - it likes to coil -  you have to decide what you can live with.  

General rule, stiffer mono has lower memory, so limp mono isn't all it's cracked up to be.  

I'll put in a plug for Sunline mono and fluoro.  

 

Copolymer mixes fluorocarbon and nylon.  The best copolymer I ever used for small diameter, excellent toughness, low memory, good limpness, and hard surface was Kamikaze from Australia - I fished it in salt XUL, where it was intended.  It hasn't been easy to buy in about 10 years. 

YoZuri hybrid is pretty good, limp, fairly low memory, and great for the price.  It is larger diameter for the test, but at 8-lb, you probably won't care, though I would be tempted to drop it down to 6.  It has Very Good knot strength.   

 

IMO, the only way to fish braid is on shallow spools made just for braid.  But the newest braids are pretty remarkable.  All of the strength is in a center strand, and the outer strands are for abrasion resistance - the strands are fused together, so the best new lines are perfectly round and perfectly hard.  Eight-lb braid now is barely over 0.1 mm diameter.  The beauty of braid is it doesn't drag through the water, is 100% limp, has Zero memory, and casts out of sight.  My brands are Duel and YGK from Japan.   Braid has almost no elastic stretch - it just breaks, so you have to deal with mono and fluoro leaders to add some shock resistance.  

 

[Linewinder]

1 hour ago, jimmyjoe said:

    Our friend @Team9nine has given us a video a few entries down from this one.

 

  

 

   No one expects you (or anyone else) to agree with everything in this video, but notice at about the 8:00 minute mark that Mr. Latimer says that he uses braid for topwater.

 

   Don't get hung up on stereotypes and what other people say. Believe what you see at your feet. Braid works now for you, doesn't it? So experiment with mono if you wish, but keep track of your results.

 

   Good Luck!      jj

 

I don't recall that he suggested a rod action to match a no-stretch braid.  Am I wrong in thinking perhaps a slower action?

[Fishingmickey]

37 minutes ago, Robert C. Gates said:

Sorry, could you tell me what is YZH?

Hi Robert,

     Thought I'd toss my .02 in the pool also. There is a lot to learn about fishing lines and rated pound tests vs actual breaking strengths.  You've got basically four categories of line:

Monofiliment - floats

Fluorocarbon - sinks

Co-poly + is a combination of Fluorocarbon and Mono. not sure if it floats or sinks

Braid - floats

 

     Trilene Big game, Trilene XT (extra tough) and XL (extra limp) are all monofiliment lines.

The lines have different diameters for the same rated breaking strength. They don't usually break at the rated strength. They will break at higher rating. You will find that the larger diameter lines break at a higher tension.  

Yo-Zuri hybrid also breaks at a much higher then it's rating breaking strength.

     So this gets a lot of OMG fanfare "this line is so strong" I used it to pull a submerged stump and towed my buddies pontoon boat back into the dock without re-tying. 

     Reality is there are a lot of good lines out there and a ton of information here on the forum. Topwater lures perform better with lighter floating lines. Using straight braid has it's issues too, (for me) especially with walking type baits. With braid being very limp. No stiffness or memory,  it has much more of a tendency to foul on the hooks of the lure. Where using mono line with some stiffness and memory it doesn't get "fouled" as easily. 

     Running straight Mono or a co-poly is a good bet. If you go braid, tying on a mono leader onto your braid with many of the recommended knots Uni, Alberto, (FG knot for me). It gives you the best of both worlds. It's also more complicated and adds another knot in the line. 

     I could go on much further and in more detail. The information is purely based on my own experiences and conclusions from using different types of fishing line. 

     If your asking about small popper and tiny torpedo's using a spinning rod. IMHO Berkley XL in 8#. Yo-Zuri Hybrid, Big Game or XT you could probably go to 6# and you'd still have probably a 10 lb breaking strength or better. Those should work great for you.  Good luck!

Fishingmickey

[MN Fisher]

2 minutes ago, Linewinder said:

 

I don't recall that he suggested a rod action to match a no-stretch braid.  Am I wrong in thinking perhaps a slower action?

Again - depends on the lure. For my flip/pitch/punch/frog - I'm running 50# braid on a Fast action. I want to set the hook hard and haul the fish out of the slop quickly. A Moderate action makes setting the hook a bit slower - and more difficult when you're talking heavier gauge, single (or dual for frogs) hooks. The Moderate action will bend more, not driving that single/dual hook home as deeply. I keep Mod-action for treble hook lures where keeping the fish pinned through the action is more important.

[redmeansdistortion]

For braid, I like Gosen Roots x8 PE, runs about $15-20 for a 200m spool.  I've been using the 14lb, 16lb, and 20lb depending on which reel I'm using.  The 14lb my friend refers to as frog hair.  On the Japanese Goh scale, it's 0.6, which is something like 0.128mm diameter, super thin stuff.  With mono, I've been using Maxima Ultragreen for a very long time and see no reason to stop using it.  It's tough stuff and almost disappears in the water.  I usually use the 3, 5, and 8lb strengths.  It's a little spendy for mono, but well worth it.