What pound test line?

[Jonas Staggs]

I have 2 setups to start throwing heavier baits. For safety reasons I'm wondering what pound test line would be best to use for the setups as I'll be throwing max lure weight on both

 

1) MH 7ft baitcaster rated up to 1oz baits

2) H 7ft baitcaster rated up to 2oz

[WRB]

Lure weight is only 1 factor, where you cast the lure is the?

Where are you located?

Tom

[FishTank]

14 minutes ago, Jonas Staggs said:

I have 2 setups to start throwing heavier baits. For safety reasons I'm wondering what pound test line would be best to use for the setups as I'll be throwing max lure weight on both

 

1) MH 7ft baitcaster rated up to 1oz baits

2) H 7ft baitcaster rated up to 2oz

What lures are you throwing on each?  What type of water conditions? What rod and reel models are you using on each one?  Also, based on weights you probably are looking at two different lines. 

[Jonas Staggs]

2 hours ago, WRB said:

Lure weight is only 1 factor, where you cast the lure is the?

Where are you located?

Tom

 

Socal, throwing jigs cranks frogs and swimbaits from both rods. Sort of a all purpose rod for the weight category is the goal. I can throw 1oz baits on 15# test but don't know if I should. I read somewhere online 10# for every 1oz. I have 30# mono right now on the Heavy rod. Not sure if that's overkill for 2oz baits but if I'm fishing that heavy I want to take advantage of being able to rip through everything.

 

Lake Perris for example might be pitching into heavy cover. It's nothing but trees underwater and crazy snaggy. 

2 hours ago, FishTank said:

What lures are you throwing on each?  What type of water conditions? What rod and reel models are you using on each one?  Also, based on weights you probably are looking at two different lines. 

 

Yeah I was thinking maybe 20 and 30 pound mono

[WRB]

If you are fishing Perris, then DVL and Skinner are in your neighborhood. Shore angler? 

I never use anything over 12 FC or 11 lb Armillo during day light in SoCal lakes.

Exception is 25 lb Armillo for swimbaits 2 to 7 oz. 25 lb Armillo is .016D.

Reason is gotta get bit before worrying about wood cover. The trick is don’t get snagged.

Perris is a decent top water lake and soft plastics. If your want to frog fish use straight braid. Crankbaits at Perris is around rip rap ie; the dam area.

Tom

[Jonas Staggs]

6 hours ago, WRB said:

If you are fishing Perris, then DVL and Skinner are in your neighborhood. Shore angler? 

I never use anything over 12 FC or 11 lb Armillo during day light in SoCal lakes.

Exception is 25 lb Armillo for swimbaits 2 to 7 oz. 25 lb Armillo is .016D.

Reason is gotta get bit before worrying about wood cover. The trick is don’t get snagged.

Perris is a decent top water lake and soft plastics. If your want to frog fish use straight braid. Crankbaits at Perris is around rip rap ie; the dam area.

Tom

 

If your using 25 lb for up to 7oz baits then I would assume 20 lb would be fine for 2oz baits. And 15 lb for 1oz baits

Yes those lakes are nearby. Primary fish from shore but I have a kayak

[jbsoonerfan]

40lb braid for both. KISS is my theory.

[scbassin]

I am with WRB all the way on this. I too use 12 lb FC  & 16 lb FC for heavier cover. For the same reason as WRB stated.

[Jonas Staggs]

43 minutes ago, jbsoonerfan said:

40lb braid for both. KISS is my theory.

 

I was thinking 30# for both. I'm more worried about the leader. I don't want to make a cast with a 2oz bait and have it go flying off and hit someone or something because I was using too weak of line.

[jbsoonerfan]

Just now, Jonas Staggs said:

 

I was thinking 30# for both. I'm more worried about the leader. I don't want to make a cast with a 2oz bait and have it go flying off and hit someone or something because I was using too weak of line.

That's why I would go 40lb. If you want to use a leader, you can use a 14lb or 20lb with no worries.

[WRB]

10 minutes ago, Jonas Staggs said:

 

I was thinking 30# for both. I'm more worried about the leader. I don't want to make a cast with a 2oz bait and have it go flying off and hit someone or something because I was using too weak of line.

You are not going to break off a lure casting it unless it’s damaged line, poor knot or severe backlash.

As you know I am not a fan of leaders, that is your choice.

Tom

[FrnkNsteen]

For me, line size is driven more by the lure I am throwing and the action I want, than what rod I am using.

 

For instance,... If throwin cranks, I will reduce line size if I want them to run a little deeper, or increase it a bit if I'm near weeds I need to rip it free from.

 

I'll run 60-80lb braid when frogging if I need to pull them out of the slop. Or 30-40 if I want it to cut through cabbage stems when they run.

[cyclops2]

6# & 60 # Braided in hard to see the lure or line conditions. 

Clear water 5 or 6' clear Mono leader. Works for me.

[Jonas Staggs]

16 hours ago, WRB said:

You are not going to break off a lure casting it unless it’s damaged line, poor knot or severe backlash.

As you know I am not a fan of leaders, that is your choice.

Tom

 

What do you think is the lightest pound test I could use for 1oz? 2oz?

[WRB]

What lures?

Tom

[Jonas Staggs]

11 hours ago, WRB said:

What lures?

Tom

 

Big swimbaits and cranks 

[cyclops2]

Bait Casters ?  You CAN NOT stop the lure suddenly !!   I have used 2# test line on spin reels forever.

B C reels ARE VERY  unforgiving of anyone screwing up on a cast.    Use LIGHT lures 1/4 to 1/2 ounce until you are perfect.  Or just buy more lures.  It is that simple.

 

Or use a spin reel.

[Jonas Staggs]

The information I'm looking for is what is the lightest pound test line I can use to fish 1oz and 2oz baits without worrying about the line snapping.

Obviously I can't fish a 2oz bait on 6# test line or it's going to snap regardless of the knot used.

What would be the minimum pound test line to use? 10,15,20,25,30? I have 30 on right now and think it's overkill.

I get it that lures can make a difference but I'm not trying to get that complicated a 2oz swimbaits weighs just as much as a 2oz crank.

I want to be able to fish everything from it without worrying about the line snapping when I cast a big heavy 2oz bait. 

 

before posting this I googled and found a rule of thumb. 10# for every 1oz of weight. Thus 2oz baits would require 20# test to be fished. Has anyone heard of this or agree?

 

 

 

 

[WRB]

1 hour ago, Jonas Staggs said:

 

Big swimbaits and cranks 

19 lb test Sunline Armillo mono is .014D , same as 12 lb Big Game, 22lb  Armillo is .015D, same as 15 lb Big Game.

12 lb BG is good for deep diving crank baits, used it for decades. The past 5 years Armillo replaced BG for me, stronger smaller diameter very smooth line that cast better imo. Big swimbaits 2-7 oz, 25 lb / .016D Armillo used on 300 size bait casting reels.

Compare Diameters vs lb test.

Tom

[Jonas Staggs]

14 minutes ago, WRB said:

19 lb test Sunline Armillo mono is .014D , same as 12 lb Big Game, 22 lb Armillo is .015D, same as 15 lb Big Game.

12 lb BG is good for deep diving crank baits, used it for decades. The past 5 years Armillo replaced BG for me, stronger smaller diameter very smooth line that cast better imo. Big swimbaits 2-7 oz, 25 lb / .016D Armillo used on 300 size bait casting reels.

Tom

 

Thanks brother.

I'll run

20# leader for the 2oz setup

15# for the 1oz setup

 

Should be good enough to safely fish.

 

I googled the sunline stuff last night. I'll give it a try.

 

 

[A-Jay]

12 minutes ago, Jonas Staggs said:

The information I'm looking for is what is the lightest pound test line I can use to fish 1oz and 2oz baits without worrying about the line snapping.

Obviously I can't fish a 2oz bait on 6# test line or it's going to snap regardless of the knot used.

What would be the minimum pound test line to use? 10,15,20,25,30? I have 30 on right now and think it's overkill.

I get it that lures can make a difference but I'm not trying to get that complicated a 2oz swimbaits weighs just as much as a 2oz crank.

I want to be able to fish everything from it without worrying about the line snapping when I cast a big heavy 2oz bait. 

 

before posting this I googled and found a rule of thumb. 10# for every 1oz of weight. Thus 2oz baits would require 20# test to be fished. Has anyone heard of this or agree?

 

@Jonas Staggs

IMO, you are looking at this line test question in REVERSE.

While there's no doubt that there is quite a bit of stress applied to our tackle when we cast;

especially when using what can be considered 'heavier' baits.

And for bass fishing, 2 ounces and up is certainly that.

However, whatever those casting forces may end up being,

they PALE in comparison to the stress & strain placed on our gear during a hard hookset

& fighting of a large bass; especially when attempting to extract a big stubborn fatty out of heavy cover.

We might be able to 'safely' cast a big bait with 12 lb test, but that same line with virtually disintegrate trying to put the one fish we're looking to get, into the net. 

So all things being equal, when using non-damaged line and good knots,

when we select tackle (including type/size of line) that is very capable of coping with that deal,

 effective casting of the bait is taken care of.

So in the end, heavy baits, on heavy gear for heavy fish usually require Heavy Line.

YMMV

A-Jay

 

[cyclops2]

You really NEED to be USING .........EVERYTHING ...........That is needed to win a fight with a 15 pound bass in or near some snags & lily pad cover.  

I have several boat houses & docks in a row. I catch the same bass, several of them,  several times a year.   I ONLY use the 60 # Braided line there.  REASON  If they get away with line behind them ?  It could tangle around anything & it starves to death.  big  LMB  are not afraid of very much.    C  &  R  with your 60# lines. The first 5 to 10 seconds are all 60# & line control.

 

 

 

 

[casts_by_fly]

On 2/27/2022 at 11:10 AM, Jonas Staggs said:

The information I'm looking for is what is the lightest pound test line I can use to fish 1oz and 2oz baits without worrying about the line snapping.

Obviously I can't fish a 2oz bait on 6# test line or it's going to snap regardless of the knot used.

What would be the minimum pound test line to use? 10,15,20,25,30? I have 30 on right now and think it's overkill.

I get it that lures can make a difference but I'm not trying to get that complicated a 2oz swimbaits weighs just as much as a 2oz crank.

I want to be able to fish everything from it without worrying about the line snapping when I cast a big heavy 2oz bait. 

 

before posting this I googled and found a rule of thumb. 10# for every 1oz of weight. Thus 2oz baits would require 20# test to be fished. Has anyone heard of this or agree?

 

 

 

 

 

I think that 'guideline' referred to is for surf applications with 10-14' rods that are trying to crank a bait to the horizon.  In those cases you're talking about winding up a rod almost like a roll cast, but with 10' of line out and generating some significant centrifugal force.  I've thrown 4 oz on 10 lb line and while it was more like lobbing (the rod was overpowered, but you go with what you got) there was never any chance of the line breaking.  I've broken line on the cast 1 time and that was throwing a 3/8 oz spinnerbait (I think the line wrapped on the tip and I didn't notice).

 

 Also, any website that refers to the rod as a 'pole' loses credibility points in my book.

[Jonas Staggs]

On 2/27/2022 at 8:34 AM, A-Jay said:

@Jonas Staggs

IMO, you are looking at this line test question in REVERSE.

While there's no doubt that there is quite a bit of stress applied to our tackle when we cast;

especially when using what can be considered 'heavier' baits.

And for bass fishing, 2 ounces and up is certainly that.

However, whatever those casting forces may end up being,

they PALE in comparison to the stress & strain placed on our gear during a hard hookset

& fighting of a large bass; especially when attempting to extract a big stubborn fatty out of heavy cover.

We might be able to 'safely' cast a big bait with 12 lb test, but that same line with virtually disintegrate trying to put the one fish we're looking to get, into the net. 

So all things being equal, when using non-damaged line and good knots,

when we select tackle (including type/size of line) that is very capable of coping with that deal,

 effective casting of the bait is taken care of.

So in the end, heavy baits, on heavy gear for heavy fish usually require Heavy Line.

YMMV

A-Jay

 

 

Indeed. 

 

Just how heavy was the question.

 

You hit the nail on the head. While we might be able to safely cast a 2oz bait with 12 pound test line it will disintegrate when trying to land that same fish. Which is why I'm using 30 mono currently but I think it's overkill.

 

 what I googled already which was 10# test for every 1oz of weight. Thus a 2oz bait would require a minimum of 20# test to be safely fished following this guideline. I was just looking for something simple like that. And after this thread 20# seems about right.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Hulkster]

I use 20 pound test Sufix Siege for throwing 1.5 oz musky baits like Mepps Giant Killers and Large jointed rapala shad raps which I think are 1 5/8 oz and its perfect.

 

this is on  a tranx 400