Line choice for weightless pastics

[Jasperfish]

Hello Fisherman,

I am setting up a spinning rod for weightless and light weight plastics. My set up is a Shimano Vanford 3000 paired with the new St Croix Legend Tournament Bass 7'1" MF but I an not sure what line to pair with it because I have never used anything but Mono. I will fish it around all cover from open water to beaver dams if that helps. I fish from a Bass Raider 10e if that matters also.  This is my first nice setup and don't want to ruin with bad line. any help and advice is GREATLY appreciated.

Thanks Eric  

[A-Jay]

I fish that LTB rod & have the reel as well,

although they are not currently paired.

Either way both very nice IMO.

I'd suggest for a braid mainline either

Sufix 832 or Seaguar Smackdown - both in 20 lb

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Sufix_832_Braided_Line_Lo-Vis_Green/descpage-S83B.html

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Seaguar_Smackdown_Braided_Line_Stealth_Gray/descpage-SMD.html

If you chose to go with a mono leader (I do) 

Maxima Ultragreen or for something less $,

it's hard to beat Berkley Big Game (I like green)

Both in 12lb test is a decent starting point.

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Maxima_Ultragreen_Line/descpage-MUG.html

https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Berkley_Trilene_Big_Game_Line_Green/descpage-BTBG.html

A-Jay

 

[johnmyers]

I use 20lb Smackdown with an 8lb Seaguar Gold leader and works very well and you could go up to a 10lb Gold leader if needed. Good luck with your new outfit

[Finessegenics]

Yup, a light braid mainline will do well.
I personally use 15# power pro to 8# mono or 10# mono depending on the cover I’m fishing. 

[DaubsNU1]

Switched over to braid+leader on all my spinning rods last summer. 

 

10lb bright yellow power pro with 8lb or 10lb fluorocarbon leader.  

 

Works great with weightless senkos, NED rigs, t-rigged plastics, jig+grub, etc. 

[softwateronly]

I agree with everyone as well.  The alberto knot has been real easy and strong for me.  I think it's worth looking into if you go braid-to-leader on a spinning setup.

 

scott

[FishTank]

I use 16lb Sunline Xplasma with 10lb Seaguar Gold Label leader.  I have it on a Shimano Vanquish and a G. Loomis NRX 803S.  I throw weightless wacky Senkos and a the occasional light T-rig on it. I will admit I am not the biggest fan of braid but this combo has me rethinking it all. 

[Big Rick]

1 hour ago, DaubsNU1 said:

10lb bright yellow power pro with 8lb or 10lb fluorocarbon leader. 

I use bright yellow Power Pro with a 4-6 ft leader on my Senko and wacky presentations. I can't count how many strikes I saw rather than felt by watching that bright yellow mainline. Switching to that upped my catch percentage substantially as my eyes get older....

[new2BC4bass]

Nice combo!  ?  My unweighted plastic rod is a MHF casting rod with 40# braid, but this is for fishing lily pads in Florida.    The B-I-L that I fish with there uses straight 40# original PowerPro and all he fishes with is spinning.  He doesn't like losing lures and fishes out of a boat so he can reach a snag to free it without losing line.

 

I prefer mono/co-polymer to braid, but braid does handle better on a spinning reel.  I'm not a fan of leaders, but one will save you from losing main line.  A leader may or may not improve catches.  Braid has little abrasion resistance, so a leader is a plus if abrasion is a problem.  Especially with very light braid.

 

Hard to buy a bad braid.  I have 10# on a Light, 30# on a MH and some Fins 15# Windtamer to try, but the majority of my spinning reels still carry 6-8# mono.  I am coming to like bright braid as my eyes never were that great.  Like Siege Neon Tangerine for the same reason.

[JustJames]

For weightless plastic, I would rather use FC or mono in 8-10lb. Braid is okay for 10-15lb but I lost a lot of sensitivity especially subtle bite. In wind 5-10mph I hardly know what my lure is doing or hitting on any rock timber or fish. 

[Wprich]

All my bass spinning rods are setup with 10 or 12 lb Sunline Xplasma Asegsi on them with a sunline sniper leader of 7-12 lb depending what I'm fishing in open water, rock, or around a lay down etc.  All rods are 6'10" - 7'3" with 3000 or 3500 series reels on them MF or MXF actions.

[WisconsinF]

Berkley X9 braid is very smooth and casts wonderfully. Very quiet line through the guides also.

[BrianMDTX]

WhenI first got back into this fishing game, I spooled my spinning rigs with 8 lb mono, then switched one to braid. Didn’t like it. Why? Because I wasn’t used to it. 
 

Months later and all my spinning rigs had braid and leader (all 20 lb- two with Sufix 832 and one with Seguar Smackdown. Having learned how to fish with it, I can’t believe I once disliked it. 
 

I also use 8 lb mono leaders. No matter how many snags or how many times you change baits, you never lose any main line. It’s a great system. 

[Jasperfish]

Thank you everyone for the info and insight. I think I will try my hand with Braid in the 15 to 20 lb range in yellow, might help with the old man eyes. Thinking a 4=6' Leader of mono leader with a Barrel swivel in between. 

[OkobojiEagle]

47 minutes ago, Jasperfish said:

mono leader with a Barrel swivel in between. 

I don't like a metal swivel clanking through ceramic guides...

 

oe

[MickD]

Until I "improved" the Alberto I would occasionally have them unravel.  Yes , I know about the direction the tag end has to exit the loop and I would set the knots very tightly.  But still had failures.  Now I leave the tag end a little long and finish the knot with two overhand knots of the tag end set tightly against the knot.  It cured the failure problem and does not make the knot any larger than it already is.  

 

I use 15 -20 pound test braid, usually Suffix 832 or Hitena Pureline, with 14 pound test Hitena Paranix WT  leaders. 

1 hour ago, Jasperfish said:

Barrel swivel in between.

Not a good idea, IMHO.  Learn the double  uni knot for regular guides or the Alberto for micros.  Both are easy and go through guides well.  Note my comment about improving the Alberto.

[ike8120]

I use 10#braid with 10# FC leader.

[BrianMDTX]

35 minutes ago, MickD said:

Until I "improved" the Alberto I would occasionally have them unravel.  Yes , I know about the direction the tag end has to exit the loop and I would set the knots very tightly.  But still had failures.  Now I leave the tag end a little long and finish the knot with two overhand knots of the tag end set tightly against the knot.  It cured the failure problem and does not make the knot any larger than it already is.  

 

I use 15 -20 pound test braid, usually Suffix 832 or Hitena Pureline, with 14 pound test Hitena Paranix WT  leaders. 

Not a good idea, IMHO.  Learn the double  uni knot for regular guides or the Alberto for micros.  Both are easy and go through guides well.  Note my comment about improving the Alberto.

 

49 minutes ago, OkobojiEagle said:

I don't like a metal swivel clanking through ceramic guides...

 

oe

Agreed. You don’t want a metal barrel swivel banging through your guides. 
 

If you struggle with leader knots, try the Lefty Kreh knot (also known as the Seguar knot). It may be a little bigger than an Alberto or FG knot, but I haven’t had any issues with casting. It is simple to tie and so far Inhavent had one break yet. 
 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GDxGy3Nld2g

[MickD]

I've tried that knot, will give it another look.  I now have no trouble with the Alberto, and after a little practice, it's a piece of cake to tie.

 

It looks like the Seguar knot has three thicknesses of leader, if true, it's bigger than the Alberto.

[Jasperfish]

I did not think of the guides getting damaged with the swivel, I am so used to the $ 30 rod it did not cross my mind. Thank you for saving me from me lol

 

[MyKeyBe]

You can still use a swivel if you want/need to (I use one for flukes). Just have to use a much shorter leader and keep the swivel out of the guides.

[NorthernBasser]

For wacky rig I run 15# braid to 8-10# fluoro. 

[JohnFromLisbon]

20# Sufix 832 to 8 or 10# Sniper. Works great for wacky rigs, Texas rigged 4 and 5" Senkos, even nose hooked Flukes.

[TOXIC]

I’m going to join the minority and in my 40 years of fishing and guiding, I have tried the braid/leader combo and I just don’t like it.  There are a few reasons.  Some technical, some just preference.  I’m in no way discounting the technique since it seems to be the norm nowadays.  First, I like the stretch of mono.  It helps fighting bigger fish on lighter line.  Second, braid ruins my style of line watching.  I watch 2 points of the line when fishing weightless plastics.  Where the bait goes in the water and where the line leaves the water closest to my reel.  It also alters the way a weightless bait falls.  Finally, I am a staunch believer in not adding failure points to my setup.  Braid to leader adds another possible failure point.  That’s why I also don’t use snaps or swivels on anything ever.  But that’s just me.??

[MN Fisher]

21 hours ago, Bass_Fishing_Socal said:

For weightless plastic, I would rather use FC or mono in 8-10lb. Braid is okay for 10-15lb but I lost a lot of sensitivity especially subtle bite. In wind 5-10mph I hardly know what my lure is doing or hitting on any rock timber or fish. 

I'm the same - not just weightless, but light weight wacky, neko and shakey (1/8oz and less) I run on straight 8# InvizX.