Pitching mono diameter

[Catt]

1 hour ago, J Francho said:

But I'll stick to my 50# braid because it works so well for me.

 

The only time I don't like braid is fishing wood or brush. I know this Cajun, I will get hung up, the only way to get unhung is cut it. 

[casts_by_fly]

2 hours ago, WRB said:

Can't see Any reason not to use the 20# Max the OP already has. Big Game is good and inexpensive but a superior line then Maxima UG or Chameleon.

Tom

 

I don’t have enough to spool a full reel, just leader level spools. 
 

 

1 hour ago, J Francho said:

This is really about fishing in thick grass and wood, not really just pitching. My short answer, I would not choose mono for this. That said forced to, it would be at least 20#. But I'll stick to my 50# braid because it works so well for me. 

I have fished it with 50# braid the past 18 months on this setup. The initial plan was as a light punching rod and and frog rod for the summer and the occasional use for an a-rig or big 7” keitech other times. I’ve since added a better frog rod and I find that I don’t like throwing a-rigs and big keitechs. So that leaves it (with braid) as a light punching and pitching rod. I don’t prefer how braids casts with this setup and with braid this rod is just a bit much to fish much of anything else. With mono it’s a quite different rod. I also prefer the handling of mono overall. Fishing it this weekend as I have in the past but with 17 mono it is quite a different rod.  I can see with mono it could be a good heavy wire bait rod.  I bet it makes for a great big buzz bait rod. I just don’t like heavy braid for all of that casting. 

[WRB]

It looks like 20# BG is on your menu

Tom

[casts_by_fly]

On 9/30/2023 at 5:17 PM, casts_by_fly said:

As a follow up, I threw some 17 Elite (0.016”) onto a spare reel and fished it today.  The cover is thinning but in general light grass and a little wood it all felt pretty good. The only downside was abrasion from the wood. After one fish down in a tree I had to cut back 4’ of line that was roughed up pretty good. If it was a bigger fish I might not have gotten him back. We don’t have much of that type of timber that I fish but I’d still like just a little heavier. I’m going to give some 0.018” a try and see how it handles.

 

The rod was a very different rod.  With 50 braid it’s a real whupping stick. With mono it’s a little more tame. Still plenty of rod to stick it to a fish on a beaver.

 

unfortunately the rod broke on my next to last fish. Just a 12” 1-pounder in a little grass. No idea why.  It must have been damaged there since I’ve fished it for two seasons now with no issues and catching bigger fish and snags than that. I’m probably done for the season so time to sort it out. 
 

 

 

 

As a followup to the broken rod, Falcon is taking care of me.  I just mailed them the label section of the rod with some info, receipt, and return shipping.  they even let me upgrde to the next line up for retail difference in cost.  I'll take advantage of that to try a new rod.

 

Separately, I ordered some big game last night.  Free shipping and same price as anywhere else, Amazon will have it to me tomorrow. If Falcon turn the rod around quickly then maybe I'm fishing them next week.

[casts_by_fly]

Got the replacement rod yesterday and today had great weather. I couldn’t go out for the season like I finished on Saturday (miserable) so I got a couple hours in tonight. I thought for sure that the new rod and pitching a beaver would get me some fish. Maybe it would have. I picked up a spinner bait while I was transiting from the ramp to my first spot and before I got there I picked up a bass. 10 minutes later I had another one. In the first hour or so I had 3 bass and 4 pickerel so I never put down the spinner bait. Managed 4 bass and 6 pickerel on the spinner bait before they slowed down and I picked up the new rod and 20lb big game. In short, I think this is what I was looking for. I fished the same weight and beaver through the same cover I put the 17lb elite through last time. There wasn’t a nick on the big game. It wasn’t too wiry and I think some L&L will make it even better. If not, I can put fresh line on every trip for all the more it costs. 
 

thanks all.

[PhishLI]

7 hours ago, casts_by_fly said:

It wasn’t too wiry and I think some L&L will make it even better.

BG responds well to L&L. I keep the big bottles, and soaking the spool with the nozzle set to "stream" does the trick even an hour before I head out. A bit wasteful, but whatever. It works, especially in colder weather.

[Woody B]

5 hours ago, PhishLI said:

BG responds well to L&L.

 

I soak a rag in it and run the line pinched through the rag when spooling the reel.  If it starts getting stiff again before I change it I'll let the line drag behind the boat and run it through a soaked rag when reeling back in.   This possibly wastes even more than literally flooding the spool, but it works good and quick.   

[Mike L]

6 hours ago, PhishLI said:

BG responds well to L&L. I keep the big bottles, and soaking the spool with the nozzle set to "stream" does the trick even an hour before I head out. A bit wasteful, but whatever. It works, especially in colder weather.

 

1 hour ago, Woody B said:

 

I soak a rag in it and run the line pinched through the rag when spooling the reel.  If it starts getting stiff again before I change it I'll let the line drag behind the boat and run it through a soaked rag when reeling back in.   This possibly wastes even more than literally flooding the spool, but it works good and quick.   

If you use a piece of nylon instead of cloth you won’t waste any. 
 

 

 

 

Mike

[casts_by_fly]

7 hours ago, PhishLI said:

BG responds well to L&L. I keep the big bottles, and soaking the spool with the nozzle set to "stream" does the trick even an hour before I head out. A bit wasteful, but whatever. It works, especially in colder weather.

that’s how I do it as well except I have to decant my big bottle into a smaller sprayer I had after the dog chewed the sprayer cap on the big bottle…