Braided lines

[AKBighorn]

I have used several different braided lines for different applications but haven't found one that I like for fishing in the saltwater for salmon/rockbass/lingcod etc. The last line I bought for these particular rods was colored different every 10 feet or so. I thought that would be an easy way to keep track of how deep your were jigging etc. I have yet to find anything other than powerpro or tuf-line that doesn't break to easy. Looking online I see that tuf-line has a tri-color line, not sure who might care it. Anyone used it before or have a preference on braided lines in the 30lb range?

[hoose35]

Like you, I have tried most of the different brands of braid, and I have settled on tuf-line. I will buy power pro if it is on sale, but those are the only 2 I will go with from now on

[Paul H]

I got a big spool of daiwa dendo PE-4 55# last season and spooled up 4 rods with it, it's multi color and the colors change every 10m I believe. Personally I like it better than power pro. The PE-4 is about the same dia as other companies 30-40# braid, and I'm running two of my salmon rods with the PE-4 and two with 30# power pro. At some point I'll be re-spooling the rods that have the power pro with the PE-4.

[Dan in Alaska]

I hate using anything smaller than 65# braid. It's just too hard on my hands. I use 65# on my jigging rods, 80# on my trolling rods (it works well with the downrigger clips), and 100# on my halibut rods.

I try to switch up brands and colors, so each reel is spooled with something different. The multi-color approach makes sorting out tangles MUCH easier.

Tuff-Line is easily my least favorite brand, as it seems to be the softest and most susceptible to abrasion and cuts. P-Line Spectrex and Spider-Wire Stealth, have been really good with abrasion resistance. I'd put Power-Pro in the middle, somewhere. Better than Tuff-Line, but but not as durable as the other two.

[AK2AZ]

I`ll second the Dendoh line from Diawa...superior to colored Tuf-Line and much smoother.

[10gauge]

I am looking at purchasing some good Halibut Reels with counters on them, has anyone had good luck with a specific brand and model?

[Abel]

Power pro man. And to take the abuse from the rocks, I run 30-50lb shock leader. 30 and 40lb for my jigging rods, both halibut and rockfish/lings. 50lb on my bait rods for halibut.

[10gauge]

What kind of reel would you suggest for Halibut?

[Abel]

For halibut, something with a decent drag and ability to hold 200yds of the line you choose, the Penn 320's are plenty. Yes these are big fish, but they aren't tuna or marlin that will smoke a drag running 1000yds of line at 50MPH. You just need something with a little lower gearing, penn senators in a 4/0 will do as well. I like a bit higher retrieve and started using some of my surf casting reels, one is a 6.0-1 retreive the other is 4.8-1. But I have some lower retrieves as well. The TLD series in the 15 or 20 will catch any halibut that swims IMO, as well as the Penn 320/330's. I Unless your comforatble with leveling line with your thumb I'd say stay with something with a levelwind as well.

Sorry Bighorn, thought you were asking, didn't mean to jump your thread.

[Paul H]

With modern reels and braided lines you simply don't need a large reel as most of it will be spooled with backing. Asside from a 4/0 sennator, all of my reels are in the 3/0 and 2/0 size range. Personally I'm a huge fan of lever drag reels as you can accurately pre-set the drag at home and then put the reel in the minimum drag setting to prevent the drag system from taking a set. With a star drag you have to re-set the drag every time out and run the risk of inexperienced fishermen cranking it down and breaking off or setting it too loose and having alot of line pulled out.

I have a pair of tld 15's and they are good reels, but I added extra long cranks, carbon drag washers and stiffer bellvilles to boost the drag. At that point I'm out the same money as an avet sx, and the sx is a higher quality reel, albeit it doesn't have enough drag for how I fish, but perfect for the wife and kids especially as it's so light they can fish all day.

The big question on choosing a reel is this a bait rod or a jigging rod? With a bait rod you'll need a reel that can crank upwards of 5# of sinker which requires a lower gear ratio. Fir jigging you'll typically be running 8-16 oz at most 24 oz and simply don't need a winch on your rod. The lighter jigging rods and reels make halibut fishing 10 times more enjoyable IMHO.

[MGH55]

The only way I ould use over 2lbs of lead is with a gun to my head, and 5 lbs just shoot me!!! You want a good fun rod just get a 7000 ambasssador and put it on a shimano jigging rod load the reel with 80lb power pro. Learn to fosh shallow water and you will have more fun and better fish! good luck

[Snowwolfe]

I just havent seen any differences between the various brands of braid. Any of the lighter ones, say under 50 pounds, will snap pretty easy. Have settled on 65-80 pound range and use 65 for salmon and 80 for butts.
For salmon, I add a 3 foot length of 50-60 pound mono to the end of it so we have something to grab a hold of without getting our hands sliced. For butts, it is 200 pound of mono.
When using the downriggers for trolling we will also splice in a small piece of mono so the release clip can hold onto the mono instead of the braid.

For ocean fishing, braid rocks. For rivers, I would as soon not fish if I had to use braid.

As far as jigging reels my favorite has become the Diawa Tekota. Reels are smooth, lightweight, and LOVE the level wind.

[AKBighorn]

Sorry Bighorn, thought you were asking, didn't mean to jump your thread.

No worries, its all good input.

The only way I ould use over 2lbs of lead is with a gun to my head, and 5 lbs just shoot me!!!

I totally agree. That's what is nice about fishing in PWS. The tides aren't ripping and you don't need a ton of weight.

For ocean fishing, braid rocks. For rivers, I would as soon not fish if I had to use braid.

Have to agree with this as well.

Wish I still had the spool to double check exactly what I bought last and still have on a couple of rods. I believe its the Diawa Saltiga Boat line in 55lb. I still like the multicolored line but have lost more jigs than I paid for a huge spool of line. I'm starting to wonder if it was just a bad spool/batch from the comments about Diawa line so far.

Right now I'm considering getting some 50lb TUF-Line XP Indicator if I can find it. Never had an issue with any of the TUF-line on the halibut rods.

[10gauge]

Thanks to all ......................some really great info on reels and line for someone with limited experience.

[coho slayer]

I'll 3rd or whatever the Daiwa Saltiga line. Love the stuff. 30lb is great for fishing silvers from the rocks and piers in Valdez. I've been wrapped around pilings with mussels growing on them and been able to pull 15lb silvers free. It's amazing stuff and casts a mile.

[JR2]

I have a halibut rod with 80# Tuff line on it, that line has been on the rod for over 15 years and never had it break once. I retie the snap on the end every time I use it. I once cut 100 ft off of it just so the line would be white again... Tuff line is good stuff. On my salmon rods I run 30 lb spiderwire. They used to have one called "catfish fusion" that I loved as it was stiff, but I settle for regular spiderwire or what ever version of it has the best abrasion resistance. My new jigging rods have that multicolor 80# braid that B&J installed... have only used them once or twice and had no problem... looking forward to using them a bunch more this summer.

As far as reels I have a 4/0 Penn 113H that has caught many many halibut up to 150 lbs and never shown any sign of weakness. It gets treated like crap and I have never maintained it one bit. Use it and put it away. My jigging rods have Avet's on them, the dual speed ones.

[Sobie2]

80lb braided line, smallest two speed lever drag under $300 bucks. I have some Okumas and Avets. A 20 size class reel is the biggest I like on a 5' 6" halibut rod.

For Halibut I don't need color changing braid. For salmon I have a few jigging rods with color chaning braid.

Sobie2

[Cap'n Ron]

The old Tuff Line was great because it had a thread of black dacron woven through it to give some body...but wasn't then quite as thin as others of same strength. When they went to Tuff Line XP, which is pure Spectra, I switched to PowerPro...for the simple reason that the tuff line was then too limp and if one wasn't careful, it would easily loop around the rod tip, and good-bye rod or fish! Power Pro and many of the other newer lines have more "body" woven in or coated on the line, and don't have this looping problem....

10gauge...start off with a Penn 320 GT2 (about $90), easy to find, have it backed with some 40# or thereabouts mono, and then fill with 80# Power Pro, and you don't need an expensive rod either, a Shakespeare Ugly Stick Tiger in 20-50 or 30-60 (about $60) with that reel will be all you need for any halibut, and will still be light enough to jig for rockfish and lingcod with. When you have other questions that don't fit the start of the thread, just start a new one, click on "new thread" at the top of a forum like saltwater fishing....lots of similar questions you have will be on past threads which you MIGHT find in a search, but really many of us have trouble with the search function, so ask away, folks will be glad to answer and share!

[potbuilder]

What did you guys think of the braided lines the guy at the show had? He was selling large spools of the stuff. I never had enough time to go look at the stuff but then i know nothing about those new lines. He was located down the row from me.

[AK2AZ]

What did you guys think of the braided lines the guy at the show had? He was selling large spools of the stuff. I never had enough time to go look at the stuff but then i know nothing about those new lines. He was located down the row from me.

See my post above Steve...55 or 70# is all you`ll ever need up here. If cared for it will last several years on the spool...well worth the investment if you like landing what you hook. Really, most of the braids are good but I have played with at least a dozen or so of the most popular and I fish Diawa Dendoh and Sufix braids by choice.