41 replies to this topic

[Pinck]

G'Day!

So I picked up my first baitcast reel, a (barely) used Ambassador C4 5601, yesterday and I'll be spooling it up with 50lb Suffix 832. Is there any hard/fast rule to determining the test strength of fluoro that I should use as a leader?

-John

[mercman]

I use 20lb for walleye, bass etc. What species will you be targeting with your new setup?


Paul

[Pinck]

Probably 70% / 20% / 10% split between LM Bass / Pike / Musky.

[mercman]

bass and pike, you might get away with 20lb.
Musky,not so much. On my musky rods, i use 100lb power pro with 24'' of 100 lb flouro leader for trolling, and 12'-18''', of 100lb for casting.Then again, we get some huge musky where i fish.Kawartha muskies tend to be a bit smaller, but they are still toothy beasts to deal with.

[mercman]

i gather you fish the Ottawa river?.....Big Muskies:lol:

[Pinck]

Yeah, Ottawa river and Gatineau Park lakes. I won't be doing anywhere near enough musky targeting to warrant putting together a proper rig for hunting beasts though. I might change my mind in a few seasons, but not planning any dedicated Musky trips for 2012...

[mercman]

I fish the seaway south of Montreal, and the lakes along the river from Cornwall east.Musky is a whole nuther animal.be sure to have good bolt cutters, and a suitable net or cradle.Hard to believe such a monster can be so fragile.

Tite Lines John


Paul

[Pinck]

Hey Blair,

The purpose of a leader in this case is going to be for reducing line visibility and increasing abrasion resistance. I certainly am not looking to increase my break strength

As for the high test strength of the main line, a lot of my motivation for that is going to be resistance to overruns and not so much that I'm going to be hunting 50lb bass (although really, aren't we all?). As I get more and more seasons under my belt using a baitcaster, I'll probably start dialing back my line thickness for the advantages you mentioned.

I completely agree with you on the absolute fun and enjoyment of playing the fish, and using lighter line/tackle. The other rod that I've purchased for 2012 is a 7' ultralight which is going to be an absolute blast! I'm really looking forward to some epic battles come the spring.

Thanks!

John

[mercman]

I hear ya Blair.
However, i stated 20lb for bass/walleye, not 100. I usually troll for walleye using 10lb powerpro and 24 inches of 20lb leader.Where i fish dictates the tackle i use. I like to almost bounce my lures off the bottom when trolling. Zebra mussels will rip lesser lb line to shreds.
As for Musky, most experienced musky hunters will tell you the same thing.80-100 PP for trolling, 50-80 when casting.
When i am trolling them, its in deep weedlines,in a river environment.Fast curent, lots of debris.I did however omit that on my musky casting setup, i use 50lb braid with premade 80lb leaders.I use a Curado300 for casting, on an 8ft StCroix Premieum muskie rod, and for trolling i use the Convector cv30 line counter on a 7ft H Compre.

Your advise is excellent also.we should outfit ourselves for the areas we fish.

[Spinninreel]

The only time you want to use 65lb for fishing bass is when your flipping and pitching in heavy weeds where you can keep you rod high and basically pull the fish on top of the water and drag it across towards the boat. Not very sport manly but an effective way of fishing heavy cover. Other than that, the most common line used would be from 8 to 12 lb test. The next choice that you have to make is what type of line to use. Mono is good for surface lures, braid is useful for long casts and floro is good for stealth. I usually use floro for most because it is very difficult to see in the water and it is quite abrasion resistant.

I hope this helps.

[georgianbaydrifter]

The only time you want to use 65lb for fishing bass is when your flipping and pitching in heavy weeds where you can keep you rod high and basically pull the fish on top of the water and drag it across towards the boat. Not very sport manly but an effective way of fishing heavy cover. Other than that, the most common line used would be from 8 to 12 lb test. The next choice that you have to make is what type of line to use. Mono is good for surface lures, braid is useful for long casts and floro is good for stealth. I usually use floro for most because it is very difficult to see in the water and it is quite abrasion resistant.

I hope this helps.

dont fish musky much anymore but for medium duty walleye casting using husky's, x raps and yo- zuri's i use 20 lb braid and 10-15 lb leader. try to match the line weight to your lure weight to prevent breaking off lures while casting. have you choosen a rod yet because matching the rod to the presentation you will be fishing is important. crank baits use a softer action. spinnerbaits and brush jigs get something stiffer.

[Pinck]

Hey guys, appreciate the general gear advice.

A few points since there seems to be some curiosity on why I'm setting up like this.

I have multiple rods, so I'm not needing this rod to necessarily be a "swiss army knife / do everything" rod. I fish many species in many areas, so I gear up for flexibility in the situations where I find myself.

My biggest reason for going for 50lb braid on this reel is because, as stated, this is my first baitcaster. I'm looking to reduce my backlashes by reducing dig in with thicker line. Yes, this will impact my casting distance, that's a known trade off. As I get better with it I might look to reduce my line size to increase my casting distance, but I'll see what my experience is like with the 50lb.

The bonus is that I live near some really sizeable musky and catfish, so it's not inconceivable that I could end up happy that I've got a heavier rig.

I've got the Ambassadeur C4 on a Quantum Tour MH 6'6" with suggested lure size of 1/4-1.5 oz. Obviously if I'm looking to get into any really serious musky fishing, I'll be looking to get a proper musky rod so I ca throw around firetiger painted tree limbs with trebles attached all day long.

Anyhow, I'm pretty satisfied with the answer I got of using 20lb fluoro as my leader. I won't be looking to pull in fish bigger than that, and if I'm going for anything really toothy I'll be looking to use a steel leader anyways.

Thanks!!!

[mercman]

Hey guys, appreciate the general gear advice.

and if I'm going for anything really toothy I'll be looking to use a steel leader anyways.

Thanks!!!

Wire leaders, even coated wire leader can damage fish that decides to roll, as Muskies and Pike tend to do.You can buy premade flouro leaders up to 100lb test, at any tackle shop. Or you can make your own,with heavy duty swivels purchased at the same tackle shop.
Just a heads up;)

[georgianbaydrifter]

have to agree with mercman....back in my musky days i would use 65lb test titanium leaders and actually had fish shear them while trolling. this was a devastating feeling as the prognosis of a 30 lb ski swimming around with my triple bucktail stuck in its rakers is not good. trust mercman go with the 100lb flouro for muskies also upgrade ALL of your terminal 100lb coast lock snaps, triple split rings, and Xtra heavy swivels. SPRO is good also look at saltwater tackle.

[mercman]

Pinck
This may help with your new reel.
http://pages.infinit...ing/bait101.htm

Once you get the hang of it, its really easy.

[Pinck]

Pinck
This may help with your new reel.
http://pages.infinit...ing/bait101.htm

Once you get the hang of it, its really easy.

Thanks Mercman, I've definitely read that page already, and many like it. I'm now just at the "practice, practice, practice" phase in the backyard shooting at a snowbank

[mercman]

If you happen to OWN a LARGE DOG (or the neighbour's) ..... tie a CHEW STICK to the end of your line and let em run around the yard.
Makes the practice more fun and realistic!



*SMILES*

I use my Pom as a walleye, and my Lab as a Musky !!!!Amazing similarity in pulling power:shock: