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Best light-test line
#1
I'm curious what the "masses" consider to be the best light-test mono on the market. The reason behind this is I use ultra-light rigs for crappie and bream when the ocean bite isn't on. I currently use Stren 4lb and am not happy with it at all. When I tie a simple hook, the line snaps. The line is not old, so it's not dry rotted or anything like that, I keep my line changed out. And i'm using quality knotts that hold 99% of the line's tensile strength, so it's not that either. I'm trying to stay away from braid or dacron simply because I don't see spending 14 bucks on 200 yards of line for a bream reel. I remember trying Spider Wire at one point and didn't like it at all. It didn't cast worth a crap. I don't think it was designed for ultra-lite spinning tackle. A soft Braid would probably work best, but i'm not shure. My understanding about braid is that it has a tendacy to twist more than mono does on the ultra-lite spinning reels. I use Berkley Big Game and Ande on my other rigs, which is hands down the best mono on the market from 10lb class up, and i'll argue till i'm blue in the face about that with anyone. So who makes the best light tackle line from 2-6 pound test? Why is it so good? (castability? /Strength?/ Stretch?/ Abrasion resistance?/ Price?)
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#2
I like to use the Excalibur Silver Thread. You can get that through Cabelas. They have a link on the top right hand of this page.[cool]
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#3
I've never used Excalibur brand. I am trying the new Sufix brand. So far I'm quite impressed. Now let's see what happens when I catch something! This brand can also be found through Cabela's (see the top right corner of the webpage for a link to Cabela's website).
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#4
there are so many good quality lines. I like many and have used and recomend many.

I value long life of my line to be the most important quality and that is why I select stren clear/blue.

I have been able to keep this line on my reels for 2/3 years with out haveing to risk strenth and reliability...
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#5
I've had nothing but problems with the 4lb stren I had on my ultra light. Very weak line. Is it possible I just got a "bad" spool? I know I switched to Berkly's light test line and it works flawlessly. Super easy to cast, strong, and all that good stuff. I believe it's the Trilene XL. It's super soft, it's like casting silk.
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#6
the fact is, picking up a bad spool of line is not uncommon. especialy if you get it at a department store or a low rent bait shop. or you could have posible dammaged it your self. I have done all the above my self... Ok so I am an idiot.... hope I dont do it again, but I probably will....

keep this in mind, the only thing that deteriates plastic is light, direct sun light is the worst.

fishing line is made out of a type of plastic. so if you pick up a spool that has been setting on a shelf for a year or two or you left it on your dash board of the old ford for a couple weeks your line integrity could vary well be compromized.

you can keep line for years if you store it in a cool dark place..... there is even a line lube that will help maintain your line strenth
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#7
The dreaded department stores. Unfortunately, i'm addicted to Walmart, and it's about the only place around here with any type of selection. Walmart is the coolest store ever. You can get a loaf of bread, gallon of milk, a Remington 12 gauge shotgun, a spool of fishing line and toilet paper all in the same store. Can you get any better than that? [cool] But, I imagine they pack rat line and it's probably not the best quality compared to the fresh stuff a good tackle store would have. Ordering online would be a solution, but credit cards are the devil and I normally need the product right then and can't wait. Lighter test line would probably be more prone to be flawed than the heavier stuff just because it is considerably smaller in diameter. With that said, how come it costs so dang much for those small things of line compared to the larger spools of large pound test line.?
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#8
you would think that the smaller diamiter line would go first because it is thinner, truth of the matter is... it is just the oposite. larger lines will go first.

Reasons? [ol] [li]the larger line has more surface area exposed to the light.[/li] [li]larger lines do not sell as fast for fresh water species as do the 6-8 pound test.[/li][/ol]
ever go in to find you size line just about out of stock or out of stock? I see this occurance all the time, especialy in my area of michigan. 8 pound usualy goes first.
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#9
Those are all good points that I had not thought about. Supply and demand would make a huge difference. There are a heck of alot more freshwater fishermen than saltwater, so the demand for 20+ pound test isn't anywhere near as high.

Also, I could see where the heavier test line would be more likely to damage rather than the light test. The large test line is just that, a whole lot larger, thus leaving more room for error.

Those are all very good points that all fishermen, serious and weekend warriors alike, should take into consideration when selecting a line. First and for most picking a quality brand name. All lines are NOT created equal. So spending a couple extra bucks on a name brand like Berkely or Silver Thread would be an investment. Secondly, considering where you are buying your product from. If you walk into an establishment and there is dust on the box, you might want to reconsider purchasing it. Like you said, fishing line is made from a type of plastic. After plastic ages for a while, it actually gets pretty brittle. Sunlight, as you were saying, excellerates this process ten fold.

This has been a good topic and the responses has been awesome.
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#10
no doubt are lines not created equal...

I own several types of line and each one of them have a spicific purpose.

note not all lines will function on all reels and rods or behave alike in the water.

you have spider wire, fire line, high abrasion lines, low mememory, high memory, ultra thin, fine, medium gages... and I am sure the list goes on....

if you are a beginner you will do well to remember one thing. low memory and abrasion lines will not work on your spinning reels. they are fine for trolling, and make exiclent leader material because it wants to lay streight and not currled. which means if it is in an envalope curled up and you take it out it will lay flat. If you place it on your spinning reel it will want to do the same thing and the end results is the line comes un raveled when you attempt to cast.

now if I am trolling I wont hesitate to tie on 10-20 foot of abrasion resistant line to my spool it there is sharp rocks down below and then my leader....

this line holds up well or at least better than mono will against sharp rocks...
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#11
I used to buy the cheap lines that I thought were best untill one day I decided to try fireline and power pro, just to see what exactly was so good about them. I love both of them however I think I like my 6lb fireline more than the power pro, power pro makes me feel like Im sewing something with my rod, the line is like thread. I just grabbed some 17lb suffix for an ocean rod, havnt tried it yet. But as of right now fireline is #1 in my book, you never know what line is good or bad untill you try it. Hope you find a line you like.
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#12
I go for the cheap line too. Until I start having problems with it, or until it gets too low on the spool, I use whatever the reel was stocked with when I got it. I have bought Eagle Claw (good stuff!), and some others, I believe Triline, as well. They all seem pretty good too me. When the baitshop fills my reel, I use whatever they stock[Wink] For my needs, any difference is minimal.
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#13
[center][cool][font "Poor Richard"][green][size 4]Hey there Chief - I will go along with you regarding your comments. However, I usually use a leader a couple of pounds lighter than my line. With a 4 lb test line I would be using a 2 lb leader. I don't like to horse my catch in. Sort of like finese fishing. Yup Trilene XL is my preference.Never did go the WD route. Doesn't that leave a film on the water?[/size][/green][/font][/center]
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#14
ya know when it comes to using line furneshed with a new reel, the vary first thing I do is strip it. where as on my reels at home I will leave the same line on it for a couple years. I guess I am just funny that way.

I seem to have more trust in what I know than what I dont. If I didnt see the line go on the reel and I dont know what kind it is I have just a total lack of faith in what ever it is on my reel. kinda like the old rodio rule, "Saddle your own horse" especialy in a tourny where time is of the essents and you need to know you line quality and your knot will hold and just how much strech do you have when setting your hook so that you dont rip the lure right out of your fishes mouth.....
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#15
Here is a link comparing line diameters. Unfortunately, no comparison for lines less than 8 lb test. [url "http://www.mels-place.com/Contents/ABCs_and_Goodies/Line_Diameters/line_diameters.htm"]http://www.mels-place.com/Contents/ABCs_and_Goodies/Line_Diameters/line_diameters.htm[/url]

For tensile strength (monofilaments), I have some tests results using 20 lb mono published by [url "http://www.sportfishingmag.com "]www.sportfishingmag.com [/url] a few years ago and Remington Ultra had the highest tensile rating (155). Stren Original lo-vis green (85), Stren Sensor (133), Super Silver Thread (134), Suffix Ultra Supreme Hard (128), Platypus Platinum IGFA Smoke (153), Platypus Super 100 (137), Trilene Sensithin (145), Rapala Tough Clear (127), Suffix Tritanium Plus green (124) etc.

However for overall combined rating (tensile rating, uniformity, abrasion, etc), Stren Original lo-vis green came way out ahead with (450) followed by Rapala Tough clear (349) then Tritanium Plus green (347)

Only 85 some odd lines were tested. What helped Stren Original was it's overwhelming abrasion resistance. Only a couple of braided lines could beat it in that department. But 20 lb braided line is much smaller than 20 lb mono.

Anyway, I really liked Sensithin in 4 lb and 6 lb test. But from what I have seen, it's no longer made. I bought some 3 lb Tectra and it was fantastic but I had to order it from the U.S. and it was cost prohibitive. I used it for 2 years for many brook trout outings before taking it off the spool of my Abu Garcia Ultra Lite Pro spinning reel. I still have some Sensithin but what to buy next.....I am not sure...lol.

As for the Stren, I have heard that this line can get "cloudy". Too much "florescence" in the line. The sun can damage this line very rapidely. That is the reason it seems to get so brittle and weak. However, it's cheap. If I can only get it in it's original clear or lo-vis green instead of that "flourescent" crap.
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#16
the best line for you to use is Mr Crappie 4 pound test crappie line. Only available at Bass Pro shop.

low memery, multi colored and disapears in the water,

I use this line for both summer and ice fishing, and any one who ice fishes can tell you the importance of having a quality line when fishing in sub freezing waters of the north.

I set up a crappie rod spooled with this in the winter, I spool one spool for my summer reels. and often tie off 3 foot leaders with this material for trout.

comes in a larger spool, keep in a dark cool place and this spool of line will last you for years. Now how many people can say that about thier lines.

I bought one spool 3 years ago and am still redoing my reels and leaders... cirtainly got my bucks worth on this spool....

I have not suffered knot failure due to this line.
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#17
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I've had nothing but problems with the 4lb stren I had on my ultra light. Very weak line. Is it possible I just got a "bad" spool? [/reply]
I think maybe you did get a bad spool...I use it no problems at all.
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#18
that is a vary good probability, especialy during times of low national productivity. Items will set on the shelves longer than they should.

Its not realy the age that kills the line but the light. sun light is the worst, even the light from a light bulb including floresent lighting will kill the fine plastic thread of a fishing line.

that is right, fishing line is a plastic of the higest quality. but like any other plastic they share the same two weekness. Light and Cement.

one should keep this in mind the next time they pick up new line. open the box if it isnt sealed and check the quality of the line color, if it is paling in comparisen to the other spools of larger or smaller test it probably is not a good idea to take it home.

another tell tail sign that the line is on the back side of its life span is if the line is leaving a powdery residue on your hands when you are handling it.

yet there is another tell tail sign is if you let the line un ravel a little bit off your spool from your reel and it stays in almost the same coil shape from when it was on your reel it is a good time to change it. its ok if it has large curls, but if it has the tight curl there is where a problem lays.

I am sure most every angler has casted line out with a bobber attached and see a streched out slinky shape line. this leads for the opertunity for several problems from breaking to snarling up on and off the reel.
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#19
[cool][#0000ff]I have been fishing over 50 years and have tried just about every kind of line on the market. For monofilament type lines, I have been using the Excalibur Silver Thread almost exclusively since the late 90's. It is a copolymer line that is water clear, low memory and high abrasion resistance. I can still make the claim that I have never lost a fish hooked on it to either line failure or knot failure.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I first started using it after losing a number of lure hooked flatheads while using Berkeley TriMax. As you know, flatheads have raspy teeth. As soon as I started spooling with Excalibur, I started landing just about every flathead I hooked, even when the lure was well inside the teeth. I have also landed northern pike on Excalibur, wthout a steel leader. I landed several flatheads up to 30 pounds on 6# Excalibur and have landed many large cats, bass and other fiesty fish on both 4# and 6#. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The stuff is reasonable. I top shot with it, even though a 350 yard spool is only about $8. In my float tube, I can't break off a snag on the stuff over 8# test. And, the diameter for rated strength is comparable to most other similar lines.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Here's a pic of a 24# flathead taken on 6# Excalibur and a light rod being used for crappies.[/#0000ff]
[Image: gforum.cgi?do=post_attachment;postatt_id=10090;]
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#20
[#008000]Hey there TubeDude - have to keep that in mind the [size 1]Excalibur Silver Thread [/size]next time I have to respool.[/#008000]
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