mastertangler wrote on May 1^st, 2014 at 8:50pm:


What advantage would I have with this set-up (Canadian shield fishing please.)  I used a tippet when I flyfished simply for diameter and visibility sake and I've used a steel leader for toothy's sake but, and correct me if I'm wrong, wouldn't this reduce sensitivity?

Anyway, what's your line and why?

P.s.  Rapala makes a terrible line

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The age old question.......does it matter? Is 8lb braid/superline with its skinny diameter more visible than an 8lb fluorocarbon leader?

I honestly don't know and certainly don't fish enough small test braided line in the north to render an informed opinion. What I do know is I absolutely tore the big Walleyes up on a reef in Basswood using 8lb mono and a week later couldn't buy a single bite on braid even though I was marking fish.........(of course that means nothing, they might not of been chewing but thats another story).

I wonder what the pros do? Could 8ft of stiff, dense, low stretch Florocarbon reduce sensitivity? Maybe a teeny tiny bit? I fish mostly straight stretchy mono and can still set the hook just before they bite 

Oh, I almost forgot......I like Trilene green XT, performs well on spinners in smaller lb tests with knot strength being excellent when used in conjuction with a tie fast tool..... and I also like co-polymer lines like Gamma....... and I like 50lb power pro for pike fishing. I have had incredibly bad luck with various fluorocarbon casting lines like vanish although I know a lot of pro Bass fishermen who wouldn't fish without a fluorocarbon line so go figure  ......    

I seem to always use these three, depending on the rod and technique.

STREN Lo-Vis Green mono. 6LB test - jigging with my lightweight rod, which is mostly what I do, but some times I will troll with this.

Berkley FireLine 8LB test -trolling mostly, I seem to like mono more for jigging.

Berkley XT 10 -12LB test - sometimes I have a medium action Ugly Stick rigged with this for trolling.

If I only bring 2 rods its always the light weight with 6LB Stren and one of the other two, or sometimes both (I have a 3 self imposed rod limit). Deciding which to leave at home is tough.

One time I used my 5ft. Crappie rod rigged with FireLine for Smallmouth...that was fun.

I must correct myself. I tried to make a comparison earlier between success using braid and success using mono on a reef on Basswood.

But it was a totally unfair comparison. The evening with the braid was not with skinny light line braid such as being advocated here but rather something more akin to rope (that being 30lb power pro). Plus I was using quite a bit larger lure than the deep tail dancer which I had used to such good effect the week before. Had I used an 8lb or even a 6lb braid and the same tail dancer perhaps I could make an honest comparison.

I had caught 2 walleyes right at 6lb earlier in the week on the 30 power pro ........one hit a musky spinner from shore (dual in line 8/0 treble hooks/ straight 30 braid/no leader) and one hit a large deep diving bomber in Rainbow trout pattern. They sure didn't want anything to do with the big bomber  the evening in question however. I would of liked to have been with someone that particular evening to see if something else would of worked. The fish were there, off the bottom and looked to be catchable.

I probably need to give the little braid a go.......see how it looks in the water.

FWIW......Florocarbon supposedly has the same something or other refractory index as water meaning that it becomes more or less invisible in water. Its abrasion resistance is better than straight mono and supposedly it doesn't absorb water. It is also slightly denser and sinks a bit faster. They keep tinkering with the formulation and quite a few strides have been made.

I have not been keen on straight fluorocarbon fishing line however and have had numerous knot issues. But it is likely just me since a great majority of tournament anglers use it. I use it primarily via leader material and have great confidence in heavier lb tests but my faith sinks rather rapidly when using it in light line applications. I know several pro bass anglers who are advocates but I don't personally know any tournament walleye guys. I probably need to subscribe to in-fisherman again, I have been out of the loop for a while now.

jaximus wrote on May 3^rd, 2014 at 12:32am:


I dont "follow" the Bass Pro circuit Jax and I don't go to the weigh ins even though they are down the block with the big stage being set up in the Wal mart parking lot with pro anglers from all over the country attending with real big bucks on the line. Having said that I am friends with 3 Bass pro anglers and I guide 1 guy salt water fishing. The guy I take salt water fishing is a delight to bust my ass for......As I work the aluminum oars (mounted on pillow block bearings..Totally silent..nice set up but I digress) and ease us around the mangroves my pro angler can pitch lures up underneath the mangrove bushes without continually getting tangled in the bushes and he can hit spots the size of a quarter. I thought I was pretty good but he blows me away. And he makes me look good........we catch 'em. The other guys, not so much.

BassMaster magazine sends me their magazine complimentary, I don't subscribe. If you think Bass Pros only do one thing you are sadly and profoundly mistaken my dear friend. The Magazine is basically a promo for the world of professional Bass fishing but the variety of techniques, equipment to implement those techniques and discussions of patterns is quite impressive. The articles are written by the circuit Pros.

These guys are making their living in a competitive environment. If you don't catch more than the next guy you don't eat. You had not only better be good (lots and lots of guys are good) but you better be the best, and you better be the best on a wide variety of waters and conditions.

Hey, I get to put your Superman Jointed Believer to the test this summer..........Whoo-hoo!