Your favorite line

For spectra ... I use Power Pro for spectra which is spooled on probably 2/3 of my outfits.  For the salt, I spool up with 20# PP.  It routinely tests to 40+ pounds and I don't see a need to use anything more than that.  I do have one reel I experimented with 30# on for halibut.  That stuff is too hard to bust free in a snag, especially from a kayak.

For mono, I use Big Game.  Not cheap and not expensive and it has served me well.

I do use leader material.  Mono leader for things like bottomfish, ultrgreen user here.  Flouro in some cases and when I do use it I reach for Seaguar.  I haven't had any problems with it.  Leader material is supposedly more abrasion resistant.

-Allen

In salt, and for salmon and steelhead bobber fishing I use 80# tuffline with a strong mono leader (40-50#).  The rest of the time in fresh I use Izorline.  Switched from Maxima UG about 4 years ago.

My salt water rods are all PP with P-Line flouro-coated mono topshots/leader. I definitely like the no-stretch of braid for jigging and deep water situations.

For ultralight freshwater gear (spinning) I'm using Sufix Elite for the first time. I'm liking it. Feels like a small diameter, seems like very high tensile strength. I've been experimenting on a medium weight rod (for bass and walleye) with 8lb Fireline with a flouro topshot. I often use it for jigging and trolling and this has been working well for me.

I always use leaders with my braids. I fish a lot of clear water and I'm sure that braid would be too visible. Monos and flouro have better abrasion resistance, too, so are better at the terminal end of the gear.

I have switched from Maxima Ultragreen to P-line and Suffix (have the "DNA," don't have the "Elite") for my spinning reels. Casts significantly farther for the same rated strength.
I have done some pretty cheesy things, like splicing older 12# ultragreen to the really old 12# chameleon "backing" I have on my crusty old beater jetty-fishing spinning reel.  I'm about ready to respool the whole thing with some "fresher" old line, though.
Any more, I consider Ultragreen to be a leader/tippet material, as it ties good, strong knots. It is fairly stiff, and rolls out a fly OK.  But on my spinning outfits, it doesn't cast as far as a lot of other lines. Because of that, I don't buy it for main line any more.
 Also want to try the Suffix Elite. I've heard that it casts nicely and doesn't have much "memory." I'm assuming its mono.
 I don't fish with the spectra, but I would want to use it if I were fishing deep for bottomfish, which I seldom do. Guys use it here for surf casting for surf perch, as the wave action bows and stretches mono pretty badly.

Throw some spectra on your ultralight spinning outfit, and you will never go back to mono. Great visibility and absolutely no memory!  I wish I had had this stuff in the sixties! There's nothing as frustrating as a mono birdsnest when you are making that perfect cast!

Dave

Throw some spectra on your ultralight spinning outfit, and you will never go back to mono. Great visibility and absolutely no memory!  I wish I had had this stuff in the sixties! There's nothing as frustrating as a mono birdsnest when you are making that perfect cast!

Dave

Thanks for the suggestion, Dave. I might try it on a level wind for trolling for tidewater Kings, or bottom fishing. Maybe if I get a really long lightweight spinning outfit for surf casting. Some of these guys are using 11' to 14' light action rods and 15# spectra line for the surf perch. They can cast a 3/4 oz barrel sinker over 100 yds with that. The thing about spectra lines is I hate using that stuff (tried a friend's rig once)....so I don't. I've also heard it cuts grooves in line guides and fingers...don't know if my gear will stand up to it, and I need my fingers.

 Forgot to mention that I don't even use ultralight spinning gear any more.  I fly fish only, when it comes to trout and panfish. Flies work better anyway. Haven't used bait or hardware for trout in several years, but still do on salmon and hatchery steelhead, and also lings/rockfish.

 Now I use 12 pound test in the rivers for salmon and steel, on a medium/light action 8'6" Lamiglass graphite spin rod.  Landed a bright 31.5 pound hen King from the bank on 12# ultragreen (using an older medium action 8' Fenwick glass rod), a larger one on 12# P-line Flouroclear (upper 30's) that was a dark buck and released (so never weighed), and several in the mid-20's. Thats with spinning gear. I don't like to cast anything heavier than 12# in mono, with the size spinners and spoons I use. 

I'm going to go to a little heavier setup trolling in the lower rivers for the Kings from now on, as last year I lost one that felt like a submarine as it headed into the logjam. I've currently got an old Penn 209 spooled with some 15# P-line Xtra Strong mono (only because I had the 15# and was too cheap to buy some heavier gage stuff ) mounted on a med action mooching rod. Got a pink plastic trolling rudder (absolutely necessary to prevent line twist) tied on the end of that, followed by 3 feet of 12# ultragreen leader and a swivel clipped to a 3/8 oz. #4 spinner with a siwash hook with the barb pinched down. No lead, but sometimes I go to as heavy as a 1/2 oz #4 spinner if I want to get really deep, like 6 to 8 feet down. Have maybe 40  feet of line out.
I use the same rig with a 1/4 oz spinner in the shallower sections of the rivers, and sometimes flatline unweighted spinners for the Coho. And almost always use some scent. Simple stuff.
 I think I'm going up to 30# mainline and 20# leader for the Kings on my trolling gear, as that would provide more stopping power.  But I think 12# is plenty heavy enough for hucking spinners and spoons with spinning gear.
Of all the monos I have used for mainline, I think I liked the way P-line Flouroclear cast the best. Better than the Suffix DNA.  And could cast nearly half-again farther than with Ultragreen. I might have to get some more of that Flouroclear (flourocarbon coated copolymer).

Anyway, the above is just what I do. Works for me.  May not be right for your style.
I have only ever had one bad bird's nest on a spinning reel, and that was because I spooled too much line on and my anti-reverse wasn't engaged.
 

I was just checking out the Power Pro website. Here's everything you ever wanted to know about Power Pro braid.

http://www.powerpro.com/using/index.asp

Power Pro claims that the new braid doesn't harm the guides like the older lines.

*Bump*

Is there a specific color of PowerPro to avoid, or does it really matter?  Actually, is there a given use/reason for the different colors that are available? 

I plan to purchase an Abu Garcia 6500 here soon for my Rockfish/Ling rod, and want to spool up with PP.  For those that have spooled one up with 20#, how much line should I expect to put on it??

I plan to purchase an Abu Garcia 6500 here soon for my Rockfish/Ling rod, and want to spool up with PP.  For those that have spooled one up with 20#, how much line should I expect to put on it??

Too much.  Fill the spool half way with mono.  Half way is a rough measure, I don't know the exact amount as I usually just eyeball it (and sometimes get it wrong!).  Top off with 100 yards of 20# spectra.  That's more than you'll need for rocking and it will last you a long time, even if you break/cut some off every now and then.

-Allen

I use yellow power pro for everything.  No problems...  And then I flip it on the spool when it starts looking tired

I plan to purchase an Abu Garcia 6500 here soon for my Rockfish/Ling rod, and want to spool up with PP.  For those that have spooled one up with 20#, how much line should I expect to put on it??

Too much.  Fill the spool half way with mono.  Half way is a rough measure, I don't know the exact amount as I usually just eyeball it (and sometimes get it wrong!).  Top off with 100 yards of 20# spectra.  That's more than you'll need for rocking and it will last you a long time, even if you break/cut some off every now and then.

-Allen

Allen, what's the purpose of mono, to spectra, (and possibly back to mono for the leader)?   I'm assuming the mono on the spool should be 20# as well, correct?

The purpose of the mono is that spectra is expensive.  The mono fills the spool and allows you to use less spectra.  You're likely never to even see the mono backing if you're using 100 yards of spectra on top of it.  I use any old mono I have laying around, again because I don't intend to ever really use it.

-Allen

Would I still want this spool combo if I were to hunt keeper sturgeon with this reel, or should I be looking for a backup spool to have loaded with something else? 

Is there a specific color of PowerPro to avoid, or does it really matter?  Actually, is there a given use/reason for the different colors that are available? 

Green and red are made to blend in underwater. Green obviously blends in w/ water color but the red has also been shown to disappear very quickly. The yellow is made for drift fishing so that you can see you line well. Of course w/ a setup like that you'd have a long mono/fluoro leader.

I like pelagicPaddler's idea of going yellow. The lines blend in so well sometimes it's really hard to see.

Z

Not yet a kayak fisherman, but a shore fisherman.

I have 50# green PowerPro and 20# yellow PowerPro on my reels with fluorocarbon leaders (line).  I usually start with about 15' of leader and as it gets used up it gets shorter and shorter and it gets replaced at about 2'.  I use fluorocarbon line rather than leader.  Leader is about 1/2 the test of the line.

On the smaller rigs I use a Uni-to-Uni splice to get the leader on the PP.  On the 12' surf rig I use a swivel.

I originally went with 50# green PP because I when I switched from 20# Trilene XT the 50# PP was the same diameter.  I chose green because I wanted something less visible because I often fished without a leader.

Recently I picked up a spool of 20# yellow PP because I was tired of not being able to see my line off the rod and into the water.  Also, 20# PP is the same diameter as 8# mono.

The 50# green PowerPro is on a Penn 750  Spinfisher, an Abu Garcia 6601C4 bait rig, and a Shimano Spheros 4000FA.  I have the 20# yellow PP on another Shimano Spheros.  I'll probably pick up another bait rig this season, but will probably go lighter than my current 9' extra heavy IM7.

When the first 25-75 yards of the PP starts looking old on any of the reels, I snip it off and toss it.  After the Penn gets down to where I think I need more line, the Penn is unloaded onto either a spare spool or onto the Shimano or Abu Garcia.

When the 1500' spool of 50# PP is used up, it will be replaced with 50# yellow PP.  I really like being able to easily see my line.