What's your line?

[First Bite]

Just curious what everyone's favorite line is. Maxima Ultragreen is my first choice. It hasn't failed me yet.

RT and others, how often do you change your line. I probably change mine too often but I don't want to lose a fish due to my line. With all the money spent on rod/reel and tackle, $3 for line is money well spent in my opinion. But you know what they say about opinions.
Mark

[Kerry]

Just my .02 IZORline is great! and it is cheap

[Salmonator]

I've used Stren Magnathin green for several years now. My steelhead rods get changed twice a year (winter#test and summer#test). I use my salmon rods for falls, springers and Astoria/Hood River sturgeon and I only change them out once a year or whenever a spool gets too low. I check 20 feet of mainline for nicks before trips and I honestly can't remember breaking off any fish in the last few years due to mainline. This line isn't as tough as Maxima but I think the castability (lack of memory) outweighs what it lacks in abrasion resistance. My experience is that one year old magnathin will cast better than one month old maxima. I'm sure somebody wants to jump in here and say that stren breaks at inconstent stresses and at any point between swivel and reel. I dunno, maybe i've been lucky with the last hundred filler spools or so... Joe

[This message has been edited by Salmonator (edited 05-04-2000).]

[Deleted User]

Mark, I have really gotten into using either Spider Wire or Tufline in the superbraids almost exclusively in recent years for mainline. I love the thin diameter and non-stretch character of these lines, and they last a long time (last's at least a year of substantial usage). I still use Maxima for leader, both the Ultra Green and the Chameleon for salmon/steelhead fishing. - Steve

[Pete]

I find different lines work in different situations. For trolling or backbouncing I find tufline works great. However, because of it's limpness it doesn't work as well for casting, so I use Ultragreen Maxima if I'm pitching bobbers. I like the characteristics of dark maxima for steelhead drift fishing. Part of my choice is based on my experience using Maxima to tie tapered steelhead fly leaders. Also, a physics professor at Portland State did some line and knot strength testing and found Maxima best for both knots and strength per diameter. His study was published ... I'll try to find the reference and post it here.

[Moleman]

For springers I use either 14# or 17# Trilene XT, 20# ultra green for leader. Fall chinook I use 25# Trilene XT and 25# or 30# clear maxima. For winter steelhead I use 12# Trilene XT (I pull plugs). For summers I use 6# ultra green, on a 9' fly blank w/spinning reel....(I cast spinners in rocky areas)

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"TMM"

[Jeffhead]

I use 25# Trilene XT clear for fall Chinooks on the rivers and for use with the downriggers in the salt. For silvers and winter steelhead I have been using 10# Ande flouresent yellow as I boondog a lot and it is easier to see and 8# Trilene XT clear for leaders. I used to use 10# Fireline and really liked the feel of it better. I see that they make it in flouresent green now and may go back to that this fall. Have had good luck with the Ande though, no lost fish due to mainline breaks.

[dogfishboy]

In the boat...
Tufline has worked VERY well for the reasons RT stated. I have used it inland and on the coast in the Spring and the Fall for the last three years. In fact, two friends have changed this season after fishing with us a few times in April. 15# Ultragreen mainline for steelhead is standard for me unless it's ultra clear and low in which case I'll drop down to 10#.

On the bank...
For "cheesehawgs" at the coast I use nothing but 40# Maxima Chameleon leader with 40# Ultragreen main in the rivers just above tidewater. Tufline rules again when bobber fishing tidewater. For steelhead it's pretty simple... 10# Ultragreen main and 8# Ultragreen leader. I usually change my line after about 3 fish when fishing for steelhead from the bank - which is my passion in May, June and early July on the upper XXXXXXXXX. There's nothing like "sight fishing" and watching http://www.ifish.net/forum/images/graemlins/shocked.gif a steelhead or springer hit your offering. What a rush!!!

I have tried alot of lines and try a few new ones each year for short periods of time. I always seem to come back to the ones I mentioned above. Keeping things simple - but productive - allows me to purchase in bulk and focus on other issues.

Good fishin' and tight lines,
Dogfishboy and Beale

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