Main line for drift fishing?

[danger]

Once again it is time to refill the spool in my baitcaster, what do you guys use on your drift fishing setups. Is anyone familiar with braids and do you like them better?

I would appreciate any general experiences or suggestions. [img]graemlins/1zhelp.gif[/img]

[MetalHead]

Danger I use 10# Ande for my main and 8# Maxima for leaders on my Steelhead rigs. I have tried the braided lines pulling plugs for Salmon and have trouble with the knots.

[Fast Water]

Danger,

What are you gearing up for?

I prefer using mono. My suggestion is Maxima Ultragreen. 10 or 12 pound main for Steelies. 15 or 20 for Chinook.


:smile:

[dawhunt]

Winter 12# Maxima Ultragreen or Chamelon ,10#leader ultragreen.
Summer 10# ultragreen and 8#ultragreen leader sometimes 6#.
Bob

[KingFisher85]

I've gone down to 8 pound Maxima for a main line and a leader line when fishing for both winter and summer steelhead.

For Salmon, last year with the big run of silvers, I was using 10 and 12 pound main line, but this year, I could not even bank a big hog Chinook, 15 was not working so I went up to 20 pound main line for where I was drifting.

For the spring Chinooks, 20 pound main line with a 14 pound test leader.
When I get above 8 pound test, I use triline big game fishing line.

[ 01-27-2003, 06:04 PM: Message edited by: KingFisher85 ]

[parthur]

Driftfishing reels=10# Stren UltraBlue mainline w/ Maxima UG 6,8,10 lb leaders...Gotta be able to se that main line in low-light conditions.

Bobber fishing=30# TuffLine w/same leaders as above

Pluggin' rod= 12# Stren Ultra Blue

[steelheadslayer]

mainline- 10 or 12 lb stren or sufix.
leaders- flourocarbon or izorline platinum in 6, 8, or 10 lb.

[Sirprize Sirprize]

#10 Ultragreen and #8 Ultragreen Maxima...though I wish the line would hold up a little better.

[driftphish]

mainline - 12# maxima ultragreen

leader - 10# maxima chameleon

in the summer 10 and 8

[Corkie Monster]

10 0r 12 lb. Trilene XT for my main line. And I use 8 to 10 lb. Maxima UG for leader. I like the XT cuase it's some super strong stuff. Strong enough to straighten a split ring on a steel-lee!! Kinda hard to see sometimes but I still love it. Oh, and the Trilene XT does'nt stretch as much as all the others.

[ 01-27-2003, 06:19 PM: Message edited by: Corkie Monster ]

[tipndwater]

wow corky monster! :shocked:
you picked my exact choice. even down to the leader.
XT main line and maxima UG leader. on my bigger gear i like triline big game.
tipndwater

[rebell]

30lb power pro main line. Maxima 8lb or 10lb leader. For bigger the fish, I just increase the size of each.

[hustlerrjim]

15 # max chamelion mainline no trouble getting out backlashes
high visibility lines scare fish if pulled in the air over their heads in low clear water
leaders depend on water clarity, I go to 6ft. leader 4 # hook backsliding

Winters: 12# Maxima Chameleon main with 10# Maxima Chameleon leader. Summers same but 8# and 6# leaders. 12# helps get my slinkies back better than 10#.

Springers: 25# Big Game with 20# Maxima Chameleon leader.

Falls: 30# Big Game with either 25# Maxima Chameleon or 30# Big Game for leaders, depending on the circumstances, particularly whether you can chase them or not.

20# Power Pro

[Grantspastor]

I've always like Maxima Chameleon for it's stiffness on level wind reels. Ten Lb. for Steelhead and twenty for chinooks.

[fishin]

Maxima chameleon #12 for main line, 10# leader for 1 and bigger hooks, #8 for 2s and smaller hooks. Holds up to abrasion really well but tough to keep an eye on your line. I've tried the Maxima Perfection this year. It is alot easier to see and seems to holed up to abrasion but is pretty limp on a baitcaster. It may be more suited to spinning reels.

[Tilla]

10 lb Sufix mainline, yellow. Hopefully I will get to their booth at the show this year before the good stuff goes!

[LIV2FISH]

I use 25# Big Game w/ 25 # Maxima Chameleon leaders for both Spring & Fall Chinook. Think that I will downsize the leader for springers though. Good question! :smile:

[BuKuBass]

Hi-viz yellow TufLine XP 6/20 with 10# fluoro leader. Even tho braid floats (helps while mending), it's small diameter cuts the surface tension easily and is so sensitive that I can feel fish farts.

[Gun Rod Bow]

I use only mono (your choice of brand, I like chameleon) for drifting.

Nothing worse than having a bunch of braided line broke off in a drift.

Braids and other "funny lines" I use only for trolling, plugs(with leaders), back bouncing etc.

Good luck.

GRB

[Flatfish]

Fished with 12#maxima UG forever. Now that I am old ( forever and a day) , I cannot see it during the drift. So we are trying Suffix. If that does not work, I will but a bulk spool of the 12# Maxima in pink. It is hard to find locally, hence the switch.

Mark and the fit as a fiddle dog.

[KENAIDOG]

Drifting-- 10# stren clear blue w/ 8# maxima leader. I couldn't imagine drifting with a braid although I have never tried it??

[zomonster]

For winters 12lb Magnathin main line, 12lb leader.

[Cohodependent]

I have gone to the Power Pro for both my casting rod and my spinning rod. I like the no stretch and the fact that I can hold a lot of heavy weight line and the line does not sink. There are times when I will set up my drift rod with a bobber.

[Steelie Steve]

I just respooled mine with Maxima UG 12#. I run either 8#, 10# or 12# leaders (Maxima UG). Now I just need to get out there and use it again.....

Steve

[16/0 Circle]

Berkley Fireline 20 lb. hi vis green, uni knot a 60" piece of Max. UG in 12 lb. onto that with 8 and 10 lb. Seaguar leaders.

[DriftR]

Maxima Chameleon 12lb main for steelies
8&10 pd Seaguar leaders for steelies
10&12 pd Grand Max leaders also, but spendy.

25 lb Maxima Chameleon for salmon
20lb-25lb Seaguar leaders

[Diehard D]

Gotta go with 20lb power pro or 10lb Yosuri Hybrid in the smoke color. Have to stick with 8 or 10lb UG for leaders.

[Bobberologist]

I use braid for all fishing except drift fishing. For that I use 14# suffix for winter steelies 10# for summer with 2-4# lighter leader in a florocarbon.

Braid is my fave for everything else. There is nothing like a fresh waxed braid for bobber fishing.

[Yoter]

Baitcaster: 12-15lb Maxima Chameleon, 8-10lb leaders of the same stuff.

Spinning(bobber)rod: 20lb Power Pro, 8-10lb maxima leaders.

Yoter

[SeanD]

Maxima crystal ivory. I use it as mainline on all my baitcasters except the ones i load with braided tuff line. I think its the same line as ultragreen, just with a different pigment, and i like it because its way cheap (i respool a lot), and its pretty visable. My 10lb ultragreen leaders always break before my 12 lb crystal ivory mainline. I think all the maxima above 8lb is a little stiff for spinning reels.

[lippee]

Maxima chameleon is my choice as it retains it's memory, great for baitcaster's. But you dont want to use chameleon on spinning reel's because of it's memory. You would want to use a limp line that doesnt retain memory.

[Drakeblake]

I started with Maxima chameleon then switched to UG just to try it. Personaly I like the UG better but my question is why is it better for line on bait casters to have memory?I know that limp lines are better for spin casters but cant figure out why it would be good to have memory for level winds. Can anybody elabortate? thanks

-blake

[Steelheader]

Izor line in 12lb. or 15lb. test is the strongest line I have seen on the market. I was sold on Maxima iltra green years ago untill I decided to find a better line. Izor Line, It's a little hard to find however, the Guide Shop has it for about $8.99 for a 250 yard refill spool. Very strong and abrasion resistant. I never worry about horsing fish to much with this line. P-Line is also a good line to try. It's a very soft line but also very strong, not as abrasion resistant though. Hope this helps you out.