Published Sunday, April 20, 2008
Anglers have an arsenal of equipment these days that help make them better fishermen. Boats costing tens of thousands of dollars, high-tech electronics that can differentiate structure from fish and tell you how big the fish are — that's only a couple of examples. Rods and reels made of materials similar to ones used in a space shuttle and you're a bite away from an astronomical fisherman. But if an angler skimps on just one thing, costing only a fraction of a cent in the overall picture, their fishing outing might be full of broken disappointment. What is it? It's the only link between you and your fish.
Fishing line comes in hundreds of shapes, materials, colors, pound test and the like so choosing one isn't an easy task. It should be done to match your type of fishing and conditions. For most Kansas applications you're looking at either some type of monofilament or braided line from 4- to 25-pound test. One of the best ways to find what works is to visit with people that either fish for a living, or live to fish. Following are just a few of those fishermen and their thoughts on the critical connection for their favorite species.
Submitted
With a nickname of Crappie Chatt, it's no surprise that Chatt Martin likes to fish for big ol' slab sides like this one. And when he does, he spools his spinning reels with PowerPro with 10-pound strength in 2-pound diameter.
With a nickname of Crappie Chatt, it's no surprise that Chatt Martin likes to fish for big ol' slab sides like this one. And when he does, he spools his spinning reels with PowerPro with 10-pound strength in 2-pound diameter.
Submitted
If Catdaddy is after big cats like this monster flathead, he generally "doesn't take any prisoners" and spools his reels with 80-pound PowerPro which has an 18-pound diameter.
If Catdaddy is after big cats like this monster flathead, he generally "doesn't take any prisoners" and spools his reels with 80-pound PowerPro which has an 18-pound diameter.
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Catfish
Catfish
With a nickname like Catdaddy, there's no need to wonder what species this angler prefers.
"It's my favorite fish 'cause they got whiskers and they taste so good!" Catdaddy (R.R. Shumway) explained.
When tackling big cats on rod-and-reel, Catdaddy likes to use a couple different kinds of line.
"I like PowerPro when I'm fishing for the bigger fish," he said. "I like the yellow and the red and I've kind of went to red more now with all the hoopla about red disappearing below the water, whether it's true or not I don't know."
Catdaddy "doesn't take any prisoners" when it comes to the pound test he chooses, spooling his reels with braided line.
"I like the 80-pound test in an 18-pound diameter," he said of PowerPro that's catching on for many species of fish lately. "I don't care if you're two blocks down the lake or river as soon as you pull that line, it's pulling the trigger on that fish and he's feeling the hook set because there is no give at all.
"And when I'm fishing monofilament I like Gamma line in a high-vis orange," Catdaddy said, "I like to use 20-pound at the least and sometimes I'll strap 25-pound test on."
No matter the line, Catdaddy chooses to tie his terminal tackle onto it with a Palomar knot.
"It's one of the easiest and quickest to work with, even for a blind man which I'm almost there," he said of the knot's ease of tying.
Crappie
Sticking to the nickname theme, Crappie Chatt Martin loves fishing for big slab sides.
"Basically the eating of them," said Martin as to why he likes fishing for crappie. "I love fishing for them as they're a challenge."
Fishing most any lake for crappie will find Martin using PowerPro in the 10-pound test with 2-pound diameter. He recommends putting monofilament line on first as backing and adding about 50 yards of the PowerPro to prevent line slippage on the spool.
"I can feel everything," Martin said of PowerPro that's round instead of flat like some of the other braided lines. "I think it's the best thing to happen to fishing lately."
"I like the high-vis yellow," he said of his color preference. "There's no doubt in my mind that crappie aren't line-shy by any means and I choose it so I can see the line and the light hits."
The Palomar knot is also Martin's choice of knots whether he's tying on the smallest of jigs or heaviest.
"It's simple to tie and it's super strong," he said of the knot known for having the highest knot strength among all knots.
White bass & smallmouth
"I like white bass and smallmouth," said Clyde "The Guide" Holscher of his favorite species of fish to pursue. "They're aggressive and easy to pattern."
Holscher believes that after 15 years of guiding and 20 years of tournament fishing, he's found a combination that works.
"I stay with 6- to 8-pound (Cajun Red or Gamakatsu) on a spinning rod and maybe 10- to 12-pound on a casting rod to elicit more bites," Holscher said. "I think the smaller line has better action and I firmly believe down-sizing your line will increase your bites up to 70 or 80 percent."
If Holscher fishes a braided line for smallmouth in clear water, he'll often tie a six-foot section of fluorocarbon line to the end of it using an A-Knot. And if the fish are real hesitant and not hitting hard, he'll fish some high-vis yellow braided line and take a black magic marker and slit the end of it and run that over the terminal six to eight feet of line next to his lure.
"You can really see that fluorescent yellow," Holscher said. "I do this a lot for clients to make it easier for them to catch fish."
Another tip Holscher offers is for anglers to use Blakemore's Reel Magic, a spray-on product that helps reduce line memory and aids casting.
"When you start to get some line memory it helps with that," Holscher said.
As far as knots, Holscher echoes the usual sentiment of tying a Palomar knot and admits he now does it with baits he used to tie a loop to connect.
"Those bass snaps now are really good quality and I don't think it deters that much on the action of your bait," Holscher said.
Walleye
"I started fishing walleye tournaments in 1993," said Nick Self of his walleye fishing addiction. "Every time you set the hook you don't know if it's going to be that big one or a little one so it's a thrill."
Over the years Self has fished primarily one line and until recently it was monofilament.
"I've always used Stren MagnaThin in either 8- or 10-pound test in the walleye green color," Self said. "But here recently I've switched over to PowerPro and that seems to be working well."
Self has seen PowerPro as more durable than mono and he doesn't lose fish or jigs on break-offs as much.
"And it's so sensitive when you're jigging you can feel that first tap," Self said.
His jigging rods are spooled with the 20-pound PowerPro (6-pound diameter) and he ties straight to his jig. On his bottom bouncer rods he uses to run spinners or Lindy Rigs he'll run the main line of PowerPro with the 30-pound test (8-pound diameter) to his bouncer and tie a section of mono to his spinners.
"I tie a bunch of leaders up ahead of time and wrap them around a section of a kid's swim noodle so when I lose one I can just unwrap it and take off and go," Self said.
When using his Stren MagnaThin, Self chooses to use a Trilene knot and the ever-popular Palomar on his braided lines.
Marc Murrell can be reached at mmoutdoors@cox.net.
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