LINE AND LEADER WEIGHT FOR BROWNS

[ALLEN WOOD]

I HAVE HEARD SOME DIFFERENT THOUGHTS ON LINE AND LEADER WEIGHTS FOR BROWNS. I HAVE BEEN TOLD TO USE 10 LB. TEST LINE WITH 6 LB. LEADER. AND TO USE AT LEAST FLUOROCARBON LEADER 6 - 10 FEET LONG. HOW ABOUT FLUORCARBON MAIN LINE WITH THE LEADER ATTACHED. I JUST READ A POST FROM FROM A FISHERMAN WHO WAS USING 6 LB. LEADER AND HE LOST TWO FISH THIS WEEKEND.

LET ME HEAR WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY ON THIS TOPIC PLEASE.

[Capt Vince Pierleoni]

Allen, there is always trade-offs. Lighter line usually means more strikes, but at a cost of lost tackle and fish. 6lb test is too light for trolling with stickbaits(floater/diver plugs) in my opinion. Spoons would be ok, because they have only one hook. The problem that arises, especially with spring Coho, is the rolling/thrashing trout and salmon get the line wrapped into the other hooks on the plugs. This often results in a break-off. I think 10lb. leader is as light as you can go and still not leave a bunch of fish swimming around with your lures.

10-15lb mainline, with slighty lighter leader, is a good compromise for Spring Browns in all but the Clearest of water conditions.

[ALLEN WOOD]

THANK YOU. I APPRECIATE YOUR INPUT. MY GUT TELLS ME THAT 10 AND 6 WOULD BE A LITTLE LIGHT. 12 AND 10 OR 15 AND 10 SOUNDS BETTER. YOU DIDN'T COMMENT ON THE FLUOROCARBON LINE. ANY THOUGHTS ON THAT PART OF IT.

[Jax]

I agree with Vince, he pretty much nailed it.

As far as the fluorocarbon goes that is the leader we are talking about. If you have 15 pound mainline use 10 pound fluorcarbon leader. I usually splice on a 10 foot section to give your self some extra for re ties. You can splice the 2 together with a double uni knot, or a bloodknot.

Fluoro definatly helps especially on those days with no cloud cover and the water is clear.

[RiggerRob]

I find the hard part about fishing with light tackle and trying for browns is that there is always a big laker or coho sitting in the same spot and ......wham......another stickbait donated. Vince is bang on with 10lb being the lightest mainline you could go and 15 the heaviest. If you can find a line you like and have confidence in, I would say you could land most with a good 12lb test, but you have to play the fish out more. Fluorocarbon mainline is smaller in diameter so make sure you buy the next lb strength up or even 2up if you go with that as a mainline. I just use coplymer here. For leader line, I like the 0x Frog stuff. It stands up pretty good. I join the 2 lines together with a good barrel swivel.

Rob!

[ray koziatek]

here is my theory of the line issue with browns,as youknow the stained water to muddy is what we seek for "good"brown water....Ive caught em on 20 lb test (usually in clearer water) and as light as 15 lb test in the stained,I work hard for my lure money and like to keep as many as possably from breakoffs,I do enuf stupid things over the course of a season to lose em on my own ,,,,

when i fight a fish its to enjoy the fight but get it to the boat quick enuf for a good release(revival).. If ya set the drag to 1# then ya still can have a 2# line fight (on 15lb line) weith the same results = Totally played fish ,and long to no revival......opps i diggress again...

Ok after a long cold winter them browns enjoy the "warm shallows" as much as the bait that swims in it for the needed feed to assure a good survival and reproduction rate.

Now I know a thing or two about visability under these "stained" conditions and trust me ant NO fish gonna see 20 ft in 2 ft of visability,shure they have the latteral line that they depend on ((thus giving them the "spooky or shy" reputation)).....

Imagine this :you see poorly(muddy conditions) and depend on your ears (latteral line) for locating food...you hear a rabbit aproaching as your sitting very still waiting for it to get in sight ,just then a train rumbles past (boat) your still there (the brown) the rabbit is still approaching(lure)but you cant put 1and 1 togeather for the ambuse (no smell clean lure) no hit... Thus plainer boards and quiet trollin moters a must...

Now same senero with 2 different size lines (dia.) every thing is perfect(no close train (or boat) the (rabbit) (lure) is still approaching so you move slightly for the perfect ambuse position directly in front of approaching prey (lure) all of a sudden a 1/2 in rope gets draged across your head (20 lb test line) you lose focus,get spooked ,or move a tad from the irratating drag across your nose.....====NO BITE

now your all set again thstime a smooth small string (10lb line) hits you but it dont scare the shi# outa ya so you wait for that approaching lure with just a slight twitch of your head to clear the line AND=======WAMMO YOU HOOK UP..

[Yankee Troller]

Fishing Spring BT typically means your trolling shorelines. Flouro sinks much faster than monofilament from what I understand. You don't want a light monofiliment if your getting inside of 10'. For one you will loose a lot of plugs and secondly the lighter line will allow the plugs to dive deeper. We use a 15lb main line and a 10lb flouro leader. I have used lighter mono main lines and experienced the issues I just explained. Not to mention flouro is EXPENSIVE. I wouldn't want to fill up 4-6 reels with straight flouro.

[chinook35]

I have found over the years that spring browns in shallow water are very line shy. I have flatlined with 6# line on my rods , using stickbaits and spoons, for years and landed many 10 # browns without losing gear. Light drags are a must ! For in line boards I use 12 # mainline connected to 8# floro leaders using clear plastic trolling rudders for the connection. The trolling rudders also stop the board from hitting the fish/lure. This setup works for me.