Which wire for Magda 30's

[somethinfishe]

I'm newer to this site and new to dipsy fishing.. I just purchased some gander mt competitor rods and Magda 30's. Wondering which wire is best for the reel. 7 strand or 19 strand.. I did some searching, but wasn't able to find anything. Sorry if this is a simple question.

 

 

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[bottom-feeder]

malin 7 strand....I prefer the 20 lb but the 30 is used by most guys

[somethinfishe]

I've heard guys mention that. Also hear toroedo recommended, and that the 19 strand is more user friendly for newbies like myself.


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[Sk8man]

The 19 strand may be better in terms of kink resistance etc but regardless of what you get the key thing to remember with ANY wire is to keep it under tension at all times. Most problems encountered using wire are a result of loss of tension and when it happens the wire may curly que and then kink. The tension also needs to be maintained when you breakdown a two piece rod (one of the reasons I use one piece shorter roller rods) Once you have a kink you need to cut that section out and re-terminate. Most brands will work fine of you take care of them. I use mainly 30 lb Accustrand 7 strand SS camo or gold colored  (Cablestrand Corporation) or Malin for dipsey use.

Edited August 13, 2017 by Sk8man

[somethinfishe]

Thanks for the replies and the advice on keeping tension/kinks.. I guess my main concern was being able to fit 1000' of wire on the reel. Not sure if the 19 strand would be too thick to fit all on


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[Sk8man]

Along that line some folks use electrical tape to fasten the wire to their reel spool. This may avoid putting on backing. I have always used a section of 30 lb Big Game mono to "nest"  the wire and keep it from slipping as well as offering some protection from direct pressure of the wire on the spool itself (also recommended by reel repair folks). I think you should be able to fit the 1,000 ft of 7 strand wire on that reel if you go with either the taped approach or just a short section of mono (say 50 ft.) as backing.

[John E Powell]

Size difference is negligible between 7 and 19.

 

7 strand is cheaper, coarser and harder on rod guides. It's also a little more durable but when it breaks, it tends to break with little warning and a lot of gear can be lost. You can't really tie terminal knots in it but you can tie splices like an Albright knot. You will need either a roller tip rod or a Twili tip.

 

By comparison 19 strand wire is more costly, but it's supple, flexible, and doesn't wear standard ceramic rod guides. You can tie some terminal knots in it as well as splices. Before it fails completely, you usually get a strand or two that will fail and fray giving you an opportunity to discover the weakness and repair it before the expensive loss of a dipsy, multiple swivels, flasher, fly, meat rig, etc.. 19 strand doesn't require any special rod tip, but a Twili is still a good idea.

 

In the long run you pay a little more up front for 19 strand, but one frayed line noticed and repaired will more than overcome the additional initial cost in saved gear.

 

As for filling the reel, use a couple wraps of mono to attach to the spool rather than tape. Tape's adhesive leaves a messy residue down the road that can be tough to clean up. To get the proper amount of backing, if necessary, fill the first reel in reverse adding however much backing as necessary to fill the reel. Make note of how much backing you use for the other reel(s). Then transfer the line to a second reel. The transfer will reverse the direction placing the backing tight to the spool and the wire on top. When done you will end up with 2-3 layers of mono next to and tied to the spool spliced to the backing, spliced to the wire, and the reel will be properly full.

 

Before using, go out on the lake over deep water tie on something that will provide a good amount of drag. With the boat trolling fairly fast, let out ALL the wire and then reel it back in under heavy trolling tension. If you skip this step it's very likely that the wire will pull under itself under tension and bind on the spool causing kinks and shortened life of the wire and/or lost fish.

 

 

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[Sk8man]

Great advice as usual

[somethinfishe]

Thanks so much for the advice.. exactly what I was looking for! Love this site. You guys are so informative...


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