Whats the best # test for Lake O

[Jack]

After reading all the posts on fishing line and Keating book I am confused as to what line to run and still catch fish. I fish Lake O out Sodus in the summer and out the Genesee in the Fall . 50% of the time solo. Keating seems to like using lite line for better lure action. But I'm not sure I can fight a King on 8# -12# test while clearing tackle by myself .

So what do you think would be the best line to run off riggers with spoons or j-plugs and a slider. Also if your running dipsies down 50' or less do you still use wire or mono or.......

Thanks

[MANIAC]

Jack, I run 20 lb Big Game and then 20 lb FF when the fleas get bad. On my spoon rods I use a bead chain swivel, 6' of 20 lb flouro and a duolock snap to hook to the spoon. I have run wire divers 30'-40' from the boat and take fish on them. Hope this helps. Eric

[momay4000]

Jack - you'll have 100 different replies on this but in my opinion there's typically several common themes - use good line, keep it simple, use stronger test in the summer for the fleas, and use GOOD fluoro leader material (typically 20#)

Don't worry about 12# test "breaking off". Trust Keating!!!!!

We use: 8# Berkley Big Game (clear) for all of our brown setups in the Spring

12# Big Game (clear) on all of our other rods until the fleas get bad.

30# Big Game as soon as the fleas get bad in the early summer

On all rods we use 20# Seaguar flouro leaders (except on the flasher/fly rods where an invisible leader isn't necessary)

I've said this many times, since we've gone to 12# test on our rods, our hook-up rate has probably tripled. If it wasn't for the fleas, I'd run it year round.

Good luck,

- Chris

[Schools Out]

I run 17lb trilene XT year round as I use the same rods for salmon and walleye in the henderson area.... I certainly could get by with less than 17lb for LO eyes (even though they are 10lbs) but its a good middle of the road and I dont have to switch out.

[Gray Fox]

We usually run 10# big game with an 8# leader in the spring for the brown. During the summer when the fleas get bad i usually spool the salmon reels with 25# big game. we run the lite line with all of our spoons until the fleas get bad, we run all dodger, fly setups on the heavier. we took multiple fish last summer out of Sodus (mainly steelheads) on a wire dipsy out 45-60 feet with no problems.

[GAMBLER]

Spring brown rods I run 15lb main line and 12lb floro leaders. Summer salmon rods have 30 lb Ande pink with 15 or 20 lb. floro leaders. Keating can get away with using light line because he has the money to replace the lures he loses from the revenue off of his book sales.

[L&M]

That's the way to go unless you have a lot of money for tackle. Only difference is I use all Big Game.

[Tim Bromund]

Spring brown rods I run 15lb main line and 12lb floro leaders. Summer salmon rods have 30 lb Ande pink with 15 or 20 lb. floro leaders. Keating can get away with using light line because he has the money to replace the lures he loses from the revenue off of his book sales.

That and the fact that he fishes Lake Michigan where the average mature salmon weighs 8 lbs

Tim

[GAMBLER]

[quote="tbromund

That and the fact that he fishes Lake Michigan where the average mature salmon weighs 8 lbs

[LongLine]

As a "major" soloist, 12 Lb mono is fine for almost anything run clean, as long as you inspect the line frequently. I used to use a lot of 8 Lb but had to cut off a lot of little pieces & retie every couple hours or after every fish. Mono stretches & when it gets that "goofy" curl in it, is worthless. Got tired of cleaning the engine well & didn't want to throw the scrap overboard. When fleas show up, got to go bigger.

Tom B.

(LongLine)

[momay4000]

You know how many clean breakoffs we had last year using 12# mono? Zero. Any breakoff we had was right at the knot on the swivel.

It makes you "fight and feel" the fish more, and I'm telling you we catch more fish on the lighter line. When we first started using the lighter line, I was skeptical, too. Nonetheless, I don't need to be convinced anymore.

Longline makes a great point - you need to inspect 12# test very frequently, b/c anytime there's a frayed area, we cut it off.

- Chris

[fishman08]

we've used 12lb ande for years but recently went to 25 lb ande with a 20 lb floro leader due to flasher flies setups. 12lb is great with spoons and will prob rig up 2 rods with 12lb for spoons this winter but with flasher and flies the heavier line seems to hold up better

[momay4000]

Fishman,

You make an excellent point - I only use the 12# mono for spoon and stickbait setups. However, for our flasher rigs, we use 20# clear Big Game. I mark each rod with colored tape to keep the 12# separate from the 20#.

Thanks for bringing up that important point.

- Chris

[Legacy]

this subject has always been a "can of worms"!

[Tim Bromund]

I set my rods up with 17 lb trilene xt for main line, then splice in 120 or so feet (15 passes on the levelwind) of 30 lb big game with a #8 (50 lb test) spro power swivel and then 8 feet of flourocarbon leader.

I run them that way all year long. In the spring, running the boards along the shore for browns, it'll be a 10 lb fluoro leader. The heavy large diameter 30 lb big game keeps the sticks from diving too deep when you're really running them in tight to shore.

Once we move offshore I replace the 10 lb fluoro with 20 lb for the rest of the season. That has me all set for flea season, the 100 or so feet of 30 lb is what runs between the rod tip and the rigger release and I have no problems with snot buildup. on the east end where youre runnning 120-140 down all summer, you'd probably need to put 150-160 or so feet of 30 lb on, but on the west end where I fish, very seldom do we have to fish more than 100 down.

Tim

[ray koziatek]

using light line can be very challenging and fun to catch salmon or large fish but not without its downfalls . first it streaches out the fight which is great if your alone and plan on keeping the fish as he will be so played out it wont survive a realease.,also its more proper knot sensative one crossover and youve lost higher % of knot strength,all releases will cause some line damage not so much from the relase(fish hitting) its self but the long time trolling with the line pinched or held in place under pressure. i dont deploy my ultralight till i find a good school of active fish to avoid long periouds of trolling light line.i like 12(lures) and 15 (spinnies) for rec fishing but go to 17 and 20 if were in a derby.like others mention use a base heaverier line 20lb and learn a good line knot and change your leader to match fishing situations.

[skipper19]

Power pro braid....sooo thin and strong too. Want to feel every shake and shimmer of the fight? This is it! That is until the fleas come out.. Knot integrity is crucial though as it slips easily if not tied with care. clinch knots will slip 90% of the time. I use a uni knot at the terminal end and an albright to do any splice to flourocarbon

http://www.animatedknots.com/uniknot/in ... dknots.com

UNI-Knot

http://www.animatedknots.com/albright/i ... dknots.com

Albright knot

[Jack]

Great Stuff !!

Thank You for all the Good info, Hope everyone has a Very Merry Christmas !!!!

JT

[keithg]

up to this past season i used ande pink 30 lb for fleas.after reading Keating,i tried big game 20 lb this year for flashers and 15 lb for clean spoons.no break-offs and no noticable increase in drops either.browns i run 8 lb big game.dipsys are 30 lb wire,i do have one mono dipsy for a high one,never used it this year.if the dipsys worked,they worked with 275 ft out or 50 feet out.