I am planning a rocky point fishing trip the end of February and my concern is my gear . I bought a couple heavy spinning rods that I haven't spooled up yet so what pound test line can I get away with using? To heavy I can't get the yards on my reels to light and you worry about breaking off. Monofilament or braid ? 30# to 100# what do you suggest.
Big Boy Trip!
- Thread starter Scotfish
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SunDevil
Guest
definitely braid. what are you going to be fishing for? if you are fishing for 100 lb grouper you will want to go heavier, 60 lb or more (is your spinning reel good for a 100 lb grouper?). if you are targeting 20 lb yellowtail than you could get away with 30 lb.
I think the guy that caught the 420 lb yellow fin tuna this week in Loreto caught it on 50 lb mono.
I think the guy that caught the 420 lb yellow fin tuna this week in Loreto caught it on 50 lb mono.
jerry
Guest
Scotfish, Tom in Lobos would be a good charter for you.My friend Matt went out with him on his new boat ( Ted's old center console one) and they caught a lot of fish Saturday.
Thanks for your responses! The reels I have holds 240 yards of 30# monofilament line so I should be fine with 80# braid and on this trip you can expect to catch grouper from 30 to 100 pounds,black seabass up to 100 pounds and hopefully some white seabass from 20 to 45 pounds. Thanks for the information and will definitely post pictures and info of my trip.
Estero
Guest
[QUOTE I think the guy that caught the 420 lb yellow fin tuna this week in Loreto caught it on 50 lb mono.[/QUOTE]
https://www.wonews.com/t-BajaReport_Pat_011018.aspx
https://www.wonews.com/t-BajaReport_Pat_011018.aspx
I have no business telling anyone how to fish saltwater on this forum, considering the expertise here, but I'll say what little I'm sure of. Braid, and only braid, should be used for shorecasting because you'll get significantly more distance. Braid also gives crispier hookups when bottom fishing.
Aside from that, I hear a lot of arguing about braid vs. mono. I troll with braid but learned the hard way to tie on 8-10 feet of mono leader to absorb the shock of a big fish hitting while the boat's moving. I think a lot of people do that.
One guy I know believes braid cuts too easily on rocks. I don't have an opinion about that, but if true it could be a big deal because groupers like to head for the rocks when hooked.
If you get a birds nest in your reel, you'll wish you were fishing mono. It's great having the additional yards braid gives you, but you will probably need that extra line if you have to cut out a birds nest.
Aside from that, I hear a lot of arguing about braid vs. mono. I troll with braid but learned the hard way to tie on 8-10 feet of mono leader to absorb the shock of a big fish hitting while the boat's moving. I think a lot of people do that.
One guy I know believes braid cuts too easily on rocks. I don't have an opinion about that, but if true it could be a big deal because groupers like to head for the rocks when hooked.
If you get a birds nest in your reel, you'll wish you were fishing mono. It's great having the additional yards braid gives you, but you will probably need that extra line if you have to cut out a birds nest.
Andrew Furstenberg
Guest
I always used braid with a mono leader. I once was on a wreck and the local cuda would always bite the mono baited line then of course it would break. I loaded up a braided with a crab, he wouldnt go near it. It was hilarious.
uff2:
Scotfish
Will you be fishing on a friend's boat or a charter and launching from Cholla or Penasco? I have caught a lot of grouper and whites around March 1st. It is a good time to fish, both with jigs and live bait. You should have no problem landing white or black seabass on spinning gear with 80lb braid, but grouper over 30lbs are another story. I usually use a 150lb mono topshot as my light setup. It is a trade off, because the whites are often "line shy". I have lost countless grouper using 100lb topshot or straight braid. The top shot is needed for abrasion resistance. Good luck, maybe we'll see you out there.
Shawno
Jungle Jim
Guest
Or deep diving spoonbills.
I never use anything heavier than 20 pound mono when trolling. I tie the mono directly to the lure, no swivels, quick clips or any other type of silly over-pitched over-priced terminal tackle. I catch plenty of 5, 10, 15, 20 pound groupers and even 40 to 70 pound White Seabass on 20 pound mono. Aren't we (sport fishing)??? Sure I might loose one or two fish and a few lures but give em a break, make it a challenge, it's you against the fish for gods sake. How about dropping a stick of dynamite down on the hapless shits then harpoon them with braided steel winch cable when they surface with their bladders and eyeballs blown out.
After each catch it is quite simple to run your finger along the mono to the lure, if you feel any rough spots just cut the mono and retie the lure.
Last Saturday I got spooled just off of Cedo in seven feet of water by something grand. By the time I slowed the boat he was long gone with a brand new Rebel Jointed Fast Track deep diving spoonbill and 250 feet of line in his jaw.
JJ
I never use anything heavier than 20 pound mono when trolling. I tie the mono directly to the lure, no swivels, quick clips or any other type of silly over-pitched over-priced terminal tackle. I catch plenty of 5, 10, 15, 20 pound groupers and even 40 to 70 pound White Seabass on 20 pound mono. Aren't we (sport fishing)??? Sure I might loose one or two fish and a few lures but give em a break, make it a challenge, it's you against the fish for gods sake. How about dropping a stick of dynamite down on the hapless shits then harpoon them with braided steel winch cable when they surface with their bladders and eyeballs blown out.
After each catch it is quite simple to run your finger along the mono to the lure, if you feel any rough spots just cut the mono and retie the lure.
Last Saturday I got spooled just off of Cedo in seven feet of water by something grand. By the time I slowed the boat he was long gone with a brand new Rebel Jointed Fast Track deep diving spoonbill and 250 feet of line in his jaw.
JJ
This has been an eye-opener for me. I've been using 80 lb braid with 10 feet of 80 lb mono leader and a 115 lb Shellure swivel pulling the lure. I'd assumed I was ready for a 100 lb grouper with that rig. Sounds like I need to beef it up in case a big one hits. And if I understand topshotting correctly, the mono is more than just a leader. Sounds like you're basically fishing with mono and using braid only as backing.
Do others here feel that braid is too susceptible to being cut on rocks? Is that the reason for using so much mono?
Do others here feel that braid is too susceptible to being cut on rocks? Is that the reason for using so much mono?
Much respect to those who can catch big fish on 20lb line.