# re-stringing question



## STEINFISHSKI (Jan 30, 2001)

Not a problem. Everyone has their own opinion on line and that's ok. We have done well this year on 10-12 lb test on clean spoons. For flashers we'll bump up to 20 lb test. The fleas are starting to get bad now on Lake Michigan as the water warms more. With 20-25 lb test those little buggars tend not to stick to the line. Better keep the braid in the boat or check it every 10 minutes to keep them clean. The 30# wire and heavy mono seem to resist the spiny fleas. 

Anyone have much luck with the Cortland Flea Flicker line? I have never tried it but may give it a go this year.


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## live2fishdjs (Sep 9, 2003)

Limige...I can think of no less than 15 members that fish very regularly on this site and another 10 not on the site that use 15# line (or less) on the rigger rods and are very happy with it and don't break fish or tackle off. I think you may be a little "hightstrung" today. 20# will work fine and many chose to switch over to that and even 25-30# when the kings are staging, but you aren't going to lose fish on 15# unless your drag is real sticky-and you will probably get more bites in the long run as well. A fish in the rigger cables is angler or boat driver error in most cases, yes bad luck happens occasionally, but it shouldn't be a reason to use a higher pound test of line...9 out of 10 fish in a rigger cable are going to break the 20 as well.

As for the original question. 15-20# mono on the rigger rods will work great (Trilene Big Game, Ande, Stren High Impact, Maxima). 30# braid/superline (PowerPro, Fireline, Ripcord) will serve well for your dipsy rods. 15-20# mono as backer and leader for core is ideal, but if you need extra line capacity go with the braid for backer as well, but stick w/ mono for the leader.


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## The Dog House (Nov 8, 2004)

Mike (Limige)
Clean out some of your PM's


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## SalmonBum (Feb 28, 2001)

limige said:


> salmonbum, i'm intrigued, do you have a link where i could check this fish out?? maybe you are just one heck of a fisherman, i don't know, i just know some people run their mouth alot behind the screen. you wanna show me how to cast a fly rod, i'd love it, i just rigged up a reddington rod and reel for chuck and duck, i'm quite new at it.


Mike, Sorry for jumping down you back. But before you call me a BS'er, one thing you will know is that I am not and armchair Internet fisherman posting about things he's read on other websites. I was living fishing stories before there ever was an Internet. I swear on my Dog' life that fish was caught on 6lb. Jason should still have the link to it. I don't know if I'd call myself one hell of a fisherman, but I do (and Have) fished everyday for a LONGGGGGGG time. Most guys know me as the Big water guy, But I have fished the Majortiy of the rivers in MI (and UP), WI, PA, OH, IN and Ontario for steelies and such. I just keep that on the DL. I have trolled out of every port there is to launch a boat out of. I have broken Ice off ramps in Middle of January to chase brown in Lk MI. Trust me, I'm not running my mouth. I have nothing to proove to no one.

If you really do want to learn to cast a Fly rod, that I can help you with. You just let me know and I'll give you some pointers.

Again, sorry getting outta line...


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## limige (Sep 2, 2005)

well anyone that can land a big king on 6lb test is a great fisherman in my book...not to mention theirs not alot of people that will break ice to go out on the lake for browns, that's my kind of fishing... i do want to learn fly fishing more, i only know one person that does it, a friend of a friend, i figure this fall i'll give it a shot, i like being a well rounded fisherman, each has it's own flavor, big water beast are great, but seeing those same fish 10ft in front of your face leaping out of the water is quite a sight. 

jason, if you have a photo or link i'd be interested in seeing that.

doghouse pm's are cleared, sorry.



SalmonBum said:


> Mike, Sorry for jumping down you back. But before you call me a BS'er, one thing you will know is that I am not and armchair Internet fisherman posting about things he's read on other websites. I was living fishing stories before there ever was an Internet. I swear on my Dog' life that fish was caught on 6lb. Jason should still have the link to it. I don't know if I'd call myself one hell of a fisherman, but I do (and Have) fished everyday for a LONGGGGGGG time. Most guys know me as the Big water guy, But I have fished the Majortiy of the rivers in MI (and UP), WI, PA, OH, IN and Ontario for steelies and such. I just keep that on the DL. I have trolled out of every port there is to launch a boat out of. I have broken Ice off ramps in Middle of January to chase brown in Lk MI. Trust me, I'm not running my mouth. I have nothing to proove to no one.
> 
> If you really do want to learn to cast a Fly rod, that I can help you with. You just let me know and I'll give you some pointers.
> 
> Again, sorry getting outta line...


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## nacoo (May 22, 2006)

wow great replies, thanks. my setup is dipsey divers with 0 or 00 flashers, and a spoon, i'm might put on one rod 20# mono and the other rod 25# spiderwire stealth with is equal to 8#, i dont have riggers i think they cost to much, i've fished all my life in florida, moved back up here and started fishing michigan this year. i've done very well with walleyes and just now starting with salmon and lakers, went out with a friend and all his rods were setup with 40# line, i'll restring my line and going up to port sanilac and try out the rods, and post my findings. 
thanks all for your great replies.


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## Big_P (Aug 18, 2005)

SalmonBum said:


> Mike, Sorry for jumping down you back. But before you call me a BS'er, one thing you will know is that I am not and armchair Internet fisherman posting about things he's read on other websites. I was living fishing stories before there ever was an Internet. I swear on my Dog' life that fish was caught on 6lb. Jason should still have the link to it. I don't know if I'd call myself one hell of a fisherman, but I do (and Have) fished everyday for a LONGGGGGGG time. Most guys know me as the Big water guy, But I have fished the Majortiy of the rivers in MI (and UP), WI, PA, OH, IN and Ontario for steelies and such. I just keep that on the DL. I have trolled out of every port there is to launch a boat out of. I have broken Ice off ramps in Middle of January to chase brown in Lk MI. Trust me, I'm not running my mouth. I have nothing to proove to no one.
> 
> If you really do want to learn to cast a Fly rod, that I can help you with. You just let me know and I'll give you some pointers.
> 
> Again, sorry getting outta line...


FIRST OFF..... 

I'm not trying to jump in a thread that I don't know a damn thing about considering that I'm new and just starting out with this myself. You guys ARE A WORLD OF HELP by the way thank you but, I totally believe the 6 lb. test story. The greatest fisherman I ever knew and my mentor is my brother in law Tom. He used to be an avid Steelie chaser back in the day going ALL his free time literally until he was T-boned by a drunk driver at 00 mph coming back from the Betsie and broke his neck. Well luckily he wasn't paralyzed and came through but, the pain is so bad these days that he hasn't fished for steelhead in probably 10 years. Well he used to use 2 lb. sewing thread for leader and a lot of people didn't believe that either but, it was true. He had some break offs as everyone will have but, he NEVER came home skunked!!


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## PurePerfection (May 30, 2006)

I'm sorry but I can't believe a 50lb king got landed on 6lb line. First of all I've seen reels come apart from kings running. I'm not talking breaking I'm talking apart. Second MY biggest king was a 28lber and it was on 20lb line and I couldn't slow it down. You would need 500yards or 6lb braid with no current and a big salt water reel to land a king on 6lb. You may not be lieing but sorry I don't buy it and you have to expect that when you say stuff like that. To answer the thread openers question I would go with 20lb but I do most of my salmon fishing off the wall in port huron so when your using 2lbs of lead you tend to want a heavier line so it doesn't break on the cast. 50lb in really overkill IMO and I fish 6lb fireline for everything from perch to musky to steelhead. The only fish I don't fish light line for is kings.


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## limige (Sep 2, 2005)

i believe it's possible, just most fisherman couldn't pull it off because they really don't know much about playing fish.....

first of all i believe he stated he was fly fishing, with a well known salmon reel. the fly line is strong and has alot of give, he was using a 6lb leader...
second of all the key to fighting big fish is side pressure, if your lucky he'll run upstream and not downstream, therefor he's working against the current as well as you.
if your wading you also have the option of chasing the fish which helps alot....

all in all the possibility is there, i know the people that are sticking up for him and if they say it's true i believe it, salmon bum has my respect, that's quite a feat...

if you still don't believe it thats your right, it really makes no difference, he knows whether or not he really caught it..

btw i posted that poll and the results tell alot, 20lb is general some go heavier some go lighter...


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## ausable_steelhead (Sep 30, 2002)

Well I mostly cast for salmon, and use 8-10lb, and can put ALOT of pressure on fish. Last fall we were whipping pier kings in Manistee on 10lb, absolutely no problems. The only trolling I've ever did for kings is flat-lining, and 10 was plenty. So 14-15lb for rigger fishing on the lake would be alright.


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## UBDSLO1 (Feb 23, 2004)

17lb. P-Line CXX-XTRA strong. I don't go any heavier than that. I also use Ugly Stiks for my dipsy and rigger rods. BWD 1101, 9' model. Don't normally have break off problems either. 

Now for the lite line part, I landed a 47 1/2" King, on a St. Croix 10 1/2ft. noodle rod, with Trilene XT 6lb. test line, and Shimano reel. It took me 1 3/4 hrs. to land, and almost spooled me 3 times. Caught it in 92, at the mouth of the Boardman river. I know I'll never land another king that size from Lake MI ever again.


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## Z202 (Jan 10, 2001)

Does anyone use the more expensive flourocarbon (sp?) for leaders while
trolling in the big lakes? (I know, what type, but lets just say off the
lead core or riggers with spoons)


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## catchabunch (Sep 1, 2005)

The flouro works great as leaders. Try out the gamma flourocarbon was new last year and best chance tells in all their seminars if you are going to spend your money on changing one thing it would be to change your leads to flouro.


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## Fishous (Aug 24, 2005)

A lot of it is in the rod. The largest salmon I caught was 29lb, on 6 lb line, with a 12 ft. rod. Took about an hour, that was at the mouth of the White River back when the wier was in.

When fishing on the peir, casting Cleos, I never use more than 10lb line.

Trolling I use 20lb line.


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## adjusted3 (Feb 3, 2003)

Just a bit of personal info on what I have ran and what I run now.

I used to be of the old school that lighter is better, I have sinced changed that. But for an entirely different reason then most. Let me explain...

I had the big boat with unlimited storage, multiple rods and had rods for downrigger use, planerboard dipsy ect.....The riggers were loaded with 10lb test and I agree, I never had a break off. I did have to strip a few feet of line now and then from the abraision from the release but that was about it. As I got more and more into this sport, I down graded to a 17' Lund and space was a premium. It made sence to start making rods do double duty. I loaded everything with 20lb Ande or Big Game. I can use the same rod for riggers, mono dipsys, planer rods or high lines. It is a bit stupid to take a 10lb set up and make it a dipsy rod. This allows less rods to put in the boat and leaves more room for the wire, core rods, copper and braided dipsys. Honestly, I have noticed little difference in hook ups going larger in the line dia since going to this system other then just I buy 2 bulk spools of 20lb for the season for backer/main and sliders. 6lb on a 30-40lb king, yep, not a problem. My best was a 30lb+ king on a 10lb rod off a rigger that fish was real angry. 

Even with this system of trying to eliminate some rods, I still have more then I can put on the boat. When you get knee deep in this, it is not uncommon to get in the 40 to 60+ rod range to cover all aspects of the styles of great lakes fishing. Cutting a few corners to me soes not make that great of a difference. My wife and I spent a week walleye fishing up north last week and I still had 21 rods on the boat and I left the salmon gear at home. 

Mark


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## MI_STEELHEAD (Jan 20, 2005)

[ My wife and I spent a week walleye fishing up north last week and I still had 21 rods on the boat and I left the salmon gear at home. 

Mark[/quote]

That is awesome. I have a 17ft lund too. I brought 12 rods out the other day with 3 people in the boat in a 2 rod limit lake. I usually try to get away with 10. 21 is just impressive. 

Everytime out I am trying to find a better way to store/keep my stuff. Sounds like you have a pretty good system. I aspire to be so organized.


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