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Surfmasters and the line they use

59K views 62 replies 38 participants last post by  BBBOATS 
#1 ·

SWS line Article



  • What Line the pros use and Why?
  • What is their line of Choice:
  • What Rod and Reel:
  • Favorite Time of Year:
  • Favorite Location:
  • Ideal Conditions:
  • Rookie Mistake:
  • Must-Have Lure:
  • Biggest Goof:
  1. Frank Daignault
  2. Alberto Knie
  3. Lou Tabory
  4. Tony Stetzko
  5. Mike Everin
Crazy Alberto= Line of Choice: In rocky areas, I'll go with 65-pound Sufix Performanc Braid with an 80-pound mono leader. People say it's overkill, but I've had too many big bass out-muscle me with lighter line.
 
#59 ·
Figured I'd chime in on this thread (late)... I'm no surfmaster... more like a surfmustard. Interesting read from SWS and great feedback from the board. ... Always been a mono-guy, until about a month or two ago. . I started the season with good mono on a couple reels I use the most. Couldn't take hearing another good review of braid... even my local B&T guy switched this year... SO... I compared by trying 30lb Power Pro after stripping the mono off of the smaller of the 2 reels. Immediately I could tell I was going to like it. I casted every lure in the bag that the little reel could handle... and bait on the bottom. No more loops in the running line... no more twists. No more mono for that one I guess... Then the next one ( a larger reel ) was stripped of it's mono and 50lb PP was put on. MAN does this stuff freakin cast good or what?? love5.gif Mono never did this. For anyone still on the fence about braid.. try it. It's more spendy, but it really fishes nice. I have an old Daiwa I just fixed up which I am tempted to switch over too, but I just may put some 20lb Suffix on it. Not sure it is braid-ready being an old reel. That (a reel's age) might be the only reason now that I wouldn't use braid. Old dogs can learn new tricks all day long I guess!!!
 
#60 ·
Update: Executive Decision ....

Well.... Stick a fork in me, cuz I'm D-O-N-E with mono in saltwater... maybe eveywhere .... Like a dope... I pushed it and used mono to fish Sunday AM... The success window at "My Spot" is extremely small... I simply do not have alot of choices locally. Second chances are nearly unheard of there. I had just respooled with 20lb Maxima the day before, so I figured wtf.... go with it. So I used the reel that was on the St Croix already... baaad move. Lost 2 nice fish in addition to a cow 3 weeks ago. All of 'em pulled me over the edge of a hole I found (or should I say they found). The average season for me with limited shore access... does not offer up too many freebies. I can no longer leave things to chance. There is a place for mono (I'm sure) in somebody's tackle scene... Somebody somewhere has some love left for the stuff... but not me. :Marine: Braid can break sure.... but you can't argue with success. Every fish on braid this year for me at this same spot has been landed... kind of a no-brainer now.
 
#61 ·
I agree about choosing line is like choosing a woman,but I like my woman big and hairy,haven't found any line yet that compares. Just getting back to surf fishing,my boat needs repairs and college cost money.I love it,forgot how much i used to enjoy it.Lived in Key WEST WHILE IN THE Navy and caught a differnet fish everyday. Been hitting QUONNY in soco Rhode Island,you could walk on the stripers when the sand eels were running.My first nite there in a year and I've got 20lb powerpro witha 40lb mono leader.the braid is so sensitive you can feel the damn crabs hitting your bait.had nothing to mattch the sand eels,we were throwing fluke rigs with fresh squid and 6/0 khale hooks.I got hit big,real big,had a light duty fishing rod and reel combo from cabela's.yanked my line like a commuter train,could not real forward,when my line was getting close to disappearing from the reel i started tweaking the drag,and it broke off.....sob....realed the rig in and all knots intact,used superglue,all line intact,but the hook was broken,snapped clean.never saw this before.20lb mono would'nt have held and I've never snapped a hook on mono.what i did wrong was tweak the drag too far in all the excitement,i had no backer line on the reel,i was sure she would have stripped me.In the future I will move up to 30 pound test,no more khale hooks and always have a sand eels imitation with me.it was the biggest fish I ever missed and I've been saltwater fishing for 35 years,but still have a lot to learn.the boat spoiled me.Surfcasting is much harder.These forums have helped a lot,thanks.:navy::sign4:
 
#62 ·
WOW GOT PULLED OFF ON 20 BRAID? I USE 30RIG FOR BAIT FISHING,..MOST REELS WILL HOLD 180 200 YARDS, THATS A LOT FOR STRIPERS IN THE SURF.. 20RIGS COVER MOST CONDITIONS AND LIGHT LURE WEIGHTS, WITH THE RIGHT ROD. I LIKE MONO MYSELF. PUT TOGETHER A 30 CLASS RIG FOR LARGE:frustrated:R LURES AND BAIT.
 
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