Line for 8" Huddleston

[Micropterus salmoides]

What line and lb test are you using for the 8" Huddlestons?

[smpboy]

20 or 25 big game stuff is cheap and doesnt break

[Ron C]

I have been using 20lb Seaguar Carbon Pro for the past three years and I love the stuff. (Some guy named Butch Brown turned me on to it). It's a bit pricy, but well worth it in my opinion.

I just got some 20lb Maxima Fluorocarbon that I am going to try out. I'll let you know how it works.

If you're fishing dirty or off-colored water, 20 or 25lb Berkley Big Game works well, and as smpboy noted, it is a hell of a lot cheaper than Seaguar Carbon Pro.

[Steve]

Hey Ron:

Two questions on the Fluoro when compared to using Mono. Considering the price, do you retie as frequently, and if you do do you take at least 10 feet off for each retie? How do you feel about the no-stretch component of Fluoro?

I usually need to re-spool after every trip because I retie alot and during each retie I make sure I remove that piece right at the rod tip since it gets kinked quickly. Using Fluoro would get exspensive, unless somebody convinces me I dont need to take that much line off when I retie using Fluoro. About the stretch. During surges, especially at the boat, I feel like I want that little bit of stretch mono provides. This, IMO, helps prevent breakage and fish pulling hooks out. Ive always felt that I would sacrafice this little bit of a safety net if I switched to Fluoro. With that said, in the clear waters I fish, I wonder if I can get bit more when using Fluoro. That would be the only reason I would switch to Fluoro.

[Ron C]

Steve,

I re-tie frequently regardless of what line I use. We are targeting big bass and I would hate to lose one because I was too lazy to re-tie. Frequent re-tying also prevents "cast-offs", which I'm pretty sure I do not need to explain. (A Hudd cast-off costs about $40). I usually peel off about eight feet each time I re-tie. You made me laugh when you mentioned the rod tip kink thing – I do exactly the same thing. It’s probably more mental than anything, but I always peel off to just beyond that rod tip kink that you mentioned.

I use a Shimano Calcutta 400TE for big swimbaits. These reels hold a lot of line and I can get quite a few trips out of one spool-up. That said, your casting distance drops off significantly as you get farther down on the spool. I usually re-spool when I cannot get the distance that I want out of my casts. I also leave some backing on the spool when I re-spool to save a little money.

Although fluoro is very expensive, I believe that I have caught swimbait fish that I would have missed had I been using mono, simply because it is considerably more sensitive than mono and, as you know, sometimes a swimbait bite can be almost unperceivable. But when they hammer the bait, you could use rope to catch ‘em.

Even though there is less stretch with fluoro than mono, there is still some stretch. However, I rely more on my rod to give a little during that surge that you mentioned (is that panic time, or what?). I used to use a Shimano Crucial 7-11XH for throwing Hudds and other 8â€

[arupert]

go with mono more durable the big game works great seagure is expensive to fill a swim bait spool.

[bassenvy]

Steve.....for what it's worth I use the 20lb Seaguar Invizx as a leader on both braid and co-poly mainlines. It is imo alot more abrasion resistant than what's out there. I don't get as many nicks draggin' uphill as I do with my 25lb Izorline,but still get 'em. I use it as a mainline for wakebaits,topwater,and deep cranks and as leader material on all my jig/worm rods.

I was gonna go with the Shooter but my pockets don't run that deep! Cabela's has 1000yd bulk spools for $100