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Druce

float fishing

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okay so float fishing aint no fly fishing, but i love the long rods and the dead drifts and recently with the high winds because of winter its an easy alternative to fly fishing. I really enjoy it but i need a good mono line or something because my cheep mono line dosn't slide nice through the top guides in the cold, any suggestions on a worthy line for winter steel head float fishing. :rolleyes: im out on the credit come January so i wouldn't mind fixing up my setup :)

 

Happy holidays peeps

 

Druce

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Druce, I've never tried the float fishing as you Steelhead folks do it, but have used the Float N Fly technique for bass & other species, particularly in colder water situations, which is sort of similar. I use an 8 1/2' & a 12' (noodle rod) spinning rod & spinning reels for this. Have you considered using braided line? I've had good success with using 15 lb Power Pro, which has a diameter about the same as 4 lb mono. Slides through the guides quite well, and has the added advantage of no stretch, so light bites are easier to detect. Of course braid is more expensive than mono, but it would be a better line.

 

I've used both Ande & Silver Thread mono type lines for many, many years without any issues. I like the Silver Thread better for cold water. I also hear that Bass Pro Shops Excel mono is a good one, and reasonably priced. Might be worth checking for your application.

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First off, thanks for the reply tidewaterfly. I think the braided is a great idea, at the moment i have no concern about price usually, money is unexpectedly plentiful at the moment. I'm using a 9' 6" bass pro float and fly micro light rod, which i might say is the best float rod ever for the price by the way... and a quantum array reel... anyways the bass pro line you mentioned was not recommended to me a few days ago as i watched a friend of mine struggle with the stuff for freakin hours. So just out of fear im going to avoid that stuff, but braided seems like a good plan i think, plus i love the non stretch concept. Iv found the best winter leader to be 10 lb maxima flouro as it has almost no stretch at all, infact my main line has more stretch than my leader, i believe i will get some braid.

 

Druce

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You're welcome! My 8'6" rod is also the Bass Pro Float N Fly, and I agree with you it's one of the best rods I've ever bought. The 12 footer is a Pinnacle Noodle rod, and has it's uses, but I much prefer the BPS rod, as the 12 footer is a bit heavy. I use a Daiwa Samuri reel on it, and frankly, rarely use a leader.

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I wholeheartedly agree with the Power Pro advice. I would consider having a spare spool of 10-2. I know the ten pound test may make you nervous but it is surprisingly strong. The two pound diameter has a lot of additional benefit, less drag coefficient under water, faster sink rate, lower vis and if you are high sticking the wind is less of an issue. Just my opinion but my clients seem to have benefited from the transition to this line when a braid is applicable.

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Forgot to say that a fluoro leader is usually necessary on the power pro unless

you are fishing discolored water, turbid water or some top water. My fish see it at night so I have to use a fluoro leader in the dark.

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Alright lads,

 

iv done a little research and a prime line right now seems to be Sufix 832 Advanced Superline 10lb, it has a Diameter of .008 where as a good 6lb mono has a diameter of .008. Plus it boasts non friction. Let me do a little more exploring on the power pro that seems to be a popular line with the spin fish crowd.

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Alright lads,

 

iv done a little research and a prime line right now seems to be Sufix 832 Advanced Superline 10lb, it has a Diameter of .008 where as a good 6lb mono has a diameter of .008. Plus it boasts non friction. Let me do a little more exploring on the power pro that seems to be a popular line with the spin fish crowd.

 

on further inspection iv come across this, regarding power pro; "its not nearly as smooth as suffix 832 and spiderwire, and a whole lot noisier on cast and retrieves."

 

what say you now of your precious power pro hmmm!!!

 

:lol: just kidding

 

oh god this one made me laugh sooo much :lol:

"The 20lb line was the worst line I have ever bought. It broke during the cast at the reel soooo many times!!! not even at the knot. I hate this line so much,"

 

 

is braid anything like fly line, in the sense that its like a rope, a little bit of weight and "flop" ? iv never used the stuff...

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nightheron, I've primarily stuck with the 15 lb PP because 4 lb mono is the lightest I've ever used. Most braids will test much higher than what they're rated at anyway. I'm not convinced that visibility of the line by the fish is an issue, they don't seem to mind that I tie braid direct, but you do have a point about sink rates, drag & wind resistance. I have had days in the past when switching from 6 lb mono to 4 lb made all the difference in the world between catching fish & casting practice. :rolleyes:

 

Although, as I get older, visibility by me is becoming an issue, my eyes are not what they used to be! I don't know if I could even see 10 lb braid! :lol:

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Druce, for what it's worth, I have other braids on some reels as well as PP. I've read all kinds of reviews & opinions on them, and frankly have seen little difference in any of them. I have not tried the Suffix 832, which I've read is a great line, but have used some of the earlier Suffix braids. I've used some from Cortland & Tuff Line, which I think is Western Filaments line. Except for the noise that braid makes, and it is different than mono's and takes some getting used to, I've not had any major problems with any that I've used.

 

I have read that others have had issues with PP breaking prematurely, but again I've not had those issues, and have to wonder if something else was going on. I've read this type of thing about mono's too in the past, and in most cases it's been admitted that these folks do not retie or even replace their line very often, so it could be a case of "user error", even with the PP. I'm speculating of course. <_<

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Just bought my first pair of 1.25 drug store reading glasses. I'm feeling your pain on the vision front. As far as visibility issues, I'm not qualified to speak about the steelhead but my inland striped bass have hyper sensitive vision. I've been studying them in scuba gear for three decades. At least where I guide the fluoro leader is almost always critical.

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I've had to wear glasses most of my life, and just recently had to go to bifocals. :(

 

I've never had the opportunity to chase Steelhead either, likely won't. The majority of the fishing I do is on tidal water, for LM bass & Striped bass, and I have not had a problem catching fish by tying braid direct to my lures. I also have used the Hi vis yellow braids quite a bit, mainly because it's easier for me to see, and still I catch some fish. I used to add leaders, and for some applications, such as trolling, I still use them, but that's basically to add a "weaker" link to some of the rigging in case of snags or sometimes in the case of mono to absorb shock. Braid is a lot more difficult to break off than mono! As for leaders with braids otherwise, I feel with adding more knots, I may be adding other possible weak links where I don't want them.

 

But, I won't say in some situations a leader won't help, because I learned a long time ago, never to say never when it comes to fishing. If you have found that to be so, then you should stick with what works for you. It has not been critical for me so far.

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does braid freeze up in the cold? does water soak into it and turn it into a stick?

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I haven't had any more of a problem with the line getting too stiff than with mono, the problem is that it pulls a lot more water into your guides. It can be problematic in the super cold.

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I haven't had any more of a problem with the line getting too stiff than with mono, the problem is that it pulls a lot more water into your guides. It can be problematic in the super cold.

 

on that note, the product of choice is spiderwire xxx super mono 8lb hope its okay... to many lines on the wall, took a while, i also chose mono for the fact it never cuts guides where as braid has been known to do that. B) Nothing can really keep the cold off either i guess

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