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Why such heavy line?

4K views 19 replies 16 participants last post by  rnickel17 
#1 ·
I’m no expert on catching big catfish but I have caught my fair share of 45-50lbs salmon on the banks of the chetco river in Oregon and the heaviest line we used was 15 on our main and 12 leader with maybe a 3/0 hook. It makes me wonder if I have to go buy a whole new set up cuz my 17lbs Cajun red mono line and my 6’6” medium action rod won’t seem to cut it. I landed a 28lbs king salmon on my trout rod in Oregon. Fishing for steelhead and hooked that beast. I was running 12 main and 10 leader and had no issues. I’m not trying to criticize anyone or say my way is right, I would like some advise from the guys who have caught the monster cats on whether or not I could get away with using what I already have. Thanks guys
 
#4 ·
I use 65lb braid. I've never caught anything close to that. But im not after twenty or thirty pound flatheads. Not even 65lb. Im hoping to hook into a 100lb fish and when it happens it won't be on 10lb test. The other reason is most flatheads are down below logjams and you need something that can handle the tugging back and forth and constant pressure to "coax" them out.
 
#5 ·
Structure, weights, current, bait size and body of water all play a role. ie trees, logjam, boulders. But its mostly abrasion resistance. Like when I fished lake Ontario for channel cats and salmon I used 20lb braid with 15lb mono leader, 1oz sinker and 1/0-2/0 hooks all were fine. I could let them run and play them out. Only broke off by an occasional rock. But if you fish for instance Mississippi, Missouri or the James rivers, etc where I fish, there's so much current sometimes 14-16oz sinkers don't hold bottom. Then if you're using 1lb baits or bigger you've got to have big sinkers as well. Medium action rod isn't going to cut it. You'll need a rod capable of slinging 6oz or better and a big chunk of cutbait or gills, Chubbs. In Arizona you should be fine with MH cat rod and a 6500-7000 sized reel. But there's lots of structure so I'm sure 65-100lb braid or 30-50lb mono is what you'd have to run.
 
#6 ·
Dang you've got me really missing the Salmon now lol Salmon gave me a new respect for cats fight though lol during the run a few big ones would break me off during hard fights so one night I brought a R2 War Rod with me, penn fathom 20 with 80lb braid just trying to possibly catch a 70-80lb salmon but 33 was the biggest that bit and that poor Salmon didn't stand a chance. I just drug it in less than a minute. Would've love to hook up but I'll be back up there for the run this year. It was fun to be on the bank at nice with all my friends talking crap and hooking up lol everyone moving rods to avoid those running fish lol awesome fighting fish.
 
#7 ·
A few reasons.

Big flatheads often hang out in the snaggiest places you can find.

If you don't hit them with a tight drag and haul them right out to fight...they are going to wrap you up and you will not ever see them. Braid is not the best for abraison resistance but combined with a heavy leader, it works pretty good.

Another reason is throwing big weights and baits.

I do all of my fishing from the shore or from piers. You need to be able to cast a big bait + weight quite a distance sometimes. A rule of thumb is 10#s of test per ounce of weight to avoid snapping your rigs off. Yes, you could use shock leaders...or just go with heavy pound test braid.

I have landed 30# fish on 8# test. It's more about the application rather than the strength of the fish.

You "can" catch big catfish on light line. You will catch more with heavier line and bigger baits.
 
#8 ·
There is a spot near a dam I like to fish that had a lot of vegetation near the shore. I had to upgrade my line to pull the fish through it without getting broke off.

Like you, I was of the opinion that 12 or 15 pound was more than enough for the size fish I was catching (and it was/ is) but the vegetation would shred it and the fish would swim away. I increased to 25lb Big Game and had no problem pulling the fish through the salad with no worries of line getting cut or the combined weight of it all leading to failure.

Haven't lost a fish to the weeds since I made the upgrade.
 
#11 ·
I use 30lb braid for bait fishing. I see no use in using light tackle unless its absolutely necessary. My catfish reels all have 80lb or better braid on them. When anchor fishing I throw 8-16oz sinkers, vertical drifting I use 16-24oz sinkers, and back bouncing 2-6oz (larger from time to time).

I typically fish the open river sections of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers where current flow is 3-8mph and gets as deep as 60 feet.

This 74lb blue was caught last weekend in heavy current. It was pulling 18lb of drag and I had to throw the anchor ball to chase it down just to put it in the boat. Light gear with 20lb mono wouldn't have stood a chance.


Fish Catfish Noodling Bass Fish
 
#14 ·
I use 30lb braid for bait fishing. I see no use in using light tackle unless its absolutely necessary. My catfish reels all have 80lb or better braid on them. When anchor fishing I throw 8-16oz sinkers, vertical drifting I use 16-24oz sinkers, and back bouncing 2-6oz (larger from time to time).

I typically fish the open river sections of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers where current flow is 3-8mph and gets as deep as 60 feet.

This 74lb blue was caught last weekend in heavy current. It was pulling 18lb of drag and I had to throw the anchor ball to chase it down just to put it in the boat. Light gear with 20lb mono wouldn't have stood a chance.


View attachment 281315
Awesome fish, that is a pig!
 
#13 ·
I use 50/65 because I want my stuff back. The rock i throw my rig into won’t give it back with 10-20lb mono. I can flip rocks and pull wood out from between rocks with 50/65 braid (most 65lb braid breaks at or above 80lb).

Not to mention what will happen if i happen to hook a 30, 40, or even 50+ flathead while fishing in that rock and current, I dont think you’d get his head off bottom with light mono. Definitely wouldnt be good for the fish to have to fight it to exhaustion to land it on light line.
 
#15 ·
A couple reasons why most trophy cat guys run heavier lines then what you might be used too.

The need to cast heavy baits and heavy sinkers. There are times where I have used sinkers as heavy as 16oz along with baits just as heavy when fishing big rivers for big flatheads. You can't fish those weights effectively with anything less then 50lb braid, 80lb braid is a safer bet.

Often times you may find yourself fighting these fish in a tug of war in heavy cover where the first one to give an inch in the fight looses, this is particularly the case when targeting big flatheads. In these cases, if you want to compare the fight to a saltwater fish you are not fighting a salmon, you are fighting a grouper. The winner in the tug of war takes all, you better lock down your drag.
 
#16 ·
The lightest I fish with for flatheads is 50lb braid or mono. I have caught big flatheads on 20lb mono and 20lb braid before, but I have lost many more on those same line strengths.

For channel catfish, 20lb mono paired to 20lb braid is my standard. I might bump the abrasion leader up to 30lb mono when fishing smaller creeks where I know big channels exist. In those same close quarter settings where channels are going to run for heavy cover close by, 14lb mono and less will get you nothing but heart break from channel catfish over 5lbs, I tried.
 
#18 ·
There are a few reasons.

1. Big leads and big casts require big line. The ratio that British carp fishermen use is 10 lbs. for every ounce. They cast 100m plus, but the ratio is probably safe.

2. Most will use more than one line in a rig. Mainline, plus hooklength, and sometimes sinker length. If you want the sinker to snap first, you need it to be weaker than the mainline, but as you don’t want casting or simple stuff to take the sinker, you go big. 70 lb. mainline, 50 lb. from swivel to hook, and 25 lb. from swivel to sinker for example.

3. My reason. Braid is tiny. For my carp rig, my 30 lb. braid mainline is smaller than the 17-25 lb. flouro I use for method feeders. If I can spool the same amount of 20 lb. flouro (Vanish is .40mm), or 60 lb. braid (My ebay stuff is .40mm), and the braid will last longer, why not? With this, people can go bigger on line than with mono. The choice is more line, or heavier line. As most line doesn't get that much more expensive as strength increases, then people go big.
 
#19 ·
My roller tipped snagging rods and penn 209 combos pull Christmas trees and man made fish habitats up to fishing docks.

So, I know they will turn the head to a 75lb flathead trying to run to concrete pillings or the tree they live in.

The inner kid in me will also back the drag off on little fish just for fun... I mean, you know it's a 5lb fish, play it out!

I'd rather have the option to lighten a drag then to be under guned....

Like when I got spooled when I use to fish for flatheads with 6lb line..........................................
 
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