Quote:
Originally Posted by BrokeLoser
I know I sound like a total cheap ass but when you need to spool 5 reels with spectra it can get expensive...a whole lot more expensive than mono obviously. I've never fished spectra...does it literally hack through kelp? What if you're fishing a 30 - 40 foot top-shot / leader of fluoro in 30 - 45 feet of water?
Sorry for the stupidity..I'm just trying to understand.
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one thing about spectra is that you really never have to change it out. it will last a very long time. so, you fill up a reel 3, 4, or 5 times with mono and suddenly it's not such an expensive option.
there's two ways to view spectra: as extra backing and as the main line.
by running mostly spectra with 50yds of mono on top, you are fishing mono, but get alot more line cap, can change out the mono more often (you waste 3/4th the spool otherwise) and vary your line on the reel more, like stripping off the 50yds of 20# and running say 30# if needed. it also allows you (which is the best feature) to fish a heavier line weight in a smaller reel. so you can fish a sealine 20 with 20lb or even 25lb. straight mono I'll get at best 200yds of 20# mono on that reel, but with 40# spectra backing, I'll get 350yds +. it will do an easy 9-10 lbs drag (way over for 20#) and it's super light and casts like a dream. for larger reels, run 65# spectra.
as a main line, there are some places where it's a must. I throw the slugs and the other weedless lures in the kelp. can't do it with mono. need spectra to cut through. yes it does. or the bigger fish that hang in the kelp (like wsb, or so I've heard, as I know nothing about them!!). and for the slugs it's necessary due to the technique. or boiler rock calico. you need the no stretch part to pull them out.
as a main line, it's necessary for the deep water jigging too. also, alot of guys love it because you feel EVERYTHING. alot of the guys targeting halibut love it for that. but you gotta adjust your rod and reel accordingly. softer rods to absorb the shock as spectra doesn't stretch. also, back off on the drag a bit.
go out and drop $200 on spectra to fill up all your reels at once? no, probably a little overkill. but over time, and part of it is the quality of tackle itself, convert to spectra. it's a long run thing. I wouldn't fill up a penn 500 with spectra, kinda like putting racing rims and spoilers on a minivan.
as for drags, what I kinda like to do (and I've upgraded almost all my main reels to greased carbon fiber, which gives more and waaay smoother drag) is go no more than 70% of a reel's drag rating. then that let's me figure where I can reasonably fish a reel. sealine 20's run 15lbs max, so I say 10lb is the max I want to fish. which means I can go up to 30lb line. not an ideal 30lb reel, but about as good a 20# reel as going. 6-8 lbs drag easy without any binding or load issues, light, strong, casts great, and over 400yds of line. not too bad.
it has taken me a while to really migrate to and appreciate spectra. I love izor and sufix. but that's just me.