Wally/Jack Medium-Heavy Line Spooling

[CNP]

New reel 4000 series and rod medium-heavy action 3/16 - 1 oz that I want to get ready for a trip to SK for wallys and jacks

I use braid on bait casters but I've never spooled braid on spinning reels and should this be the time to do it?

Would you recommend 30# braid (KastKing); or
12# fluorocarbon (Stren)
14# fluorocarbon (Yo-Zuri); or
17# fluorocarbon (Stren); or
17# mono (Stren).

^^^^these are the spools that I currently have on hand.

I'm leaning toward the braid. What do you guys think of these options?

[Bushleague]

I'm not really a braid guy myself, IMO 4000 size reels are best paired with 10-15lb mono, with 15lb being a tad heavyer than ideal.

Of what you've listed, I personally would go with the 12lb Stren.

[ol whitey]

Never tried it my self, but l see guys on tv using braid on spinning gear, and my buddy uses it on his spinning rod/ reel he swears by it. He also uses fluorocarbon leaders. I've been thinking of trying it myself?

[Bushleague]

Originally Posted by ol whitey

Never tried it my self, but l see guys on tv using braid on spinning gear, and my buddy uses it on his spinning rod/ reel he swears by it. He also uses fluorocarbon leaders. I've been thinking of trying it myself?

I've gone to braid a few times, and always end up coming back to mono for a few reasons, which I admit are mostly minor. Plenty of people love it.

I still run it on a few ice fishing rods, just because the reels are to small to handle 10 lb mono.

[Coiloil37]

What’s the hang up with using braid on a spinning reel? I’ve got braid on most of my spinning setups and all of my overheads. Braid has never been an issue on a spinning reel and doesn’t have the memory problem of mono. The only two I don’t use braid on are the little 2500’s I use for catching squid and bait.

Personally I would put some 6 or 8lb mono on your reel for pike/walleye or 10lb braid but of what you’ve got I would use the braid with a short mono topshot or straight 12lb mono.

[Smoky buck]

It all depends on your fishing style some benefit from the no stretch that comes with braid some benefit from the extra shock absorption that mono offers

Personally I like braid because I like twitch and jerk style lures that benefit action wise with no stretch and if I am taking up slack line on a strike it’s nice as well. It also has a longer life span

It works just fine on a spinning real. I personally run braid for a main line on all my reals and just use different leaders according to the style of fishing I am doing

[Bushleague]

Originally Posted by Coiloil37

What’s the hang up with using braid on a spinning reel? I’ve got braid on most of my spinning setups and all of my overheads. Braid has never been an issue on a spinning reel and doesn’t have the memory problem of mono. The only two I don’t use braid on are the little 2500’s I use for catching squid and bait.

Personally I would put some 6 or 8lb mono on your reel for pike/walleye or 10lb braid but of what you’ve got I would use the braid with a short mono topshot or straight 12lb mono.

Prior to the super braids I dont think it was reccomended that you use the old nylon and dacron braid on spinning reels, not sure why. For about 3 decades though its been fine.

My own reasons for not useing it is I dont like the way ice, poplar fuzz, and other misc debries gets stuck to it. I fish shallow over rocks alot and I've found Mono to put up with the abrasion better, and I like the extra shock absorbtion. I like that I have more knot options, I get tired of tying leaders on to everyone's line, I like vintage reels thay may or may not handle braid very well, and braid will carve up the line guides on a current Ugly Stick pretty bad... minor stuff mostly.

Alot of guys like to go with real heavy test braid because its so thin, I've found that if you go too heavy on your line your just bound to find a weak spot somewhere else in your tackle. Even if you make sure all your split rings and hooks are up to the job, the final medium is the fish's mouth.... and even with 10 lb line you lose way more fish to pulling the hook out than you do to line breakage.

This fish was 43" and caught on 10 lb mono right in a nasty weedbed. Basically the whole fight I was wishing mighty hard that we'd had heavyer line... when we finally got her in she was just ever so lightly hooked through the gum, which had streched into a 1/2" loop that the hook had somehow not come free of...with even 20lb braid that hook would have tore out for sure. To each their own, my opinions are deffinately the minority, just food for thought is all.

P8120427 by , on Flickr

[Coiloil37]

Originally Posted by Bushleague

Prior to the super braids I dont think it was reccomended that you use the old nylon and dacron braid on spinning reels, not sure why. For about 3 decades though its been fine.

My own reasons for not useing it is I dont like the way ice, poplar fuzz, and other misc debries gets stuck to it. I fish shallow over rocks alot and I've found Mono to put up with the abrasion better, and I like the extra shock absorbtion. I like that I have more knot options, I get tired of tying leaders on to everyone's line, I like vintage reels thay may or may not handle braid very well, and braid will carve up the line guides on a current Ugly Stick pretty bad... minor stuff mostly.

Alot of guys like to go with real heavy test braid because its so thin, I've found that if you go too heavy on your line your just bound to find a weak spot somewhere else in your tackle. Even if you make sure all your split rings and hooks are up to the job, the final medium is the fish's mouth.... and even with 10 lb line you lose way more fish to pulling the hook out than you do to line breakage.

This fish was 43" and caught on 10 lb mono right in a nasty weedbed. Basically the whole fight I was wishing mighty hard that we'd had heavyer line... when we finally got her in she was just ever so lightly hooked through the gum, which had streched into a 1/2" loop that the hook had somehow not come free of...with even 20lb braid that hook would have tore out for sure. To each their own, my opinions are deffinately the minority, just food for thought is all.

P8120427 by , on Flickr

All reasonable points Cal. I too have an affection for Mitchell reels and it was all I used for spinning reels in Alberta. I only used mono on them though so I don’t know if they would of handled braid. I would imagine they would be fine but regardless, most people use modern reels these days. I also tried them over here but the salt killed them very, very quickly so now I use saltwater rated gear.

Little blast from the past and they were always spooled with 6lb mono.










My wife used them too











As did the boys






I also agree most guys go way to heavy. Until forums like this came along I had no idea what the rest of you were doing. As a kid my old man spooled my zebco 33 with 8lb mono. Once I was old enough to make my own choices I used 6lb and never knew it wasn’t perfect. I don’t ever remember breaking a fish off after the ripe age of about 8 or 10. I used 6lb mono or 10lb braid for nearly 40 years.
Let’s face it, fish break line because your drag is either junk, set incorrectly or you don’t know how to tie knots. You will break more off on the bottom with light line but that’s no problem if you aren’t snagging the bottom all day. Your also correct that guys will pull hooks, straighten hooks or pull swivels apart if they give anything much drag. I learned that the hard way when I tried using some of my fishing gear from Alberta over here offshore. It failed instantly with 10lbs of drag. Nothing in Alberta pulls very hard, runs very far or fights dirty. You can skull drag about 95% of Alberta fish in on 6lb line with 3-4lbs of drag and very few fish will even pull line. If and when you get into one who does it just adds some excitement but your not in much danger of them taking you to the bottom and snapping you off.

I too am in the minority but like I said, I fished a maximum of 6lb and never had a problem. Trout I went lighter but that’s not what he’s asking about. You also cast further and get more bites with light line.


OP, sorry for the derail. That’s the way I see it and is one man’s opinion so take it for what it’s worth. Reality is, I don’t care what the rest of you are doing.