Fishing School
Lines
Recommended Equipment
Below are some links to the most popular combos across the Insider Club platforms for all-purpose inshore setups. But if you’re just getting started and plan to focus on using live shrimp, then a low price combo from a local tackle shop will be all you need.
Note: You can use monofilament line for a mainline too as explained in the video. If you want to try that, then here’s a link to the 10 lb Monofilament Mainline that has proven to work great.
I have tried searching the clickbait infested waters of YouTube for this and can’t find an answer to this question: what is with the ratio I see of lighter braid to heavier leader? And what does the pound test correlate to? My immediate thought is poundage of actual fish weight but I’m sure there’s more to it. Any clarity would be very helpful thanks.
The pound rating is the minimum pulling power that the line can handle. With good knots and a properly set drag, you can catch fish that weight much more than the line rating (ex – someone caught a 160 lb marlin on just 2 lb line).
As for the ratio of lighter braid to heavier leader, there isn’t a hard rule for that… my default is typically go have my leader 2 times stronger than my braid (ex – my main inshore setup has a 10 lb braid and 20 lb mono leader).
Have you notice any significant differences in braid brands? I have use spider but at times it seems like it wears out really quick. Have you done any brand testing for braids?
Yes. The Beyond Braid brand has by far been the worst I’ve tested. The SpiderWire and Suffix lines were also not very impressive. The top ones have been J-Braid 8 Grand, PowerPro, & Fins.
Helpful stuff. I suggest that you mention how fishing lines are rated — I know that 10 pound line doesn’t mean I can catch a 10 pound fish with it — instead it’s something about tensile strength, which I have never fully understood. A word on that would help us beginners.
Thanks for making time to post the good suggestion. The line rating system unfortunately is not done uniformly… the only requirement is that the line is at least as strong as the rating measured on a direct tensile strength test. Over the years, it seems like some companies are rating their line much lower than the true tensile strength so they are stronger than the others at their same rating.
Does braid color matter? I would like to use a high visibility line for night fishing. With plenty of clear leader, does it matter?
The color of braid mainline doesn’t seem to matter at all for those of us who use clear leader lines. I used to go with green, but I switched to bright yellow on one of my setups and saw zero difference in strikes per hour while going back and forth from dark green to super bright yellow.
I can tell you were excited to talk about this particular subject. It’s nice when you KNOW something, proven by hard evidence, which contradicts long held dogmas. 😀 Thanks for sharing. I’m gonna switch over to mono for leaders, now.
Thanks for making time to post the nice comment Daniel.
Does this 10 lb braid and 20 lb mono rule still apply for peir fishing? Reason im asking is I use one rod for peir and shore fishing. And if I am after bigger things such as sharks etc I have a different pole setup for that. I just want a happy medium set up for peir and shore fishing that will alow me to still pull nice size fish up from the peir without having to grab my drop net. I currently run 30 lb braid but I wouldnt mind having a little better casting distance..
You’ll definitely need more than 10 lb braid if you are targeting fish more than 3 lbs from a pier. A lightweight setup is fine for mangrove snapper and spanish mackerel, but it’s too light if you’re targeting bull reds or big snook.
Can regular mono line, like what you would use as mainline, be used as leader line or do you need to purchase mono leader specifically? Asking for a cheap friend 😉
Yes, regular mono line is what I use most of the time. I’ve tested the “leader” spool line vs regular spool line from multiple brands, and I couldn’t tell a difference in terms of knot strength or abrasion resistance.
I just purchased braid to replace the line my spinning reel came with but I’ve never spooled a reel. I would like to see a how-to on spooling.
Guess I should have read the comments before posting. I see you have already made a video on this. For anyone else looking for a good how-to on spooling your reel here’s the link: https://11golfpicks.com/articles/spool-line-spinning-combo/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
I always wondered and I said to a friend mono is so much cheaper than fluorocarbon. I told him I’m not buying it anymore simple I never catch anything with it besides Pinfish. Question I always thought to land a keeper I always use 35lb Brade 50 Lb leader. I’m thinking the fish isn’t going to break me off with this material. I realize it’s an over kill but is there and advantage in using lighter tackle like 15-20 Lb Brade with 30 Lb leader when fishing for Red Fish, Speckle Trout, Snook and Sheepshead? Fishing inshore Wading in areas like Fort De Soto and Weedon Preserve, Apollo Beach Preserve and other places near those areas?
I’m in this area and I’d like to know also
With how much fishing pressure there is in the Tampa Bay area, it’s very important to use lighter tackle in order to get strikes. Seatrout don’t pull hard, and they aren’t good at getting around structure, so I recommend no more than a 10 lb braid and 15 lb mono leader for them. That combo can work well with slot sized redfish too. But for snook, it’s smart to go with at least a 20 lb leader (ideally 30 lb if targeting slot snook).
Wish i would have seen this before i got Fluorocarbon Line. lol oh well. now its time to save money in the future! Great job . i like that you test every “Pros” on items.