i bought a penn fierce 4000 spinning reel & a 7 foot big water ugly stick in preparation of fishing for reds & sea trout, what type & pound test would you recommend ? i've always used mono filament line ( berkley trylene ) dont know if that's acceptable for a salt water venture ?

I have limited salt water experience but I used Berkley Big Game which is mono same as Trilene. I fished a baitcaster with 12 or 15 lb test and caught fish like everyone else.

Everyone I fish with uses mono but I see lots of recommendations for braid with flourocarbon or mono leaders especially on spinning reels.

It is just a matter of personal preference but mono works fine.

Heavy duty rig for trout and redfish.
20# power pro braid goes on all the spinning reels here. Casts better with fewer wind snots than heavier line.

I prefer 30# PowerPro as the bull reds can put a lot of stress on the lines. I usually tie on a 4' leader of 15# to 20# flouro using a Uni/Uni knot. Don't forget to check the leader periodically for rough and worn areas on the leader and cut and re-tie the hook as needed.

12-15# Big Game GREEN! Something about that green seems to make it stronger?? Two years ago, I caught four keeper reds on it fishing oyster beds, and never once had to re-tie...That stuff is TOUGH!!! I was using 12#, popping cork and gulp shrimp 18" below it. Had to dig them out of the oyster beds...Just my 2 cents!

POWER PRO SUCKS BALZS. Get some Jerry Brown. Reason I said that is I loved Power Pro until the WORT FISHING TRIP EVER HAHAHAHAHA(evil laugh). I had 80 pound Power Pro break every time I hooked into a tuna and lost alot of expensive lures. I got a bad spool wouldnt even hold 10 pounds. So switched all of my gear to Jerry Brown and I love it.

This topic is like politics but...

I have used 10-14# (ten for spinning 14 for baitcaster) Berkeley big game for my main line with a 20# big game leader for decades. I change it out every couple months because I feel it breaks down with the sun and salt.

I may be in a rut but I just get to where I trust my rig.

There you have it, use whatever the heck you want.

well how about this, does the power pro cast better/ ferther than the berkley ????

My recommendation is to Google search fishing line advantages and disadvantages. All line types have them. Then make up your mind. As you have seen here, different folks have different opinions. One thing about braid that I learned the hard way is that it will saw right through ceramic line guides on cheaper rods necessitating replacement. I have now had it happen on two different rods. I liked the fact that braid has little stretch, has excellent sensitivity, has a narrower diameter for a given test, and is very abrasion resistant. I don't like the fact that it cuts ceramic line guides, you have to be careful in that certain knot types do not hold as well as mono, and that it is much more expensive.

I use Berkley Trilene XL for most applications, and it is very supple for a mono, has excellent strength, and has an excellent price. However, if I were to use a rod with aluminum oxide or tungsten guides and will be fishing topwaters, I would definitely opt for braid.

The braid should not cut ceramic. The ceramic is harder than the braid and that is why it is used the as the center punch panel on bullet proof vests. It is true that on non-ceramic guides, it will cut into them.

More importantly, when using braid you do not want to use your finger to test for light bites. In the event you get a good size fish and the drag has any play, when the fish runs the line will cut through your finger all the way to the bone.

Here's the why:
We use braid on the spinning rods, it casts better than mono, it's more sensitive and absolutely more resistant to breaking off on oyster shell. Typical duty is throwing 1/8 oz jig heads with plastics.

15# Ande back country on the casting rods, which get duty for topwaters, spoons and the rare other hardware. The Ande is slicker than most lines, casts a mile and is pretty resistant to getting cut up.

I hate braid on topwaters, can't keep it from snagging the hooks, and like a little more stretch on hard baits.

We don't ever screw with leaders, the fish don't care, and it just adds time and effort.

Your mileage might vary.

It happened on an Ugly Stik lite rod, and an older rod I bought quite a few years back. Perhaps the inserts are not ceramic, but some other material, but it happened.

my ugly stik big water has fuji guides, i e-mailed fuji & they said braided would work just fine. i gues i'll have to at least try the power pro braided & see what i think !