We have been using Berkley Big Game mono on all our reels fresh and saltwater alike. It works great in freshwater but has too much stretch on saltwater applications.

Would you please recommend a good fishing line for our saltwater reels with less stretch to be able to set the hook better.

I have an extreme hook set but can't hook up on saltwater. Longer casts are the problem.

Thanks

I like Spiderwire & Berkley MONO

Line may not be the problem. Many inshore situations do not call for an "extreme hook set", like say bass fishing. I'm in no position to preach, as I have to control that urge to just lay into the bite! This is really hard to do when fishing top water! Trout in particular have a very tender mouth. I've had much better results as I,ve learned to ease up on the hook set.

Personally, I like the big game. Not much memory, and it has just enough stretch... Remember, trout have soft mouths, you don't need to set the hook REAL hard. Flounder, on teh other hand, I'll set the hook a couple of times to make sure...

big game or ande. ande is a much better quality line than big game, but u will pay for it too.

If it's mono you like, try the p-line copolymer line. It's thinner, so it casts further and is relativly cheap.

If you fish with spinning reel try SPIDERWIRE ULTRACAST(very good braid)+fluorocarbon leader.

I tried Suffix line and hated it. The line kept digging into the spool and actually spinning on the reel. That was $22.95 wasted. I'm going back to my Berkley Big Game I have used for years. My wife tried Fireline and wasn't impressed. I really don't like braided line personally.

Sharper hooks help with better hook sets. I fished with Berkley Big Game for many many years before switching to Power Pro Braid, and I still have 20# Big Game on several of my reels. As mentioned above speckled trout (Paper Mouths) don't require much hook set at all. I don't set the hook on Flounder all that hard either. Redfish, Black Drum & fish with Bony Toothy mouths is a little different but even then the Big Game has never let me down. Only difference when fishing for toothy critters is the Stainless Steel leader. Best of luck to ya sir & TIGHT LINES!!!


Rob

Beware, long post ahead.....

I really like the braid. I started using it for a long casting outfit and now use it for nearly all fishing. There is definitely a learning curve with the stuff, and I put my share in the circular file. For me, the advantages far outweigh the shortcomings. It is thinner than mono, so for the same tensile strength you can cast much farther, get significantly more on your reel, and lures like cranks dive deeper and faster. It has no memory (very limp) and seems not to be affected by twist, further facilitating casting. It has very little stretch, so it is incredibly sensitive and hooksets are powerful. The downside is that it is less resistant to abrasion compared to equal pound-test mono, it is very picky about knot type and technique, the base color of spectra/dyneema is white so the colors will wear off, it is less shock resistant, and it is expensive. Here are a couple of things I do that work:

1. Reel Spooling - I start with mono backing tied with a uni knot to the arbor and cover the spool twice with the mono, then tie a uni to uni mono to braid mainline and spool the braid tightly. The mono grabs the arbor preventing slipping of the whole line mass. I have heard of using a layer of electrical tape and spooling the braid directly on that. Never tried it.

2. Leaders - On spinners, I use a short (18" to 36") mono or fluoro leader connected to the mainline with a spro swivel or a crosslock snap swivel. On conventional reels, I use a wind-on shock leader five turns around the spool tied with a uni, albright, yucatan, or slim beauty. For short-cast or vertical fishing you can tie direct, but for longcast fishing you can lose a lot of line without a sacrificial leader. For big game, you need a mono leader to have something to grab ahold of because the braid will cut you bad. Most of the time I use trilene big game of equal pound-test.

3. Knots - To swivel/lure the palomar, san diego jam, doubled five turn uni have all worked well. Clinch knots didn't. For line to line, the uni to uni, yucatan and slim beauty have worked. Blood and surgeons knots have not. I have not needed to tie many loops in braid, so do not have the experience to recommend any.

4. Brands - I use fireline on lighter spinners because it is stiffer than braid and more manageable, and powerpro on 30# and up rigs.

5. Reels - Newer spinners are designed to lay braid in a crossing pattern that really reduces the "digging in". Spooling tightly also helps.

6. Misc - Every braid I have tried tests well over the label strength. Diameter is generally larger than the advertised "mono equivalent" by spool capacity. So with all of this misinformation, I have had to experiment with combos to hit a balanced sweetspot of casting distance and strength. This is also the reason I only use two brands - to reduce variables.

Whew. Been thinking about this a lot lately. Hope it helps.

I have never really used an "extreme" hookset either for trout, reds, or flounder. I just kinda ease back on the rod and not jerking the rod back real fast for a hookset and I've never had a problem losing fish like that. And like mexicajun said, always make sure the hooks are very sharp.

But the thing is when your hooks are super sharp you need to be really careful about setting the hook too hard or you'll rip the hook right out of the trout's mouth. Redfish and flounder have a bit of a tougher mouth though but it doesn't take a whole lot to set the hook on them.

As far as Berkley Big Game, it has always been a good value for the money over the years and a lot of people like it and it's good line too.

I've used Sufix, P-line, Stren, Berkley, Ande, Diamond, and a lot of different mono lines.

I use 10 lb. test mono on my baitcast reels. And 8 lb. test mono on my spinning reels. This is for the bays and for targeting redfish and trout. Or sometimes I step it up to 12 lb. on my baitcast and 10 lb. on my spinning but 10 lb. test is what I use about 80% of the time and when I am not I am either using 12 lb. test on baitcast or 8 lb. on a spinning reel.

Probably one of my favorite mono lines to use is Trilene XT. I like it and is casts very well and I like everything about it. I like to use the XT Red which is a newer version than the regular green XT.

I also like to use Ande mono as well. Very good line in my opinion. And I use Berkley Vanish fluorocarbon in 10 lb. test as well.

But as far as value and a dependable line, you can't go wrong with Berkley Big Game either. They also make the Berkley Big Game Hi-Test which is great line too and about the same price as the Ande.

Line is sort of a matter of preference. There are some lines people love and some that hate it so you just kinda have to try it and see what fits your needs and preferance in a line and find and see what you like by trail and error.

But my favorite line to use is probably Ande or the Trilene XT but that's just my personal preferance. I have used Trilene Big Game and it's a great line too.

Overall though of all the lines I have tried I'd go for Ande or Trilene XT or the Big Game if you are looking for a good dependable line but that's just my preference. Ande is a really good line that has always been a quality product.

I am fishing(99%in salt water) just with spinning reels(DAIWA SS TOURNAMENT 1300,1600)on the bank using FIRELINE SMOKE 4LB.,SPIDERWIRE STEALTH 6LB and SPIDERWIRE ULTRACAST 10LB.+fluorocarbon leader 4lb.-15lb(SEAGUAR CARBON PRO and XPS).