All,
Spooled up my spinning rig late last season with some Ande "Backcountry" 8lb test mono I found at BPS in 1/4lb spool for cheap, and I now want to give this stuff two thumbs-up! I've fished weightless soft plastics with ease, dragged it through some serious vegetation, and a visiting friend of mine, who isn't comfortable with baitcasting rigs, used it to chunk 3/8oz spinnerbaits earlier this spring for three straight days with no problems, break-offs or tangling. I'm liking this stuff , has anybody else out here on the TFF tried or use this mono? No intentions of starting a line debate... Tight lines,

I haven't tried it but I would like to brag on some other cheap line. It's the worldwide sports man camo line or the brand that BPS sells..i forgot but its the same. I use this line in 6# and 8# for carp fishing and I reel in 10-20# fish all the time with it. Carp are hard fighters and this line always delivers. It even holds up when the carp wrap around the dock poles and I have to "muscle" them away from it.

Sounds like you've found a good cheap line too. The camo stuff is almost invisible and looks really cooll on the spool. Like 1500 yds for $7.

Hey Naut,
That would probably be "World Wide Sportsman", I think it's a common BPS store-brand, and for some of their fishing apparel, as well. This "Backcountry" mono is truly an Ande product, but brutha, it is a great value for the 1500+ yards I paid well less than $10 for. Hmmm...could this work for my baitcasting applications, as well??? Stay cool ,

Freddie,

Ande is an excellent choice, tough as nails. I would also check out Silver Thread's copolymer as well. I use these two lines and nothing else.

redfin,
Thanks for your input. I noticed Ande makes a nice selection of more premium "Tournament" grade and IGFA certified monos as well, and in a wide variety of test strengths and colors - might check them out. I've been fishing some P-Line fluoro-coated copolymer for most of this year, and all things considered, will likely be going back to a good mono when it's time to resupply. This P-Line is really nasty when you backlash with it! Sometimes I think I make too much of a fuss over this line thing...

Try the Ande Premium 12-lb. test in pink. That's what I use on my casting rods for striper at Texoma. Really strong line!

redfin,
Thanks again, but...shouldn't we be out fishin'? Been cleaning out some closets, and wouldn't you know...found a couple of spincasters my wife used to wade fish the bays on our vacations around the FL panhandle area over 10 years ago, and they're spooled up with Ande 10lb clear, even found the partial filler spool it came off of, ha, guess I've actually used Ande previously. This stuff is old, but it seems to be in great condition, maybe I'm on to yet another line revelation here! You mentioned pink, any particular reason? I've usually stayed with the clears, clear blue fluorescents, and greens here in N. Texas...

P.S. Yes, I will use fresh line!

About two years ago while trolling for whites on the Pedernales, my bro-n-law and I caught flathead about 45lbs. The line? 10lb Super Silver Thread on a spinning reel. That cat had swallowed the crankbait down to his craw, and the line was rubbing on the corner of his mouth. The fight lasted a good 10 or 12 minutes. Needless to say, I like that line.

i'm not sure which Ande line i have. its the one they carry at Academy, i think its the Ande Tournament line. i've used the 40# and 50# line. it holds up really well. i recently bought a 1# spool of 100# line for my 6/0. haven't had a chance to try it yet.

It is interesting how many of us are always looking for "something better" in fishing line.

I have used 15# Big Game for 7-8 years for "serious" bass fishing and BPS Excel 4 and 8 lb. on my spinning rigs.
However, I am always trying something else in hopes of finding the perfect line.
These are just the lines from the last two years-

Sensation
Ironsilk
Fireline
Remington (mono and braid)
Trilene XL
Triple Fish camoescent
Stren Extra Tough
Spiderwire Fusion
BPS Wally Marshall Crappie Line
Super Silver Thread

and there may be others-who can remember?

Anyway, if anyone has any suggestions for a great mono in 10-12 lb test with great sensitivity etc, I'm always looking for something better...

and yes, I will probably be trying ANDE...

ralph,
Ain't that the truth! I guess we are always looking for that "additional edge". If I put together a list of my line trials over the past 2-3 years, I am sure it would rival yours. I've had it...I'm gonna find a good mono I'm comfortable with (and so far, it's Ande and Trilene), and be done with it! Time to get back to the "KISS" approach - Keep It Simple, Stupid, and just go fishing...

I won't say that my "search" is over, but I am sure that I am not going to try braid again.
I tried it twice, both spinning and baitcasting, and just cannot make myself like it.

I guess I will continue to go "mono a mono" (sorry) unless of course there is a new copolymer out there...

I have read some of your replies on Iron silk posted in May and still have questions to those of you that have used it. I spooled 14# and thought it was decent line. I have not got many frays and nicks while casting, but have not used it extensively. I have also not noticed any sun effects. The only thing I have noticed is that it does not have much spool memory, and that it cast well. How do ya'll like it again, and most importantly why do some of ya'll say that you have lost fish on it?

Hey Brit, welcome to the board!! i used 8 and 10# ironsilk for my spinning reels and found that after only a couple weeks the line was so old and brittle that any tension at all would snap it. Maybe I just got a bad batch but the world-wide sportsman camo line is the only thing for me now....for light line applications anyways. Its cheap and very strong.

Thanks for the welcome and thanks for the insight. So far, for me the line has been alright. My friend used one of my rod and reels lined with it this past weekend and said the line was alright. I will have to try the camo line.