Thread: Longlining 101

Here's my longline set up in action...

Dang, but good info is hard to get around here. Sumbody better start answering my questions or I'm gonna pick of 'em out and make a hobby out of calling 'em names. I'm serious. I've done it before.

I can understand wanting a smaller diameter and considering that you most likely will break off a good bit, you're almost assured of having fresh line in the water most all of the time. That said....4 pound on Grenada is insane and 6 on Grenada would be asking for it. 8 gives me pause, but 10 seems more wise. Therefore, unless one of you LLers can convince me otherwise, I deem it ignernt to use anything less than 8.

Wannabe...

What's light line hooks got to do with it? GA? Heck, I bust 10# line with light wire hooks left and right. Pretty unusual to straighten one out and get it back at all over here. I'm talking 1/0 202ELs and Sickle Hooks which are even lighter than the 202s.

And refresh my memory. What model is your boat and how long is it?

Wannabe...

4-6 lbs line is plenty for 3 lbs fish....done it....limber rods and a lot of line = stretch/flex to make up for the tension.....use a long handled net....u can run deeper with less line, but yes 1/8 oz jigs will get deep with 8-10 lbs line....after you snag enough and try to break off 8-10 lbs line you will go lighter....lightwire hooks do help some and I have caught 4 lbs+ catfish and stripers on lightwire hooks....last year or so I have been using more sickle hook jigs and they will straighten out 1/2 the time with 6 lbs line....I know Grenada slabs are a whole different breed of big from what I have seen you gewbers post!....but just try it and see....if it don't work out call me a gewber !!!!Rofl

Originally Posted by Wannabe...

Dang, but good info is hard to get around here. Sumbody better start answering my questions or I'm gonna pick of 'em out and make a hobby out of calling 'em names. I'm serious. I've done it before.

I can understand wanting a smaller diameter and considering that you most likely will break off a good bit, you're almost assured of having fresh line in the water most all of the time. That said....4 pound on Grenada is insane and 6 on Grenada would be asking for it. 8 gives me pause, but 10 seems more wise. Therefore, unless one of you LLers can convince me otherwise, I deem it ignernt to use anything less than 8.

Wannabe...

Please refer to the other longlining thread, before I start calling you names.

Gewber.

I like to get ahead on my to do lists.

Wannabe...

Originally Posted by Tank 1

Please refer to the other longlining thread, before I start calling you names.

Referred and read.....STank 1.

I'm not saying it's not possible or even probable to land a 3 lb fish with 4 lb test. Heck, I've landed catfish up to 15 on 10 and Carp up to 30 on 6. I'm just saying that you don't have much room for error with 4 or 6 like you do with 8 or 10. Especially when it comes to an unseen abrassion, knick or poorly tied knot. I'm sticking with 10 for now. Ya'll can be ignernt if ya want......And NO...it has nothing to do with having just ordered 3 spools of 10# test. Total coincidence. Honest. True story.

Wannabe...

There would be nothing wrong with using 8 or 10 lb test for LL, but why if you don't need it. My home lake has structure in it, stumps, submerged brush, trees, rocks, trash, (TVA lake in E TN), and you will get hung up at times, sometimes in the darnest places. Trying to break off 8 or 10lb gets old, so you end up cutting at the surface, and lose additional line and possibly create hazards for other boaters and wildlife. 6lb test will pull any crappie you can catch to the boat. 4lb test will do the same, you just have to be more careful on the retreive than w/ 6. You can break 4lb easy, 6lb fairly easy, well I can cause I've done it 100's of times.. If your lake has lots of structure, and you are LL IN the structure on purpose (similar to vertical jigging brush), you are just asking for hangups/breakoffs, etc. I would be trying to LL just over the top of the structure if it was somewhat consistent in height, such as a field of stumps all about 2-3' tall, then you would want the lure about 1 foot above the tops of the stumps on the assumption the fish are just below the stump tops. If you fish a stake bed, do you LL thru the stake bed or just over the top of the stake bed? But, if you want to 10lb go for it.

I just recently (this past summer) switched from 4lb line to 6lb hi-viz, and can't really tell any difference except for the hi-viz part. I switched based on some reading I did on another forum where the author was/is a very knowledgable LL'r, its all he does IIRC, and controls his depth by speed only, he states he consistently lets out the same amount of line via a consistent sidearm cast with an open face reel, and goes from there. He uses the same size jig as well, and adjusts his depth via speed control. Larger jigs don't always work, you're still wanting some action from the lure whether artifical or live, and heavy jigs reduce the action of the bait.

Since you appear to waant to learn about LL, you might want to consider trying to be "nice" and ask questions in an "non-ignert/non-gewber" manner, and the info you seek may be disclosed. Just a suggestion tho.