Kevin Van Dam Forums

I used to use 10 lb floro for my spinnerbaits but fishing alot of cover and wood I am scared of getting a fish and it breaking off with light line. I know KVD uses monofilament in 17+ lb test. And Reese uses floro….I know more and more people are fishing spinnderbaits deeper which is why florocarbon is best at deeper water…I just spooled up my reel with 17 lb mono…Is it foolish to go so heavy? I am mainly using it for keeping it in the upper part of the water colomn and never use spinnerbait in deep water…Just curious to see what everyone else approach is with spinnerbait set up and what line you guys are using?

14 or 17lb mono.

I actually use 30lb braid.

I’ve been using 12 pound flourocarbon and it’s been working pretty well for me, but there also isn’t very much stuff in most the places I fish that I have to worry about it breaking off on either. So sounds like you’re doing the right thing to me.

I use 12 pound mono mostly. I have another rod I throw blades on sometimes and it has 14 mono on it. I havent had any trouble.

14 or 17lb test for me.

I had some flouro break on me yesterday as a matter of fact.  Had been fishing some wood cover, and later in the day I had the line break off in my hand in the boat.  Had a rod pulling double duty, and that rod was not meant for what I was doing.  Lesson learned.

14-17lb mono in bad stuff. Dont risk losing a fish over that.

I see a majority of you guys are using mono for spinnerbaits. What’s the advantage to using the mono over other types of lines? Thanks.

lets the bait run shallower.

I throw 15lb. Fluorocarbon to slow roll deep or in open water. I use 17lb. Mono if I want the bait to stay shallow. Any time you are fishing around heavy cover, you should fish at least 17lb. Braid is great in the summer around heavy grass because it allows you to clear the bait. Stop throwing the light line. It serves no purpose on a full sized bait.

I assume 17 lb mono can be used for chatterbaits too?

Braid is a good choice for chatterbaits because you usually fish them around grass. Braid and a small trailer hook will drastically increase your hookups with chatterbaits. Just make sure you fish a rod with a little forgiveness in the tip. You can get away with heavier line around the vegetation because the fish usually have less time to look at the bait as it swims by a hole in the grass. Make sure you buy a chatterbait or KVD swimjig with a heavy hook. Swimjigs and chatterbaits put a lot of torque on a hook when a fish changes direction because of the direct connection. I don’t mess around with the light stuff anymore. I have dozens of golf course lakes within a few miles of my house and I log over one thousand spinnerbait, swimbait, and chatterbait fish on them a year. I also get my boat on the big lakes in CA and AZ around once a week.

I use 14 lb Stren duratuf.

AllStar1987 - 19 April 2010 08:42 PM

I assume 17 lb mono can be used for chatterbaits too?

Sure can, I throw mine on 17lb.

I’ve just been switching to heavier line recently…ive gotten away with using light line on spinnerbaits, chatterbaits and in some top water circumstances, i’m just tired of sweating bullets when i hook into a fish. I’m obsessed with finesse fishing so light line is what my strengths are. but after switching to 17lb floro for flipping and hooking into fishing that wind around wood i have no hessitation to drag em out without worry of line breaks.

I think if someone fishes from the shore a heavy braid might get you in trouble if it snags.  I’ve picked up so much of it lately.  I used 20# fluoro last year, but I’m going to try 15# mono this year as a shallow crank and spinnerbait setup.  I’ll probally be more diligent about checking my line.