[Andy Marquis]

I coudn't see this had been discussed...

What line do people use for working SP's?? I tend to work SP's completely weightless, other than the hook.

Braid and flouro leader? What weight braid and leader to get natural? I have been trying 20lb Avani Sea Bass braid as I had some with a 25lb flouro leader (from Veals, not sure of brand). The leader is too stiff IMO reducing the natural looking SP.

Should I stick with the braid as it seems OK, if a little prone to wind knotting (easy enough to watch what I do on a slack line retreive.)?

Also...

Should I use a clip or not, and what type? Bearing in mind that a JB Swivel clip does not fit through the eyes of my SP rod but a JB non-swivel clip does fit. I find the non-swivel clip I am using a little restrictive on the lures movement as it's quite snug to the hook eye and can lock up (hope you know what I mean by that?) at times leaving the lure looking like a lump of wood.

Lots of questions for a Friday afternoon but I am really bored and want to go home...

 

[Mick Ward]

Its interesting that you use that Avani Sea Bass stuff, I just got a case of it from Japan, it is very very thin and super smooth, in fact I am a bit worried that its a bit too thin for getting in amoungst the reef when using sofies etc. I only got 6 spools so its not the end of the world if I got it wrong. I personally use Powershot in 15lb, I have tried a few braids for softies, I even gave whiplash 20lb a go but it was a nightmare, maybe it was me not being used to it though. Like all braids I personally think you need to underfil the spool a bit more than usual and some thing I did last week in Ireland was every time I moved location, every ten mins or so I would reel my last cast in through my finger and thumb to put the line on a bit tighter.

As for clips, you are right the JB is a nightmare, so is any crosslock link, I only use Duolock for my softies now, they go through every single eyelet.

Here is a Flashmer Duolock, they are better than the Quantum ones as they last, the Quantum ones I throw away after one trip, they are cheap enough to do this anyway but the Flashmer ones are the same price..... what ever.....they are both sound....

 

[Keith White]

FishingGuernsey:

I like your preferred method alot.

I try to not use a clip if possible. I also use a longish clear/but burnished leader of fluorocarbon or mono
depending on how slow i want the fall.

you can, so i've read, get sinking, neutral and floating braids now.

I'm planning to try neutral and sinking lines next season.

 

[Mick Ward]

How do you connect to the hook or jighead then? Straight to it or with a loop?

 

[Keith White]

rapala knot whenever possible.
This just helps the SP hinge when on mono and especially harder fluorocarbons.

I have, used this too.. http://www.crazycarp.com/63/Kryston-Multi-Strand.html

 

[Mick Ward]

rapala knot whenever possible.

mmm is it a good knot? I learnt it donkeys years ago (no pun intended there Fishing Guernsey) but I have never used it in action.

 

[Andrew Wilson]

Which avani braid have you got Mick, the ultra fine white one or the green stuff. I have been using the green 23lb braid all year and love it, swapped briefly to Fireline crystal and could not get on with it so swapped straight back, nice and supple with very few breaks so far.

Has anyone ever tried making a surgeons loop or similar that you could thread through the rod eyes and then connect to a duolock by looping it through the eye and then over the clip if you get my drift, just a thought.

 

[Keith White]

mmm is it a good knot?

Never had one give way Mick.

For those who don't know it..

http://www.animatedknots.com/rapala/index.php

 

[Ben Field]

Has anybody tried any of the supposedly suspending mono lines? Could be a useful thing to have access to in certain conditions with certain lures.

 

[Keith White]

Not yet but am researching them.

They will be most useful IF they work in the sea.

 

[Andy Marquis]

Interesting thoughts.

I only used the Avani as I had some (birthday pressie I think it was), the alternative spool I had in the shed was 30lb PP which seemed a touch overkill when I am trying to be light and natural.

The Avani is "OK", I think PP is better. I've got the green stuff, it's thin alright and feels coated maybe? Can't find the box and it's too cold outside to go look. It's fairly supple and not stiff which is good for the softies. I think wind knots will always be an issue with casting weightless SP's in a good wind. It was bloney cold out last night I can tell you!!

As far as links go I like the JB swivel clip for hard plugs, compact and easy but doesn't fit through the eyes of the SP rod. I have some of those thingy clips Mick so might see if I can feed them through the eyes when it's open. I'm lazy and prefer not to be knotting all the time, plus changing lures half a dozen times in a session and half the leader is gone...

One thing I have noticed with using the Avani and leader over clipping an SP onto my Shukan with 30lb PP with same leader is that the PP seems to get the lure deeper in the water where the Avani seems to float??

Maybe I should just go get some lower b/s PP and try that as well.

There's mention of Fireline above. Personally I find fireline so stiff it's hard to use, unless it's the other fireline, what's it called? XDS? I think that line is a personal thing a lot of the time. I love PP now!!

 

[Alex Jordan]

How about dropping down to 5lb or 8lb flourocarbon instead of braid? losing an sp is alot cheaper than a hard lure ...

 

[Ben Field]

How about dropping down to 5lb or 8lb flourocarbon instead of braid? losing an sp is alot cheaper than a hard lure ...

Could be a good idea actually. The extra weight of the flurorcarbon may allow you to go slightly lighter on jighead weight (if used) as well for overall better presentation. Maybe only a gram, but enough to make a possible difference.

 

[Mick Ward]

Which avani braid have you got Mick, the ultra fine white one or the green stuff. I have been using the green 23lb braid all year and love it, swapped briefly to Fireline crystal and could not get on with it so swapped straight back, nice and supple with very few breaks so far.

Has anyone ever tried making a surgeons loop or similar that you could thread through the rod eyes and then connect to a duolock by looping it through the eye and then over the clip if you get my drift, just a thought.

Its the white one Andy, its so thin its ridiculous. Gonna give it a go but I am not convinced, I think braid may just have gone too thin and will possible lose you fish and lures, but then again maybe its better hook and lose than to never hook at all, its just the risk of leaving a lure in a fishes mouth that worries me.

 

[Keith White]

I think braid may just have gone too thin and will possible lose you fish and lures

Just because something is thin doesn't make it automatically weak.

look at silk, carbon fibre, etc

Who would have guessed silk is stronger than some steel, but it is.

Carbon nanotube rope, though currently only manufactured to very short lengths, maybe 20cm or so
are so incredibly strong yet, you need a microscope to see em.

Carbon nanotube braided lines with 100kg breaking strain at 0.001mm or smaller anyone ?

 

[Retired]

High quality monofilament (fluoro or otherwise) is the way forward for SPs, or at least that is what a top French angler told me recently. Sufficiently sensitive with top rods, some elasticity in lower breaking strains, more discrete.....

I've always carried a spare mono filled spool in case of a terminal wind knot or other loss of braid, but thankfully never had to call on it, until now.

Maybe I'll be putting on the mono spool as first choice next year? :?:

 

[Keith White]

High quality monofilament (fluoro or otherwise) is the way forward for SPs

For the foreseeable future yes, I'd agree.

maybe like this..
http://samuraitackle.com/fishing/index. ... ts_id=3674

 

[Alex Jordan]

Carbon nanotube rope, though currently only manufactured to very short lengths, maybe 20cm or so
are so incredibly strong yet, you need a microscope to see em.

Carbon nanotube braided lines with 100kg breaking strain at 0.001mm or smaller anyone ?

Actually - still waiting on a sample spool of some kevlar braid - they are making it over in China at the moment - biggest problem? you can't cut it ... and would go through your hand like cheesewire ... hence my local rod manufacturing buddy hasn't imported any ...!

 

[Andy Mason]

Carbon nanotube rope, though currently only manufactured to very short lengths, maybe 20cm or so
are so incredibly strong yet, you need a microscope to see em.

Carbon nanotube braided lines with 100kg breaking strain at 0.001mm or smaller anyone ?

Actually - still waiting on a sample spool of some kevlar braid - they are making it over in China at the moment - biggest problem? you can't cut it ... and would go through your hand like cheesewire ... hence my local rod manufacturing buddy hasn't imported any ...!

They've already moved on from Kevlar, we're talking z-pbo now.

 

[Mike Kennard]

High quality monofilament (fluoro or otherwise) is the way forward for SPs

For the foreseeable future yes, I'd agree.

maybe like this..
http://samuraitackle.com/fishing/index. ... ts_id=3674

For largemouth bass in the US and Japan, heavy and light rock fishing in Japan and bream in Australia, a lot (but not all) of the finesse fishing with SPs has been done with flourocarbon straight through for years. Braid is not always the answer.