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Does thicker line stop fish biting?


serbusfish

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Ive been having trouble catching Roach and Bream this year compared to the past, and ive just realised it might be my line that's the problem. I loaded my reels with Daiwa Sensor 12lb as I was intending to catch carp, but when that didnt work out too well went back to fishing for bream and roach.

 

So is this possible? Could the line be causing me to get less fish? Or am I just unlucky? If this is the case what line should I be using? I was thinking of loading a seperate reel up with 8lb mainline and using this to fish for roach/bream/tench.

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Absolutely, very very finicky feeders. Back when i fished for silers, i wouldn't use anything over 4lb mainline with a 2lb hooklink to size 16/18 hook. in general situations. If bigger carp (8lb+) were present, then maybe step up to a 6lb main, with 4lb hooklink with size 14 hook.

If they were still finiky, step down further, i have had double figure carp on size 22 hooks, and have seen them caught on 24's!!!

 

A note worth mentioning is try to only target one thing. If you are after big carp, you will need to be geared up to do so, stepping up to catch carp will drastically reduce your other catch rates.

If you want to catch silvers, then fish accordingly, and expet to be snapped off, or to have to very carefully play bigger carp. There really isnt a best of both worlds, without using a pole IMO.

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Absolutely, very very finicky feeders. Back when i fished for silers, i wouldn't use anything over 4lb mainline with a 2lb hooklink to size 16/18 hook. in general situations. If bigger carp (8lb+) were present, then maybe step up to a 6lb main, with 4lb hooklink with size 14 hook.

If they were still finiky, step down further, i have had double figure carp on size 22 hooks, and have seen them caught on 24's!!!

 

A note worth mentioning is try to only target one thing. If you are after big carp, you will need to be geared up to do so, stepping up to catch carp will drastically reduce your other catch rates.

If you want to catch silvers, then fish accordingly, and expet to be snapped off, or to have to very carefully play bigger carp. There really isnt a best of both worlds, without using a pole IMO.

 

OK, well my local does have carp up to 25lb, but ive only ever had smallers ones out of it. When I fish it its mostly for roach and bream, I go for carp elsewhere.

 

I was thinking I could have one rod setup for carp and the other for roach/bream (not diddlers; bigger roach, Bream of 3lb+, and perhaps tench up to 5lb, etc) so what line strength would you say I should go for? Like I said in my previous post I was thinking 8lb mainline, would that be good or should I go lighter?

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8lb is still to thick, people fish for 40lb carp on 8lb line. It really depends on what rods you are using? I its a soft enough rod, i would go around 4lb max.

 

4lb huh? OK no problem, as your most likely much more knowledgeable than me i'll trust your judgement :) I was always super paranoid about light line snapping which is why I loaded my reels with 12lb as I figured i'd never have to worry about that with smaller fish. I was totally wrong it seems :lol:

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4lb huh? OK no problem, as your most likely much more knowledgeable than me i'll trust your judgement :) I was always super paranoid about light line snapping which is why I loaded my reels with 12lb as I figured i'd never have to worry about that with smaller fish. I was totally wrong it seems :lol:

 

Knowledgable, may be an overstatement, experienced....possibly...well, i have been there at least. As long as you give line, and let the rod take the lunges, even with very light line you will have no trouble. Forget fish size and strength of line, the fact that we measure both in lb's is just confusing. A 20lb carp could not pull 4lb in a linear motion.

People fish for 60lb carp on 12lb line, makes it seem a little over kill for 1lb roach and 4lb tench.....

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Maybe if your cage feeder weighed 3lb. Why not try it for your self see how you get on.

 

 

edit, what kind of rod are you using?

 

Ok fair enough :)

 

Its just a light feeder rod with quiver tip (though i'll be using it with bite alarms).

 

I dont know what its test curve is, all I know is it says 80g on it which I guess means you can use a max of 80g for the feeder.

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Perfect. If you feel uncertain, then you could step up to 6lb main, just fo piece of mind, personally, i like to fish light.

 

What kind of hooks are you using? I would strongly suggest pre-tied spade end hooks to nylon. You will never ever be able to tie hooks as neatly!

 

Ok awesome :) I havent decided what hooks yet, I have been using Korum quick stop hair rigs in size 10. Do you have a brand/size you think would be best to go for?

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Hooks to nylon animals 16,18s have seen me catch carp into double figures on the tip ...... If your venue is relatively snag free I'd be on 4lb maxima(good stretch) to a 3-3.5 hook to nylon ..... Either drennan or the animals are a really strong little hook that will also see you get plenty bites but still have enough ummffff to tame a double figure fish..... Your just not going to have much control over the fish for the 1st 5/10 mins it's why I asked about the snags at your venue .....

 

Just a word of warning tho mate I wouldn't use mainline any heavier than the 6 you're using ..... Light feeder rods are normally rated for main lines between 4-8lb ... You may find the your tip section will snap before your line does if your every badly snagged up :wink:

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Hooks to nylon animals 16,18s have seen me catch carp into double figures on the tip ...... If your venue is relatively snag free I'd be on 4lb maxima(good stretch) to a 3-3.5 hook to nylon ..... Either drennan or the animals are a really strong little hook that will also see you get plenty bites but still have enough ummffff to tame a double figure fish..... Your just not going to have much control over the fish for the 1st 5/10 mins it's why I asked about the snags at your venue .....:

 

Well my local has a few snags in one corner but the rest of it is relatively snag free, but i'll stick with the 6lb and see how I get on.

 

What are your thoughts on these:

 

DREN_QSCFb.jpg

 

Of course not size 10, I was thinking of trying the size 12 or 14?

 

Just a word of warning tho mate I wouldn't use mainline any heavier than the 6 you're using ..... Light feeder rods are normally rated for main lines between 4-8lb ... You may find the your tip section will snap before your line does if your every badly snagged up :wink:

 

Noted :) My dad has a light feeder rod with the same 12lb line on it, i'll tell him to change it.

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If fishing a feeder rod be careful that you do not snap the tip with casting excessive feeders

 

I use 6lb line for feeder fishing, tip or bite alarm and use the 35g method feeder which when loaded with feed would weigh approx. 60 to 70g which is a lot for a feeder rod to cast out on 6lb line

 

4lb line sounds to light for feeder work, ok for float rod not for feeder work based on casting loads / weights etc.

 

It only takes a few extra ounces to snap your mainline on the cast or break the quiver tip so balanced line and rod and reel is a must

 

My carp rod is 2.5lb tc and I cast 1.5oz lead with pva bags which equals about 2.5 to 3oz casting weight and on this I use 12lb line but I am aiming for larger carp 8lb up to 25lb

 

Hope that helps

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I personally wouldn't want to use a hair rig less than size 10, I just don't think the hook has enough weight to drop the hook in the lip. I would just side hook baits straight onto the hook.

 

Thats why you have to be ready to strike when you get an indication :wink: But seriously I wouldn't have thought it'd be a problem, people have pop ups that lift the hook up off the bed and they hook fish fine.

 

If fishing a feeder rod be careful that you do not snap the tip with casting excessive feeders

 

My rod is rated for a feeder of 20 - 80g, but yeah i'll be careful :)

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For years I have always considered the line as an integral part of my fishing.

 

There is a lot of forgetting that a heavier line will be more difficult to work with, less casting distance, less tackle control, and it may well be overloading the rod, although some of the responses in this thread show that some people haven't forgotten the 'arts' :wink::lol:8)

 

With a match rod and float the heaviest line I would consider is 5lb, and I have landed tench to over 8lb on that. If I was fishing for roach on the same rod, the chances are the line would be around 3lb mainline, with a lighter hooklink. Stick float fishing on the river would probably be a 3or4lb line maximum, unless I was fishing a big chubber style float, when 6lb may be better.

 

When ledgering, I would up the breaking strain, probably using a line between 4-8lb and that 8lb would likely be if I was fishing for bigger fish in snaggier swims.

 

Years ago, we used to use 8lb line as standard for carp fishing, but with the upsized sea reels we use now, we seem to have come up with 12-15lb as standard.

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Exactly, that's why I suggested 6lb line as he is fishing a feeder rod

 

If you was targeting silver fish with 6lb mainline what would be your hooklength size ?

 

I find a 4lb mainline to a 2,12oz/3lb hooklength with a 16,18 to be perfect for silvers :wink:

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Well my 6lb line arrived today, though it didnt show up til 11.30 so I didnt get fishing til around 1.30. I used the Drennan barbless quick stops in size 12 and caught 3 fish + missed a couple more due to me doing something at the time (always the case!). First was a nice 4.5lb bream, second was a small bream and third was a roach (my carp rod did nothing as usual!).

 

If I had got fishing earlier I would probably have had a better day, as it was I didnt really have enough time to get much bait in before it was getting dark. Hopefully i'll get to go next week when I can make a proper day of it, weather permitting.

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